Hell or high water
Zambezi River, Zimbabwe.
I AM WEARING a helmet and a life vest, paddle in hand, ready to take on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. I have been told this is one of the premier rafting rivers in the world. By mid-morning, I realize my one previous rafting experience down the Matanuska in Alaska is no more like this than an afternoon row across a Victorian lake.
In the raft are Brad, me, three English girls, an Air New Zealand pilot and our Zimbabwean riverman, Melvin. A rescue kayaker named Babyface will accompany us. He wears a short black and yellow wetsuit and life vest, his bright yellow kayak parked on the bank. I learn that Babyface has won an international kayaking competition, his gear the prize, worth at least a year’s salary. I tell him, “You’re a rockstar, Babyface!”
We push off and enter the first rapid, ominously called the Boiling Pot. Brad, the kiwi pilot, and one of the girls are promptly thrown out of the raft. I hold on for dear life, unable to offer assistance, just trying to stay in the raft. Melvin holds up a broken oar.
We retrieve everyone, arrange ourselves, replace the oar. Now it is smooth, and I am perched on the pontoon, paddling idly. The raft drifts towards the rocks on the riverbank and Melvin yells at us, “Paddle left!” We gently bump the rocks. I fall out of the raft into the water.
Melvin is holding his stomach, he is laughing so hard. “What’s so funny?” I ask, embarrassed, indignant, as I climb back into the raft.
“You fall out of the boat in still water!” Melvin guffaws.
Well, if you are going to fall out doing it in still water is a better strategy than the Boiling Point!
The picture of all of us standing on the rock is a portage point- too dangerous to raft through so we had to get out & walk past it! Babyface kayaked through that rapid though- most impressive!