HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!

We are back in Sunny old Beira after two amazing, slightly scary in places and rather wet weeks in Zimbabwe. The adventure started on Sunday morning, we were supposed to be picked up by George the Chapa guy at quarter past 4 and he was going to drive us all the way to Harare. So we waited, and then waited and then waited a bit more, just as we were about to make a new plan he showed up (bout 5 o'clock) so we clambered on(i somehow managed to rip my last nice tshirt) and waited for the chapa to fill up. Picture me Sophie and Amber squeezd onto the back seat f a mini bus with my big rucksack and three other backpacks on oiur aps and under our feet, and a 'large' zimbabwean lady and her shopping next to us. We felt like we were in a deodorant advert (not because we smelt) as we could only move our arms from the elbows, interesting trying to eat crisps, and then at one point they handed out mangoes as well! So we settled in for the 8 hour journey, about 3 hours in at Chimoio we found out that they werent going all the way to Harare after all and we would have to get out at the Border. Slight panic. However jill was on the way a few hours behind us in a borrowed pick up so we got out and waited for three hours, handing out bananas to passers by, listening to music and playing cards with the border guards, it was a very surreal chrstmas eve. Jill picked us up in the end and we drove on through to Zimbabwe, rolling around with loads of luggage in the back, still comfier than a chapa though. Zimbabwe was immediately really different from Mozambique, stopping for a drink in Mutare ten minutes from the border the three of us had culture shock. There are proper looking houses and shops, it all seems realy western and you could forget you are in Africa(temporarily- some things are very african still), there were hardly any people around, no capulanas, no chapas, and more white people than we had seen in months, bizarre, especially in Harare, we kept seeing people and wondering why they didnt look at all surprised to see three young white girls. The land is different to around Beira too, the mountains are stunning, all covered in trees, it was very cool to see our first hill in three months. So we got to Harare, and the flat we were staying in at about 7, loooong day, and put our presents under the tree. Annoyingly none of our phones were working o we were all upset that we couldnt get a message through to our families to let them know we were there and give them a number to call us on, but we did cook rather lovely spaghetti which cheered us up! Christmas morning we woke up to find that Santa had been and left us mini stockings(can't think who it was , really can't, mystery to me, odd that he used my socks though). Then we had beans on toast for breakfast and found our way to a church. Another culture shock moment sitting in a Church not made out of basic materials, (actually looked a bit like nanna and poppas church) and singing Hymns in English. Was strange though as one side of the Church was lack and the other white, after being completely immersed in our churches it felt really odd and wrong. After church we opened our presents, including Lizzies stocking that her mum sent(we had the cup a soup for boxing day lunch-very nice thank you). Amazingly a text had got home to Sophies family the night before so they rang and then called mine and Ambers families, so we all got calls from our parents which was great, very happy. The rest of the day we sent at friends of Kevin and Kates (Oasis Zimbabwe country directors), being introduced to tyhe amazing, if slightly violent, pool rugby, basically two teams doing whatever they can to score a try on the edge, the only rules being the offside rule, and not being allowed to duck girls under for more than three minutes. It was a great and exhausting Christmas, we all loved that it was so different to normal as it meant that we didn't miss home too much.
Boxing day we went to a flea market round the corne, we had been looking for clothes shops but they were all shut, so instead we spent all of the Zim money that we had on very touristy things, like shakers and miniture hippos, useful stuff you know. Later that day the Zim girls came over to stay the night before we set off in the mornign for our ACTS adventure. It was really nice to see them again, Bryonys hair had grown loads(she shaved it off to raise money), and we had loooooads to catch up on. They have had such a different experience to us.
The next day we were picked up by our guide Jerry 'Just Joking', and set off in our lovely minibus called Lilly (followed by the trailer called Boris), along with MArk a guy on a professional placement with Oasis filling Lizzie's place. Stoppe for Lunch at Antelope park and then went on to Bulawayo and Granite ridge. We stayed the night at the very top of a thatched Boma overlookinbg an awesome view, and woke up to see the sunrise over a rocky valley, stunning stuff. Then after a lovely breakfast in a bakery, on to Victoria Falls. We went to see them that afternoon, amazing, God must have really enjoyed that bit. We got some cool photos, they look as if we have been superimposed on the falls are that awesome!
Friday was possibly the most exhausting and scary day ever! All eight f us girls decided to go white water rafting. So we started the day being picked up at 8 to go for a introductory saftey talk, and of course sign the form to say we wouldnt sue(!) Then we were driven to the gorge, kitted up, and began the loooong hard treek down. Some amusing falls and much bum shuffling down laddewrs. At the bottom was a calm area where we practiced paddling,'get down' and of course 'get out!'. Then we were off, starting with rapid 11 'The overland truck Eater' a promising sounding name, but it was fun and we survived, even managed to wave at the camera. So all was good until rapid 13 'THE MOTHER' (grandparents stop reading now) we had barely started when we were flipped and all of us ended up under the boat, once out from under the boat it was just us and the rapid, trying to keep breathing in the intervals between waves, it seemed to go on forever. And thehn suddenly we were spat out into a calm area, slightly shaken up, but on we went. When we got to #15 'The washing Machine' the worst one we would have to do, a grade 5 (rapids go up to grade 6 but only kayaks can handle grade 6) we were all petrified and Simon our guide just told us to paddle hard to the right, So thats what we did (except for me, you can tell on the DVD that i have fallen into the boatand actually am just paddling in mid air) and we survivved, very exciting, later that evening watching the DVD there is a scene with a raft just flipping over and over, so glad that we watched that after doing it.
8 rapids later (fnishing with #23 the morning shower) we made the horrible trek up the girge to a lovely lunch, completely shatterd and a bit wet. It was quite surreal after the rapids jumping out of the bpoat and floating along in the current of the Zambezi surrounded by the amazing gorge, quite an experience!
It is now getting quite late (well quarter to six) so I will have to finish another day. So happy new year to everyone
Rachelxxxx