First Impressions

I arrived in Victoria Falls on September thirtieth with relatively no hassle from my flights, and after a small misunderstanding involving a mix-up of arrival dates and an unplanned night in a hotel, I'm all settled in for the next few months.

Right from the get go, it's pretty obvious that things run a little differently here than in the developed world. The airport is teeny tiny; it only has one runway, and there aren't any gates. There is only an entry room, combining arrival, customs, security, and baggage claim, and an exit door where I'm assuming you leave out of to walk to a plane when your flight home leaves. Additionally, there is a front reception/check in area. I didn't take any pictures of the airport because it is illegal to do so. It is also illegal to take any pictures of any government buildings, employees (including police and military), or vehicles. Similarly, with the exception of the Zimbabwean military, it is illegal for anyone to wear any camouflaged clothing (I'm curious to know what hunters wear instead of cammo gear).

Within one hour of my arrival, I experienced my first encounter with tourist/foreigner/American discrimination and government corruption. At customs, they made me pay forty-five dollars for a thirty-day visa (according to the Zimbabwean embassy in the US, that amount should have been good for a three month visa). I wasn't given any other option, and I didn't feel like pushing the envelope by arguing with the customs officials, in case they decided to deny me entry. So I took what I got and I’ll have to deal with the paperwork issues in the next coming weeks. Thankfully, all of my bags made it without being damaged, searched, or confiscated. I doubt they would be able to locate anything once it was lost, seeing that the airport workers are both logistically as well as motivationally challenged.

Environment Africa Offices

The next Monday, I started up my volunteer work at Environment Africa.  My first impression of Environment Africa is that it is a small organization that is chronically strapped for cash, but that it is able to do amazing things for the local community, particularly for people affected by HIV and AIDS.  The offices are located outside of Victoria Falls proper, in a township called Mkhosana - about ten minutes drive from downtown Falls.  The staff members are very friendly, and what they lack in organization and knowledge, hopefully they will make up in enthusiasm.  The whole organization has a chronic problem with always showing up late, but I'm working on making them more prompt every day.  I'm currently the only volunteer with the project, but they are expecting a few more to come this month. 

Aside from all the procedural red tape and the chronic delays, the country itself is absolutely stunning. It's the middle of the dry season, so there isn't a whole lot of greenery, but even so, on the drive from the airport into Victoria Falls proper, I saw a bunch of baboons and the classic, picture-perfect African sunset with a blood-red sun dipping below the horizon. Definitely not home, but beautiful nonetheless.  I cannot wait to see where these next nine months take me!