Just Do It...Just Jump!

Nike’s slogan is probably the finest way to live life. Just Do It.

The world famous swish sign has always been a part of my life, but it’s ironic how the symbol has changed meaning through the course of my life. Growing up, “Just Do It” meant obtaining the latest and greatest Nike apparel or shoe to sport in school and a better slogan may very well have been “Just Buy It.”

However, in the past several years, just doing something has played an integral theme in my life. Many times, our fears and inhibitions generate too many excuses to say “no.” In essence, opportunities are lost and this is where regrets are born;

What if something happens to me? What if she says no? It’s too expensive…I don’t have enough money. Maybe I will do it later…

Hey, it’s happened to everybody. It’s human nature to question and doubt ourselves. Growing up in a very traditional Asian family, conservatism was bred in my blood. Asians do not take risks. We don’t do something unless it’s been done before or if it generates money. To put it metaphorically, we take the safe road by buying that Honda Civic versus that newly designed and sexy Hyundai Elantra. Actually that makes no sense at all. But this is my blog so who cares.

But we still have this inherent uneasiness about us when confronted with risky decisions…so how can you fix this problem? What I find most effective is jumping off of things, in particular, planes and high bridges. It may sound stupid and foolish, but I guarantee it will certainly help you live a fuller life.

For example, I’ve always been afraid of heights (believe it or not), which is completely contradictory given my adventure-seeking desires. However, I’ve always wanted to either skydive or bungee jump and have chickened out several times. I would hype myself up thinking about the elation of having done such an adrenaline-pumping sport but the more I thought about it, the more scared I became and thus, it never materialized. Such fruitless and superfluous thinking has caused so much regret in my life that it pissed me off. Then some time in the past year, I just told myself

“Fuck it. Just do it. You know you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
— My Inner Devil

So I jumped out of an airplane into the Namibian desert. It was the most intense experience ever (especially on an empty stomach) to dive into the barren desert. To be honest, it was quite painless, as I really did not think about it until minutes before jumping. And even then, in my head, I kept repeating “Just do it” to the slow, rhythmic breaths of my chest.

So jumping out of an airplane conquered my fear of heights right? Wrong. South Africa has the highest commercial bridge bungee jump in the world (600ft+), and it seemed like most people I met on the road had done the jump…and loved it. Again, I hyped myself up but subconsciously psyched myself out of it thinking I’d do it another time with friends. I definitely have a weak bitch side, and it got the best of me. However, by fortune and fate, as I was prepared to leave towards Jeffreys Bay, I met the only other traveling Asian (Singapore) on the Baz Bus coincidentally named David, and he was going bungee jumping. I decided then and there to accept fate and spontaneously do the bungee jump with my twin.

In fact, the bungee jump place had a saying to inspire unsure guests that read something like,

“A life full of memories or a life full of regrets?”

I stepped onto the plank looking straight ahead into the open skies and mountain ranges, adjusted my GoPro, took a deep breath, and jumped into my fate. All anxieties were erased and worries about the past and future were non-existent as I leapt into nirvana. It was a sense of elation as I kept repeating to myself as I dangled in mid-air, “This is awesome! I can’t believe I did it!”

Some may view jumping out of a plane or off a bridge to be reserved solely for adventure seekers, but I think it has a deeper meaning than just generating spine-chilling thrills – for me, it meant conquering not just a fear of heights but ultimately, a fear of failure. The biggest fear was the anticipation and the nonsensical thinking. When you actually did it, it was a piece of cake and one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Overlanding Africa in a Big, Yellow Truck

Forget the Ebola you will not get. And the malaria you may get. If you decide to come to Africa for the first time on a budget, you may get overcome from the senseless danger portrayed by the media or the limitless boulevards of jungle you have to traverse, but you need not worry because the tourism industry in Africa is quite extensive and there will be loads of companies vying for your purse. Sure safaris are plentiful, but can you afford to pay thousands of dollars for one? To be honest, most people on your “traditional safaris” are retirees who have retirement savings and prefer the wine and dine aspect of safaris, but if you’re willing to camp under the stars, cook your own meals, see a bunch of countries in a blink of an eye, and sit inside a giant truck bumping and rolling on the unpaved African roads…then an overland safari may be right for you.

As I was planning on what the hell I was going to do after Livingstone, I was stumped. Africa is not cheap and you don’t have budget airlines as you do in Europe or Asia. However, a co-worker had advised me to go on an overland safari, which would take me through several countries and sights on an oversized truck, and it was cheap. I was sold and after thorough research, I realized there were countless companies who did overland safaris. I eventually picked Absolute Africa based on their reputable history, their big yellow truck, their price, and their user-friendly website.

In a semi-big nutshell, this is how it works. I needed to get to Cape Town from Livingstone. Since companies have numerous different itineraries that take you through parts of Africa, I chose the 21-day safari from Victoria Falls (across the border from Livingstone) to Cape Town.  

The day before departure, I met the team at the Shoestrings hostel in Victoria Falls for a pre-departure briefing. It turned out my 21-day overland was part of a longer 3-month overland from Nairobi to Cape Town, so most of the people on the overland had already been traveling for 2 months.

 

Team

This is where you actually spend most of your time....

This is where you actually spend most of your time....

The team consisted of a tour guide, a driver, and 14 traveling souls (mostly European) that would navigate from Zimbabwe -> Botswana -> Namibia -> South Africa for the next 21 days. The mode of transport was a gigantic yellow truck named Wiley – it was like nothing I’d ever seen and felt like it could’ve been a weapon of mass destruction. Most of your time is actually spent either on the road or at camp, so you should bring a book or you can spend hours contemplating down the African roadside. Views are best in the front of truck (and it’s less bumpy).

Your group of Overlanders will vary but will most likely be independent European travellers ranging from 18 to mid 30s. While no one can predict the personalities of the people in your group, I was fortunate to have a group of wonderful and friendly people.

 

Accommodation

A majority of the trip was spent camping with a few stays in budget hotels and hostels. I got buddied up with a guy from New Zealand, and we’d spend early mornings and late afternoons bruising our fingernails trying to zip and unzip the tent bag. In fact, my right thumb has shown significant strength improvement since the start of the trip. Kidding aside, the tents were in great shape and the campsites were amazing. Just imagine watching the extensive sunset over the Orange River with the stars creeping out, sleeping underneath the Namibian Desert, or showering next to the Cederberg Mountains. In fact, I very much prefer camping to enjoy the natural beauty of the African outdoors. And if you don’t enjoy camping, stop being a bitch.

 

Food

Most breakfasts and dinners are provided. The tour guide will buy everything from the supermarkets. There will be different shifts, and your tour guide and cook group will cook the dinner for the day. This will vary between groups and companies, but our tour guide did a majority of the cooking. Meals were mainly western ranging from burgers to pasta to Kudu. Lunch isn’t included but can be bought cheaply on the road at supermarkets (or in our case, dinner was so abundant that most of us packed a lunch from the leftovers).

 

Excursions

The Biggest Meteorite in the World...

The Biggest Meteorite in the World...

This is why you paid for the safari. While several excursions and game drives are included, most are not. The overland will include several game drives and excursions but the main point of the overland is to drive you from point A to point B and stop at national parks or sites for you to choose whether or not you want to do an optional game drive or sky dive. For example, in Victoria Falls, you have the optional of tacking on an additional $160 for bungee jumping or $30 to enter the park. Costs can add up!


Costs

Total initial cost (excluding excursions) of my 21-day overland from Victoria Falls to Cape Town covering 4 countries was $1,290. Per day costs came out to $61/day. Of course you will do optional excursions and boost up the price but $60 per day is not bad considering accommodation + food + transport.  


Conclusion

Would I go on another overland safari? Maybe but only with a different itinerary. Overlands are great if you’re a first time traveller, independent, on a budget, and want to see as many places as you can. After a while, I really needed my own space to explore independently and you won't be able to do this if you travel overland. If I do this again, I would much rather rent a 4x4, go on my own pace, and see the places I want to see.

Gotta Catch 'Em All - Real Life Pokemon Safari

Going on an African Game Drive is like playing a game of Pokemon – you gotta catch ‘em all!

Who knew that going on game drives in Africa would take me back to the essence of my childhood. Back to the days when I thought I could take on the world with my Level 99 Charizard. When I woke up every Saturday at 9AM to watch that cuteass Pikachu on the WB Channel. When I would play countless hours of Pokemon on my Gameboy, which most likely contributed to me being the only person in my family with glasses. Those were the days…and driving around game parks looking for these animals felt exactly like a real life game of Pokemon.

Now that I think of it, the inspiration for Pokemon may very well have been contrived as a result of a few guys who went on a game drive in Africa while high on shrooms. And I really couldn’t help but hallucinate a few Pikachus or Bulbasaurs lurking in the bushes. In fact, I had to catch myself one time on a game drive from laughing out loud while high on my imagination as I saw a field of Pikachus while everyone else merely saw a bunch of trees and shrubs.

On a game drive, you set off with your team on a 4x4 inside a national park in hopes of spotting animal sightings like the ones you’ve seen on National Geographic. In Pokemon, you are on your own or if you’re lucky, Misty will accompany you. You search and explore with your eyes peeled wide open, through the endless array of trees and shrubbery, in search for animals or Pokemon to “capture.” While your aim in both games is to try to capture the rarest and strongest, you will without a doubt see the occasional impalas or pidgeottas. You may brush them aside after a while and decide they are not worth your time because your ultimate goal is to capture the Big 5.

The Big 5 animals (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, and leopard) were deemed by hunters as the hardest animals to capture, and they are the 5 most prized animal sightings on a game drive – you gotta catch ‘em all but you will most likely fail. Similarly, your Legendary Pokemon are the most rare and unique Pokemon known to all Pokemon kind. Only the luckiest and bravest cartoon souls ever get a chance to capture a glimpse. And while we humans do not have Pokeballs, most of us have modern day cameras we use to catch or capture these animals. But let’s just say I’m still waiting for the moment some idiot throws out a red ball in hopes of catching an elephant – that would make my day and affirm my hypothesis. 

What about Team Rocket? Take away the unsightly haircuts and shrieking voices and you have your modern day poachers. These guys are never up to any good but strive for world domination in their own devilish ways. Unfortunately in real life, the poachers are never blasted sky high “up, up, and away.”

I’ve yet to Wikipedia the origins of Pokemon but now I’m even more certain that the idea originated in the African bushes. Pikachu looks like an obese cheetah baby. Bulbasaur is essentially a hybrid of a buffalo and plant mating. Squirtle is a fit turtle who goes to the gym My childhood all makes sense now.

Best Way to See Victoria Falls

Microlight Flight over Victoria Falls

Microlight Flight over Victoria Falls

With over 2 weeks in Livingstone, I had a lot of free time on my hands. Tracking elephants was more or less an evening adventure, and my Workaway job was stalling due to my “illegal” volunteer status (immigration didn't believe I was American). The usual recommended time for a visit to Livingstone is about 3 days, so what does one do with 2 weeks?

See Victoria Falls 4 times. Yes, 4 times in 1 week. That is probably a world record no smart tourist would want to achieve, especially a budget hungry Asian tourist. I had officially disgraced the frugality that composes the core of the Asian value system by spending over $250 on seeing the Falls, but I had to kill time and I couldn’t get enough of the grandest water park in all the lands. But my stupidity can hopefully lead to some success and cost savings for you if and when you do visit.

 

Normal Victoria Falls Visit

 

Most people who visit Victoria Falls do the normal visit during the day, and the main mode of transportation is by taxi. If you are commuting from town, about 10km away, the going rate (at time of writing) of a taxi is 50 Kwachas ($7). However, you can take a shared taxi by going to taxi stand near Shoprite in town, which will only cost you 10 Kwachas ($1.50). This is important because you will find taxi negotiations will compose 5% of your Victoria Falls experience. I had to learn this the hard way while seeing my African brothers pay only 1/4th of my foreigner fare, while I had to negotiate tirelessly over $2. While this may seem petty, the point is no one wants to get screwed over, especially not while on a budget. You multiply every taxi ride by $2 and that accumulates into a few nights hostel stay.

Upon arrival, the entrance fee is 140 Kwachas ($20). You walk into the thunderous bellows of the Falls with mist trails ensuing your every step. It is April and just after rainy season, so the Falls are at its most majestic state. You can barely see the waterfall itself with water levels so strong that have washed elephants down the Falls. Whilst a nightmare for photographers inside the Falls, it’s a dream come true for those looking to cool off from the hot African sun. There will be an area to rent out ponchos, and this is 110% recommended if you have camera equipment. As you venture deeper down into the bridge closer and closer to the face of the Falls, the sounds of the gushing waterfall become almost thunderous as your entire body will get trenched in water coming at you full force from a 360 degree angle. Hold onto your gear and your body because you will feel helpless in the hands of the Falls, one wrong slip or move, and something will be lost forever.

On a happier note, it is also the best time to see a rainbow emanating over the Falls due to the colossal amount of water combined with the never ending sun days. It’s an amazing feeling to stand in front of mother nature’s greatest glory, drenched from the non-stop flow of water while staring at a double rainbow and listening to Kygo’s Sexual Healing (that just happened to be the song that was playing…). 

 

Lunar Rainbow (Occurs once per month) 

Once a month when the moon is full, you can see a rainbow illuminate above the Falls. 

Once a month when the moon is full, you can see a rainbow illuminate above the Falls. 

Most people who visit Victoria Falls have never heard of the lunar rainbow, most likely because it only occurs every full moon or once a month. Check the calendar to see there is going to be a full moon during your visit, and you may be treated at a colorful sight you won’t find in too many places.

When there is a full moon, the light source is so great at night that it produces a rainbow at night when the moonlight hits the Falls. The best time to view a lunar rainbow is during the months from April to June, when the sky is clear and the water source is still plentiful. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy and rainy when I went, but I did see something I’d never seen before – a rainbow at night. I also met another photographer there who was extremely nice but may well have been the biggest playboy in Livingstone, but that is another story.

 

Microlight Flight over Victoria Falls (BEST WAY!)

When I heard that the best way to see Victoria Falls when the water flow is at its greatest was through a Microlight Flight, I was conflicted because you pay $170 (plus $20 for pictures) for 15 minutes. My angel side told me that it was a ridiculous amount for 15 minutes, and I had already gone to Victoria Falls 3 times, and I could possibly buy nearly 200 McChickens with that amount, which would last me about a month. My devil side told me that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and eating 200 McChickens would be disastrous for my health. Plus, it’s a much better way of spending your money vs. buying a few rounds of drinks and waking up in the middle of nowhere the next day.

In the short run, I usually favor the spontaneity of my devil side but later regret it to the point of me curling up in a tiny ball, yelling at myself for what I had done, but the Microlight Flight produced no such occurrence. It was one of the highlights of my life thus far.

It is currently only being offered by Batoka Sky in Zambia, and flights are offered either in the early morning or late afternoon. I picked late afternoon in order to see the rainbows over the Falls, and I was not disappointed. They shuttle you over to their headquarters and after filling out a few forms and paying, you line up for your turn.

My pilot was an ex-Zimbabwean Army Fighter Pilot, which instantaneously made the trip exciting before it even began. You get strapped into the backseat of the Microlight, which is basically a hang glider with a motor, so you really get the most personal experience with the sights you see. The motor revs up, and lift off is executed even before you can say Up, Up, and Away! The abrupt roll of your stomach during takeoff is immediately overtaken by what is in front of your eyes – the peer beauty of Zambia and Zimbabwe right below your fingertips as you soar like an eagle. Elephants crossing the railroad tracks. Hippos bobbing in the waters. Impala skipping along the golf course. So this is what it feels like to be a bird. To fly.

Victoria Falls is coming up, and you can already hear the thunderous bellow getting closer and closer, the mist stretching wider and wider. We make an L-shaped turn straight down into the Falls with my hands outstretched like I am going down a roller coaster. If this was a roller coaster, it would be the best roller coaster of all time as you dive head first down into the Falls with rainbows peering from left to right. I notice my stomach is rolling again, but I brush it off at the sight right below my eyes.

It was one of the best 15 minutes of my life. Every dollar worth it. Who can say that they’ve not only visited Victoria Falls but dove head first from above with the sunset to your right, elephants to the left, and rainbows lined up across the gushing glory of the Victoria Falls? And by the way, this is the best way to see Victoria Falls.