Today is an odd day for me …

I am adventuring Africa for 6 weeks with 7 people (husband and friends) and suddenly I find myself with a day all to myself. Perhaps a little lonely considering how much fun the 7 of us have together but also feels pretty darn amazing to have some ‘all about me time’. I am used to traveling alone from the past so it feels kind of neat to flashback to those days.

Here are the ‘all about me’ shenanigans I got up to today in beautiful Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe!

Morning Run: I have started each morning here with a jog about the neighborhood. The past couple of mornings I have either been spooked by or out right chased by local dogs (had to even hide in someone’s yard yesterday haha) – but today it IS all about me and I didn’t see a single dog on my run, no barking and no chasing. A great start!

Morning get clean and pretty: another great moment .. we have power and hot water today here in Victoria Falls! Yahoo my after a sweaty run morning shower was warm and there were even lights on in the room and air conditioning to boot!

Breakfast: my favourite meal of the day is breakfast, hands down! I love to find a super cute, quaint place for yummy breakfast and start my day journaling over eggs and toast. The best breakfast is a full Scottish Breaky but second to that is a full English Breakfast and that is the speciality of our Lodge here in Vic Falls!  Why yes I will have toast, eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, fried tomato, fresh fruit and coffee. (Now you know why I run each morning!)

Post Breakfast relaxation: I have already accomplished a lot today so perhaps a little after breakfast nap / reading is in order. Ok!

Be a Tourist: Zimbabwe is a beautiful country and they do a great job making sure all the tourist sights are tourist friendly and the Victoria Falls Park was no exception. I have seen the falls from in the water in Zambia (Devil’s Pool), from a helicopter above, and now from the Zimbabwe side where you can see and feel the mist! Wow. I was speechless at the power of the water and its low water season. (Check out my Instagran for a video of the falls; the sound of the falls is awesome!)

Cafe Break: Well after 2 hours hiking in the heat (ok I will be honest I spent 30 mins in the mist of the Falls so I wasn’t baking the whole time) I needed a drink and some chill out time. So I hoofed it another 30mins to my favourite Cafe Africa and had me a yummy cold Hunter’s Cider and read my book. A good thirst quencher before strolling through all the markets in town.

Traffic Jam: even on vacation you can’t seem to get away from traffic jams. This one included a bunch of us pedestrians and a troop of 17 baboons! I will admit at one point I was surrounded and a little spooked they would go for my backpack but they just waltzed on by in baboon bare butt style.

Poolside finish: well of course I need some more relaxation! This is a vacation after all and I just walked over 5 hours in 40+ degree heat and there was even some shoe melting on the pavement. Even someone like me who loves walking and loves heat – I was melting! I felt like one of those old Smartie boxes that is left in the sun too long and all colour is drained out of it. The pool always helps!

Basically I love Victoria Falls and today was icing on the cake in this place! It’s like Victoria BC meets Oban Scotland with an Africa twist!

Off to watch some World Cup Rugby with the rest of my traveling band and hear about their white water rafting adventure today.

Brande

PS I ate worms yesterday, mopane worms that you fry up and dip in sauce. Much juicier than expected … or hoped for. Yick!