adrenaline – WanderwithFaith

The most common way to keep memories has been photos. Almost every one of us loves them. There are many ways to keep our memories but some things we decide to keep may last longer than others. I am inspired by collections that others have. This one time, I saw a backpack this traveler had with lots of small flags fastened to it which I believe represented the countries he had been to.

When we travel, we sometimes hold on to that one thing that will remind us of those places we visit. What I noticed is that some memories may be long-lasting and some short. For those thinking, “Why not keep memories where they belong, in the mind.” l do agree with you. But a memento is good for others and not everyone. Others are connected to happiness, sadness, or indeed any other emotion.

Traveling around Southern parts of Africa has allowed me to hold on to some mementos, some of which are long-term and are still there, some that are short-lived and disappeared in thin air, and some that are both long and short-term due to circumstances. Along the way, I also collected some myths that I have kept at the back of my mind and pondered on once in a while.

The Short-term mementos

Henna Skin decor

Not every souvenir needs to be placed in a treasure box. Some people have opted to have reminders of some things on their skin. Count me out on the permanent ink. I always get too chicken to pull that off. But have you seen how beautiful henna skin decor looks on ladies?

Henna skin decor has been a reminder of countries like Tanzania and Kenya. It looks like this act is more prominent in Arab and Indian culture. Interestingly, some have said it symbolizes good health and prosperity in marriage and that the darker it is, the stronger or deeper the love between two individuals. So basically it looks like it is an act done by women in love or soon-to-be married, and that are in good health. The funny part about being a tourist is that we do these things blindly at times without understanding the meaning behind them. Can you imagine how many thought of me as a bride? Lol! I celebrated none of the above things except just being joyous because of visiting the countries.

Cute Hotel Complimentaries

I will not be ashamed of the fact that I have, sometimes, kept some hotel complimentary soaps, shower gels, shampoos, chocolates, etc. I mean, why do they make them look so cute and petite? I guess they are meant for us to use and if I had carried all those things already, there is no way I would have left these cuties for the next guest. It may sound like a not-so-fancy thing to do but it is the cuteness of these products that some of us love and speaking of how long they last is dependent on how big our treasure chests are. I believe these complimentary gifts aren’t meant to last that long so long you showed one or two people out there that you used a shower gel from a hotel you loved. I think that hotel staff don’t care if you got those but they would be bothered if you got their towels and pillows.

The Long-term mementos

Foreign currency collection

When it comes to keeping currency as a souvenir, people prefer to have a collection of currencies of countries they have been to. In as much as I have done that, I have found myself collecting currencies of countries I have not been to. To be fair, this has given me a desire to travel to these places. I have often looked at them and imagined myself using them in their countries. I have found myself having this collection from other travelers. It would be nice to travel to Mozambique, Egypt, Mauritius, India, Canada, the UK, Ethiopia, etc. The beauty of treasuring this long-term souvenir is that it is lightweight and won’t burden you.

Tour compliments

There are lots of things one could keep for souvenirs when they do short tours. Some tours involve one using a tour bus to get familiar with a city. Some tour buses do give you free headsets to listen to the music on board as you enjoy city views. At times, you may be given funny things like this handmade ring made by a tour guide on a spice tour as he guided us through spice plantations and how spices are grown in Tanzania . The tour was informative and we needed to have some sort of reminder of this trip. I love how quickly this ring was made with lemongrass and it was placed on our fingers to remind us of this tour. I was inspired to keep this ring until it dried. The inspiration came from a Swiss tourist I met who picked a nest from a tree in Kenya and he told me that when he went back home he still had the nest. He held it with so much care that we give handling eggs.

This souvenir can be kept for a long time if you choose to.

Escapade bands

We all love achievements. The feeling is intense when it has to do with something daring. I love doing animal interaction tours because this was not with cute animals like zebras. The lions made these tours an escapade. I have never kept any souvenirs of such tours. On other adventures, I have kept a reminder in the form of a band though not a fan of bands. I got this after doing the zipline for the first time. This is not an activity I would engage in every so often because of the adrenaline rush involved.

The short and long-term mementos

Accidental tatoos

A memory can be either good or bad. We love to hold on to good memories. When we travel, not all memories we make are good ones.

I love motorbikes even though I can’t ride them myself. I have used them for public transport. My first experience was in Tanzania and I thought of it as a cool way to move around. I got scary comments from others saying they aren’t that safe but did these people understand how cool it feels when the wind is blowing your hair?

I had to go to the beach, this one time in Kenya for a day out. Shelly Beach it was. I got on a motorbike in a hurry because the rider appeared to be in a rush. With this rush, I did not know I had to check the exhaust pipe before I sat. It was hot and it burnt my leg. The rider should have given me a heads-up because I wore shorts. I got myself an accidental tattoo and this has been a reminder or unwanted souvenir of Shelly Beach.

Sea shells

Don’t you just love sea shells? Having sea shells is always a reminder that I come from a landlocked country and the only time I can have them, is when I travel. Over the years, the biggest mistake has been collecting too many shells and this may not work to my advantage because it may be dead weight. Keeping a shell per country will be okay for now. When I was collecting lots of shells, I was hoping to spray-paint them and place them in a vase to make a house decor.

Crazy-myths’ keepsakes

Okay, so, everyone has that one crazy story some around them choose to believe, and that others think of as stupid. I have always invited you to bucket list The Victoria Falls and The Zambezi River. I have heard myths and wanted to have a keepsake of these myths but they appear too creepy for my liking.

The thing is, these waters are said to house The Nyami Nyami river god. This Nyami Nyami is a long serpent-like creature and when it is about, do not dare as a local to be near because it will suck you down never to be seen again. I am glad that the many times I have been on these waters, Nyami Nyami must have been on vacay.

A good amount of adrenaline is good for the soul. It can help part of your body to function more effectively. The heart will beat faster and the lungs will breathe better. Some activities do guarantee a good dose of adrenaline. How many of us are willing to have that ‘rush’?

I have heard of experienced travelers who still get chills before a flight. Does this mean you can never get used to some dangerous activities? I do feel a rush of adrenaline before a flight too. Some people struggle with vivid imaginations taking away the fun from certain activities.

Thinking about the zip line itself gives me some chills. The feeling is worse when you read about personalities like Robert Cadman. He met his death when his rope snapped. History says that this happened when he was descending from Shrewsbury’s St Mary’s church. Thanks, Cadman, for making things worse for scared kitties like us.

I acknowledge the fear attached to such thrilling activities like zip lining. I recently found some good reasons you should try this in Zambia. Try this because:

It is ideal for beginners: I want to progress to the intermediate level. This will give me proper reasons to do the zip line in places like South Africa. The Oribi Gorge zip line for example happens to be the longest in South Africa! Plus, it ranked one of the highest in the world! That’s a full dose of adrenaline right there.

Doing the zip line in Zambia will give beginners or “scared kitties ” a quick opportunity to experience this activity. I tried it using a company called Abseil Zambia. They were the perfect company to help adventurers who fall in my category.

The Oribi Gorge zip line is said to be about 400 meters deep and 5 kilometers wide. No beginner even wants to think along those lines. That is way outside my league! It sounds like an impossibility.

Doing the zip line in Zambia will give confidence to beginners. There are points to do the zip line from. I was lucky to find a spot that was 135 meters across the canyon and about 75 meters over the ground. Beginners in these thrill games should consider zip lining in Zambia.

Affordable: Some tourists say South Africa has cheaper rates for zip-lining activities than Zambia. The standard tourist rate for this activity is around 50 dollars. This is one of the few activities with a lower price given to local tourists.

Activities like bungee jumping are the same for both locals and international visitors. I had 25 dollars on me. The hostel I was at connected me to Abseil Zambia for the zip-lining activity. This is for local tourists and am sure it sounds unfair. I was happy to enjoy the low price.

Doing the same activity on the Zimbabwean side with Falcon Safaris would be about 87 dollars. The measurements of the gorge on this side are 425 meters in length and 120 meters above the river Zambezi. It looks like the longer and deeper the gorge is, the more expensive the zip line activities.

Safe: Safety before the adventure is important. There is no need to put spontaneity before our five senses. I had been researching thrilling activities. Bungee jumping appears to be at a higher level of risk. If the rope snaps in both activities, that would be terrible. It appears there have been more accidents while bungee jumping than zip lining.

Bungee jumping goes wrong here!

Bungee jumping goes wrong again!

I tried monitoring the equipment with an eagle’s eye. Everything appeared safe to me. I noticed there was a concrete slab next to the part of the gorge you take off.

I didn’t want others to get the impression that I freaked out. I asked if I could inspect the pulleys and harness for my peace of mind. They appeared safe but then again one can never be too sure. Things looked good but I still must have sent the message I was still scared.

One of the staff members there suggested doing a duo. This would help get the chills off my case. Long story short, I felt confident. No one wants to die alone and that is if death is ever scheduled.

When you drive to the place where you zip line, you will notice that they place safety first. I saw some signposts that promote the safety of others. looking around before my activity gave me confidence. Their equipment looked on point and safe. Plus, death has this bad habit of not knocking on your door first. I must say the safe instruments here would not be to blame for anything.

Free transport: We love freebies. Transport costs can be low but sometimes high depending on how far you are going. The distance to the gorge is dependent on where you are staying. Some hotels and hostels could be too far from the gorge. This would attract a larger fee for transport. It’s worse when you are in a larger group that needs a larger vehicle or more than one to get you there.

I thought because I was the only one who signed up for the activity, I would have to find my way. but that wasn’t the case. I got picked up. Since it appeared funny to sit alone behind a safari van, I sat in front.

Supportive staff: This adventure was worthwhile because of the supportive staff. The driver was flexible. He did not show signs I inconvenienced him. There are places on the way to the gorge which were beautiful.

I asked to view these these places. I didn’t take up too much of his time. We saw a group of elephants cooling off at the Maramba River. I was also wowed by the Zambezi River and refreshed there. I thanked the driver for this.

The other staff member who was supportive was the one helping with the zip-lining. He boosted my confidence by trying it out with me. He did this because he noticed I had feared.

Do try out all these thrilling activities in Zambia.

Tag: adrenaline

Unearthing Southern African travel through Myths and Mementos

The 5 reasons you should zip line in Zambia