Going Pro

By the time we arrived in Livingstone it was clear from other overland travellers we met that we needed to step up our game. We needed to do some education, networking, training and self promotion to get our start up off the ground.

Our first night in Livingstone was spent at the Crocodile & Reptile Farm with Ian and Sue Brooks. After the luxury of separate bedrooms with ceiling fans(!) we had a morning education session with Sue on what dangerous snakes we should avoid and which ones would not stress us out because if bitten, we would be dead.

We made our way to Jolly Boys Backpackers in Livingstone for some networking. I prefer hotels with concierge service but Jolly Boys turned out to be a close second and we decided to call it home for a few days. We met American Peace Corps Volunteers from Zambia and Namibia, German School Teachers volunteering in Namibia and several groups of inspiring travelers (1)(2). It was a fantastic stay and a great place to break in our new set of Cards Against Humanity.

We made a day trip to see the beautiful Victoria Falls. I did the obligatory 111m bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge and we then crossed into Zimbabwe for lunch and to access ATMs for American dollars. The view of the falls from the Zimbabwe side was even better and Ross appreciated not being attacked by Baboons (yes, this happened on the Zambia side, but he did not get bitten so I assume he remains rabies free). It was a long day of border crossing bureaucracy, payment of fees, and lots of walking. The kind of practice we needed to prepare for the rest of the trip.

With education, networking and travel practice out of the way, it was time to self promote. Lucky for us, Xpro Graphics in Livingstone was open for business and ready to take the hard earned Kwacha out of our hands. We had seen several overland cars decked out with flags, graphics, branding, etc. Not to be outdone, we dressed Bubbles up in branding, flags and logos front and back and sides.