If you don't go far, you'll be old 2

Chapter 13 Zambia: When Youth Meets Travel

I originally thought Zambi was the last stop in Africa, but my wishes always came true.She clings to my trip like a girl next door, as if reminding me not to forget to do something, what is it?

legendary bill
My travel has an inseparable relationship with the land port.I like to travel by land, it is more fulfilling and longer than the air route-for a long-distance traveler with no exact return date, this will not be a reason to prevent me from traveling by land.Walk along the track of the land, pass through the gate called the border, leave an increasingly familiar country, and enter an unknown new world.The land port is a place to witness crossing, parting and anticipation. This place is special. You know that once you walk through these tens of meters, you may not return to the country behind you in this life.This farewell may be saying goodbye forever.The laughter and tears left here will be dusty in the memory, floating past the eyes, becoming an intangible cloud.

All romance aside, there is a very real side to land borders.This is a place where scams often occur. At the junction of the two countries, foreigners come and go through this three-acre land. There are one after another foreign exchange peddlers who deal with money all day long on the street. It is normal to play a little trick but.Ever since I was defrauded of several hundred yuan by a money changer at the Ugandan port, my vigilance soared as soon as I arrived at the port, and I turned on the "anti-fraud mode".No, at the land ports in Malawi and Zambia, several money-changing vendors surrounded me, trying to cheat me of the poor Malawi kwacha in broad daylight.

The day of the border crossing is a rest day, and all the currency exchange shops near the port are closed, which is a good time for hawkers to do business.After negotiating the exchange rate, I decided to pay half first, and pay the other half after counting the amount.Holding the remaining half of the Malawi Kwacha tightly, I carefully counted the Zambian Kwacha handed over by the hawker one by one, and the number was not right.The vendors kept interrupting, trying to distract me, trying to convince me that I had miscalculated.I was very sober and understood that these people were trying to trick me in a group.

"The amount of money is wrong, give it as we agreed, otherwise I will not change it." I was confident.The peddler just complained, as if he never intended to pay at the exchange rate he said from the very beginning.I realized that these people were full of bad ideas, and it was the best thing to do.The peddler was very reluctant to return my "deposit". When I was reaching out to the Zambian Kwacha, I paid attention and asked for the "deposit" first.Sure enough, when the half Malawi Kwacha came back to me through the hands of the peddler, the amount was already wrong, and the last few big bills had already been secretly exchanged for worthless small bills.Tried the same trick, it didn't work for me.The peddler had no choice but to obediently return the money back in full. The trick that he thought he could make a fortune failed, and his face immediately became long.

The Zambian Kwacha has a very large denomination, and 1 yuan can be exchanged for 850 Zambian Kwacha.I heard that the common foreign currency scams in China often use the Zambian currency as a tool for deception.Because it looks unfamiliar, it is a foreign currency that most Chinese people don’t know, and the actual cost is surprisingly low. 100 Zambian currency is only equivalent to about 1 dime of RMB. What a waste of money.Just a few months after I left Zambia, Zambia issued a new version of the currency, the face value equivalent of which was reduced by a thousand times. The new version of 1 Kwacha is equal to the old version of 1000 Kwacha.Looking at the faces of these hawkers at the port, I can't help worrying: After the new version of currency becomes popular, will they use the worthless old version of currency to pretend to be the new version of currency and exchange it for unknowing foreign backpackers?The new version and the old version have the same 100 printed on the banknotes, but the value is a thousand times different.I seem to have seen in my mind the appearance of those who were deceived later beating their chests and feet.Never, never exchange large amounts of money in the hands of hawkers!

The capital, Lusaka – is, unexpectedly, a fashion capital.The girls are dressed in fashion, with short skirts, small jackets, high heels, and beautiful handbags, and the boys are also trendy.A strong urban atmosphere surrounds Lusaka.Going to the store, the prices are much higher than domestic ones.Clothes and shoes are all expensive, and digital products are [-]-[-]% more expensive than domestic ones.Prices are so high, but ordinary urbanites only have a monthly salary of two to three hundred dollars.An old Zambian man who was picking out a mobile phone in the store expressed his dissatisfaction loudly, accusing the government of imposing heavy taxes on goods, making mobile phones more expensive, and what should ordinary people do.There are probably only two things that are most affordable in this country, one is movie tickets, and the other is mangoes.I dived headlong into the cinema, and swept away the recent blockbusters, satisfying my movie-loving heart.

Maybe you will ask, can you understand the local language of Zambia, but how to watch movies if you don’t understand.In fact, English is one of the official languages ​​in Zambia, everyone can speak it, and the penetration rate is no lower than that of Kenya.In English-speaking countries, English-language movies can appear in theaters immediately, because dubbing is not required, and they are basically released simultaneously with Europe and the United States.You'll find blockbuster films that haven't been introduced to mainland China have been showing for days in Zambia, and this happens almost every week.

Christianity is the state religion of Zambia.On weekend nights, the church choir sang lively in front of the shopping plaza. Passers-by stopped to watch, and people sat on nearby benches to enjoy the choir concert.If you have watched the movie "Crazy Nuns", I believe it is not difficult to imagine the scene in front of you. This is almost a reproduction of the energetic singing and dancing bridge of the choir in the movie. Twenty or thirty choir members beat the beat with their hands and follow the music The chorus sang and danced passionately.Several women among the performers carried their own little dolls in cloth packages on their backs, and the mothers carrying their babies were still full of movement.For a time, the happy atmosphere infected everyone in the square.The notes are floating, embracing every bright smiling face.

Are you Chinese?Hei Ge passing by asked.I nod.In sub-Saharan Africa, East Asian faces are preferentially identified as Chinese.This is very different from when we were in India. People guessed Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, but they couldn't name China as an option.The distribution of East Asian people in the country can be seen from the local people's judgment priority value and guessing options for you.In Africa, the number of Chinese people is beyond imagination, and shopping malls and supermarkets run by Chinese companies and Chinese people are everywhere.A large number of Chinese have poured into almost all walks of life, such as farms, digital products, communication technology, engineering construction... As described in the BBC documentary, Zambians do not understand why the Chinese have to go around half the world to compete with them. Start a chicken business.Don't be surprised when you hear words like ZhongGuo, GuangZhou, ShenZhen etc. from black people.The people here know more about China than we imagined.

crossroads of the world

Victoria Falls, one of the three largest waterfalls in the world, is located at the junction of Zambia and Zimbabwe, in the middle reaches of the Zambezi River (the other two waterfalls are Iguazu Falls at the junction of Brazil and Argentina and Niagara Falls at the junction of the United States and Canada).During the flood season in March and May, the waterfall is more than two kilometers wide, and the huge waves rush into the basalt channel. The rainbow formed by the water mist can be seen from 110 kilometers away.It is now December, and the water level is low and the water volume is slightly less.Even so, the spectacular water curtain in front of me was still beyond my imagination.The astonishing roar of the waterfall shook the eardrums violently, and those water waves bravely jumped down the [-]-meter drop and entered another parallel line.The rainbow appeared on the side of the water curtain in a low-key manner, but it couldn't hide its colorful light.

The baboons were scurrying around the waterfall in groups, dangling under the nose, so arrogant.It seems that they have long ignored the dawdling humans in front of them.I was sitting on a bench, and a dozen or so baboons were busy around the bench, some were meditating, some were having fun, some were catching lice for little baboons, some were walking as a family of three, One sat sideways beside me within reach and posed seductively, pretending to be a graceful girl.Don't be fooled by the harmlessness of the baboons, they are still masters of mischief.A few black youths who came from afar had a picnic by the waterfall, and when they were admiring the beautiful scenery, they were negligent for a while, and the fast-handed baboons walked along with their backpacks at lightning speed. Baolian dragged and dragged them back to their forest.The youths were all dumbfounded, and each of them was stunned. Passports, wallets, cameras, and backpacks were dragged into the bottomless forest. It seemed that they would not be able to return for a while.Thinking of this, I grabbed my small bag tightly, for fear of being robbed.

Thrill-seekers won't miss the bungee jump off the side of the falls.This is one of the highest bungee jumps in the world, with a drop of 110 meters. Jump from the bridge and let the creepy feeling of falling surround you.I stood at the bottom of the waterfall and looked up. Those bungee jumpers were as small as ants.Right below the bungee jump is a crocodile haunt, and if the bungee cord breaks, you're likely to be a meal for the crocodiles.Such an accident really happened, just a few years ago, right here.The unlucky female tourist fell straight into the crocodile river. Fortunately, she survived the catastrophe and escaped.

I became curious, carefully moved a few steps closer to the cliff, leaned out and looked down.This action caused several people in police uniforms not far away to stare at me, claiming that I violated the regulations and threatening to detain me.My intuition tells me that this group of people must be bluffing.If this place is really a forbidden area, how can there be no guardrails, it is clearly a large open space, and tourists will be detained if they walk into the open space, which cannot be explained logically or rationally.Moreover, my moving speed is so slow, these people have not moved for a long time, and finally they suddenly popped up to punish me, they are simply waiting for a rabbit.I narrowed my eyes, waiting for them to speak their true purpose.Sure enough, a few people changed the subject, and their words showed a taste of eating soft rather than hard. One person said more bluntly: Make us happy (Let us be happy).In broad daylight, tourists come and go, these people are nothing more than using their police status to intimidate foreign tourists and make things difficult everywhere, trying to earn some money from the wallet of "rich stupid foreigners".According to experience, such people generally bully the weak and fear the strong. If you give in, the other party will only make progress.Even if you have no confidence in your heart, you must act calm and composed, without moving your eyebrows, and the "lines" must be recited confidently and forcefully. The voice does not need to be too loud, but it must be extremely firm.

I put on a dismissive posture, and said calmly, let's go to the police station, and go now, and I happened to call the Chinese embassy.You find your people to solve it, I find mine to solve it, how.

The policemen obviously flinched, hesitated, their momentum fell to the bottom in an instant, and they began to look for the steps to go down.I took a step back and said some warm words. Several people pretended to scold me a few words, found an excuse and left quickly, without looking back, and slipped away without a trace.

Being a foreigner occasionally brings some troubles, but most of the time, what I feel is the curiosity and friendliness of ordinary people.I became the focus in front of the majestic Victoria Falls. Local tourists took turns to take photos with this East Asian girl. A dozen black youths from a sports team even took photos with me one by one. , I became a standard gorilla.I tried my best to smile brightly like a flower, so that everyone could take a satisfactory group photo.

This feeling of being respected made me feel bigger than the waterfall in front of me.

When I left the falls and headed back to the hotel, my steps became so brisk, I thought I fell in love with the country and was eager to express my emotions.

This reminds me of the first time I stepped out of the house. At that time, I took the train from Nanjing to Inner Mongolia. My blood was as hot as a goat in heat. The train was full of people looking for someone to chat with, but most of them were confused.I don't know what I will encounter next, I don't know how to go on, and I don't know what will happen in the future world.I wanted to cry and I wanted to say it out loud.

However, no one listened to me. I shrank in my own world and struggled and hesitated.No matter from which direction these pains come, all are destined to meet each other.

After more than a year of experience, I am now as calm as a clear spring, no longer turbulent because of mountains and rivers, no longer impatient because of beauties and delicious food, no longer moody because of ups and downs, I think I have broken out of my youth out.

nice to meet
In Livingstone, a small town next to Victoria Falls, four young people who have been wandering for more than a year, Xiao Shen, Barbarian, Mai Mai and I, gathered in a small African town thousands of miles away from home, sitting around a wooden dining table in the garden, enjoying the Long-lost Chinese home cooking.We chatted all over the world, from credit card cash withdrawal to couchsurfing, from African country visa information to the beautiful itinerary in the Caucasus, from South Asian prostitutes to Middle Eastern pimps, from black women's big breasts to the political situation in Egypt, although We had only met six hours ago, but something somehow connected us and made us seem like long-lost friends.

This feeling makes me feel very at ease.

I remember when I was in Tanzania, I accidentally received a job offer from a Chinese company in Africa with a salary of $4000 per month.I was very excited and tangled at the time, because I didn't know whether I should accept it or not.If I accept it, I will give up traveling and work in Africa with peace of mind.If I don’t accept it, then I will cause a huge loss, 4000 US dollars per month, which is equivalent to more than 24000 yuan in RMB, and this money can allow me to live well.In the end I gave up, not because I didn't like money, but because I always felt that something was missing, and I didn't feel the passion.

Continuing my travels in Africa made me feel grounded, like something that was missing was found.Just like the four passengers in front of me, when they sit together, sparks, energy, and the desire to communicate can suddenly emerge.Just like life gives you a little bit of happiness every day, you will feel that this kind of life is very beautiful, and hope to continue.

Traveling is like a miniature version of life. Wonderful stories are staged in front of your eyes. Even if it is short, it is full of endless fun.This is what I've been looking for.

I left because I was confused.In the past two years, I have traveled to Asia and Africa, integrated myself into the local area, listened to the joys and sorrows of the local people, and experienced the joys and sorrows of the local people. This made me want to go down more and more, and I have more and more courage to face Everything in sight.In India they taught me to be calm, in Sri Lanka they taught me to be grateful, in Tanzania they taught me not to give up, in South Africa they taught me to give.As long as you keep going, you will always get the fun that travel gives you.

The next day, we waved goodbye one by one, and went to our own journeys without hesitation.Looking at the backs of them going away, a faint sadness of separation welled up in my heart, and then slowly disappeared. Maybe they are looking for the joy of life that belongs to them, so why worry about it!

(End of this chapter)