Whilst at Victoria Falls, it would be rude not to do the white water rafting on the Zambezi river - one of the best in the world. It is the only commercially rafted grade 5 rapids in the world. Unfortunately, my insurance only covers me to grade 4, so I had to pray to the Zambezi gods to let nothing untoward happen - not likely.

The rafting entailed a steep gorge walk down to the river, and some pretty precarious broken metal ladders, then a brief introduction into the delights of rafting, and it was off we go, straight into a grade 3 rapid. To say I screamed would be an understatement, I'm not quite sure what part of my anatomy I produced that sound from, but I think it would have shattered glass - if there'd been any around. But somehow we made it over the other side complete with paddle, and body intact, and an adrenilyn rush that had me whooping and slapping my paddle in the water like a raving banshee!

It wasn't long before the next rapid loomed before us, you hear it before you see it, a loud roaring in the ears, and a lurch in the stomach, as your fearful imagination wantonly cunjures images of what's to come, and then the roller coaster starts again, aaaggghhhh!

Our raft was doing so well; only a couple of people being popped in the air and flung overboard, until the rapid named 'Double Trouble' or alternatively, 'The Terminator'. Our aim was to stay left so we could miss the dangerous rocks on the right, this we did admirably, unfortunately, in our enthusiasm, we went too far left and got stuck between 2 rocks. Try as we might we could not loosen the rocks grip. Eventually we managed to reverse out, but the current was pummelling against us, and as we loosened from one rock, we were thrust against another, and inevitably the boat flipped - we were all a gonner.

There's something eerie about when things happen in slow motion, when you know that really it's split second; I was in the water, and could see the top of the raft hurtling towards my head, and there was nothing I could do. I was trapped under the raft, with the gushing water pushing me forward. A deep breath and a plunge sees me on the other side, and I cling onto the rafts tie rope; but as the guide (genuinely called Lovemore) flips the raft onto it's right side, once again I see the raft coming toward my head, there's nowhere to go, and with a thud it hits target; I'm sunk again, and my teeth bang together with a clunk - ouch, that really did hurt. Now I'm being swept away from the boat, flailing around because the current's too strong to swim against, and I think I've consumed 10 pints of water with one desparate gulp for air. Luckily I'm rescued by the safety canoe, but it's an ungainly Marie that clings onto the edge of that kayak, before being clumsily hauled back into the raft.

Thank God there were no more mishaps after that little adventure, my adrenilyn infused brain couldn't take any more. It was just loads of fun, and some swimming & floating down the Zambezi. If anyone comes here to Zimbawe, the rafting is a MUST!