i wish i had internet access to look up exactly what the word “boma” means, but in this corner of Africa, it seems to mean a traditional buffet-style meal with traditional music, drums, and dancing. it also seems to mean “get a little tipsy and have a really great time!”

for $35US, the Boma Eating Place at Victoria Falls will treat you to an extensive and varied meal including local delicacies and familiar foods prepared in a traditional way. i kept a running list of all the foods on my Palm Treo because i didn’t want to forget. i had a bottle of red wine in front of me and knew my memory needed as much help as possible… !

drinks are not included in your meal price, so each of us was forward-thinking and frugal and just purchased an entire bottle of wine (each) at the beginning of the evening to last us the entire four hours we were there. needless to say, some finished their bottles quicker than others. hah. i asked the barman to recommend his driest red and he selected the Zimbabwean Private Cellar 2005 Cordon Rouge. it was $15US or 750,000 Zim dollars — the Zim price was less than half the American price.

after a few minutes at the bar, we decided to go through to our table in the huge dining hall with thatched roof and dirt floor. there were blankets on each chair because it ended up being quite drafty by the end of the evening. the 8 of us took our places near the back and our waiter introduced himself while turning over cups and shaking out napkins.

the first few rounds were tasters of vegetable fritter, tiny roasted peanuts, squares of butternut squash, and a quick sip of a horrible tasting fermented drink. this was quickly followed by smoked crocodile, bream fish, ostrich & guinea fowl pate, garlic mushrooms, and a mushroom soup. the portions were small and perfect for trying a bite or two of everything. yes, i even tried the mushroom stuff even though creamy mushroom soup is just about my Very Most Unfavourite thing ever.

after the taster plates and miniature soup colanders were cleared, we quickly made our way to the buffet. i started with the salad section, but some of the other girls went straight to the open BBQ grill where you chose your meat and it was cooked in front of you. the rest of my courses included warthog (that tasted suspiciously like pork ribs), ostrich kebab (cooked quite rare and more like a red meat than fowl), shima (traditional corn meal with a texture in between rice and mashed potatoes) with pepper sauce, and sweet garlic bread. to top it all off, i tried a little from almost every dessert tray: chocolate mousse, creme caramel, cream puff (profiterolle), and sherry trifle. the only thing i missed out on trying was the mopani worm: a caterpillar cooked to a crunchy crisp.

throughout the meal, there was dancing and drumming going on in the centre of the hall. women in short feather skirts gyrated and vibrated, stamping their bare feet and shaking muscular arms. men clucked their bright pink tongues and whistled and did their own unique dance. as the evening came to a close, another performance group distributed large drums to each of us and we tried to keep the beat as a group. with the little wine we had and all the great food, this physical drumming and bopping was the perfect way to get the blood flowing again. i really had a brilliant time and could not stop smiling. the whole evening was delicious and fun. i would recommend it to anyone that has the opportunity to attend.

i’m not sure if it was the cross between the warthog and the crocodile in my stomach, but for some reason i had extremely vivid dreams about the mafia that night.

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