We had a great sleep in our Five Star suite, compliments of KEA rentals. After breakfast we repacked/rechecked our luggage to make sure we has the right things and enough things for our trip to Vic Falls. After living in a MH for 2 1/2 months, a suite case was kind of a novelty to us. Besides we were only taking one suite case so whatever did not fit did not go.KEA was taking us to the airport so we had a pickup at 9:15 AM for our 11:30 flight. We flew British Airlines and they are comparable to Air Canada but some friends we met said that BA is not as bad as United.
We arrived in Vic Falls, Zimbabwe at 1:30 and it took us an hour to get there immigration and we had to pay 75.00 USD per person for a Visa. More on that story later.
We had a packaged deal that include all the meals; a Sunset Cruise ( actually a boat ride) on the Zambeze river on Sat evening and a guided tour of the Falls on Sat and then a traditional supper ( called a BOMA dinner ) on Sat evening. Carroll got to thinking ( and that is dangerous )about all the spare time we would have so she ask the Bus driver, who picked us at the airport if we could change our timing and he said "absolutely" . So we took the Sunset cruise at 5 PM Friday and changed the guided tour of the Falls to sunday morning since we were not leaving until 1:30 PM to return to Joburg. Now we had all day Sat to kill so the Bus driver suggest we go to Botawana as he was taking a group of 7 and had extra seats at a cost of 175.00 USD per person. Did I mention the a trip to Zimbabwe is not cheap. Anyway We took the deal so now we are set for the 3 days.
About 4;30 the bus picked us up at our hotel along with a few others for the Boat Cruise at 5PM. We just happen to say hello to a young couple from Solvakia ( who spoke fluid English) on the Bus so we invited thenm to our table on the cruise. They were very interesting couple as she is an executive with Johnson Controls and she is part of a Team working for the next to in Joburg as the make car parks for the car manufacturers in South Africa. He is a self employed Mechanical Designer. After the Boat Cruise we returned to the hotel called the Safria Lodge and had supper around 8 PM. The hotel is built on a hill overlooking a forest and a small watering hole for the "wild " aninals , if warthogs and baboons are still considered wild aninals. All meals were 3 course and I had Impala (antelope ) verison steak and Carroll had Filet Mangon. the cost was 48 USD, althought our meals were include. I tell you right now that Zimbabwe does not have a currency so they prefer USD but will accept the ZA Rand, reluctantly.
Saturday 14 th
Since we had to leave at 7 AM on Saturday for our trip to Botawana, some 70 KM away, we had to order a "Takeout " since the kitchen did not open until 7 AM. The downside was that we had to eat it before we got to Botawana as we could not take food into the country but the driver never mentioned it until we got to the Border so we had to leave it on the bus. since this bus could not cross the border, he and his family had a good meal on us.
I should mention at this time that the others on the trip with us were: a couple from Castlegar, BC: the young Solvak couple; a mother and daughter from Austria; and a young man from Japan.
Crossing into Botswana was easy. We just filled out the normal form and he stamped out passports and that was it. The Botawana bus driver then took us to the Marina lodge were we would pre order a 3 course lunch including beer and then board a boat for a 3 hour boat ride to see wild animals along the river and to get an history lesson on the Chobe river and the national Park including the land and water dispute between Botswana and Namiba. This dispute had to be settled by the World Court in the Hague. Both countries are now happy with the Agreement. There is a point on the Chobe river were it joins the Zanbeze river that all 4 countries actually meet. That is Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namiba and Zambia. It is the only place in the World where this occurs. The best part of the river cruise was that we seen and where within a 100 KM of a herd ( more than 35 but less than 50 )of Hippos grazing on the island in the river. This is rare because Hippos normal stay in the water but apparently they will grass if the grass is pentiful and near their watering hole; this case the river. It was at this point where our camera batties went dead so no camera for the rest of the day because our spare batties were in Joburg. However, all 3 couple are sending us the pictures and the couple from Castlegar are sending us a disk so we will definetly have enough pictures.
At 12;30 we returned to the Marina Lodge for our lunch which was great. At 1;30 we were picked up by a Game Drive vehicle and taken to Chobe National Park for another game drive for 2 1/2 hours. The park covers 11000 sq KM and has 60,000 Elephants. Do you think we seen any Elephants? The only wild animal that does not live in Chobe N.P. is the Leopard.
Now we have to return to Zimbabwe and the immigration is no more freindly than it was yesterday. They charged us another 75 USD each to get another Visa. Canadian are charged the highest rate and do not get a "Double entery " because Mr. harper has decided to Bad Mouth president Mugabe about his " Human Rights" policies. As an example the US citizen only pay 30.00 and can get a "double Entery".
When we returned to Vic falls, I ask the bus driver to stop at a camera store so I could get sone batties. this is a small town so he didn't think i would have any luck, especially since it was after 5 PM. While driving down the street we spotted a small Kiosk that said Camera and Bike Hire so we stopped. But it was closed so the driver ask some kids if the knew where the owner live. One kids said he did so he went and got the owner who open his shop and sold me the batteries. Just try to get that kind of service in Canada.
Tonight we are going to a " Traditional " dinner called a BOMA. (Don't even ask what it means ). Reservation was 7:30 so we were pickup and delivered to the BOMA House. We were met by a warrior ushered us in, then a young lady " Warrior " dapped some paint on our face and another Warrior wrapped and tied a shawl around us so we looked like them. Now for the food; They had a beautiful layout of food, including cooking a lamd over an open fire inside the building. it was buffet style and it had many of the eadible wild meat in Africa such as Alligator, Warthog, several species of Antelope, Guiney Fowl ( a wild chicken ). I had to taste some Traditional home made beer but it taste like dish water. During our meal there was Traditonal Dancing and much playing of the Bongo Drums. It was most enjoyable evening
History: Botswana has a population of 2 Million and their main industries are diamond mining and tourisum. They have a Democratic gov't which is not corupt or self fulfilling as is so in Zimbabwe. According to the Game driver the people are happy with the PM and the gov't.
Zimbabge has a terrible gov't and it shows. We had to pay 30.00USD to visit the Falls because it is a national park so I ask the driver where does the money. He said, you never ask a gov't offical about money because it is hazardous to your health and well-being . One good point about Zimbabwe is that when it was Rodesia and Smith was the President, ( before Mugabe ) he had all the blacks educated to the British standard , hence they are well educated. ZA on the other had spent less money on educating the blacks and the country is now paying for it by having so many under educated.
My next blog will be from Canada.
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