Aug 28, 2019 - Day 13. Monday. 26/8/19. Victoria Falls.

. Day 13. Monday. 26/8/19. Elephant Camp, Victoria Falls. 5.30 wake up call for coffee at 6am and depart at 6.15am for our Victoria Falls tour. John our guide, is so good at getting us up and going early to beat the crowds, and again, it was perfect timing arriving at the falls at 6.45 - cool, no crowds as we walked to the far end of the falls and back to Livingstone’s statue, taking photos, walking through the mist from the falls - some of the way was as dry as a bone, then where the mist was all around, it was like walking through a rain...

Aug 28, 2019 - Day 11. Saturday. 24/8/19. Bulawayo to north of Hwange National Park

Day 11. Saturday. 24/8/19. Bulawayo to Thompson’s Junction n or Hwange Nat. Pk We were stopped for about 45 minutes seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but the children found us. We were throwing packets of biscuits out to them when an announcement was made not to do it because of safety reasons- makes sense, but a bit sad. Although the Kitchen packages up any excess food and passes it to people whenever we stop. Passed a lot of single or clusters of round huts with donkeys nearby. After lunch we went on a drive in Hwange National Park...

Aug 28, 2019 - Day 12. Sunday. 25/8/19. Hwange N.P. To Victoria Falls

Day 12. Sunday. 25/8/19. Hwange National Park/Thompsons Junction to Victoria Falls. The train was stationery from about midnight and didn’t move till 7am. Our last leg! We saw hippos in a waterhole - another first. Arrived at Victoria Falls about 10.30am and were taken to Elephant Lodge 10-12k out of town. Wow! Glamping at its best! We were blown away by our ‘tent’ which consisted of lounge/bedroom and separate bathroom/toilet with shower and beautiful footed bath, plus outside shower, plunge pool and deck overlooking bushland. Fantastic!...

Aug 27, 2019 - Day 9. Thursday. 22/8/19. Pretoria to Beitbridge

Day 9. Thursday. 22/8/19. Pretoria to near Beitbridge After the arrival of a 1946 steam engine puffing into the station which we were able to climb into the cabin and observe the workings and the firebox, Rohan Vos, owner of Rovos, took us for a guided tour of his workshop at Pretoria where old carriages purchased from throughout South Africa and engines mostly diesel from Queensland were being stripped and refurbished. Some of the workers are from the streets and now have a trade and are provided with 3 meals a day. There are 23 different...

Aug 27, 2019 - Day 10. Friday 23/8/19. Beitbridge to near Bulawayo

Day 10. Friday. 23/8/19. Beitbridge to near Bulawayo This morning we crossed the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe and sat at Beitbridge station for a couple of hours while 46 Visas were being issued. There were a couple of performers on the platform and 2 small children, so checked with John our Guide, who said it was ok to give them money. They have so little. We saw lots of baby baboons climbing over the goods wagons which looked like grain carriers. Have seen goats, donkeys and cattle. Stopped where there were a dozen stalls for tourists on...

Feb 26, 2019 - Day 3

Victoria Falls - How to convey my impression of this wondrous place? First, to say that there is not just one impression but many many of them. You enter straight down a well-kept path and alight on the first view, the most upstream one. It has you admiring not gasping. Proceed upstream to Mugabe's private entrance and an extended family of monkeys. Will they attack or mob? No, they don't care. Seen one human cousin, seen them all. Head back and follow the rim. What a variety of perspectives! Some show little glimpses of tumbling water...

Feb 25, 2019 - Day 2

The highlight of the past 24 hours was our car journey (3 hours there and back) to visit Olivia at her farm. We had a delightful driver named Simon, who made the time pass pleasurably. The farm is quite an operation - all Chrysanthemums, 5 million stems a year, and with Mother's Day in a month (everywhere but US, so far as I know), a little problem with a virus. It might have been stressful for her, but Olivia was in her element trying to find the best way out. My daughter the farmer! She seemed to have a motivated team working with her on...

Jan 25, 2018 - Victoria Falls

Well the African Evening was fun! African dancing and local food including warthog and worms as well as “normal “food. Our hotel is set quite high up with great views including a small lake, watering hole. Shortly before we went out a herd of buffalo arrived followed by about 20 elephants. Quite wonderful to see them in the wild. Wednesday morning we woke up to heavy rain for we’d had a heavy thunderstorm during the night. Set off to see the Falls which were quite spectacular. We were on the Zimbabwe side and opposite is Zambia. We all...

Jan 23, 2018 - We’ve arrived,

It was a long journey to arrive here but it’s worth it from what we have seen so far. We were picked up from home shortly after 1pm yesterday - a bit too early for we arrived at Heathrow at 2 but our flight was not until 6 so some tedious hanging around. Flight was comfortable and we were impressed with British Airways. Arrived in Johannesburg at 7am local time after an 11 hour flight but the had another 4 hour wait for our connecting flight to Victoria Falls. This was when we met the other members of our tour will be with us throughout - a...

Sep 28, 2017 - Victoria Falls

Last day today. Went for a walk into the National Park to the Falls. Did quite a few kilometers in very hot conditions but it was definately worth it. Even though we are here in the dry season and only about 10% of the water was flowing it was still spectacular. Apparently in the wet season when there is full flow you can't see anything because of the mist and you have to wear a raincoat. We got wet in the main sectjon only. I'm sure my photos won't do it justice. On the way back we went to the Lookout Cafe which is right on the edge of...

Sep 27, 2017 - Victoria Falls

Sleep in, brekkie...yes I did the champagne thing. Wandered into town, past the baboons raiding the rubbish bins. Went back to see Makoni to pick up the stone giraffe we ordered. He was very happy to see us as they probably get a lot of tourists saying they will come back and then dont turn up. Browsed all the markets, these people are so poor and desperate for cash. The country's official currency is now US$ but they have very little cash in the country. We should have brought more US cash with us... we thought we could go to a bank and...

Sep 26, 2017 - Victoria Falls

Sleep in today... been a long time coming. Off to breakfast and what a spread. Only once before, in Thailand, have we had this. Champagne, cheeses, smoked salmon, baked hams, many types of pastries and breads plus all the usual brekkie stuff. I didn't partake today but I might have a champagne tomorrow. And what a view!!! Unbelievable. On our walk around to Jungle Junction where breakfast is served we walked past monkeys, warthogs and mongoose, less than 5m from us. Our activity today was the helicopter trip over the Falls. Just Garry and I...