Local dancers try to earn some money by performing wherever tourists congregate
So we’re finally going home, and happy about it.
Thanks to all who viewed and/or left comments on my blog. It’s been quite a task to find both the time and the internet connections in these remote regions of Africa to keep the blog up.
This was a new way for me of diarizing my trip, and considerably more exciting and satisfying, as well as being way more time-consuming.
‘Til next time
Ed
Victoria Falls is ranked as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and the third that I have seen ( aurora borealis and the Grand Canyon being the others)
These falls are twice the height of Niagara, measuring about 100 metres. At the present moment they carry relatively little water as November marks the end of the dry season. They will be much more impressive in May and June.
Dateline: Sun Nov 3
We did three countries before lunch. — Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. At this rate we can finish all of Africa by next Wednesday.
Most of the morning was spent in customs and immigration. Zimbabwe customs in particular is a happening place. It is an African habit to talk all the time, so there is quite the din. Unemployment in Zimbabwe is running at 40%. Here’s a suggestion: Hire more customs officers!
At Victoria Falls we are staying at the ever-so-grand Victoria Falls hotel. Built in 1904 in the grand British colonial style, it has been modernized without compromising its heritage.
Victoria Falls Hotel
The rooms are laid out mezzanine style around an open courtyard.
Dateline: Sat Nov 2
Completely peaceful here at 6am
Little Egret searching for breakfast
We are cruising the River today, doing nothing much. About mid-afternoon we strike a sandbar. We have three motorboats, so the crew utilized these to push and pull the houseboat in various directions for an hour and a half until finally we worked loose of the sandbar.
The Chobe River is quite shallow at this time of year. This is a favorite environment of hippos as they like to stand on the sandbars almost submerged to keep cool.
They seldom come out during the day, but today they did, scurrying back into the water as we glided by.
Hippos feeding
Hippos are employed here as groundskeepers by some of the golf courses.
Dateline: Friday Nov 1
We departed Shinde camp today on a 12-passenger plane. After one stop to pick up more passengers we flew on to Kasane.
Transferring by motor launch to the “upscale” houseboat the Pride of Zambezi. Must speak to Worldwide Quest about their classification system.
Pride of Zambezi
Spent a pleasant afternoon cruising through the Chobe National Park, which is one of the premier birding areas in Southern Africa.
For our evening sundowner we went out in the motor launch which can go much closer in to the shoreline. The guides took us to see crocodiles which are nesting on the sand.
This would make a nice purse.
As the light faded, we saw a leopard and her cub come down to the water to drink.
Dateline: Thursday Oct 31. Afternoon game drive.
The leopard is a night hunter. During the day he likes to hang out in trees.
This seems like a comfortable position
He is a powerful cat who can drag his kill up into the tree where he can enjoy his lunch without having to worry about hyenas and other nuisances.
Me? A killer? You must be joking.
Dateline: Thursday Oct 31 afternoon game drive
We spotted a warthog with three babies and our driver headed the jeep towards them. They took off a runnin’ with the babies in the lead. As we closed in on them, mother took over the front-running and raced ahead to the den where she carefully backed in. The young uns then scrambled in underneath her. She now has a formidable defensive position, and has been known to kill young inexperienced lions who were foolish enough to attack her.
A formidable defense
Does not seem to be a problem here, according to Jono the South African proprietor. The experienced British couple don’t bother with malaria pills either. Apparently in the UK they’ve stopped recommending the pills because of reported side effects.
I started taking mine when we left Windhoek as prescribed and I have not experienced any side effects. Nor have I seen even one mosquito!
Dateline: Thursday Oct 31
Morning game drive
Finally we get some rain. This cools things down substantially, so we hope to find some lions hunting.
Zebras facing into the rain
Later in the morning we find a lioness protecting a recent kill.
“Get back in that jeep, buster”
 | Zambia: Chinese Nati… on Victoria Falls |
 | Anne McGaughey on Dancing in the Streets |
 | edbezeau on Dancing in the Streets |
 | Jill Roberts on Dancing in the Streets |
| edbezeau on Dancing in the Streets |
edbezeau 