Dateline Africa: 4-18-26
We drove to Johannesburg (long drive with a few scenic stops). We ate lunch at a giant service station and had KFC, very popular in Africa. Behind the plaza was a waterhole where lots of animals came to drink. Carl was hoping that what he ate was actually chicken, and not something even more wild.
We checked into a hotel in the “rich” part of the city called Sandton for 2 nights. We walked to a dinner place for ribs and chicken sliders plus drinks. We found South Africa to be quite cheap for food, drinks and goods compared to the US.
The next morning another guide boarded our bus, a local from Soweto. This neighborhood of Johannesburg was once home to two Nobel prize winners, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. We toured Mandela’s home. Afterwards we toured the Apartheid Museum. Very sad…reminded me of the segregation and fight for Civil Rights that occurred in our nation. Farewell dinner for our group.
Saturday morning three of our group left for home and the rest of us flew to Zimbabwe. It really feels like Africa here!! Our hotel, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge backs up to a huge waterhole for animals.
The maid comes in around 6 pm to arrange the mosquito net around our bed. Our balcony has a gorgeous view of the waterhole and we get took of photos. We just have to remember to lock our balcony door, so baboons and monkeys don’t join us.
Last night we sailed down the Zambezi River on a booze cruise with light snacks. It was rainy, but we were under cover. Technically our boat, also, sailed into Zambia’s waters, but we didn’t need a visa for that visit!
Breakfast was interesting…our table was next to monkey alley where the rascals would sneak in to the restaurant and try to take off with food at the buffet. We did not eat any muffins, as that’s what they were mostly after!
We went on a guided hike of Victoria Falls this morning. We got drenched despite our raincoats. The falls are tremendous… twice the height and width of Niagara Falls. After changing into dry clothes we went on a helicopter ride over the falls for a different perspective.
Tomorrow, ten of our group leave for home and we along with our guide and Connie and Mike (in the boat photo with us) go on to Botswana.
Oh, the vulture pics I forgot to mention! We got to our hotel yesterday just in time to view the vulture culture activity. Apparently our hotel is actively trying to preserve and grow the vulture population. They feed them at 1:00 every afternoon the leftover meats from the restaurant. Poachers will kill an elephant (or 3), cut off the tusks, and then poison the meat. Vultures come and immediately die, so authorities aren’t alerted to the illegal kill. That’s one reason for their declining population.
Kz
