Victoria Falls
December 4th
It's an early start as we pile onto the bus back to Johannesburg airport. There we endure a long hot experience going through security and passport control.
I am sorry to see that South Africa has become such a third world country. Apparently the government workers haven't been paid for the past 3 months and that could explain the lack of people on duty to process us at the airport. They have constant power blackouts and our lovely guide, Hugh, apparently had to stay at a hotel the night before where there was no power.
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe was a lot better, although they still require you to fill out paper forms before landing and they have no 'smart' passport facilities.
Nevermind, the welcome at the airport is gorgeous.
Typical view on the road to Johannesburg.
The hotel
Our hotel is called the Palm River and it's like out of a dream. It was only opened in 2021 and was built by a local family, costing around 24 million US dollars.
We love the architecture, which is a blend of old colonial and modern comfort. Our rooms are mercifully air-conditioned - it must be around 38 degrees outside. The pool and bar area are down by the river and monkeys, impala and warthogs put in an appearance behind a discreet electric fence.
We waste no time in changing into togs and heading for a swim in the pool.
Visiting the falls
The next day we visit the falls. After a short bus ride we are at the entrance. There are lots of locals selling their wares and this girl dressed in traditional costume.
Mause is assigned a wheelchair and a lovely young man called Simba to escort her around the falls.
Simba tells us his name doesn't mean 'lion' but 'strong'. His mother thought he needed to be strong to look after his siblings as he is the oldest.
Simba is doing a degree in tourism and told us all sorts of things about what it is like to live in Zimbabwe today.
The falls
Here they are. There are several views of the falls as they span a huge area. But this is the main one. A still photo doesn't do them justice, so better to use a video.
You can hear them before you see them. At this time of the year, when there hasn't been much rain, there's not much spray and so no need to wear a raincoat. But it's apparently the best time of the year for taking photos.
There are lots of tourists posing and taking photos and we even see people at the top of the falls swimming in the natural infinity pool.
Excursions include flying over the falls by helicopter, bungy jumping and visiting the famous bridge. Mause and I are quite content to give the bungy jumping a miss!
Images of the falls
Here are some images so you can get a better idea of what it's like to visit the falls.
David Livingstone
This doughty British missionary and explorer is the man who gave the falls its name.
According to Wikipedia, on November 16th, 1855, Livingstone's Makololo polers navigated through a maze of channels and islands upstream towards a plume of spray. "At one time we seemed to be going right into the gulf, but although I felt a little tremor, I said nothing, believing I could face the difficulty as well as my guides."
They landed on a tiny island, known as Goat Island, right at the very edge of the immense wall of falling water. Then Livingstone crept through drenching spray to the verge and peered down into the gorge. The view was so spectacular that he later wrote about it in his diary as "scenes so lovely they must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." He added: "No one can imagine the beauty of this view from anything witnessed in England."
Sunset Cruise
In the evening we are off on a sunset cruise down the Zambesi River. The boat is a short bus ride from the hotel and is well appointed for viewing the sights on the river while we relax into our gin and tonics and delicious nibbles. It's all very Summerset Maugham and very easy to take! The photos below give you some idea of what it's like:
Fun facts about Zimbabwe
Did you know.......
The president of Zimbabwe is called an unpronouncable Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Simba told me his name means "Mr Crocodile".
The currency they use here is anything but their own. Once Mugabe resigned in 2017 other currencies were allowed - mainly the US dollar, but they also use the British pound and the South African Rand.
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. English, Shona and Ndebele are the most common.
Warthogs on the lawn
The night before we left this little warthog family appeared, rooting around the garden.
Warthogs are my favourite animals - perhaps because they are so ugly they are beautiful. When you seen them in the bush they are really curious, but then when you get closer to them they run away, the babies following closely behind their mother's upright tail.
So this was a real treat to see them so blissfully tame right in front of our eyes.
