To Victoria Falls Zimbabwe / Zambia

Yesterday, while we were at the farm, the Zimbabwean immigration officials came on board and gave us our visas $ 45 for Zim but if you want Zim and Zam

(Zimbabwe and Zambia ) it's €70 pp. - no visas necessary for South Africa or Botswana.!! 

The train stopped for a few hours last night to give the light sleepers a chance to get some rest. 

It's now moving again. The line here is woeful. I think that the traiin's departure awoke me. It's now 0630 hrs and I'm writing this blog. It is difficult as the train is swinging - Botswana rail has a much better track!! 

Thankfully it has stopped, I'm too lazy to look out  to see where we are. I hear rumblings again - we'll probably be off any minute. 

Today, it's early lunch as we are  going on safari in the Hwange National Park - home of late Cecil.  It's meals, drinks, conversation and the odd foray  off train - actually to date one of the former. and too much of the latter!!!

We alighted from the train and were put into safari 4 wheel drives with only 6 passengers in each, so every passenger had a good view.  This was where Cecil was killed - indeed our ranger showed us the spot where it occurred and advised that Cecil is a great loss to the park as he came close to the vehicles  so everyone experienced seeing a lion. His friend, Jericho, the lion, is taking over his territory but he is not as sociable as Cecil. We did not see him 

However, it was a great game drive. We had elephants come up to the jeep. 

  

We also saw giraffes, whirley  beasts, zebras, a jackal, antelope, ostriches, monkeys and warthogs together with numerous beautifully feathered birds. The afternoon ended with a sundowner around a camp fire at sunset and what a spectacular sunset it was. 

When we arrived some of our friends asked why we were so late ? I gave the reason: an American couple on our jeep decided they wanted to go back directly to the train, which necessitated a deviation of 10 minutes in all. No apology or consultation with us or the French couple in the jeep! I find the Americans so utterly self centred! At the shop in the Rovis Rail station in Pretoria, another American held up everyone as she insisted on putting the declined credit cards through the machine numerous times, totally oblivious to the inconvenience being caused to other passengers. My audience , mainly British were in fits of laughter. 

I also recall arising early one morning to climb the Olgas in Central Australia. The guides emphasised that there was a steep descent and if anyone was not comfortable with this fact, they should not come as the two guides had to remain with the party at all times. If someone failed to progress, everyone would have to return. We reached the incline, a young American girl refused  the descent. We had to all return without completing our climb. Do you think she apologised, of course not, she was too concerned at how she could never make a descent such as that!!

 

We returned to the train for dinner at 20.00 hrs. It was our last evening so it was more formal than usual. Our waiters were dressed in tuxedos and everyone was dressed 'to the hilt' We dined with Scottish friends Harry and Evelyn from near Glasgow. 

Here is a view of the type of meals served for lunch and dinner each day

 

 

with an appropriate wine served with each course and if a particular wine was not to your taste, you could choose another from an extensive wine list. 

We all retired to the lounge  car for a night cap. It had been a fantastic trip - extremely enjoyable! Tomorrow we arrive in Victoria Falls at 10.00 hrs and check in to the Victoria Falls Hotel..