“Let Me Sum Up”

by | Jul 27, 2025 | Uncategorized

If you, (like my good buddy Jayesh and I) are Princess Bride fans, you know that my headline is a quote from the amazing Inigo Montoya. But that’s how I usually begin my final post about a trip.

This trip was a good one. Before we went, everyone told us it was “the trip of a lifetime,” or “the best trip we ever took.” To be totally honest, it is one of the best trips, but not THE best. It does make the top five, but it’s not number one. For me, that spot is still held by our voyage to the Galapagos on Celebrity’s Flora. Let me explain. But not before I give you my favorite African Sunset photo to break up all the text.

The things we loved

The lodging was amazing in its own way. We have never stayed in such wonderful accommodations. Starting with the only one we booked ourselves (The Radisson Red on our first night in Cape Town) to the incredible game lodges at Tintswalo. All of them were great. Two of them had rooms larger than my first apartment (The Cape Grace in Cape Town and the Fairlawn Boutique Hotel and Spa in Johannesburg). The Victoria Falls hotel was just too colonial for me. Too much of a reminder of the way the European/Western world has exploited much of Africa and continues to do so monetarily today. And eating cold food because they have no indoor restaurant is just wrong.

The lodges at Tintswalo Safari Lodge may have been bigger than my first house. But I found them dark and way too isolated. Our room onboard the Zambezi Queen was fine. A little small, but just fine. And they need either doors that lock from the outside or larger safes, along with new and higher furniture in the common areas. When you have to struggle to get out of a couch, that couch needs to go ?.

One more thing about the lodging. It is drop-dead the finest in South Africa. If you visit the websites for the Cape Grace, Victoria Falls Hotel, Fairlawn, or Tintswalo, you will find that all charge around $1200 per night for a room similar to the one we had. To be honest, the best bed I slept on the entire trip was at the Radisson Red in Cape Town. Certainly, the service at the other hotels was amazing, but we also loved the service at the Red and would have been just fine staying there at $165 per night. However, if you want the best lodging in Southern Africa, this is the trip for you.

The food was fine with some amazing standouts. The Spiced Eggs I had for breakfast three days in a row at the Cape Grace in Cape Town were easily one of my favorite dishes ever. Our dinner at Marble in Johannesburg was delicious and a great dining experience. We are glad Beverleigh talked us into keeping our reservation. A few of the dishes at Tintswalo were so good I begged for the recipes, and happily, I have all four that I loved.

This trip included some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. My favorite things we did included our helicopter ride over Victoria Falls (I was too busy being amazed to worry about being in a helicopter). Our morning game drives at Tintswalo (all but one of the evening drives were a bust) and the excellent lectures we heard. The one on the boat in the Zambezi River about Dr. Livingston was especially enjoyable. The ongoing discussion of the historical significance of the mining industry in Johannesburg remains thought-provoking. Our day in the wine country with Gen was incredibly informative in many ways, not just about wine but also about South Africa.

But my drop-dead favorite experience of the entire trip was my solo (with only Gibson driving the boat) “birdwatching” trip on the Chobe River at the crack of dawn. As a photographer, that one was special. Here’s my favorite photo from that day.

I got some great photos. A significant part of why I travel is for the photography. It always makes me happy on a trip when I get great photos that I can come back and be proud of, but Southern Africa does have its photographic challenges.

I would guess that if you asked our wonderful fellow travelers who finished the trip with us at Tintswalo what their favorite segment of the trip was, they would say it was our three days at Tintswalo. For me, that was maybe my third favorite place.

It took me a few days at home working on photos to figure out why. As I compiled my 100 favorite photos from the entire trip (for the record, I took more than 8,000 pictures), I noticed something. The area around Kruger Park and Tintswalo that we visited for those three days was monotone. Everything was brown. Everything blended together.

It didn’t help that throughout our entire stay at Tintswalo, I felt rushed. Part of that feeling is due to my expectations. I thought there would be more free time. Knowing what I know now, I would have skipped all the evening game drives except the first one. Perhaps this is related to how jaded I became about the animals by the end of the trip. I am not sure how many elephants and hippos we saw, but it must have been in the thousands, especially if you include Cape buffalo. And don’t even think about counting the impalas ?.

The one major thing we didn’t like

There is a reason we probably would not do this trip again. And this is just me. I am sure that the others were fine with it, but for us, this trip is not something we would do over. Airports and airplanes are our least favorite part of travel. It would not be an exaggeration for me to say that they are the one part of traveling that I despise. And on this trip, to see everything, you have to spend a lot of time in airports and on airplanes. When I was out for my walk with Keeley (our dog) yesterday, I suddenly realized that was the problem (for us) with this trip. So when I got home, I added up our time in airports and on planes to make this trip happen. Not counting the time it took to travel to and from the airports, we spent 75.5 hours either waiting in an airport for a flight, on the flight, getting through passport control and customs after a flight or clearing it before one. That’s hell. If I had added it up before we booked the trip, we might not have gone. You don’t realize that you can easily lose entire days at airports and on flights.

Please don’t misunderstand me, we had a great time, but when I realized how much time we spent centered on flying, it blew me away. Just under one-fourth of the entire trip was spent getting to and flying on airplanes. Sadly, I don’t know how else we could have seen everything we did in that short amount of time, but until they invent the Star Trek transporter, I don’t plan on doing another trip like that ?.

As many of you know, Kathleen and I have cruised extensively. We have always said that one of the best parts of cruising is the fact that you only have to unpack once, and your hotel moves you around for a week. While that may have been true on the Chobe River, we never really unpacked anywhere. Which also tells you that we are not the type of travelers who like living out of a suitcase. And dragging two medium-sized suitcases, one carry-on, my backpack with camera and laptop, as well as Kathleen’s backpack, was not fun. I am always envious of people like our new friends, AJ and Diane, who can pack everything they need for an 18-day vacation into two large carry-ons. One pair of my shoes would fill that backpack. And this vacation was all about layering. We needed clothes for hot weather and clothes for cold weather. And there was no real laundry service or opportunity until we got to Tintswalo. Plus, in a few places (like Johannesburg), we couldn’t send any out because we weren’t there long enough for it to come back before we left.

This vacation was just too much moving from point A to point B. We loved all points A, B, C, D and E, but getting there was no fun.

The absolute best thing about the entire trip

Hands down, it was the proud people of Southern Africa. I don’t think we met a single person who lived there who wasn’t trying to be the best they could be, even though they may have been living through horrible circumstances. The service was hands down the best we have ever received in all our travels, and all were supplied with smiles and cheerful voices.

And the openness was amazing. The willingness to discuss their countries, how they felt about what was going on in their country and the world. They had opinions both good and bad, but they expressed them with calmness and thought. They answered my tough questions and made me want to know more about the region and their country. To see the faces of our Namibian crew on the Zambezi Queen singing their national anthem for us brought a tear to my eye. But hearing from a South African that their government still has some ugly remnants of apartheid made me mad as hell. And seeing the poverty of Soweto and the wealth of natural resources, leaving the country to make a profit for those outside of it, left me seething. But as my new friend AJ told me (a very wise man), this is a generational thing that won’t change overnight. But it does need to change.

People that stood out and were amazing included the incredible Delia (this trip could not happen without her), the wine expert Gen, who gave me a five-hour education and contributed to my knowledge of her country, my birdwatching buddy Gibson, who amazed me with his knowledge of the birds, animals and fauna of the Chobe river. And he speaks 11 languages and loves his work—you can tell. Bernard, who runs the Zambezi Queen, is a great leader and so proud of his country, Namibia. Our driver (it pains me that I did not find out his name) at the Fairlawns, who had frank discussions with us on our drives. Beverleigh, who shared her perspective on her country and its foibles during one of the best dinner discussions I have had during our travels. Every single person we met at the Kliptown Youth Program in Soweto, but especially Thando Bezana. Their spirit is indomitable. They are succeeding where others have failed. They truly make a difference. Perhaps they are the beginning of that generational change that AJ discussed.

And speaking of AJ, we met and traveled with some really great folks. We missed our new friends Lorraine, Betty and Dennis at Tintswalo when they took the train as their end-of-trip excursion. Our final 12 at Tintswalo were the heart and soul of our group. AJ and Diane (who we hope to see again in the Bay Area). They did a great job of tempering my enthusiasm with their well-thought-out views. I always gravitate to people like that because they are what I need to slow me down and get me to think. The two Marinas were a total hoot. M-1 was always fun and M-2 just totally cracked us up. Riding in the back of the safari truck with her made the afternoon game drive a bunch more fun. Vicky, David, Sonnet and Fred were great people to be around, and just listening to Nancy‘s tales and Rich’s stories of cooking for her still brings a smile to my face. Look in the dictionary under “picky eater” if you want to see what Nancy looks like ?.

That about does it. We had a great time, we wish we had flown less and been able to spend more time seeing things, but Delia made it possible for us to get through airports without wanting to jump off a cliff. Thanks for coming along. Watch this space in October when the October Bunch does Portland and a Columbia River cruise.

I want to leave you with a photo that kind of sums up the end of things. I saved it for just this spot. It’s the end. Enjoy.

The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to. – Richard Mullin

Tintswalo Two

by | Jul 25, 2025 | Uncategorized

As I explained yesterday, our two full days at Tintswalo were identical. Up early (5:30 wake-up call), meet in the main lodge for coffee and snacks, jump in the bush cruisers and drive around looking for game for a while.

Then breakfast, a break, and back out to do the same thing from 3:30 to 7:00 or so, and then dinner and sleep. Sounds pretty easy.

But there are a couple of things to mention that you might not have realized. First, the temperature. When we arrived at Tintswalo from the airport on our first day around lunchtime, it was a balmy 78 degrees. During the days, the temps were in the high 70s to the low 80s. Since it was the dry season, we never saw a single drop of rain, which was a good thing since there were no tops on the vehicles. We asked the guides what they did in the rainy season, and they said…ponchos. No, thank you. Driving around, soaking wet for three hours? Not me. I was glad we were there in the dry season.

But the 70s and 80s in the sun do not translate to the 60s and 70s in the dark. Unlike a city, the bush has no concrete or blacktop to soak up the sun. And it gets cold quick, just about as fast as it gets dark. You know all those pretty African sunsets I have been showing you? Did you notice there were very few mountains (none at all) or hills? That means when the sun goes down, it goes from light to dark very quickly. The same thing happens every morning. The sky would get a little light and then BANG! Full sunshine.

But the coldest ride of the day was always the first one in the morning. With no sun for eight hours, we were already cold when we got out of bed, but leave it to the wonderful folks at Tintswalo. When we arrived at the trucks, every seat not only had a blanket but also one of the biggest hot water bottles I have ever seen. And it was HOT! In fact, it stayed hot/warm until we came back three or four hours later.

I tell you all this just to let you know that when you go on safari, you need to layer up. I would start with a sun-protection long-sleeved shirt, a sweater/sweatshirt over that and my windbreaker on top of that (and yes, shorts on the bottom—my legs never get cold). Then you shed those as the sun gets higher. Worked pretty much that way every day. And a hat and LOTS of sunscreen.

I also need to mention how lucky we were to be there in their winter. Not only does it not get as hot during the day, but the days themselves are shorter. We didn’t have sunrise until almost 6:45. If we had gone in December, it might have been raining, but we would have definitely had to get up more than an hour earlier for the game drive because the sun rises before 5:00 am in their summer.

So, enough of the weather stuff, how about some photos? Here’s the morning game drive on our second day in Tintswalo. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. If you can’t read the caption while watching the slide show, click the little i in a circle below the photo, and you will be able to see it.  And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After the drive, it was back to the lodge for breakfast, a nap for most (AJ worked out, and I worked on photos), and then a late lunch that Tintswalo called “Substantial High Tea” at about 2:30 (which looked like lunch to me). Then, it was off on the afternoon game drive by 3:30. And here are the photos from that one. It was not our finest hour so I had to embellish with some deck shots taken during tea.

As you can see, the afternoon/evening game drive was a little bit of a bust that day. It seemed to me that there was one animal that stood out during each game drive (except this one). The day before we saw the cheetah, we had lions and our first zebras this morning, although there were fewer animals in the afternoon. You will have to come back tomorrow to see what we got on those two runs. I can tell you the best ones by the number of photos I took. For most, it was around seven to eight hundred. For this one, I barely got 100. You can’t win them all.

One more thing. I wanted to show you how many animals we could see just lying in bed. Seriously. But for some reason, when I was in bed, I never seemed to have my camera with me ?. So here’s one I shot out our window while sitting on the edge of the bed. Take a look at what our view was like most days. Always something out there hanging around. Mostly tiny monkeys, elephants, Cape buffalo moving by or baboons. I think the baboons bother me the most. You never know what a baboon is going to do, and they seem to be the least phased by humans.

I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy. – Ernest Hemingway

 

Johannesburg

by | Jul 20, 2025 | Uncategorized

Editor’s Note: We are home. I was about to type that words can’t describe the length of our journey, but that’s not true. One word can. That word is…exhausting. More on that in a couple of days. I hope to do one post a day, as if we were still in Africa. It all depends on the extent of my jet lag. 

After our FULL day in Victoria Falls, we were up early to catch our flights from Victoria to South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg. As someone who believes that airports are the worst part of travel, this is not my favorite trip. We had spent way too much time in airports so far, and we still had at least four more flights after this one before we would be home (we took eight total—some of our fellow travelers took 12, depending on how many connections they had to get to Africa or home). This was another case of boarding a bus, sitting in the airport, flying, and clearing customs in another country. You get the idea. It’s almost as if you trade boring, exhausting days in airports for the glorious days in between seeing Southern Africa.

We basically spent one full day in Johannesburg. We got into our hotel, the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa. If you remember, we stayed at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town to start this trip with AmaWaterways. We thought that place was a truly beautiful hotel. Our next hotel was the Victoria Falls Hotel in Victoria Falls, which was older, more staid and colonial, but still (as much as I hate to admit it) beautiful. But this place knocked our socks off. It was so impressive that I actually remembered to whip out my phone and give you a short video tour.

This “room” was not only bigger than my first apartment, but I think the Springboks (South Africa’s national rugby team) could play a match inside (okay, that’s hyperbole…but good hyperbole ?). This place was beautiful. While the Cape Grace was very nice, it was a little too prim and proper for me, and I was saddened by the colonialism of the Victoria Falls Hotel—but this one, decorated in what I would have to call “African Safari,” was (and still is) my favorite hotel of the trip.

By the time we had arrived from our travels, it was fairly late in the day. I had forgotten to mention that two other amazing representatives from AmaWaterways met us upon our arrival. And we still had the amazing Delia with us. The amazing Lucky (yes, that’s really his name) met us at the airport and took us to the hotel, as well as leading our full-day tour the following day. Once we arrived at the hotel, we met Beverleigh, who is basically like the Ama fairy godmother of Johannesburg. If Delia is the queen of Southern Africa touring, then Beverleigh is the princess in Johannesburg. Both of these people would play a significant role in my thoughts on South Africa in general.

One of the things I may have mentioned is that about three weeks before we left, we met Dave and Janine Marcus, who live here in Trilogy with us. Dave and I did Trilogy Tech Support together one morning, and I mentioned (like I could shut up about it ?) that we were going to Southern Africa. It turns out Dave and Janine are native South Africans. They still have a place in Cape Town. They travel to Johannesburg regularly and have friends there. They were of great help, providing valuable advice and information. We had one free evening in Cape Town for dinner, and they had recommended a restaurant, which, alas, we had decided to skip because of our late arrival at Table Mountain. Dave had also gotten us a restaurant recommendation in Johannesburg from a good friend he described as a “foodie.” Well, you know me, I love food, and the amazing restaurant prices in South Africa make it almost a sin not to eat out in a superb restaurant at least once.

On the other hand, when we arrived at the Fairlawns, we were exhausted. Beverleigh had offered to make arrangements with the hotel for us to eat in their dining room (which was superb at breakfast). I told her to do that for us. I also told her that we had reservations at a highly recommended restaurant in the city, but we were tired and decided to stay in the hotel instead. Without me saying where we had reservations, she turned to me and said, “I bet you have reservations at Marble. You have to go!” She went on to regale me with how much we would be missing if we didn’t go, how the hotel would transport us there, come back and get us and that we would have a “WONDERFUL experience.” Well, you can’t pass up that kind of recommendation, so we said, “Set up the car.”

Editor’s Note: At this point, I have a lot to say about South Africa and Johannesburg that some may find controversial (it has to do with being transported by the hotel’s car), but I want to reserve my thoughts until my next post, when I detail our full day in Johannesburg. 

Let’s talk food.

I haven’t said much about the food. At this point, we had experienced some great food. None of it was bad (except for the cold breakfast at the Victoria Falls Hotel), but there also wasn’t much to write home about. But let’s discuss Marble. We ate, we took pictures (below), and we left stuffed. Everything was perfect except for the one tired impala or antelope I had as an entrée. (I ordered their “game assortment” as my entrée and the “game”—which I now believe to have been impala—was so tough I joked that it must have been the one the lions chased for days but it got away just in tme to wind up at this restaurant ?—but the sauce on it was amazing.)

Here are the pics. The captions pretty much describe the meal. I took them with Kathleen’s iPhone because I stupidly forgot mine at the hotel. Feel (guilt) free to look at them on your phone ?.

We can’t thank Dave and Janine (and their friend in Johannesburg) for the recommendation, and Beverleigh for ensuring we went. It was (for me) the best dining experience of the trip. This place fully passed the “Steve Test.” Not only would I eat there again, but I would make it a go-to place for special occasions, especially with the price.

Let’s talk restaurant prices. Prior to the trip, when I was reviewing restaurant menus, I was scared by the prices. Most were in South African currency (the rand), and when I looked at Marble’s menu, I saw that my favorite dish (anything with octopus) was 230 rand. At first glance, that seems like A LOT OF MONEY to pay for one dish. It does, right up until you pull out your calculator (thanks, Apple, for including a constantly updated currency converter right inside your iOS calculator) and realize that R230 is only $ 12.99 US. So, our entire meal, with two appetizers, two entrées, two drinks for me, one for Kathleen, and her glass of wine, as well as a split dessert (in one of Johannesburg’s best restaurants), plus the tip, came to less than $ 140 US. Seriously. Would I dine there if it were in my own city? With those prices? I would eat there weekly. I would try everything on the menu…twice. Two of us could not eat at a place like Marble here in Seattle for twice that much.

After that amazing dinner, we were picked up by the hotel van, whisked back to our luxurious suite at the Fairlawns, where we slept like babies. Which was a good thing because our next day would be a stunner in so many ways. I believe it will be the most joyful post I have ever written and the saddest. See you then.

Now that we have a democracy and you can go back and the airport air is not laden with evil any more, you can actually breathe oxygen when you land in Johannesburg.  —Janet Suzman

Victoria Falls-The BEST part

by | Jul 19, 2025 | Uncategorized

After passing out (not really, but it felt like it) and sleeping for almost 12 straight hours, I awoke to Kathleen feeling lousy and telling me I should go and grab some breakfast. That was when I discovered it was an outdoor restaurant and freeeezzzziiinnnggg. I had a piece of cold toast and a cup of lukewarm tea. That got me through to lunch. On the way to breakfast, I did get a chance to catch some photos of the spray rising from the falls with the rising sun behind it. Here’s a few to start the day. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After my quick shots and the tea and toast, I was off to the walking tour of Victoria Falls in the national park. We had a great guide, and he took us along the trail that has approximately 15 lookouts, each with increasing amounts of spray. It is a beautiful waterfall that you have to wear a poncho to tour. I can only imagine how much spray there must be during the rainy season.

Here are the photos I took along the walk. I am not thrilled with them because, basically, the water/spray looks white, the sky looks white, and everything else is black. BORING…but you be the judge.

Lunch was on our own, and Kathleen was feeling better, so when I returned to the hotel, we went to the other outdoor venue and sat in the hot sun, getting warmed up. The food was okay, but I only ate half of the burger and left the other half of my fries. That tells you how lousy I was feeling. But we were both up for the next part of the day.

HELICOPTER FLIGHT OVER THE FALLS!!!

Now for the GOOOOD part. In the afternoon, we had planned a helicopter flyover tour of the falls with Zambezi Helicopters. It only flies for about 12 minutes, but it does a very cool loop over the falls that lets us see everything. And I was thrilled with the photos AND VIDEO I got. Away we go. Quick note: we could have booked the same flight through AMA, but it was about $100 US more, so we booked it ourselves. I called AMA and asked when we would need to be back. They told me 4:00 pm for the evening cruise on the Zambezi. When Delia announced 3:30, we were afraid we would miss the cruise…but we just made it.

Before watching the videos, please adjust your sound level to a comfortable setting. Helicopters are REALLY LOUD. Did I mention this was our very first ride in a helicopter? It was. Smoother than silk.

That’s the first video. Here are some still shots that I love. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

Here’s the second video. Thankfully for you, they are very short. Again, adjust your sound. Turn it down.

This was one part of the trip that will definitely stay with us. After the ride, we raced back to the hotel, and we got there with three minutes to spare before we were off for a dinner cruise on the Zambezi River above the falls. While onboard, we heard a very interesting lecture about the explorer David Livingstone from one of his biographers, a long-time British guide.

Of course, when you are on the Zambezi River at sunset, you have to take a photo. So, here’s my last shot from a very long day.

Tomorrow: On to Johannesburg!

The most impactful place I’ve been to, where I was completely awestruck, happy, and moved, is Victoria Falls, located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is probably the most beautiful and romantic place in the world.   — Hill Harper

 

On to Victoria Falls

by | Jul 18, 2025 | Uncategorized

This happened so long ago (we were there on Friday—only a week ago, but it feels like at least three weeks), it almost seems like it was in another life. This particular day was (for us) the worst on this trip. It was the day we got sick. For some reason, I only get sick while we are traveling. Ask our friends and relatives who we travel with or visit. It’s as if I’m immune to colds and flu at home, but not on the road.

Kathleen had been coughing since she arrived in Cape Town, but she thought it was due to an allergy. When I caught it, we realized we both had it. And on top of having the cold, I made the mistake of not eating for the entire day and then just before bed, taking all my vitamins and regular prescriptions along with my malaria pill that we needed to take for this trip. The only problem was that we had been warned to “never take malaria medicine on an empty stomach.” And when I took it at 8:00 pm that night, I hadn’t eaten since 8:00 pm the night before. Needless to say, I got even sicker and this time it was my stomach.

We were staying at the colonial-style Victoria Falls Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in all of Africa. From their windows, you can see the falls…or at least the steam/spray from the falls. For some reason, this hotel bothered me greatly for several reasons. Maybe it was the whole colonial thing? Maybe it was the fact that it was IMPOSSIBLE to find our room without having someone take us there? Maybe it was because they had no map of the entire hotel (I asked and was told it was only on their website—if you go there, print out a copy in advance)? Perhaps it was because they had no indoor restaurants, so when we had breakfast outdoors on our two mornings there (at 6:30 with a temperature of around 45°F), the food was cold as soon as it hit your plate? Seriously, a beautiful hotel that costs a fortune to stay in, with a wonderful staff, and yet so many things bothered me. I suppose I really am a Victor (it’s a British thing).

Forget about us being sick. We did our best to do the evening activity after check-in. As soon as we had arrived and I had gotten our suitcases inside, I went to bed while Kathleen went off to meet some of the others for lunch. Then, around 5:30, we met Delia and the rest of the gang for a train trip that crossed a bridge that is over the Falls. We were to have appetizers and dinner on the train. We got on and they served drinks while it moved into position on the bridge. I should add that the bridge is so old that only one car or truck is allowed to cross it at a time. And the engine of the train could only back us onto the bridge. It could not go on the bridge itself. Made us feel really safe. We got on board and Kathleen got the traditional British colonial drink, the gin and tonic, while I was only up to Coca-Cola. Once we are out on the bridge and the engine is unhooked, you can get out to take photos (they are below) on the bridge. I took a few and then had to sit down on a bench on the bridge. Delia noticed and, being the angel she is, she asked if we would like her to get us a taxi back to the hotel. We happily said yes because by that time, I had chills (and not the kind with thrills) and a fever. We headed back almost immediately and were back at the hotel in no time. Of cours,e we got completely lost trying to find our room WITH NO MAP!

This is when I made the mistake of taking the malaria pill. BIG MISTAKE. Once I finally got to sleep, I slept for 12 straight hours (interrupted by coughing and blowing my nose). We both felt a little better the next day, but I still was not up for a big breakfast. Kathleen had slept less than I had, so she stayed in while I went to the coldest restaurant on earth (because it was outside in 45°F weather) for a cup of tea and a piece of toast. I really wanted to do the walk above the falls…which I was able to do, and we both felt better, but tired from that time on. Still have the cold, though, and we are sitting in the airport waiting to head home.

More about the next day in my next post. In the meantime, I took a few pictures that day. Here they are with captions. Don’t forget: if you click the first shot, you can scroll through it using your arrow keys or by swiping. And please, don’t view my photography on a phone. Please…

The post for the next day in Victoria Falls will be much more fun—I promise. Hopefully, I will have that up tomorrow. It’s the one that includes pics and video from our helicopter ride over the Falls. Yes, I went on a helicopter ride.

Long before the Scottish missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone ‘discovered’ the Falls in 1855, the local Batonga people had named them Mosi-oa-Tunya, ‘the smoke that thunders. — Anonymous AI on Google