Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana

  

Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana

Saturday, July 6, 2024

 

Saturday was our last full day in Malawi. We used it as a day off, a day to reflect on all the adventures we have had, all the people we have met, all the cities, towns and villages we have been in, all the animals we have seen. What an amazing experience and opportunity it has been.

 

We spent the day at our hotel, writing the blog, organizing photos, packing our bags, trying to wedge all our souvenirs and purchases into the suitcases. At the end of the day, we enjoyed a beautiful meal in the hotel dining room and soon fell into bed.

 

Sunday, July 7, 2024

 

Sunday started early as Jordan was picking us up at 7:30 am to head to the airport. We managed to enjoy a delicious breakfast before we left and then it was out onto the highway for about an hour’s drive to Kamuzu International Airport which was the starting point for the next and last phase of this trip.

 

Jordan helped us with our luggage and guided us through the airport process. We had to send our bags through an xray machine before we could enter the building. We also had to go through a security portal ourselves.

 

Next came the check-in process which was quite smooth and fast. Bags checked …it was time to say farewell to Jordan, our driver. We have grown very fond of him and all he has done for us. How fortunate we have been to have spent so much time together. Of course, a very substantial tip was included in the envelope we gave him.

 

We moved on to immigration where we formally left the country and then had to go through another security system. By this time, I had been assigned a wheelchair and someone to push me. We went into a waiting area and relaxed until flight time. I was the last person to board the plane via a special vehicle that lifted Jim and I to the level of the airplane door so we could simply walk in. It was really slick!

 

Our flight was taking us from Lilongwe to Lusaka in Zambia. In Lusaka, we went through immigration and were allowed to enter the country. Our bags were transferred to our next aircraft. It was interesting that they had never handled a bag with assistive devices (my walker etc). It took a long time for the airline to decide how best to handle this bag. People behind us waited very patiently while a number of airline personnel entered into conversations about what to do with it. We explained how it was handled at other airports (regular baggage, no charge for the assistive devices). Finally, they agreed that that made sense and we were able to proceed.

 

We stopped at a café for a cappuccino as we had a couple of hours before the flight. I was assigned a wheelchair and someone to push it. We had to make the transfer from the international terminal (brand new) to the domestic terminal (the old airport, fully renovated and used for internal travel). It was a long walk and I had a great conversation with the man who was pushing me. He was not sure where I should wait as the regular waiting area was upstairs but boarding was from the main floor. We ended up in a very sterile room all by ourselves but we knew that he was going to come back to take us to the plane. This time, at my suggestion, we boarded the plane first and were able to make our way to our seats before the crowd came on board. I was told I had to walk up the steps to the plane by myself (no fancy lifter this time). I was prepared for a long set of stairs and was pleasantly surprised that it was a relatively small aircraft, somewhat aged (it had propellers!) and there were only five steps to navigate. Piece of cake.

 

It was a very smooth flight from Lusaka to Livingstone and near the end , of the flight I had an amazing view of the Zambezi River, wide and powerful and, in places, peppered with islands. The border of Zambia and Zimbabwe follows the river for quite a few miles. Also, not far away is the border with Botswana. We are learning a lot about the geography of Africa.

 

We were picked up at the airport by a driver from our lodge, the David Livingstone Safari Lodge, and in short order we arrived at magnificent building right on the Zambezi River. Our room overlooks the river!! It was dark by the time we arrived and dinner was being served. We were taken to our room; our luggage was quickly delivered; and we meandered back to a patio dining area where we enjoyed a shared bowl of mushroom soup, a shared dish of pear and pecan salad, followed by a shared serving of delicious and messy crayfish, shells and all. It was just the right amount of food and it was all delicious!!

 

Directly after dinner, we returned to our room and soon fell into bed. It has been a long day and we were both tired. It was surprisingly cold so we added some extra blankets as the mosquito netting really does not add any warmth.

 

Monday, July 8, 2024

 

Even before we had breakfast, we visited the ‘excursions office’ to workout a program while we are here. Game drives, a tour of the Victoria Falls from both sides of the river, a sunset cruise on the river, a visit to the David Livingstone Museum, and maybe a helicopter ride over the falls. A lot to fit into three days. But we managed to get everything booked and still allow some time for relaxation at this wonderful lodge.

 

Breakfast was amazing, an incredibly wide range of options, all served buffet style. Yogurt and granola, an abundance of fresh tropical fruit, eggs prepared the way you preferred and at least 8 warming trays of foods to accompany the eggs, a waffle machine with a variety of toppings, freshly squeezed fruit juice, delicious coffee and a range of bakery items. Wow!! How to choose!!

 

Throughout this trip, our pattern has been to eat a substantial breakfast and then not eat again until dinner. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be a good system here as well. We indulged in our favourite breakfast foods along with fresh fruit and several cups of delicious coffee. Coffee is grown in Zambia and they certainly know how to brew it.

 

Soon after breakfast it was time for our first outing, a game drive through the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in which our lodge is located. As we waited for our vehicle to arrive, we enjoyed the music being shared by a group of percussionists at the front of the lodge. It was both impressive and lively.

 

It was about 10 o’clock when we finally got underway and Jim and I were both feeling that it might be a bit late to see many animals. The day was already warming up and we thought the animals might be searching for shade rather than being in the open.

 

How wrong we were!!! It was one of the best game drives we have head so far. The first thing we saw was a group of seven … yes seven, rhinoceros.

We were in awe of the size of these animals. Many of them were resting in the sun after a chilly night. A couple of younger rhinos were moving about in the bushes.

 

In this park, there are rhino guards who travel with the rhinos as they move about. The goal is to protect the rhinos from potential poachers. The guards both carry rifles which would be used to discourage poachers should they come close. These guards also accompanied guides and passengers on walks from the vehicle towards the rhinos.

Jim and our guide, Moonde, joined the guards and got remarkably close to these amazing animals. Of course, many photos were taken. It was a breathtaking experience.

 

Back in the jeep, we continued along several different roads in the park and saw a myriad of animals – rhinos, baboons

, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, zebra,

impala, cape buffalo, hippos, water lizards, as well as a wide range of birds.

Our cameras were busy as our guide and driver, Moonde, drove us through the park. He stopped regularly and shared information about the various species we saw. There are no members of the cat family in this park.

 

We finished our tour by going into the town of Livingstone and visiting yet another ATM as Moonde needed to be paid in cash. Fortunately, we found one that worked and the ATM’s are still willing to give us money. I wiil say this has been an expensive trip. We arrived back at the lodge about 2 pm.

 

We spent some time this afternoon in our room and then headed out to enjoy the beautiful day. Although chilly in the morning, it certainly warmed up to 31c by the afternoon. Clear skies indicate that another spectacular sunset awaits us.

 

We watched the sunset from a porch overlooking the grass at the back of the lodge. As expected, it was absolutely beautiful. While we watched, several staff from the lodge came by. Every one of them stopped to chat with us. The friendliness we experienced in Malawi has accompanied us to Zambia. True warmth and caring.

Once the sun was down and dark had fallen, we proceeded to the dining area, choosing an area in the open air not far from the river. We both had a pre-dinner drink and contemplated two menus. One was for the downstairs tables and the other was a more sophisticated menu for fine dining upstairs. The downstairs staff told us last night that if we wished to order from the upstairs menu they would deliver the food to us downstairs.

 

We took them up on their offer and ordered dishes from the more sophisticated menu. I ordered a traditional game stew. I asked what the game was  - kudu was the answer, licenced and farmed in a nearby area. Kudu also live in the national park but remained unharmed there. Jim also ordered a ‘game’ dish and we both enjoyed them but not necessarily the companion foods. We took the opportunity to try something new and now we know what we like from traditional Zambian cuisine.

 

Dark fell, a crescent moon appeared, some stars became visible and the temperature dropped. Even the heaters that were around the tables did not fully take the edge off the cold. It was time to head back to our room for the night.

 

Soon to bed. Another great day behind us!! And a new adventure tomorrow lies ahead.

 

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

 

Today was a terrific day. A good night’s sleep and a quick breakfast set us up for an active day. A driver picked us up at 8 am and we headed to Zimbabwe, about a 20 minute drive from our lodge. We had our passports with us but we needed to get visas to enter “Zim side”. $100 later we had our visas and our journey could continue. We crossed the Zambezi River on the David Livingstone Bridge.

This bridge was actually built piece by piece in England in 1904 and shipped to Zambia piece by piece. You can still see the numbers on the various pieces of the bridge. It was installed over the Zambezi River in about 14 months. It opened in September 1905 and still functions as a link between Zambia and Zimbabwe today. It is extremely busy with truck and car traffic as well as pedestrians and bicycles. Only one vehicle at a time is allowed on the bridge in an effort to preserve this original bridge for as long as possible. There is also a train track the traverses the river on this bridge. The original reason to build the bridge was to establish a rail link from Cairo to Capetown. That project did not fully materialize but the bridge remains part of the connection between Zambezi and Zimbabwe.

 

The water in the Zambezi passes over the Victoria Falls cliff in dramatic fashion. Like several other historic waterfalls, it spans 1700 metres and is 108 metres high. It is roughly twice the height of Niagara Falls and well over twice its width.

 

History says that the falls was first discovered by a white man in 1855 although locals say that Portuguese explorers had been there many years before. Livingstone named the falls after Queen Victoria who was on the throne at that time. He also began to publicize the falls as a tourist attraction. From that humble beginning, it has expanded into a major tourist destination in both countries and offers many risky activities – bungy jumping, parasailing, boating in the rapids, swimming in an infinity pool and looking over the edge of the falls and fishing near the brink. Yikes!!

 

Like Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls flow is divided by several islands. It is dry season now and we were told that the river grows substantially in the rainy season (late winter).It is hard to imagine more water than we saw today.

 

We first viewed the falls from the Zimbabwe side of the river. Then we visited the Zambia side of the river. In fact, the ‘Zim side’ offered the better view and more spray.

 

After viewing the river and the falls and navigating the bridge along with a long line of heavy trucks, we returned to our lodge. Jim decided to go into the town of Livingstone to visit the David LIvingstone Museum. I remained at the lodge and caught my breath. We have been running hard and fast the last few days and I needed a break.

 

After Jim returned, we headed out to a patio that faces the river and relaxed with a drink in hand. Hippos were roaring; many tour boats passed by; flocks of birds were flying overhead and the sun was still high in the vivid blue sky. It was very pleasant (except for the mosquitos). At precisely 6 pm the sun sank below the horizon and another lovely sunset emerged.

The tour boats made their way to their various docks as sunset turned to twilight and finally dark, all within about 30 minutes.

 

Dinner tonight was an outdoor barbeque with several kinds of meat and fish, including crocodile and kudu. Accompanying the meat was a selection of about 12 different food items – vegetables, starch choices, soup, curry – you get the picture. It was fairly chilly outside so to warm everyone up, we were served a glass of warm water with a lemon slice. That hit the spot. Blankets were also available if desired.

 

A band played in the background, just the right volume to be able to carry on a conversation. The staff, as always, were very attentive, wanting to ensure that everyone was comfortable. This staff is wonderfully gracious and caring. We are very impressed.

 

Shortly after eating we returned to our room. Our clean laundry had arrived and the mosquito netting was around our bed. It is sufficiently chilly tonight that I cannot imagine the mosquitos being active but better safe than sorry.

 

Soon to bed. Another full day awaits us tomorrow.

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

 

Today was another full day. We started the morning with a very substantial breakfast, a delicious meal to say the least. The coffee is exceptional, definitely worthy of two cups. Breakfast generally sustains us until dinner. We have not eaten lunch since we left home.

 

We spent the morning organizing ourselves for the next several days. Today is our last day in Zambia. Tomorrow morning, we head to Botswana, Chobe National Park where there is the world’s largest congregation of elephants. More game runs lie in our future. It is about a two hour drive. I also spent a bit of time and a bit of money in the gift shop here. The merchandise was beautiful and it was a gentle experience browsing rather than at the market stalls in other locations. I tried to be very selective and I was relatively successful.

 

We also arranged to have some laundry done and Jim spent some time organizing the details of our trip home. Only a few days left before we fly.

 

This afternoon we took a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls

and the surrounding countryside. Our flight was 22 minutes (it could have been 15 or 30 minutes also). In that time we had an aerial view of the nearby town of Livingstone, a great view of the falls

complete with rainbows, an overview of the path of the river zigzagging through a number of canyons, and a clear view of Victoria Falls Bridge and the long line of trucks and other traffic waiting their turn to cross the one lane bridge. This bridge connects Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

The highlight of the flight was when the pilot dropped the helicopter into the canyons

and traced the zigzag path of the river. The rock faces on both sides stretched above the helicopter and the turns at each zig and zag were meticulously accomplished. It was very exciting.

 

On our way back to the airstrip, we passed over some fertile agricultural land and followed the river. We saw elephants below us

as we flew overhead. I was able to get a photo of the dock of our lodge. A large cruiser was tied up at our lodge. We were scheduled to travel in it a bit later in the day. It was also in my photo.

 

By the time we returned to the lodge, it was time to board the sunset cruise. In fact, everyone else was on board and they were waiting for us. Just a tad embarrassing.

 

We headed out on the Zambezi River for about two hours. We travelled around a large island in the middle of the river, all on the Zambian side of the border. The channel between the island and the other shoreline marked the international boundary between the two countries. Vessels from both countries were plying the waters of the Zambezi in search of crocodiles, hippos and other animals along the shore. Jim was especially interested in the bird life and one of the staff on board helped to identify several species we saw.

 

The highlight of the cruise was the spectacular sunset we viewed across the water. Proximity to the equator speeds up the disappearance of the sun and also enhances the colours in the sky. It was spectacular tonight. The sun disappeared from view in about 15 minutes and the sky turned a vivid scarlet/orange shade. It was beautiful.

Once the sun was down, a beautiful crescent moon appeared in the darkening sky. It was time to head for shore. Dinner awaits.

 

We had a delicious dinner. Jim ordered lamb and I had a lovely cream soup and a pear, pecan and blue cheese salad. I had tried the salad the first night we were here and it was delicious. I was not disappointed tonight.

 

We lingered for a while before returning to our room and setting our minds to the business of packing. Clean laundry was back. We are not flying tomorrow. A van from the lodge in Botswana is coming to pick us up. Thus, we just have to close our suitcases without worrying about the weight. It may be a bit more challenging when we have to meet airline standards.

 

Thursday, July 11, 2024

 

The day started with some last minute packing in our room. We were leaving this wonderful lodge right after breakfast and heading to our final country, Botswana. We have enjoyed Zambia thoroughly for the short time we have been – animals (especially rhinos), people, scenery, and the kindness of the resort staff at every turn.

 

Promptly at 10 o’clock, our driver arrived with a comfortable van to transport us the short distance to Botswana. It took about 2 hours in total. At the border, we were able to exit Zambia and enter Botswana in a single transaction in the Immigration office. How efficient is that!!

 

In order to exit Zambia, we had to drive across the Zambezi River on a beautiful new bridge. Two lanes of traffic moved in each direction and a train track went up the middle of the road. Part way across the bridge, our driver pulled off the road and actually came to a stop on the train track. He wanted us to see what is known as the Quadrapoint, a place where the borders of four countries meet.

 

The Zambezi River was the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as between Zimbabwe and Namibia. It also served as the boundary between Zambia and Botswana. The Chobe River flowed into the Zambezi at this location as well, serving as the boundary between Botswana and Namibia. We quickly took some photos of this unique juncture of countries and then travelled across the rest of the bridge. If you are fascinated with international borders, as we are, this is certainly an unusual location. Prior to the bridge being built, all international traffic had to cross by ferry. Sometimes it took days for transport trucks to make their way onto the ferry because of the volume of traffic on this highway.

 

We had to clean the soles of our shoes in a liquid solution prior to proceeding to prevent the spread of hoof and mouth disease. What was a bit comical to me was the fact that I had to remove extra shoes from my suitcase but they did not require me to disinfect the shoes I was actually wearing. Very odd, indeed.

 

We changed vehicles and drivers at the border and continued travelling for about 20 more minutes before reaching the lodge where we will be staying for three nights. In that short distance, we could tell that Botswana was a much more developed country than Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Roads were in excellent condition; actual malls with parking lots were built for commerce. There were grocery stores, restaurants, banks and service stations along the way. Cars were plentiful.

 

We arrived at Chobe Safari Lodge

where we were warmly greeted and escorted to our very large and well equipped room. We sat on our balcony and enjoyed watching the birds and perusing the vegetation. We had been warned to be sure to close our balcony doors whenever we left the room as the monkeys and baboons would be happy to enter in our absence. We were only there briefly and did not see anything but the bird. But we did make sure the door was closed and locked when we left.

 

We got a list of activities from the reception area and made some choices about how to spend our time. Since we are here to see more animals, we quickly decided that a ‘safari run’ made a lot of sense later in the afternoon. At the appointed hour we joined others in a high jeep and headed into Chobe National Park. One of its claims to fame is that there are more elephants in this park than anywhere else in Africa. Samson, our driver, told us there were about 60,000 elephants living there. Wow!!

 

We had a very successful ‘run’ and saw many familiar animals – baboons, impala, kudu, warthogs, giraffes (about 15 or more), elephants of course (maybe 150 including several young ones), hippos, buffalo and more. We saw a leopard eating an impala high in a tree.

What a beautiful animal he was! And on our way out of the park, we encountered two female lions and their two young offspring, frolicking about. It was lovely to watch them play. Jim was also very happy with the array of birds we saw.

 

Because it is the dry season, the Chobe River which runs through the park, is actually quite small. We were able to travel on roads along the shore of the river which would be totally covered with water during the wet season. Elephants and hippos were enjoying the water and several juvenile elephants were wallowing in the mud, having a great deal of fun.

 

The roads were made of sand, called Kalahari sand which, in places, extends 100 metres below the surface of the earth. That is a lot of sand.

 

Our driver was very good at stopping so we could take photos and waiting patiently until everyone was ‘happy’ before we moved on. He worked hard to find the cheetah and the lions which were priorities for everyone in the jeep.

 

By the time we arrived back at the lodge, the sun was setting and it was almost dinner time. We sat in the lobby until the restaurant opened (6:30 pm) and we went in for dinner. We each chose a game meal. I had crocodile

and Jim had kudu.

Both dishes were beautifully presented and very tasty.

 

And now we are back in our room, enjoying a quiet evening. Tomorrow will be another busy day.

 

 

Friday, July 12, 2024

 

We went on another game drive today, this one leaving right after breakfast this morning. We had a different driver today and so followed quite a different route through the Chobe National Park. It was a chilly morning and at such an early hour, many animals were still tucked away in the forest to stay warm. So the first hour or so in the jeep was not as successful as we had hoped. Not only that, but in an open jeep we were cold as well.

 

The first animals we saw were several herds of impala (antelope-type animals) who were searching for food. It was fun to watch them move about in a large group, seeking food mostly in open areas. They eat a lot of grass and other small plants on the ground.

 

Next, we saw giraffes, several of them. One cluster actually had seven giraffes all together. They are so tall and majestic as they gracefully move about the park. Of course, they mostly eat from the tops of the trees, damaging the newest growth as they go. Older males tend to be very dark in colour whereas the younger giraffes sport light beige patterns.

 

Then came the hippos … we were at the edge of the Chobe River and could see them peeking just above the water line, cute little pink ears giving them away. Hippos spend the night grazing on the land, eating up to 40 kilograms of grass each night. By day, they generally relax in the water. Although they are air-breathing mammals, they do have the capacity of staying under the water for several minutes at a time. When they come up to the surface, they always expel their breath in a very loud way. It is a strange but distinctive sound.

 

We actually saw a mongoose this morning, a very elusive animal. Mongoose may be small but they are vicious and voracious hunters. They can even take on the largest snake in the forest and win the battle. Very sharp teeth and strategic stalking help to make them successful.

 

We saw evidence of lions and our driver took very seriously the quest to find them. We roared around the park from road to road looking for footprints and other clues about their whereabouts. After a long quest, we did find two female lions and several cubs nestled under the trees for shelter.

Our driver felt that the moms did not look especially healthy. The dry season has limited access to water and other nourishing foods. They need strength to hunt and he was hoping that they might soon take down an impala for their own wellbeing as well as their cubs.

 

Three hours passed very quickly and we had not seen a single elephant! Given that there are 60,000 in Chobe Park, it seemed unbelievable that none would be visible. But just as we were ready to leave the park, a small herd of elephants came into our line of vision.

They are so large, yet so graceful, travelling in family groups with young and old all together. It was great to see them before we left.

 

Back at the lodge, Jim and I had a cappuccino and then I set to the task of organizing photos. We certainly are taking a lot of them!! The day had warmed up and we sat outside for most of the afternoon. At 3 pm, it was time for our next activity, this time a boat tour on the Chobe River, once again looking for animals. What a wonderful time we had!!

 

Hippos, buffaloes, impala, waterbucks, many species of birds, several crocodiles, elephants, water monitors all in great numbers. It was exciting to see some species we had not yet seen. It was also exciting to see so many ‘water’ animals all enjoying the fresh water of the Chobe River.

 

As we moved along the river, the geography of the region was explained to us. In the middle of the Chobe River is a large island. Tension between Botswana (where we are) and Namibia (a close neighbour) over where the international boundary was. United Nations experts were called in to settle the dispute by measuring the width of the river on both sides of the island and determining the location of the boundary based on their findings. As it turned out, the larger part of the river flowed between the island and the Namibia shoreline. Based on this, the international party decided the boundary was halfway across the widest part of the river. The net result was that Botswana was able to lay claim to the island as their own. Happily, both countries accepted the outcome and laid to rest any tension that had been caused. So, as we floated along the river today, Botswana was on one side and Namibia was on the other, not unlike many of the rivers and lakes that make up the Great Lakes system in Canada.

 

Following another glorious sunset, we returned to our lodge. Jim and I indulged in a drink before dinner and then ever so slowly proceeded to the dining room. Jim ordered a lamb shank and I chose a curry.  A glass of wine washed them both down. Lovely food beautifully prepared at this lodge.

 

We have only one full day left in this adventure before we begin the long trek home. It is hard to believe that we have been on the road for six weeks!!

 

 

Saturday, July 13, 2024

 

We are really down to the wire. We enjoyed breakfast this morning as we discussed how we wanted to spend this final day in Africa. Part of the day needed to be spent in our room organizing our luggage and other items so that we could have a smooth exit tomorrow morning.

 

We also decided we wanted to go on a final bush run to see the animals we have come to know so well.

 

And I wanted to some writing, completing the blog so that it could be published before we left this continent.

 

A busy day all round …

 

We started with enjoying the features of our room, especially the porch that looked out over the lodge property. We were not disappointed with what we saw. Unlike other days when life was a bit quiet, today there was a steady stream of animals parading in front of us. First came the impala, about twenty of them, gracefully strolling across the grass, nibbling as they moved. What a treat to see them so close to us. Next came the mongoose, about forty in total. Somehow, they believed there was something here worth digging for. Perhaps snakes which they love to eat or simply a range of insects and small rodents. We had never seen them so close before. The mongoose worked together to dig for food – banded mongoose to be accurate. We are not sure they found what they were looking for but all of a sudden they were gone. As the day wore on, we were also treated to a parade of warthogs who passed through the lodge property. We have not seen them here before. Maybe they were just bidding us farewell.

 

It seemed no time had passed … and suddenly it was 3:45, the appointed hour for our final game run. We grabbed our cameras and made our way to the lobby. We had specifically requested that Samson be our guide today. He was excellent the first time we travelled with him and today was certainly not a disappointment. And the animals we saw were so numerous. We saw at least 100 elephants, 40 giraffes, lots of buffalo, a few hippos in the water, a myriad of birds, warthogs, and two adolescent male lions who were sleeping under a bush. One woke up and watched us briefly. The other did not move at all. Samson told us they were brothers and enjoyed spending time together. All in all, it was a fantastic game run with Samson sharing a lot of information with us as well as stopping frequently so we could take more photos. What a great way to end our experiences in the bush.

 

When we returned to the lodge, it was almost dark. A little early for dinner but we had a complimentary bottle of wine that we had not yet opened. We sat in the lobby sipping the wine and reflecting on the vast range of experiences we have had while in Africa. We have truly fallen in love with this continent and hope to return soon.

 

And no … we never did get our luggage packed. Somehow the day passed and we will soon be saying good night. Packing will have to wait for tomorrow.

 

One of our outstanding memories of this adventure is the kindness of all the people we have met. Gentle spirits, helpful behaviours, generous guidance, constant courtesy and valuable information all shared from the heart. Well trained staff who truly care about the wellbeing of their guests.

 

And so, we prepare to say farewell as we look forward to going home … not so much the flights as the arrival back in Canada. Our itinerary is complex, in part because we are using the tail end of the round the world ticket we purchased in Cairo a year ago. It will expire the day before we arrive home.

 

Tomorrow, we fly Kasane Airport in Botswana to Johannesburg in South Africa. A several hour layover there, followed by an overnight flight to London, England, followed by a short flight to Dublin, Ireland. That is where our ticket runs out. From Dublin to Toronto we are flying WestJet on a cheap fare that will get us home. We also have to change planes in Halifax.

 

We will no doubt be exhausted by the time we get to Toronto. We are going to stay in Toronto for a night or two until we are back in the land of the living. Not surprisingly, we have a long list of things we must attend to as soon as we get home and we want to be rested and back in the correct time zone before we conduct any business.

 

See you at home next Thursday!!