Victoria Falls, ZW Day 4
Victoria Falls, ZW
Day 04 – Monday, October 5, 2009 - Monday - Optional Chobe National Park Excursion
The Victoria Falls Municipal power had gone off last night; we could hear the hotel’s generator working trying to keep us with electricity. The air conditioner had gone off, and there was no water pressure or hot water when we tried to take showers at 6:00.
By the time Gennie had teased out enough drops for her shower and it was my turn, the water pressure was back on and there was hot water.
We had breakfast and then Reason took us along with 6 other people to our full-day optional tour to Chobe National Park in Botswana.
Our passports and visas were stamped at the Zimbabwe border at Kazangula. Reason left us at the Botswana border because he cannot guide there.
We had to walk through a Hoof and Mouth Disease Control, a mat with chemicals on it. The Botswana Border Control was very easy – no charge and no visas were required. However there were no photographs allowed at either border station.
The ride to the Chobe Safari Lodge was about 30 minutes so we got to see a little of the Botswana country side. The homes looked much more prosperous than those we saw in Kenya and in Zimbabwe. Many had satellite dishes on the roof!
The personal gardens looked lush as did the cash crops of bananas, corn, and other vegetables. Food crops are exported to neighboring Zimbabwe.
At the Chobe Safari Lodge we met our guide for the river cruise, Ofentse, and boarded a 12 passenger pontoon boat. Our excursion on the Chobe River took us to the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers where the 4 countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia all meet.
The Namibia side of the river is only a stones throw away from Botswana. We motored over to the Namibia bank so technically we were in Namibia even though we did not get our passports stamped officially.
On our cruise, we saw most of the animals we had seen in Eastern Africa the past two weeks. We also saw a puku, a very hairy antelope, and many birds.
The highlight of the boat trip was seeing a herd of over 150 elephants of all sizes swimming in the river. We watched the elephants for about 30 minutes, they were keeping cool splashing and playing in the water.
The temperature was about 88º and the humidity was 40%. If there weren’t so many crocodiles in the water, we might have joined them!
Ofentse started back to the Lodge at noon. We docked at 12:30 and enjoyed a buffet lunch. At 1:30 we joined another 2 couples for a game drive in the Chobe National Park.
The driver for this part of our optional activity was Ronald. We had a 10 passenger Land Cruiser Safari Truck with a canopy cover on the top. This really helped us to avoid baking in the sun. It was now 94º but the humidity was down to 28%.
As we drove around the park we saw many of the animals we had seen drinking by the river in the morning. Our game drive lasted until 4:30.
Instead of taking us back to the Chobe Safari Lodge as we thought he might, Ronald took us right to the border. We retraced our steps to leave Botswana and reenter Zimbabwe.
Reason was waiting for us with the air-conditioning on in the van and a cool bottle of water for each of us! Our 90 minute trip back to the hotel in Victoria Falls went quickly as many of us nodded off - cat naps when we can get them!
When we returned, I got new pass-words for the internet and we began writing the journal and sorting photos of our day in Namibia and Botswana.
Dinner with Reason was on our hotel patio under the rising full moon. We had discussed possibly trying warthog and he worked it out for it to be on our menu. What a surprise. These are raised in farms and it was the best meat we have had on this trip. Soft, tender, moist, no fat and great taste.
Reason then let us know about our schedule for tomorrow’s activities. As dinner progressed, he also gave us more personal information about himself and his family.
At 9:30 we went back to our room to finish our work for the website GarciaTrips and then called it a day at 10:30. Tomorrow is another early day!
Accommodations: Ilala Lodge - - - Meal: B, L, D
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Comments
Post a Comment!loved the elephant photo!! you are a fantastic photographer victor!!1
Elephants Crossing Chobe River, Botswana (1:29)
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Crocodile on the Chobe River
African Fish Eagle
Elephants Playing
Lioness After a Kill
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