Number 97: We celebrated our 30^th Wedding Anniversary on 16^th January 2013 at the majestic Victoria Falls – four days at the Safari Lodge, with our room overlooking the bushveld and waterhole – astoundingly beautiful at sunset. We had debated whether it was ethical to support  Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and decided on balance to support the local economy!  It was suggested that Zimbabwean staff would prefer stationary to tips of Zimbabwean money that had almost no value. So l made packs of pencils, crayons, rulers, erasers, pens and other items in stationary bags that the staff could give to their kids back home. 

We stood in awe, experiencing the thunder of the falls, drenched in its spray, absorbing just why it is one of the seven  Natural  Wonders of the World. 

Across  the bridge into Zambia, High Tea overlooking  the Zambezi River at the fancy Royal Livingstone  Hotel, gave insight into a Colonial world, with old photos along the walls, books on geography and nature in the library. The road leading to Livingstone, newly built by the Chinese – already in poor repair, and the Livingstone Museum with its photographs and memorabilia of David Livingstone’s life and journeys, gave much food for reflection and triggered some important questions…

A spectacular day at the Chobe Game Reserve in Botswana! Being the rainy season, the elephants had no need of the watering holes. So, while sighting only a few of the Reserve’s myriad elephants, the river-cruise was still special with multitudes of birdlife, sleepy looking crocodiles on the shore and the only view in the world of four countries simultaneously: Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana.

These falls and it’s surrounds very different from the Niagara  Falls bordering Canada and America –  where we had stood taking in the view of the falls and their surrounding commercialised hotels and casinos simultaneously!

Vic Falls: A wonderfully memorable holiday!!