And yet another border

Our early morning departure from the hotel started us off on another very long day of travel.  Only 20 minutes to the airport, eating a boxed breakfast on the bus was just one of the many LOW points of the day.  Have I mentioned before what the Johannesburg airport is like?  Not only that it is very large but also that the customs and immigration lines are long and complicated.

Almost life size model of
Nelson Mandela all done in
beads...tiny beads.

Without going into long boring detail, suffice it to say...2 hour wait at Cape Town airport for a 2 hour flight from to Johannesburg...followed by C and I and a 2 hour wait in the airport for another 2 hour flight to Zimbabwe, does not make for a very happy camper.

They do have rhythm.

BUT...arrived in Zimbabwe for yet another C and I check.  The cute young dancers outside of the airport did help to add a little relief and entertainment. Note...it is HOT in Zimbabwe.  Temperature 95 and rising over the next couple                                            of days.

Short trip to our hotel...drop off luggage...off to Victoria Falls.  Time 4pm.  Why go there now? Because the late afternoon sun peeks through the watery mist making the most beautiful rainbows.

Arriving there only 10 minutes away on the short bus, we were assaulted by the many vendors.  There tactics put the vendors at the China Dollar Market to shame.  Prices for carved stone animals that started at $50 Us quickly came down to only $8 US.  Wonder where these jewels were made.  Of special note...Zimbabwe doesn't have it's own currency. They will use the SA Rand but much prefer the American Dollar and everything is typically quoted in that.

Our first view.  Twice as tall at Niagara and wider as well.

Once again we lucked out.  This time of year when the
water is low you can actually see the falls.  Other times,
there was just too much mist in the air for clear viewing.

We walked along the shore viewing the falls from the many lookouts that were provided.  The path is more than 3 miles and with the high temperatures which we were not accustomed to and the long day of boring travel, we just didn't feel like walking the whole way.  We made a valiant effort, walking most of it then heading back to the coffee shop for a cold drink and feeding a few Vervet monkeys.

Returned to hotel for dinner with the Krahmers.  Not finding the food prices here much to our liking after the very cheap food in SA.  Hamburger and fries...$13.50 and not very good.  I asked for a vodka martini and the drink I got was about an ounce of vodka and an ounce of vermouth served in a Tom Collins glass.  Yuck...Think I'll go to bed.

This little mama loved peanuts.  But she never took her eyes
away her surroundings as she blindly grabbed for peanuts.

Don't know what these were but you know I
love my flowers.