The Journey Begins

Its a long long way but finally arrived. Melb to Perth 4 hours, 2.5 hours layover, Perth to Jo'burg 11.5 hours, 4 hour layover then 1.5 hours to Vic Falls.

Darren is the perfect traveller. He can sleep anywhere!

I on the other hand cannot. Thankfully SAS has thin doonas which made resting easier.

A couple of incidents. Went to the loo and as I sat down dropped the glasses in. My real reading glasses. I am blind without them. Thankfully the flap was closed and no water in toilet. I bent over to retrieve them and knocked the soap dispenser off the stand. It went down the shoot as flap waste was open. What to do?? Fortunately there was a bottle of astringent containing alcohol so cleaned glasses. Started to watch another Movie - Michael Clayton. 1/2 way through, when lights went on for breakfast. They switched off the TV's. After breakfast on came the Movie again but 10 minutes later off again, this time for good. Don't you hate that.

Arrived at the Victoria Falls hotel. Its like stepping back in time to the Colonial Days. Old, stately, terribly English with mounted animal horns everywhere. We have a room with a 4 poster, king Bed, with mosquito netting, looking over the gardens towards the old steel bridge linking Zambia and Zimbabwe, over the river and next to the falls. Gorgeous!!

I am writing this at 4.00am VF time, 1.00pm Melb time. Darren is sleeping like a Baby.

I on the other hand am wide awake.

Yesterday soon after arriving and checking out the hotel, we went for a walk to the Falls - actually the bridge, a couple of km away. Amazing scenes. Trucks lined up waiting to cross the border bridge. Everything and every one getting drenched in water mist created by the Falls, mud everywhere. Men bucketing hand made bitumen into road holes, to keep the narrow road open.

Finally got to the bridge, went to the middle and watched the Bungee Jumping and Human Swinging. Frightening!!

Oh to be that young again!! Not!! I felt sick just standing looking down at the angry, raging, swirling waters. Every time a truck went over the bridge (only one at a time allowed - says it all really ) the bridge shook. We were in the middle. No where to go but down if it finally collapsed. Time to return to the hotel for high Tea. Had a drink instead and went to bed for a nap. Well woke up at 2.00am. So much for dinner. A bit of TV and back to sleep. Not for long though as I am writing this less than 1.5 hours later.

Day is now dawning outside so I think I will watch the sun come up and leave Darren to his dreams.

The dawn was fabulous. Wild animals on the Hotel Lawn just eating.