We have to thank Ocean Safety for the amazingly good support of their product in the field. Despite having the product on board for 2 years, there was no hesitation in replacing a faulty item which was sent to our friend John, who kindly brought it with him from the UK, when he visited us. Thanks also to John.
Thanks also are in order to Zululand Yacht Club who are hosting us here for 2 weeks, providing free mooring, water and electricity.
Northsails sent a team of three people to take measurements for the new mainsail which they are making and which will be delivered to us in Cape Town.
Arriving back from an unforgettable safari to our boat on Monday 15th November, we could see that most of the rally boats had already moved on. Of the boats still remaining, one had departed but returned to the marina as the boat had a leak where an underwater light had perished. Once fixed, they moved on to Port Elizabeth. Moe and Bev went with them to assist and plan to get a bus back to Richards Bay. Jeannius was still waiting for the replacement parts for the generator which was purchased new in Mackay, Australia and worked for about a week. Unfortunately, the new part didn’t rectify the problem and they left on the morning of the 19th, as did Chessie.
Also on the morning of the 19th, we met our taxi which took us to the local airport. The small 50seater plane was less than half full but took off on time and we arrived at Johannesburg airport with ample time to get the onward flight to Victoria Falls. We duly paid the $55 US for each visa and on leaving the airport were entertained by local people, dressed in traditional tribal costume. We found that almost anywhere we went, local men, dressed in traditional tribal garb, danced, sang and played music, for the entertainment of the tourists.
Any hard currency is acceptable in Zimbabwe although there is no guarantee that change will be available. The local currency, having suffered terribly from super inflation, is no longer legal currency, though a number of touts try to swap 10 trillion dollar notes for $1 US.
We were told by the representative in the coach that picked us up at the airport and took us to our hotel, that the game park was unfenced and that the wild animals had the right of way. This was substantiated by signs on the roadside showing pictures of elephants.
Our hotel was splendid, in the middle of the bush overlooking a water hole. I watched one morning as a crocodile caught an impala by its head but fortunately the impala escaped, hopefully without any serious damage. Another crocodile crawled out of the water and sunbathed for half an hour.
The day that we had arrived, a group had been for a walk in the bush adjacent to our hotel, with a ranger, and spotted a leopard in a mahogany tree, chasing baboons.
We could watch the animals as they came to the waterhole from the balcony outside our bedroom, from the dining room and from several other terraces. There were dozens of huge herons with a wing span of 2metres, guinea fowl, vultures, impala, nyala, wart hog, monkeys, baboons, a herd of elephants which included 2 babies. The location was amazing, the accommodation good, the food excellent and the service beyond reproach.
Everywhere we went, the local people could not have been more helpful. We spent a morning walking along the edge of Victoria Falls. I have provided several photographs though have to admit that because the wet season has just started and there has not been much rain, it wasn’t as full as it will be in another month or two. Nonetheless it is tremendous. We went on a trip in a helicopter which flew over the falls. We were then able to see this natural wonder, from both the Zambian side and the Zimbabwe side.
We took a river trip up the Zambezi and spotted hippopotamus and crocodile. On the penultimate day, we walked with lions. Apparently, over the last 30 years, the lion population has diminished by 80% -90%. In order to try to help rectify this situation, a local reserve is trying to reintroduce lions back into Africa. In order to help fund this expensive venture, people like us are able to visit the reserve during the early morning and walk with the lions while they are exercising in the bush. At least eight handlers remained with us at all times to ensure our safety, not just from the lions but from the other wild animals in the bush.During our walk, we came close to both buffalo and elephant but the handlers guided us away from danger.
We also met a woman from Israel, while on this excursion, whom we met again while at the airport waiting for the 'plane to Jo'burg. She was with a friend, to whom she had mentioned our meeting and that we were circumnavigating so we immediately fell into conversation and we told them that we had sailed to Israel in 2008, while on the EMYR. In fact, we also told them that we have first sailed to Lebanon and then Syria and subsequently Egypt. The friend insisted that we could not have sailed to Syria as it was land locked and refused to accept that there are 3 ports in Syria. We stayed at the main port of Lattakia.
To relax during the afternoon, we swam in one of the pools at the hotel. The decking was so hot, it was essential to wear shoes when moving from the water to a sun lounge. I found this out when I burnt my feet. During the day we were serenaded by cicadas and during the evening by frogs.
The flight back to Johannesburg was delayed as there were storms on the flight path. However, on approaching them, our pilot took avoidance action and sensibly went round, rather than through the turbulence. On touchdown in Johannesburg, we had forty minutes before our flight to Richards Bay. The check in desk closes twenty minutes before take off and we made it by five minutes.
The trip to Victoria Falls was brilliant.