Hello from Zambia.
We flew here yesterday from Joberg where we'd spent the nite at an airport hotel. We saw Victoria Falls on the way in -- very impressive. After some down time in the afternoon we went on a train ride and dinner (Valentine's Day) The women all got a red rose then eventully we had a 6 course meal which was delicious. We were on the train for about 3 hours which was enough. It was rattly and swayed back and forth a lot -- old tracks?
Our hotel here is the Livingstone -- very nice and right on the Zambezi (spelling?) River which goes over the falls about a km or so away. There is a lot of volume right now so the mist is rising above the horizon. They call it the "smoke that thunders". Today we had a walking tour of the falls. Very, very impressive. We wore our ponchos and for quite aways it felt as if we were in a thunderstorm's major downpour. The mist was being driven under my sunglasses and hat. Quite something. Also were walking in inches of water as it poured down the stone walkways.
Right after this some of us went on a tour of a native village. There are 7000 people living there in traditional grass roofed huts. The walls are made from tree trunks then covered with the mud from the termite mounds.I took some stuff for the kids and was sorry as I soon had hoards of them around me and when they got agressive at grabbing I closed the bag and went away. I had notebooks, pencils and eraser/sharpeners. We went into one household's grounds and there are no parents -- died from aids. The grandparents are raising the kids and one of the "kids" has her own baby.
They have primitive cooking facilities -- in fact it is all primitive except the chief has satellite TV!!!
Tonite we had a boat tour of the Zambezi River hoping to see crocks and hippos. Did see two hippos as they just stuck their noses out of the water . But it was a nice pleasant ride with wine, etc. Trouble is some people really take advantage of the free booze and get very noisy.
Off to another later dinner (8 pm). We are getting used to going to bed on a full stomach.
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