At 6 AM wake-up we were packed and ready to go. A quick breakfast, then off in the boat for our last chance to see some wildlife. Two days earlier we had spotted a pride of lions lazing on a beach finishing off the remains of a red lechwe. We headed back there today but the lions were gone, and a couple of elephants wandered the beach. Several juvenile elephants were on the opposite side of the channel, and called for their mothers. Trumpeting echoed across the water.

The lechwes were out as usual, as well as a Cape buffalo with an egret hitching a ride, and a group of hippos snout deep in the water. The morning light was beautiful as it lit the water and the grass. We stop for our coffee and biscuits, watching a kingfisher dive for fish nearby. Then it’s back to camp for a light lunch, grab our gear and head to the airstrip.

Bags stowed, we climb into the Safari Air Caravan XL. A truck drives down the runway to clear any elephants or lechwes attempting to cross. Off we go.

Our 45 minute flight lands in Kasane, near the border with Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our driver picks us up at the airport and we drive east for about an hour to the town of Kasungula, where we cross into Zimbabwe. The border officer is an African albino, with very poor eyesight. He holds our passports two inches from his face to read. We pay our fifty dollar visa fee then head to another car for the ride from the border to the Victoria Falls Hotel.

The hotel was built in 1904 and overlooks the Zambezi River gorge. Mist from the falls rises in the distance. Beautiful gardens surround the hotel. There are guards everywhere. When you leave the hotel grounds to walk into the city of Victoria Falls it’s a different world. Young men approach constantly, offering to sell you 20 Billion dollar bills (yes, they are real), or small carved statues of elephants and leopards.

The economy in Zimbabwe is terrible, largely due to corruption and mismanagement. The old currency became so devalued that most transactions are made in US Dollars. It is a country rich in resources, but lacking the economic stability to foster investment. Tourism is one of the few areas of economic activity in the country.

After our check in we had a great dinner at the Livingstone restaurant in the hotel, then went to bed. Our first night in an air conditioned room since we left Johannesburg. In the morning we see Victoria Falls.