Lake Kariba to Victoria Falls

 Monday April 6

After our uplifting visit to the fishing village we chill out on the houseboat. When we get back on board we start cruising back to where we will moor overnight and then tender to the bus pick up. It is very slow going as we head back up against the current. By the time we reach it the houseboat is barely moving forward .

We have the option of fishing or sight seeing but we all decline and rest on the houseboat. We have to repack as we leave tomorrow at 7 am. We have to retrace our bus journey to where we left the main road, which is about two hours and then another two hours to Victoria Falls. Not looking forward to it.

Breakfast is at 6.30 and we are on the tender boats by 7. It is a beautiful sunny morning. The river is still in flood with strong currents and whirlpools appearing everywhere. What took less than an hour downstream is going to take nearly two hours. It is a nice relaxing cruise though.

We take 2 1/2 hours to get there and change the fuel tanks three times, the last one just 500 metres from the dock. Time for a short rest break then we head off again at 10 am. It is just on two hours before we reach the so called main highway to Vic Falls. Time for another rest stop and ice cream. Then it is another tortuous 2 hours to our destination, although the last 40 minutes was reasonable with only the occasional pot hole. We arrive at our accommodation for the next three nights just after 2 pm. It has been a very trying day.

After lunch we have a visit to Victoria Falls and we meet up at 3.30. It is a short bus trip to the car park and after we get out of the bus we are given rain water coats. We are told we will get wet including our shoes.

We enter the park and Thula gives us information about the falls. There are 16 stations we can visit. Because of the amount of water flowing over the falls it is difficult to see some of the falls because of the mist coming off the water. The mist is high in the air and falls as rain-heavy rain- soaking everybody.

It is a spectacular sight but in parts limited because of the mist. 

It is about a 1.5 km walk in and through and then 1.5 km walk out. The ground is wet and slippery and despite the rain coats our clothes and shoes get wet.

We are back by 6 pm and we all decide not to go out but just have a couple beers together in our room.  I am feeling very tired and I have tried to dry my shoes with the hair dryer which seems to be working well. I only have the one pair!