Zimbabwe/Botswana outdoor mobile camping safari adventure: Day 2 20/10

Today is the day when we will explore the Victoria Falls. One of seven wonders of the world according to a sign by the entrance. I don't know about that but I do know that the procedure to get a ticket to this wonder makes the visa procedure at the airport appear as gepard fast. Roland try to cheer up the queue that has been standing still as a rock for more than half an hour, not an easy mission in this early morning hour . . . So, we eventually get inside the gates. Everything is even a little more dry than yesterday, so are the falls. But they are still very impressive with the canyon and the 100 meter drop off. Best of all is walking in the shade in the little rain forest created by the constant mist above the main fall. We meet our Canadian friends Bryan and Colleen. We were hiking the Whale Trail (another adventure, highly recommended) together just a couple of days ago and said bye bye in Cape Town. They offer us to spend the afternoon by the pool at their hotel. Can't say no to that. Especially when their hotel is the legendary Victoria Falls Hotel, the grand old lady, built in 1904. Surrender, this is a very special and beautiful place. Cooling down in the pool, having lunch in our swim suits, resting in the shade of an old mango tree. Life is good.
We decide to walk down "town" (Vic Falls is not really a town, more a bunch of houses along a road). The nicely dressed hotel boy looks at us with hissed eye brows. "But Madam, we have taxis out here." As if we had never heard of them. Roland needs a haircut, and a shave. We spend some time walking up and down the street, asking locals who points us in all kinds of directions. We have almost given up when a guy overhears us. He is a guide, probably from Great Britain judging from his pronunciation. Easy as a bit of carrot cake! In the salon besides Roland sits a young woman, she is having her natural black curly hair replaced by a black very not curly at all wig that is sawn onto her scull (not to the very scull but to the very short curls). I am thinking, in the Northern Hemisphere a young woman with straight blond hair is putting curlers to make it less straight.

Back at our lodge. Don't understand why they bother producing hot water in this country. Cold showers are great! Dress up in one of my two dresses i brought for this trip (next time I will bring only one), going back to have dinner with Bryan and Colleen on that fancy hotel. Last time before heading out in the bush. It is one of them big, grand, buffés. Don't really approve of those, but the sushi is very nice, so is the company and the bush man/woman entertainment going on with black thunder and yellow lightnings as a dramatic back ground. Luckily the rain did not come because we were all sitting outside. Heading back to Flat and Black Lodge (with a cab yes), electricity is out again, so, another night with no fan in 30+ C (good training for six nights in a tent where there definitely will be no fan available).