9th August 1999
     
    Odo 59 940km
    Co-ords S 15 30 13.5
    E 28 15 56.8
    Fuel 60 L  59 940km from reserve tanks
    Yet another day of driving but on good roads so no hassles. We did have some road blocks but nowhere near as bad as I had expected. No one wanted to see our damn triangles, only our insurance. We arrived at Livingstone at 3pm and had a look at the Zambian side of the falls. Wow and wow again. It is really amazing. I had heard that it would be good at this time of the year because there is not too much water so you can see the shapes. It is really good.

    Crossing into Zimbabwe was very, very nice. No search, just stamp forms and away you go. Since seams to be the way since leaving Ethiopia. We went to see the info centre to find a camp site and they directed us to a motel. The place was crowded but looked good, only problem is that you cannot park next to the car. Renee wanted to move on but I wanted to stay. We moved on and it turned out to have been a good idea. We found a nice campsite at the municipal caravan park.

    We met two South Africans who have been travelling Southern Africa up to Tanzania for 3 months. Gavin and Debbie. We went to cattlemens for dinner with them. Had spare ribs but was not 100% happy. Expectations too high I suppose. Tomorrow a free day – Good night.
     

    10th August 99
     
    Odo 60 453.2km
    Co-ords S 17 54 04.1
    25 43 30.3
    Fuel none

    A great day. No driving. Spent a few hours this morning servicing the car. Again tightening of bolts, greasing etc. Put the left rear plastic bumper on. Had a great hot shower. We got up at 8 today which was quite nice. Both of us slept quite badly, not sure why. Heard loads of animals, even lions, during the night. Had an elephant walk right past the car last night but had no film in the camera – Damn.

    Went into town to phone Betsy, we heard that Caprivi was pretty dangerous so it put an end to our plans to go that way – we will now go through Maun and on to Windhoek.

    Did a bit of shopping at a really well stocked Spar shop and did the stamp thing. While Renee went into the post office I waited in the car. My bloody sandals stink so bad that I took them off and put them on the roof then I stuck my feet out of the window. Phew. I packed them away wet once and now they are vrot. Phew again.

    We went to see the falls from the Zimbabwe side, $20 per person seems very, very high, but they were great. We did get wet from the spray, I can imagine that during high rain season you get soaked. We had had a toasted chicken Mayo snack before going into the park and decided on a hamburger for lunch. Again to Wimpy. They were OK but it reminded me why I never went to Wimpy for burgers while I lived in SA. Oh well, another urge suppressed.

    This afternoon we did a most wonderful thing. We took a flight over the falls and the park. 40 minutes at $70 each but oh so very much worth it. You go in a Cessna 6 seater (but it was only us two) and circle the falls 3 or 4 times (at about 1700 feet -–500m above them). It is really the only way to see them, it was fantastic. They are awesome. Then you fly out in the Botswana direction over the game park and vleis. We saw elephant, sable antelope, zebra, giraffes, warthog and maybe (very far away) rhino. This was one of my highlights. You really must do this. Took a whole spool of photos just of the falls.

    Did the email thing and packed the car for tomorrow. A long day to Maun but at least the road is supposed to be good. Let’s see.

    Good night.