by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

It’s our last morning in Victoria Falls. After breakfast we headed to the airport for our flight to Johannesburg then homeward bound.  The water hole is busy this morning.  The impala and storks are there first then a large heard of cape buffalo move in for a drink.  It’s quite amazing at how quickly they come in, drink and then leave within a short period of time. If you woke up a little late that morning you would have missed the buffalo.
We flew from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg and checked into the City Lodge airport hotel for the evening while we waited for our late night departure for home. It’s sad to be going home. This trip has been an amazing adventure from start to finish and I can’t think of a better group of people to have shared this experience with.
En route we connected via Amsterdam. It was a long layover so we checked our bags into a locker and took the train into the city for the day.  The weather is pleasant, the perfect day for a stroll through central part of the city. We boarded a boat for a scenic canal tour. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at a local pub.  We our stroll along the canal road, through the red light district back to the train station. It was a great way to spend time while waiting for our flight back to Canada.  

by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

This evening we enjoyed a sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River. The boat was very luxurious, the scenery is peaceful and serene, the cocktails cool and refreshing and the snacks delicious. We observed a variety of game including elephants playing in the river and hippo, monkey and crocodile in their home environment. We took spectacular photos of the animals and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. A magical way to end a perfect day!

We ended the day off with a special outdoor dinner at  the Boma Restaurant, with Amakwezi traditional dances and drumming extravaganza. What a party!
When we entered the restaurant they gave us colourful costumes to wear and some of us got our faces painted. Anne met a gentleman that is involved Grandmothers to Grandmothers, a charity that helps African Grandmothers that are caring for their grandchildren. The barbecue dinners was a mix of traditional meats, chicken, steak, ribs and then the unusual such as warthog, crocodile and other unusual selections. Many of our group were brave enough to eat Moppani worms.  They have the certificate to show they did it.  After dinner we were entertained by dancers, singers and drummers. Then everyone in the restaurant was given a drum and the party began. We had drumming competitions and everyone got up and danced. What a way to end a fantastic trip with a group of fabulous people.

by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

Our morning tour began with a stop at the impressive Baobob tree. The area is quite dry and in need of rain.  An enterprising young man waits for the buses to come by so he can sell his hand carved pieces of art. The bridge linking Zimbabwe and Zambia is a foot path for the locals to travel between the two countries. There’s also a bungy jumping station here.

Nothing quite prepares you for the first sight of the falls and no photograph can begin to depict the reality. The local people call it “Mosi-oa-Tunya” (the smoke that thunders) and the falls are truly remarkable. The Victoria Falls are 1,708 meters wide, making them the largest curtain of water in the world. They drop between 90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge and an average of 550,000 cubic metres of water plummet over the edge every minute. We took a good look at the falls this morning on a guided tour. Across the river we have the perfect view of the Devils Pool, only accessible in the dry season and extremely dangerous. On this day we were in luck, there was a brave person testing fate as they crawled out to the pool on top of the waterfall. As we walked along the top of the falls the view became better and better.  In the rainy season the there is one large wall of water, but the mist makes the visibilty very poor.  This is a clear day, perfect for viewing the falls. At the end of the falls is a statue of David Livingston, it is believed he was the first European to view the falls in 1855. 

Accommodation: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

by Debbie Ross,
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

Early morning at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge.   Our rooms are very comfortable with a great view of the water hole from our balcony. The water hole is starting to get busy as the birds and animals come in for a drink.  The restaurant also has a great view so you can watch the animals as you eat breakfast. The food is excellent with a great variety of foods to choose from and the service is excellent.   The first to arrive at the water hole are the maribu stork, then along came warthogs, impala, a family of baboons and vultures are perched in the trees  We even spot some horse and riders out for an early morning ride. There’s a great view of the pool area from the restaurant. Some of us plan on enjoying some down time there in the scorching heat of the  afternoon. The temperature climbs into the high 30’s.

In the afternoon they hotel staff feed the vultures. This is part of a project to bring back the almost extinct birds. We have a birds eye view from the restaurant. It was quit a site to watch as hundreds of vultures circle above or sit patiently in the trees waiting for the signal to move in.  The storks and the vultures fight for the scraps.  After eating the vultures must wait a while for the food to digest, the weight of their full belly keeps them from flying.  Out front of the resort a family of warthogs root in the lawn for food. One looks like he found a mud puddle to lay in.

by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

After breakfast we checked out of our hotel and boarded the bus for one last tour of Johannesburg.  We headed up to the suburbs of Parkview and Westwold, the area that was settled by the wealthy miners. What a dramatic difference from the black neighbourhood of Soweto.  Sprawling mansions in gated communities with security guards. This is a special time of year to be in Johannesburg, the jacaranda trees are in full bloom. From the top of the city the view is a sea of purple. Spectacular!

We stopped at Satiagraha House. Built by architect Herman Kullenbach, a close friend of Gandhi.  Gandhi stayed here from 1908 to 1909 when he first came to Africa in defence of the Indian Indentured servants that were being poorly mistreated.  He lived a very simple life at that time and chose to sleep on a mattress in the attic.

Next stop, Johannesburg airport to catch our flight to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Our flight was rescheduled then delayed a couple of hours.  We finally arrived at our hotel in the early evening. Just in time to check in, freshen up before enjoying a delicious dinner at  Makuwakuwa Restaurant   located in our hotel.  There is a large watering hole visibile from the open air restaurant. It’s too dark to see it this evening, there’s only a sliver a moon.  It will be interesting to see the animals that frequent the water hole. This evening the sound is quite spectacular with frogs and crickets and who knows what else.  It’s very warm here but we chose to sleep with the patio door open so we can listen to the night sounds. Our beds are draped in mosquito netting so there’s not need to worry about pests biting us as we sleep.
Accommodation: Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

Johannesburg is home to 54 million people, 80% black, 8% coloured, 9 % white and 3% Indian. This city has a very different feel from Capetown.
Our day began at Constitution Hill, formerly a fort which was turned into a prison.  The Old Fort Prison complex is known as Number Four. The original prison was built to house white male prisoners in 1892 and later extended to include “native” cells, called Section 4 and Section 5, and, in 1907, a women’s section was added. An awaiting-trial block was constructed in the 1920s. Both political activists opposed to apartheid and common criminals were held at the prison. Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned here in 1906, and striking white mineworkers in 1907, 1913 and 1922.  This is now the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. The first court session in the new building at this location was held in February 2004. Entrance into the building is through large doors with the bill of rights carved in various languages. In front of the doors is the eternal flame of democracy. There hallway is a gallery which displays carvings and paintings that each tell a story. An impressive carving made from one piece of wood and life size paintings by women suffering with aids.  In the courtroom the only symbols are animal skins from local tribes. 

The city centre is a mix of low rise art deco style buildings, highg rises and local street markets.

Our next stop was the extraordinarily powerful Apartheid Museum, documenting the historical passage from the early peoples of South Africa to the birth of democracy in the nation. It’s a very graphic experience; the intensity of sounds and powerful images effectively evokes the suffering of life under apartheid and  brings relevance to the people we met on our journey. We were fortunate to have Darryl guide us through the building explaining the exhibits and sharing his personal experience of growing up in Johannesburg and experiencing Apartheid first hand. Unfortunately cameras were not permitted in the museum.

We then travelled to Soweto,  We soaked up the sights, sounds and feel of Africa at close quarters, visiting the Baragwatnath area and enjoyed a home cooked meal at Chez Alina.  This local restaurant is owned by Alina, an enterprising woman that has turned her small home into a restaurant. The food was declious.  Afterwards we were treated to a dance and drumming performed by a group of local youths. Alina allows them to perform in front of her home, the children receive donations.  This group of boys are orphans that are being raised by relatives. The money they collect during their performance helps to support them.  They were charming and entertaining, The local children gathered around to watch  the show too.

As we continue our tour of Johannesburg we passed by the famous soccer stadium where Nelson Mandela gave his election victory speech  in 1994,  Then again in 2010 where he made his last public appearance at the Fifa world cup.  

Our next stop was the Hector Pieterson Memorial commemorating the role of the country’s students in the struggle against apartheid. The sit is a few blocks from where 12-year-old Hector Pieterson was shot in 1976.

Our tour ended with a visit of the Mandela Family Museum to see the multi media displays, photographs and memorabilia.

Dinner this evening at The Meat Company at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg

Accommodation: Sandton Sun Hotel, Johannesburg

by Debbie Ross
founder of the Womens Travel Network.ca

Another early morning rise for our last safari drive and it starting off with a bit of excitement. We came across 8 lions on the move, they’ve spotted their breakfast.  We went off road and followed them through the bush to see what they are after.  It’s a group of zebra.  Fortunately the zebra spotted the lions and they had a stand-off.  The zebras know better than to run, the lions will surely catch them.  Eventually the zebra backed away and the lions gave up. We were happy to know the zebra won and would live to see another day.

We continued on to a water hole to see who was in for a drink. There were colourful birds, a herd of impala and a majestic giraffe.

We continued our drive in search of the elusive leopard.  To our delight we came across 3 rhino on their way to a water hole. We followed along to watch them drink and take a nice cool mud bath. There was also a family of warthogs enjoying the water and mud.  on our way back to the lodge we stopped to watch a herd of wildebeest cross the road.
Another great morning out on the trails.  Our safari over, we retire our shoes. I’m sure one of the locals will appreciate the gift of a fairly new pair of shoes..

After another hearty breakfast we check out of the hotel and head to the airport for our flight to Johannesburg.  The traffic in Johannesburg was terrible. There was a terrible accident on the highway so we had to take the main roads to the hotel which took us hours.
The jacaranda trees are in full bloom. The sight of the bright purple flowers is spectacular.

We were happy to arrive at the deluxe, newly renovated Sandton Sun Hotel,    We had some time to relax, repack and organize ourselves for the next couple of days of sightseeing in Johannesburg.  This evening we enjoyed a meal at the San Deck restaurant located in the Sandton hotel complex . The food was delicious and the service exceptional.