River Cruise & Botswana's Chobe National Park

On October 1st at about 16:30 we left the train via bus went to a resort called "A-Zimbaze Resort" where we got on the "free" river cruise we received for signing up for the train trip when we did (thanks Yvonne). We enjoyed two hours of cruising along the Zambezi River above Victoria Falls. All the drinks were gratis as were the appies!! We saw lots of wild life including elephants at the side of the river, crocodiles and many hippos. This was our first outing with our new friends from the Shongololo Train and of course they got to meet "Lucy" with it being free drinks and all! On the ride in the bus back to the train Lucy decided to sit with the bus driver and found out all about his life! So when we got back to the train she announced that all of the cheap buggers on the bus had to fill her hat with money for David the driver!! It would not be the last time that our travelling companions would see Lucy!
When we returned to our cabin Lucy decided she didn't want dinner as she was now getting a horrible cough from the cold she had got along the way and the fact that we had to use the air conditioning all the time in our cabin. We can't even leave the windows open in the cabin as mosquitoes are in abundance and although we have started to take our Malorone (anti-malaria pills) there is no sense in letting the mosquitoes have a free feast!
Tuesday morning, Oct 2nd, up early, although Shirley is really suffering from a sore throat and ears. We travelled by bus to Chobe National Park in Botswana and then transferred to vehicles from Botswana after going through immigration and walking through some kind of disinfectant on a mat. We were told later the hoof and mouth disease is a real concern here. toured in an 8 passenger open 4X4 on rough and sandy roads. Saw tons (literally) of elephants, 6 giraffes, 4 lions (1 make & 3 females), too numerous to count impalas, kudus, springboks and many colourful birds.
Back to Chobe Marine Lodge where they were thatching a new roof on one of the buildings -what craft-man work! Bought lunch and then caught a river boat cruise on the Chobe River. Saw elephants galore and even a family of pachyderms swimming across the river! they are so huge yet gentle in their movements. Lots of hippos on both land and water. Water buffalos, impalas, crocodiles, and birds or all kinds. back into 4X4's to Botswana border to stand in line to pay another $75 US, each to re-enter Zimbabwe. This is the first country that we have ever been in were being a Canadian puts you at the bottom of the pile.We had to wait until almost everyone else was through, even though we had been near the first in line. It seems that Canada has made it really difficult and expensive for Zimbabweans to enter Canada so they charge us huge dollars to enter theirs and the officials give you less than quick service. Just to note an American coming to Zimbabwe will pay $35 US for a multiple enter Visa, whereas Canadians have to pay each time Visa cost of $75 US. so it cost Shirley and I $300 US to enter Zimbabwe and our American companions only paid $35.
Shirley fell asleep on the bus ride back to train as she is really sick with this cold that is really much worse than just a cold but she is a trooper. Had a drink and dinner on the train with Carol & Ron Hunter from Victoria and Cherel & George from the USA .