Deepest Darkest Africa, Africa

Thursday 12/10 Another beautiful sunny day in Mauritius.  Another day of sunshine, lazing on the beach and by the pool, drinking cocktails and champagne and eating a lot.  Its free. I mentioned that we are a fair way from the main pool and restaurants/bar.  but even worse is that we are on the 3rd floor of our little unit with 3 flights of stairs to get up and down. This photo does not show the 3rd level of stairs. I hate stairs. the beach today I really like the deck chairs on the beach and around the pools. there are also cabana like structures with mattresses and side covers as in this photo. The occupants have to get them at 6 in the morning or maybe even earlier and leave things in them and then have them the whole day. Their own private comfortable little world. Paul and I don't need one. We are tough sun bronzed Aussies. The beach is nice. white sand but with lots of coral and shells in it because there is a reef that protects the island from shar...

Wed 11/10 Today is our first full day in paradise, I mean Mauritius.  We get up much later than our usual 5.30 starts. However Paul's phone and computer make lots of noise during the night with phone calls and emails so hard to sleep anyway. But we wake to a beautiful day and make our way to breakfast.  Not bad.  After breakfast we go to the main bar/pool area and are offered drinks with lovely smiles and helpfulness beyond imagining.    Then I remember where we are and what the expectation is. Tips. Just a note about our accommodation. We are on an all paid package which means everything is included.  Food and drink and accommodation.  However there are some restrictions in which restaurant/dining area we can use and free drinks start at 11am. But there is a catch. Even though all our drinks have been free, you still have to tip the waiter, the porter, the cleaner, the pool attendant etc etc etc.  so not so free. Duri...

Tuesday 9/10/17 Today is the day we leave South Africa from Joberg Airport and fly to Mauritius, a flight of nearly 4 hours.   All goes well on our own without a tour leader and we get on the right plane at the right time etc. And then we arrive and wait for our luggage at the carousel.  We wait and we wait. Finally Paul's comes through but not mine. it will be fine I say, we just need to wait, there are others who are yet to get theirs. Lets not panic........ OK so mine is not there and the thing has finished. One of us talks to a nearby worker assertively while I go to the baggage service people to report my bag has not arrived.  By this stage, I am feeling a little upset. What is it with my bag for #$%^& sake????  Anyway I do the calm step by step thing with the officious baggage person. I am explaining that Joberg airport has some vendetta against me and that every contact I have through or with them leads to #$%^&. And then th...

Monday 9/10 Today we leave the Avani Resort in Victoria Falls as it is the end of our tour. We say goodbye to our fellow travellers, some of whom are going on to Botswana  (don't mention how WE missed Botswana) and some are returning home. we exchange emails and facebook details. Our wonderful tour leader, Christel  has checked us into our flight back to Jo'Berg as well as our flight the next day to Mauritius. She did not need to do either as it is outside the tour but she is such a lovely, professional,  helpful person that she suggested she could and did.  I don't know how we will cope with the next stage of our holiday without her.   Somehow we get to Jo'Berg with a group of Canadians on tour. They were all wearing yellow tour tops so I called them the yellow people which was really not appropriate given the number of people of other nationalities around us and the fact 'yellow' perhaps has different meaning/connotation. WE arrive in Jo...

Sunday. 8/10 Today is our second day at the Avani hotel at Victoria Falls.  and what a day it is. After a great breakfast, we prepare for the helicopter flight we have booked to take us over the falls including the Zimbabwean end which still has water.  This is our first helicopter flight but many of our group are also doing it so that helps. The helicopter is a six seater and gives an amazing view.  This is more like what they are meant to look like. nice shot of Pauls phone. he had the window seat but we were both in front with the pilot. The bridge from Zambia to Zimbabwe It is a great experience to do this flight and much easier than both of us imagined it might be. After a huge pizza for lunch, traditional in this part of Zambia...,  we went for a walk to the sister resort of ours,  the more upmarket Royal Livingstone.  nice and very colonial looking.. I still like ours better. And then to the...

Saturday 7/10 Today we leave Johannesburg to go to Victoria falls in Zambia. Our trip to Johannesburg airport is fine as is our long wait for the international flight to Zambia. I am still a little traumatized by my first bad experience at this airport. (See earlier blog) .  This time we have mum ( tour leader Christel) looking after us and I feel much safer.  Paul ensures I have the right departure/boarding times and I am allowed one last supervised toilet visit before the flight.  (For god's sake!&$@&$$) Uneventful... On our arrival in Zambia, Christel has organized passports and visas and we sail through customs etc. We drive through the city of Livingstone to get to our hotel, the Avani.  When we arrive, we are greeted by singing and dancing which is pretty special and also by heat.  It is hot. We relax until our walking tour starts at 3.30pm.  This is a tour to the falls with our local guide, Abel who gives us a history...