African Mother/ Daughter Adventures

Let me start by saying that I hate city tours. You know the type: worst case is a bus of noisy tourists and a loudspeaker that you can barely hear, best case is a private guide whisking you from one museum and architectural wonder to another with a detailed spiel and photo stop.

Forget what you know and imagine that your best friend knows everyone in the city and is taking you to meet them... that's the best analogy for this day, billed as a foodie tour, but really a chance to wander town and meet new best friends. When we first met Anine, dubbed "the hugger" by several of her friends that we encountered along the way, she declared that we must start at Table Mountain. Never mind that we had only hired her for half the day and that we were planning to do Table Mountain on our own in the afternoon.... no, the weather was coming in and she was worried the cable car might close, so off we went together. 

Anine never seemed in a rush... she escorted us around Table Mountain on a gorgeous walk as we admired the views and the adorable dassies, rodent like hyraxes whose closest relatives are manatees and elephants.

When we had gotten all the photos we wanted, she took us back down the cable car and off to Truth Coffee. This has to be one of the greatest coffee shops on the planet. The theme is steampunk,  which is exactly as you might imagine - Mad Max meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The giant roaster is one of the largest in the world - shipped in pieces from Germany, and then decked out to fit the theme that all the staff also adhered to in full costume of top hats and glossy metal. Truth takes coffee seriously, offering two-day barista classes to anyone who wants to serve their organically sourced coffee. A 'latte artist' (yes, a well deserved title) drew elephants, puppies and kittens into our foam - much more lifelike than I could draw on paper - and the handmade croissants rival the very best in Paris. 

From here we wandered past the District Six Museum. Anine asked if we would like to stop in, never mind that this wasn't part of the 'tour' either. This tribute to the 60,000 residents forcibly displaced when bulldozers destroyed their homes in the 1960s-80s in an Apartheid effort to clear prime real estate for white developers is lovingly looked after by Joe, one of the residents displaced, and another friend greeted by Anine's hugs. After the museum we stopped into Haas (rabbit by translation) for 'bunny chow', an earthy, fruity curry served in hollowed out bread.

From here we walked down to the transit terminal. As Anine explained, this was not on any tourist track, but rather a daily stop for locals commuting in from the poorer suburbs. Here you could get a giant platter of traditional African cuisine for 35 rand (~ 3 dollars) from one of the food trailers that lined the walkway. We met one of the chefs here who explained how he made pap (a cornmeal side dish similar to mashed potatoes), chakalaka (a spicy onion, pepper, vinegar and chili chutney), samp (unhusked maize) and beans, spinach, cabbage and beef. We got a chance to try everything, and the flavors melded together beautifully .

While we were there, a local man by the name of Brian stopped by to buy lunch. He approached me by asking "Are you a Democrat?" and introduced himself. He had been imprisoned in Robben Island for 10 years during the same time as Nelson Mandela, also for political crimes. He only had 2 front teeth left, explaining that the others had been kicked out during beatings in between time in solitary confinement and hard labor. I shook his hand and thanked him earnestly for sharing his stories... With a wide grin, he wished us goodbye.

From here we headed into BoKaap, the brightly painted, delicious-smelling Islamic district of Capetown. We stopped first at Monkey Biz, a beading cooperative where over 400 (mostly female) artists display their intricate beadwork- especially whimsical animal sculptures- for sale. A red-haired ball of energy explained the history of the cooperative and how it functions today. MonkeyBiz buys the sculptures immediately from the artists so that they don't have to wait for payment. Each sculpture is signed so that artists who are able to generate a higher demand for their pieces can also earn higher compensation. 

Next we walked across the street into the delicious-smelling Atlas spices where we picked up some incredibly inexpensive spices and a local candy consisting of a dried apricot dipped in sugar and salt. From here we ventured into Heritage Square where the oldest vine in the southern hemisphere has grown since 1771, even during decades of neglect. I did a brief wine tasting, and then we visited You Bet It's Ice Cream where the owner shared his organic creations including Springbokkie- a combo of Peppermint Chip and Amarula Liquor ice cream. 

Just when we doubted our bellies would hold much more, we strolled a bit further and then ventured into House of H. Anine told us the history of this funky restaurant housed in a converted parking lot: Heinrich (H) was an assistant chef at an up-and-coming restaurant who had ideas of how to handle some of the issues of dining out- specifically service problems such as split bills, complaints about wrong charges, etc. In his restaurant, House of H, you are given a plastic card as you enter that you take to each ordering station. As you select organic salads, desserts, grilled items, etc. directly from the stations, your card is swiped based on what you order and you check out at the end. Everything is fresh and the atmosphere is warm and quirky. Even though we were already getting full, Anine ordered a giant plate with a huge variety of salads. They were so delicious that we nearly ate them all!

Today we planned to head down the peninsula for some SUP and hiking. However, we woke to pouring rain so our guide suggested we stop by the aquarium for a 'behind the scenes' tour. We had an incredible guide there who had been volunteering at the aquarium since high school and now worked as one of the main divers (feeding sharks, caring for turtles, etc). He explained the inner workings of the aquarium and took us to the roof for a view down into the largest tanks where the sea turtles, rays, and sharks swam right beneath us.

By the time we exited the aquarium, the skies had cleared to a beautiful day- still too windy for SUP, but we started down the peninsula to explore.

Quite to our surprise, the day really should be called "Cape Safari". We  saw the expected South African penguins, but also wild ostrich, fur seals, baboons, and relatives of antelope.

The baboons were our favorite! A sweet troop meandered along the road. Several youngsters played together and two newborns clung to their mom's fur tightly as she walked.

We also made the quintessential stop at the Cape of Good Hope (not the southernmost part of Africa as that honor belongs to a cape further east) and to Cape Point where we hiked up to the lighthouse for glorious views. 

This evening our guide dropped us at the swanky Southern Sun Cunnigan near the waterfront. We caught the free shuttle to the V and W waterfront. There we enjoyed a fantastic seafood dinner and rode the giant ferris wheel. 

Moment of truth. My biggest fear getting prepared for this trip was the self-drive portion. How well would I do on the "wrong" side of the road navigating big city traffic? Speaking of navigation, how does that work....is Google Maps still my friend? (in short, mostly yes). And of course, what about all the notorious crime I've read about? Yikes. I gathered info from everyone we encountered - transfer guides, hotel concierges, activity guides, online blogs, etc. Their advice all echoed similar guidelines: lock your doors, avoid driving into townships, keep valuables out of sight, and plan your trips during the day. Armed with this information, we received our rental car at the hotel and set off for Hermanus, whale capital of South Africa.

Along the way, we inadvertently broke nearly every rule when our navigation system steered us directly to a dead end in the middle of a township (not the place we wanted to hear "you have reached your destination") and I tried unsuccessfully to roll down my window to ask a passing cop for help (but rolled down every other window in the car instead).  Thankfully, we found our way safely back to the highway and had a good laugh about the ridiculousness of two lone females from Montana navigating the South African countryside.

Fortunately that was all for our navigational adventures and we arrived in Hermanus with a few minutes to spare. Though Hermanus is known for the best land-based whale watching in the world, it was early in the season (June to December) for the whales arriving from Antarctica so we opted to take a whale watching cruise to increase our odds of seeing them. 

We would have been thrilled to see just one whale, but we had a glorious day! We spotted at least 3 Southern Right Whales, including one who decided to hang around our boat for 30 minutes or so, lazily swimming along the surface and lightly fluttering her tail. In addition to the whales, we spotted seals and dolphins- a great day indeed!

Today we woke early to drive to Cape Canopy tours in the mountainous winelands, about 75 minutes' drive outside of Cape Town. It was pouring rain, par for the course this time of year, especially in the higher elevations. The guides greeted us with coffee, hot chocolate and rain jackets. After our safety briefing, we loaded into the 4WD vehicles for our 30 minute "African massage" over incredibly bumpy terrain up the mountain.

We zipped down 11 lines, the longest of which was over 1000 ft and the fastest reaching speeds of about 35 miles an hour. Midway through, the guides surprised us with a break for cookies and hot chocolate. After the adventure, we had a 1 km hike up to the vehicle and another bumpy ride back to the lodge where they were waiting for us with hot pies for lunch. Hailey opted for spinach and feta while I tried my first springbok: absolutely delicious - more similar to beef than venison with very little game flavor. 

Next we drove the incredibly scenic, winding pass through the mountains to Franschhoek where we stopped by the Huegonot Chocolate Shop for a brief tasting. The chocolatier gave us information about how chocolate is produced and then demonstrated, with unfathomable quickness, how to create filled chocolates.

We tasted a few chocolate varieties and they sent us out with some chocolates of our own - nice, but not nearly as nice as our incredible reception at Franschhoek Country House and Villas.

I don't know if I've ever been to a hotel that was quite as charming. Staff met us in the parking lot with huge smiles and escorted us to our spacious villa with a separate living area, a delicious fireplace to dry our clothing (still soaked from the zipline), and lavender bath salts and shampoo in the bathroom. We were just getting settled when the staff returned with a glass of champagne for me and sparkling cider for Hailey.. oh, and there's complimentary wine in the cozy lounge. I couldn't be more comfortable- sipping my syrah by the fire with soft music playing. I think I want to move in! 

Sorry, I have to rave a bit more....returned to my room and discovered our classic French villa is equipped with a modern sound system with a full entertainment system. Michael Buble is playing in our suite with rose covered walkways and a bubbling fountain in the entryway.

We had dinner in the gorgeous wine cellar off a scrumptious tasting menu. We had originally planned to head into Franschhoek for dinner tomorrow, but we still need to make it thru the other half of the menu so we will be coming back tomorrow night.... If I don't make it back on the plane, you know where to find me!

Today we drove to Spier winery, a sustainable, organic farm founded in 1692. Our primary reason for the visit was less about the wine and more about a unique activity offered here: Segway tours. After a safety briefing and some practice on the asphalt, we boarded our Segways and headed into the vineyard. Despite the forecast rains typical of this time of year, we were blessed with clear skies for the tour, a necessity as the Segway tours have to be halted if it gets too muddy. 

The tour was brilliant! Driving a segway is a ton of fun, more similar to skiing than any sort of driving. You lean with your legs to turn and manage hills or rough patches. Along the way, our guide talked about the organic agricultural practices used as well as nifty ways that they can minimize the need for watering some vines, resulting in heartier vines and less wasted water. We stopped by a field of chickens where they collect about 4000 eggs each day to be sold and used for hotel and restaurant guests. 

After the tour, we stopped at Eagle Encounters, a raptor rescue facility located on the Spier property. Beyond raptors, there were also rescued snakes, iguanas, owls, and other birds. 

Next we picked up our pre-ordered winter picnic. There was easily enough food for a family of 6:  a bottle of wine, chicken, brie, bread, salads, olives, hummus, and cookies. Due to the cool temperatures and the rain that had now arrived, we enjoyed our picnic inside by their fireplace, complete with hot soup and vouchers for complimentary hot chocolate.

We flew into Hoedspruit and transferred to Thornybush Game Reserve, northwest of Kruger National Park. Many of the private game reserves along the borders of Kruger, including Thornybush, have taken down fences between each other and the National Park to allow wildlife freedom of movement across the entire Greater Kruger area (described to me as approximately the size of Israel). We had chosen to split our time between the north and south ends of Kruger as the vegetation and wildlife vary a bit based on preferred habitats. Thornybush, as the name suggests, has a lot of thicker vegetation and thorny thickets that are especially well liked by the endangered black rhino and devoured by the elephants. 

Upon arrival we were offered a drink and introduced to our ranger, Craig. He is 100% committed to keeping both his travelers and the game protected and I could tell immediately that we would be in great hands. He approved when we declined lunch to head straight for the afternoon game drive departing a few minutes later. On the way into the lodge, we passed by the watering hole that gives this lodge its name: Thornybush Waterside Lodge. A family of hippos were in the pool and the setting couldn't be more stunnning!

We headed to the vehicles and met our tracker, Moses, who could spot a chameleon in the dark on a tree branch 20 feet off the road-- just the kind of person you want with you as you search for wildlife. 

Hailey had gotten sick earlier in the day, but she didn't want to miss the wildlife and was rewarded within moments with our first sightings of giraffe. Next we saw a lone bull elephant. Craig taught us how to evaluate his behavior and make sure that we weren't getting too close and disrupting the elephant's routine. The bull looked at us briefly and then returned to chomping his bush. As Craig says, "an eating elephant is a happy elephant". 

We stopped for drinks at sundown and then got a call over the radio that a mating pair of lions had been spotted nearby. By the time we found them, it was dark, but the vehicles are equipped with strong spotlights (and specific rules on how to use them without annoying the animals) so we were able to watch the pair snuggled up in the dark.

Just when we thought our day was done and we were headed back to the lodge, we rounded the corner to see dozens of paper lanterns, a bonfire and a lavish spread of food. The lodge had arranged a braai or outdoor barbecue for us that was fantastic. Sadly Hailey's tummy wasn't well enough to partake of the grilled kudo skewers and other delicious treats. If she had been feeling better, it would have been ideal, but it was still a magical setting. 

Today was probably the best day of our trip so far. We started out on our first game drive at 6am while it was still dark. The sunrise was breathtaking as we headed north to track some leopard cubs that Craig and Moses had spotted prints of the night before. We found the cubs shortly after daylight though mom was away hunting. Craig knew this set of cubs- two males and a female that were only 8 weeks old. The female was just like her mom in personality- totally unfazed by the vehicle. We initially spotted her under a tree branch and later she climbed on top of the branch, hanging out in a sleepy pose about 8 feet from us. She looked like a stuffed animal posed so perfectly. 

I worried about her lack of fear, but Craig said she knew the vehicles weren't a threat but that he had watched her previously dash up a tree when a hyena came into the area - a great sign that she knew how to stay safe. The cub's brother that we spotted was a bit more skittish. We saw him from a distance and didn't approach once we noticed him move a bit into cover, a sign that he wasn't completely comfortable with the vehicles. 

After our incredible sighting, we headed back to Thornybush Waterside Lodge and were surprised again as we rounded a corner- this time with breakfast in the bush. It was so tasty - eggs, breakfast meats, mushrooms and tomatoes all grilled over an open flame. Wow!

After breakfast, I asked Craig how the walking safaris that the lodge had mentioned when we arrived worked . He found out we were leaving the next day and offered to lead one on the spot. Technically the minimum age is 16, but he made an exception for Hailey and the 15-year-old girl we were traveling with since both had shown enough maturity to listen to commands and follow instructions. I felt a bit nervous walking out into the bush, straight across the reserve where the lions, leopards and hippos we had seen walk around unpredictably. However, Craig reassured me as he immediately set very strict rules- we walk single file, quietly, obey his instructions even if they don't make sense at the time and never run (prey runs!). He carried a high caliber rifle and though he's an expert marksman (they have to pass this training every year), said he's never had to use it, even when bluff charged by a hippo about 10 feet away. 

As we walked, Craig pointed out prints of various animals and picked up the dung of nearly every herbivore (most herbivores don't have a lot of dangerous microorganisms in their dung) explaining how you could tell the animal and even some of the uses of the dung. Apparently you can pour water over elephant dung and drink the liquid to ease an upset stomach, though I can imagine my stomach would only feel better as it wouldn't have anything left in it if I tried that. 

On the way back to the lodge, we rounded a corner and encountered three hippos, including a baby, at the edge of the watering hole by our lodge. Craig immediately had us get into the shade and warned another group rounding the bend from the lodge that couldn't see the hippos and would have crossed directly into their path. It was a tense moment, but the hippos were not fazed by our distance and we continued on our way with Craig able to report this as an 'ethical encounter' that didn't impact the behavior of the animal. They have to include detailed reports of every such encounter and he could have lost his job had anything gone even a bit wrong since he had two underage hikers with him. 

This afternoon we headed to a dusty riverbed where 2 lionesses, mom and daughter, each had a set of 3 cubs. I think they were 6 and 8 weeks old, respectively. We were able to observe the cubs for a long time as our presence wasn't bothering them in the slightest. They frolicked in the river bed while moms watched nearby. I got a bit uneasy as one of the mothers walked right alongside our vehicle, close enough to touch, when her cub called out for her. Craig reassured us that the wildlife see the vehicle as all one object. As long as no one gets out or stands up, we are not seen as a threat and they ignore us completely.

This morning we woke for a singular goal: tracking black rhino. Our guide had spotted prints the night before and wanted us to get a chance to sight these endangered animals. Black rhino particularly like the thick thorny thickets in this area so it's one of the best places left to see this elusive species.

We followed tracks and dung, eventually circling around to a particularly dense thicket where there was a mother rhino with her calf. Wow!
Rangers have to be especially careful in reporting rhino sightings- often using codes to evade poachers.

After this incredible sighting, we headed back to pack up and drive south along the border of Kruger National Park to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, especially known for cat species. We arrived in time for the afternoon game drive where we headed straight for a watering hole. This one was extra special as we spotted about 15-20 hippos with their young and several huge crocodiles! Our tracker demonstrated just how relaxed the animals were around the vehicle by briefly getting off, causing the hippos to raise out of the water and start watching him intently. As soon as he got back on, they all relaxed and settled back into the water. 

Not far from the hippos, crocodiles basked on the side of the watering hole.

Leaving the watering hole, we encountered an elderly male lion, on the prowl for impala. He was quite skinny, a sign that he was slowing down and less effective at hunting than he once was. 

Today we got to experience the highlights that make Sabi Sands such a special area. This morning we headed to the far north where a leopard had been spotted. We encountered her and her 3 cubs at the end of a ravine. We were getting ready to pull out to make room for another vehicle to visit when the leopards moved further down the ravine. Our ranger opted to track them so that we would have a position to give the second vehicle once they arrived. Mom settled down on the floor of the ravine about 15 feet in front of us and the cubs put on a dazzling show, playing with each other and their mom. The other vehicle was delayed in reaching us so we sat with the leopards for 20 minutes or more watching their antics up close - what a sighting!!

Back to the lodge for lunch and then this afternoon we got even more cat sightings- spotting a lion pride with a mom, her cubs, and her large 'nephew', a 2-3 year old male that patiently tolerated the tiny cubs playing over and around him. The ranger said this kind of tolerance from a larger male lion was unusual. He just slept lazily as they crawled all over him!

Our transfer driver from Leopard Hills to the airport was another knowledgeable ranger who provided interesting conversation for the duration of our journey. On the way out, we saw a white rhino, a huge treat since we hadn't seen one yet. 

Our flight arrived late to Zambia. Immigration into Zambia and then back out of Zambia and into Zimbabwe took a very long time (over 3 hours in total) so we didn't have time to get to our hotel before the sunset cruise. Instead, our driver drove us straight to the dock where a welcome crew of musicians cheered our moods immediately. 

Once onboard we were offered cold fried snacks and complimentary alcohol. The cruise itself was nothing special, but the scenery was lovely. We got to see a couple large crocodiles up close and a lot of hippos.

Still, we were chilled from the cool wind and lack of proper clothing so we were relieved to finish up and head to our lovely hotel. At Batonka House, we were greeted with beverages and a fantastic hotel manager who sat down with us to help us plan our stay- both in terms of meals and local activities. 

 

After a lackluster day yesterday, today was arguably our best day yet! We started with a walking tour of the falls. During this high water time, they gave us ponchos which were a necessity. We walked a trail with 16 lookout points along the rim. From lookout 5 onwards, we had a bit of mist. By #10, it was full out raining in a steady stream of water that condensed off the falls and poured back down on us. The walk was beautiful, but soon after it got too rainy to see a thing so we cut away from the path and headed to the Rainforest Cafe to grab a coffee and wait for our group. The cafe was aptly named as a cheeky monkey tried to steal Hailey's snack off the table in front of us when we weren't looking!

In the parking lot, our driver met us to take us to the helicopter tour.

This is a must do, especially in high water, as we really got a sense of how the falls fit into the greater landscape and, of course, had stunning views. It's an unusual river as the Zambezi pours straight over the side of Victoria falls and then makes a full 90 degree turn along the fault line. From here, the river traces thru a zigzagging canyon where intrepid rafters experience the narrow, forceful currents creating class V rapids

. 

After the helicopter ride, we asked our driver if he could drop us back in town. We went to Elephant Walk, a cute courtyard of shops and restaurants, where we had a fantastic Thai lunch as a break from all the heavy African BBQ we had been eating. From here we walked around the corner to an outdoor artisan market that looks incredibly sketchy with barbed wire fencing protecting corrugated metal buildings. Inside however, was a lovely handicrafts market with friendly, assertive vendors. Yes, they each tried to catch our attention with questions or requests to shop, but we felt much more their eager enthusiasm to have us there as shoppers rather than the claustrophobic, overly aggressive deceptive vibe I've experienced in some local markets around the world. Prices are extremely negotiable and we even had some nice vendors try to 'train' us to bargain down the prices. The crafts themselves were lovely, mostly handmade carvings that were incredibly cheap relative to their quality. We bought things we didn't need because everyone was so nice and we were such a necessary presence. There weren't many other tourists and it was heartbreaking to see stall after stall of hundreds of handmade goods without many buyers. 

Back outside the market in front of Elephant Walk there was a talented drumming group performing. Hailey and I danced a bit and gave them a tip. As they were packing up to leave, one of the musicians approached us to say how much he appreciated seeing that his music made us happy. I really love the Zimbabwe people so far. They are desperately poor, but so many have incredible resilience and joyful spirits. 

This afternoon we headed to an Elephant Encounter. We drove to Victoria Falls National Park, a game park located about 15 minutes outside of town. They started by rescuing elephants from some of the culling in overcrowded game parks in the 80s and have continued to rescue orphaned elephants ever since. As part of their education/ conservation efforts, they host small groups for an Elephant Encounter.

We took a game vehicle into the bush and then walked to the area where the elephant herd was currently grazing. We had the chance to meet 6 elephants, including Jambo, one of the original rescues. We could hug Jambo and get photos with him. Baby Tandi adores Jambo and the untrained 3 year old kept pushing around us to snuggle up to him.... apparently a rare relationship in an elephant herd where the babies typically don't interact with adult males much.

From here we walked with the elephants in front and behind us.

Tandi kept running in and out of line in the playful way a human toddler would be in a queue with her parents. We ended up in a feeding area where we were able to handfeed the elephants treats.

The eventual goal is to rehabilitate and release as many elephants as they can out of the program where they are no longer dependent on people. In the meantime, it's a great opportunity for travelers to meet these gentle giants in a compassionate and conservation minded way.

Today was another great day! We woke early to raft the class V Zambezi whitewater below Victoria Falls. I had a restless night of sleep debating the judiciousness of taking my 14 year old on this world famous whitewater stretch. I spent most of the night up reading the statistics and safety records- overall deciding that our odds of coming out safely were actually better than a typical highway trip in Montana (maybe not much consolation). 

Rafting is operated in the deep gorge beneath Victoria Falls. After a safety briefing with jokes about the crocodiles and flipping rafts, we headed to the top of the gorge for the steep climb straight down into the gorge. The walk takes ~ 20 minutes over rocks, stick ladders, and roughly made stone 'steps'. It could quite easily be the most dangerous part of our journey.

Once in our rafts, we got serious about our paddling training. I was prepared for the commands, but our guide, Colgate, definitely pushed us more than most. Hailey and I were teamed up with 6 men and Colgate yelled at them to paddle harder, make swift transitions and paddle together. He had us jump into the river and get back in quickly. Then do it again. Fortunately, the water was very warm! We might be able to handle the Yale crew team after this. 

I was thankful for the training though as the water was also much swifter and more technical than any I had done previously, including other Class V. We dodged giant whirlpools constantly as we navigated thru Rapids known as the Washing Machine, the Mother, and Oblivion. The sheer force of the water required quick turns and very precise paths to avoid flipping. Colgate was brilliant, but the first 4 rapids were definitely more stressful than fun due to the high water. This section had only been opened up a few days prior due to the high water. As it was, we were only doing rapids 11 to 20 as the first 10 were still unaccessible due to water levels.

After portaging around one unnavigable rapid, we started into the less technical, fun section of the river with larger waves and fewer whirlpools. It was in this area that we spotted a couple small crocodiles. We manged to complete the whole run without anyone falling in or any flipped rafts- hooray!.

After that came the biggest challenge, hiking back up the steep gorge where lunch waited for us. At the top, a handful of local men were gathered selling their carvings and asking us to trade our gear for their handicrafts. As I sat eating, I realized that I would be using my fancy zip off REI pants a lot less than they would and trade them for a wooden bowl. The shoes I had worn were old with holes starting to form in the soles. However, the men there had shoes in only the loosest definition with soles that had only half a shoe covering the top. I didn't feel right offering my holey shoes in trade, but they were quite grateful when I left them behind. 

I arrive back at the hotel barefoot for a quick shower and change before we headed to the elegant Victoria Falls Hotel for tea and scones. From there, our transfer driver met us to cross the border to Livingstone where we had splurged for our last night on the elegant Livingstone Express dinner train. The 5 course dinner was unappetizing- cold cucumber/ salmon soup, cold pureed butternut squash in jars that looked and tasted exactly like baby food, salty lamb for the main course, and champagne yogurt for dessert- our $2 plate of food at the Capetown train station had tasted MUCH better. 

That said, the train ride was really lovely. A Livingstone local gave a fantastic historical talk and we were able to disembark on the bridge separating Zambia and Zimbabwe. We got off and walked around, snapping gorgeous photos of the falls at sunset and even getting a chance to pull the steam whistle.

After the train ride, the staff rushed us to our transfer vehicles as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe closes (really???) at 10pm and we would have missed our flights out if we didn't get back to the right side in time...