Early wake up at 05.00h, no breakfast at our favorite 5 star hotel, not bill for the rooms since they can‘t do it but at least the driver is here to pick us up. At the airport, we have to look for our handler and the departure hall is just a mess. At least we don‘t have to join the queue (takes a least 1 hour for security check) and are at 06.45h in our plane. But it takes another 45 minutes till we can take off. At least the temperature is nice and we are not sweating as we did in the past.
We climb up to 15‘000 feet, fly above spectacular clouds, over really nice mountains, huge national parks into namibia. The last 45 minutes we fly low at 1‘500 feet over ground. We hit some birds but nothing happens. After three hours we land in ondangwa to fill up our tanks. This is the most southern point on our journey; from now on it is north towards home. There is nobody in the tower and we overfly quickly to get an overview. Fueling is very efficient and so is the lunch; no restaurant! So we are airborne again within 1/2 hour.
The view from 27‘000 feet is spectacular. Due to the jet stream, we fly comfortably with 540 km/h. From far we see the mist of the victoria falls and we get permission from air control to do a sightseeing flight over the falls. It is spectacular to say the least. For almost 20 minutes we fly over them, the pilots switching controls so each of them can take pictures as well. We have seen the iguazu falls, the niagara falls; but these ones are different! We have to stay at 6‘000 feet since sighseeing helicopters are circling below us.
The airport on the zambian side is deserted and nobody is there for fuel. We agree with the tower to fill up on monday morning when leaving. We pass immigration smoothly and a driver with his beaten up car picks us up to bring us to the zimbabwean border. Leaving zambia, crossing the bridge on a different, more beaten up car to the zimbabwe border post. This is beaten up as well and a wreck of a car brings us to the victoria falls hotel. What a place! One feels back in the british empire days; it is like a museum.
By now it is 16.30h with the hour time change and we look for a restaurant we can get some food. Especially one pilot is very hungry and we get a steak from a traditional charcoal grill. Really good. We feel rather chilly here; it looks like our bodies are not used to the 24 degrees anymore! So long pants and shirts are put on, air con units are switched off immediately. Wifi is available and the webpage is updated immediately. I hope you will enjoy it – and thanks for all the fan mail we get.
23rd of May
Today is sightseeing day and we will see one of the most spectacular sights on our planet. The welcome letter of the victoria falls hotel describes it perfectly:
„as the african winter slowly approaches the days in victoria falls are like spring days in europe – deep blue cloudless skies with a cooling breeze and moderate temperatures. The falls are every bit as monumental and magnificent as you imagined, the noise greater than a million migrating wildebeests, and the mists visible from 40 miles away. Last year we saw the highest water levels in 50 years, and recent indications suggest this year will be even higher with the river rising by 2 cm daily. The columns of spray will grow until june when the victoria falls are at their grandest and the morning mist will drift onto the front lawns of the hotel. The wonderful spectacle is best witnessed from the terrace of the victoria falls hotel. You are here at the best time of the year!“
The hotel was built 106 years ago and somehow wonderfully escape president mugabe‘s disastrous policy. It is a wonderful place to stay with it colonial charm. The service is impeccable and one feels like in a museum; everywhere are relicts from the british past. Very interesting for people interested in history. The food is great and so is the wine list.
After a really nice breakfast, we leave the hotel and are surrounded by vendors as soon as we leave the compound. We buy some old multi-billion zimbabwean dollar bills from them. We look at the folls from a first view point before walking down to the entrance of the national park. Usd 10.– each is payable for entrance fee. We walk for 3 hours along the falls, getting completely soaked by the mist. Sometimes it is coming down like rain but it is actually quite refreshing. The big problem is keeping the camera equipment dry. We take a lot of pictures since it is really difficult to describe it with worlds.
We have seen the niagara falls, the iguazu falls and not to forget the rhine fall; all of them are spectacular. But the victoria falls are different and special. Just look at the pictures.
On the way back to the hotel a member of the victoria falls tourist police is accompanying us to help us getting rid of the street vendors. They are getting a bit aggressive and we are happy to have the man.
Back in the hotel we have a nice steak from a typical barrel grill and hit the pool, work on revised flight plans and web page. Dinner is under the starlit sky with music and dances performed by local tribes of zimbabwe. The waiter is a very happy man; happier than rainer. Food is good, chocolate box the wine. Thanks tom.
