Crossing over

We are about to head over to the other side (Zimbabwe and town of Vic Falls) and also leave behind our solo (well couple) travelling and join the Overland herds for 3 weeks. So we didn't do a great deal of much...we lounged by the pool, and wandered down to the markets to buy 2 duvets. Why 2 duvets? Well, we have no sleeping mats and need them for the overland camping - and of course they don't bloody well sell them over here :(

We also had a strange surprise - running into Dave Cutts and Cathy in Livingstone. For those not in the know, Dave was my old Director at Orange, one of the few people who had left the company and returned more times that me :) Dave and Cathy were about to undertake the reverse of our trip (but I must say in considerably more style)...

So the next day we bid a sad farewell to the JollyBoys Backpackers - which was a cracking place to stay for anyone thinking of heading out the way... We crossed the border (a bridge across the Zambezi) with no dramas - other than the heat of the walk. We even stopped for 20 mins to watch some nutters throw themselves off the bungi jump on the bridge !! We then got ripped off by the cabbie on the Zim side for a fare to our lodge - something that was far more common on the Zim side than anywhere else we travelled.

For those not in the know, Zimbabwe is in a wee bit of trouble financially - and the Vic Falls tourist town is suffering - therefore the locals try to rip you off any way they can. You need to get cash out in Vic Falls but the exchange rate officially is 250 to 1 (as the goverment likes to control this rate).... but there exists an 'unofficial' exchange rate of 5000 to 1 - which is more real. If you got cash out at the official rate and then bought a sandwich at a pub it would cost you $25 .... using the real rate makes this $1.25 !! Dodgy indeed.

So the afternoon had Josie pretty excited as we were off on an Elephant walk - where you get to ride the elephants and feed them !! Well we were kept waiting by these other tourists - who happened to be French - only an hour late and didn't bother to apologise when they turned up. But this is typically French :) - however, it looks as though Karma sorted them out as they paid on credit card for the Elephant ride in Zim dollars - so the official rate :) Oh Karma, how I love thee.

So, Josie - pretty bloody angry at been kept from her Elephants by some damn Frenchies - was overjoyed to get on the back of her own elephant, I also got one to myself with our beloved frenchies sharing behind us - Karma continued to deliver, with my elephant farting like a wind generater all through the walk right in their faces, and then their elephant blasting muddy water all over them - joy, oh joy :) I must remember not to celebrate karma too much as she can be fickle and this can count against me.

So Josie went home pretty bloody happy - all things considered ;)