Trump and Hillary

 Wasn’t it Trump and his supporters the people anxious to ‘lock up’ Hillary Clinton without her ever being indicted, arrested or found guilty of a crime?

Now that Trump is indicted by a Grand Jury, those same people are shouting “ political persecution “. 

Will someone explain to me how their justice system really works?

Lusaka

 We left Livingstone today on Airlink and were in Lusaka just over an hour later. My only regret is we never got last look at the amazing Victoria Falls from the air as we did coming in. But we could see the mist in the distance.

Wendy is the greatest.

She hasn’t changed a bit, looks like the same beautiful young lady I knew when she and my daughter Michele became close friends at UWI.

She picked us up at airport, then surprise of surprises, transported to a brand new apartment. 

This apartment is in a newly built complex called Agora Village. It’s composed of shops on the ground floor, office space upstairs and apartment blocks as well.

I was surprised as I had thought for months that we would be staying with her! 

As she is working from home, she wanted us to have our space, she said. 

A creative way to build a bench. Just a slab held up by stones packed in a wire cage!

And our apartment was  stacked with food and even wine!

I tried to protest that she had gone to too much expense but was put in my place by “ Just sharing the blessing. God don't hold back. I am blessed. So I am sharing”. Now how do I argue with that?😊

Next, we went to her home, picked up her son at school and went back home.

She has a lovely home close to her children’s school.

We spent the afternoon catching up on old times then had the most delicious lunch.

While the curry smelled and tasted like the types we are accustomed to, it had a red color. 

It came from South Africa I was told. My lesson for today😊

Her backyard and the bigger dog

Lusaka definitely reminds me of Kingston in so many ways, except: crime is minimal if not totally non existent, People drive a lot more sanely than we do but many roads have no sidewalks and there are no mountains in sight. (Wendy says the only mountains (hills really) are at the border with the D.R).

It must be at least 100 time larger than Kingston though as from the air it appears to spread out forever!

And I find the people here extremely polite, friendly and helpful. 

Reminds me of how Jamaicans were in the olden days.

Looking forward to a wonderful stay ‘at home’ in Lusaka 😊

The lion queen

I don’t know where I got this cat thing! 😊 

But I always feel so at one with them, big cats or little cats. 

Maybe I was a cat in my past life. 

Seriously though, my first memory of this life is seeing cats all around my bedroom, and be they big cats or little cats,  I have always just wanted to cuddle them. 

Can you therefore imagine my absolute delight when I got the privilege of bottle-feeding a baby white tiger in Thailand?

From then, I lived for the day when I could do the same to a lion cub. 

It was not to be though. 

However, I did get the opportunity to take four lion cubs for a walk in Zambia, even holding their tales as we walked. 😊

And I got to caress their backs😊. 

I had to walk behind them though as the trainers say, if you go in front, they may think you are prey to be hunted.

These cubs have never been in the wild though. 

There were 2 females and 2 males from the same pride. They are around a year and a half old and will be exposed to strangers until they are three years old.

 Then they are retired and gradually rehabilitated to be with other animals in a secure environment. 

Their father didn’t like us though but I still loved him❤️😊

Yup, I finally made it to the 'big' catwalk 😊

Link; https://youtu.be/17z9wRtxOSM

Heaven on earth

  I think I finally found the Garden of Eden. 

It’s on the Chobe river in Botswana.

 Omg, what beauty!

The river starts in Angola, separates Namibia from Botswana, flows into the Zambezi River which cascades over Victoria Falls then empties into the Indian Ocean. 

I tell you I have never felt greater peace and tranquility than during the few hours I spent meandering up and down the exotic River at the National Park in Botswana, looking at the animals in their natural habitat.

Hippos cooling off

There are hundreds of species of birds and exotic animals around and soldiers on patrol to deter poachers.

Here we saw a slew of hippos, baboons, wart hogs, elephants, buffalo etc. 

Even the crocs seemed at peace while different types of fleet-footed antelopes grazed on the banks, always on the look out for dangerous predators.

If this is not the best that nature has to offer, please tell me where. 

I now understand why the white man has been trying for centuries to steal African land!

We had taken a one day safari in the Chobe National Park in Botswana from Livingstone, Zambia.

 To get to  Chobe is around an hour drive on good roads,  through Mosi-park-Tunya National park, (which is where you find Africa’s greatest world wonder, Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi river. This river separates Zambia from Zimbabwe.)

At this bridge, you have 4 borders ; Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia.

The Chobe Park is a UNESCO world heritage site. 

Our guide/driver was one of the most focused young men I have ever met, so  I have to do a separate blog about him!

His name is Mwangelwa. (Pronounce it nuh😊)

Remember how careless and unthinking you were at 21?

Not him!

He is a great asset to Cherish Travel and Tours which organized this safari.

Botswana and Zambia share one building for immigration purposes so you just walk from one side of the huge hall to the other, for entry and exit. 

I loved that.

Botswana is one of the most progressive and well run democracies on the continent. It has less than 3 million people and according to a BBC study, “Botswana is “one of the world’s six best countries to live in”.

Their currency is the Pula and unlike Zambia which has strict currency control, you seem to be able to take in and bring out as much as you want.

Zambia’s border is full of signs warning you not to take in or leave with more than 5000 Kwacha.

You don’t learn much about a country in a day, but I was impressed Botswana’s attention to detail.

For example, wherever you drive, there are huge posters encouraging consumer awareness and civic pride.

Protection of their peoples health is of primary importance too, so before you enter their country, you must sanitize your feet! 

Motorists must drive through this sanitized trench to make sure the vehicle’s tires were also treated..

This our guide said was imposed when they had a breakout of ‘foot and mouth disease ‘ some years ago , but it became a permanent feature. 

Yup, lots of countries could learn Link;a lot from Botswana. 

Me, I just saw beauty all around.

Our safari had two components. First on the Chobe River which separates Namibia from Botswana.

Afterwards, we had a great lunch before starting the land tour through the Park.

This safari is by far the best value for money I have ever experienced anywhere.  Link; https://youtu.be/UeNtc_zDrq0

L to right: Some of our group: from Ireland, Tanzania, Latvia, USA.

The black and white bird is called ‘sacred ibis’

A hotel on the Namibia side

We didn’t see any zebras in the park, but when we returned to Zambia and drove into a hotel to use an ATM machine, these were wondering peacefully around.

And, we saw no lions either although we did see this lone buffalo with a huge wound just above his right leg  and the guide said it looked like he had survived a lion attack.

We did however have the great experience of taking cubs for a ‘walk in the park’ and as long as we stayed behind them, we would not be considered prey, the trainer said.

We did and we weren’t. 😊

That’s why we are still here😂😂

A wonder indeed

There are times when it is impossible to find the words to describe the magnificence around you.

I had that problem as I was enveloped by the awesome beauty of Mosi-oa-Tunya aka Victoria Falls. 

As usual, the British had accidentally run into it, but immediately claimed they “discovered “ it and named it after their queen.

The real name aptly describes it however, as it means “ the smoke that thunders.”

And that’s exactly what happens, as the mist (smoke) can be seen from miles away and the sound of the rushing waters are heard from up to 25 miles away.

This pic was taken miles away, but the mist (left) is clear and the cloud on the right is said to be always there.

In and out of the region, there is debate about whether it is better from the Zambian or Zimbabwe side, but in my book if you don’t see both sides you are the loser! 

rainbows are ever present 

The Zambia side is 1.7 km wide and Zimbabwe side just short of 2km.

 This is almost double the width of both sides of Niagara Falls. 

The Falls dump enough water into the Indian Ocean, to fill 1800 Olympic size swimming pools per minute. 

It boggles the imagination.

Hydro electricity is of course generated from the falls and not only supplies some of Zambia’s needs, but also some of South Africa’s and Namibia’s.

There is now a cooperation agreement between Zimbabwe and Zambia to build another hydro generation plant.

According to Wikipedia, the selection of  “Seven Natural Wonders is to promote and protect the natural wonders.”

This is Africa’s contribution to that cause.

Link. https://youtu.be/2G1dvywO71g

Please share.

PHOTO GALLERY 

Enjoying the walk through the natural rain forest 

Relaxing on the Zimbabwean side after a wonderful trek

Zimbabwean dancers entertain 

Trucks carrying goods on the pan African highway, wait at the border 

Got a soaking but enjoyed it 😊

A monitor lizard

The mist from the falls is still very visible at 8000 ft in the air. (Taken from the aircraft on leaving Livingstone)