Day 6: June 29 - Heading to Botswana

11am: Flight to Zimbabwe
Thus far, today has been fairly uninteresting - no wildlife to speak of (unless you count the homo sapien variety.) We flew back to Johannesburg last night, and spent the night at the airport hotel, and had dinner at an "Irish Pub." I can't believe that I flew to Africa and had fish and chips. Oh well. So far, the food quality has been excellent, but hopefully we'll actually get to eat some African foods soon. Today we start the main portion of the trip, which I'm very excited about.

We're on the plane now, flying into Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. There has been much unrest in Zimbabwe recently, and news has filtered through of several tourists that were robbed recently. I think that was in another part of the country, but can't be sure since we don't have much access to news media here. I guess we'll see how things go when we get there. I'm hopeful that all will go smoothly.

My poor roommate Joanne is still missing her luggage. It followed us to Pafuri, but apparently missed our departure by just a few hours. So now they are telling her that they are going to try to catch up to her in Chobe in Botswana. Poor thing is very unhappy, but we're trying to keep her spirits up, and even strangers have given her extra clothing to supplement her wardrobe, and try to keep her warm.

Gotta run - we're landing now, and need to head to get our visas checked...

4pm: Driving through Zimbabwe to Botswana
We just crossed into Botswana from Zimbabwe, and everything was quiet and uneventful. Our guide - Priscilla - is a Zimbabwean and is just a gem. She's absolutely gorgeous and looks at least 20 years younger than her actual age (which I promised I would never reveal.) All of the people that we've met so far have physically been gorgeous. Their skin is flawless, facial features are dramatic and beautiful, and all are quick to smile and embrace us. There may be strife in the Zimbabwe country, but the people are absolutely beautiful.

On the drive to Chobe, we saw:
- Ground Hornbill (huge creatures! at least the size of a large dog)
- Elephants (with baby! too cute!)

- My first Giraffe!!! He wasn't very big, and just standing - like a statue - on the side of the road. But he was so beautiful, and just stared at us... he wasn't moving, except to blink. Yay!!!! Happy, happy Beth! :-) :-) :-) :-)

8:00pm: Baobab Lodge, Botswana (Chobe National Park)

Day one of the "real" tour, and so far it's fabulous. Priscilla is absolutely spectacular, and really quite fascinating and inspiring. My roommate got some new clothes and - more importantly - a lead on her luggage, so we're optimistic that it will arrive soon.

The lodge here is fabulous. Not nearly as luxurious as Pafuri, but the staff is so gregarious and friendly it's almost disarming. They were singing as we drove up, and every time you turn around, one wants to chat with you and give you a hug. These are amazingly warm and friendly people and I'm falling in love with all of them.

Upon arrival, we spied a kudu herd, buffalo and impala, all from the patio of our tent. The rooms smell of sage and campfires (note: must get some sage for my new home when I have it... the scent is divine!)The sunset was wonderful, and a haze made everything look almost like a dream. I don't think my camera captured the feeling exactly, but hopefully you'll get the drift. The acacia tree on the left was beautiful... but while I took too many photos, I don't think it quite captured the subtle colors and hues as I'd hoped:

We spent the evening by the fire pit, telling tales and drinking wine... relaxing from the travels today, and - for the first time - really feeling like we've arrived in Africa... Yay! Happy!