Journey to Cape Town Begins- Thomson Sister Tour begins!!

Greetings from Zambia!

Received a great quote from a friend I thought I would share.

"Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water" WC Fields.

Well, it wasn't as bad as WC Fields as we cunningly took along a box of red wine to keep us warm at night around the campfire :)

Last night, was my last night of camping Hooray! I think I will actually miss it a little bit. Good for character building :) Tonight, I will be sleeping in a real bed with a pillow and soft towels. oo la la the luxury.

The road travel on this trip has been comical..definitely a lot more overlanding than I expected..dirt roads, massive potholes, windy and bumpy. Our vehicle is a Toyota Landcruiser 4X4 in need of updating..with a mere 374,ooo km on it. Yesterday, we made the horrendous border crossing at Kazungula between Zambia and Botswana. It took only 2 hours which, beats the last time our guides crossed which took 5 hours. The border is a small ferry that can carry one transport truck and 4 other vehicles. It is an archaic system..much in need of a bridge. Apparently, bribes are needed to get on the ferry in a timely fashion. My British travelling companions have to pay hefty visa fees to enter Zambia..apparently a reciprocal agreement that the UK has. It is 140 USD per entry. Luckily, as a Canadian, I only had to pay $80 USD for double entry. On the ferry, we saw women and their babies on their back. Other women with bundles of gear on their back wrapped up in colourful fabrics. Oh the heat was sweltering. It must have been 35 C. Dusty and crowded. What an experience...thank goodness I loved my travelling partners: Jakki, Rachel, Chris, Warren, Manjriy. They provided much needed comic relief.

Last night, my friend Jakki and I went to the Royal Livingstone Hotel for a cocktail and watched the sunset. The Royal Livingstone is the poshest place in town a mere $500 USD a night. It was extremely elegant. They are located on the Zambezi river and very close to the falls as you can see the mist rising. We enjoyed a refreshing PIMMS with cucumber slices. It was heaven.

I am leaving for Cape Town shortly. I am happy to report Heather and I are confirmed for massages up in Stellenbosch at the Spier Wine Estate. Now that the roughing is over, it is time to indulge a little. I also booked a tour to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. I hope Heather enjoys that.

Off to the airport shortly...will write again tomorrow and try to get the photos downloaded. Thanks Mum for checking on the house and for helping with the snow.

Love to you all! Julie