Cape Town South Africa Dec 1st 2017.....

Cape Town is everything I expected it to be.  It's surrounded by table mountain and spread out along the cape, two great oceans then meet around the "Cape of good hope" the old seafarers entered the new world......they gave it a different name back in the day when the Portuguese discovered it....by now many ships been driven up on the rocks it was named something like cape death....or cape despair ....but the Portugese king trying to convince other sea farers to make them rich kind of bigged up the name hence 'Cape of good hope'.....doubt they would get away with it nowdays. The city center is modern and has a real colonial feel to it. As we drove from the airport to the hostel we passed townships that was alot more modern and built up than I imagined, the driver explained that Nelson Mandela built and rehoused the people in these modern places. Not him personaly of course...hard to imagine ol Nelson mandela with a hard hat and builders bum laying bricks;-)....credit to him though for achieving what he did.  There is a prison on an Island where he spent most of his time here and you can go and visit it by boat but my time is limited so I'll give that one a miss i think.....probebly end up keeping me there...:-O

The hostel was a typical backpackers hostel, a fantastic place with a bar kitchen and really great friendly staff, it was quite a trendy scene for the locals to come and hang out.....the music would be thumping out and the place would be rammed. I stayed in a dorm with its own bathroom so no tramping to the bathroom which is always a bonus especially with my bladder....it was clean, well not mom clean, but clean enough....I would be here for a few days before I started the overland trip into Namibia, a few days to take in the sites of Table mountain, the cape of good hope and I wanted to visit Victoria harbour. I took a little wander about I was still knackered from the flight....(12 hrs.....!!! 12 bloody hours!!!) but the walk did me good, I didn't get mugged so a double bonus. 

Today I did the Cape of good hope tour, a mini bus would take us around the cape and drop us back at the hostel. There was about 12 of us in total from all walks of life, we would stop get out either climb , walk or take picture....it was a great feeling to stand on the Cape of good Hope...another tick off my bucket list. We went to a Malay township where all the houses were painted bright colours, a far cry from the card board and corrigated metal houses I imagined, I suppose they are around still and there is still alot of divide between the different groups....I'm not saying I felt threatened or intimidated....just aware.....

Now you would think South Africa in the summer would be scourching hot ....no rain ever.....when we landed there was signs up about the drough....preserve water....only flush the loo for a poo....etc..... theyve not had rain here in ages.....then I arrive!! I wanted to see table mountain and woke up early to a down pour....it was falling down!!...big ol fat rain...typical....I had breakfast...a few cuppas....and a few more...by about 8 oclock it looked like it was letting up but you couldn't see table mountain for love nor money....and its a bloody great mountain! We decided to go anyway and see how it goes....we got a taxi to the cable car and there wasn't a soul there..... normally it would be packed, I checked with the bloke and they had just opened, I got a ticket and walked straight upto the cable car...I think there was 4 other people in there but we went up anyway...It was quite spectacular going up through the clouds and seeing this bloody great mountain again...I didnt even think about vertigo or cable cars plunging downwards with a broken wire....all those thoughts were far from my mind as we went up and up to the summit...or peak...or flat top ...what ever you call it anyway. Once up there it was as if you were amongst the Gods....high above the clouds looking down....by this time the rain had stopped...and the clouds were actually breaking so you could start to see the coast line....minute by minute you could see more and more.....then blue sky....the sea....and Cape town far far below.... gorgeous views, I even missed the bloody great gerbals or hamsters or what ever they were clambering over the rocks just below us....hundreds of them about the size of a jack russell.....are they dangerous?? They didn't attack so all good.  The top of the mountain was a set of trails going around it, its a flat top....I suppose thats why its called 'table mountain'...and not 'pointy as hell mountain'....anyway after abrief walk around and taking in the views we realised how lucky we are to have been up here with no crowds....no queue's ....our own mountain....by this time the clouds were completely gone...the sun was out and you had a 360degree view that knocked your socks off. after a quick cuppa we headed down again...Hannah wanted to see Robbin Island and I wanted to see the Victoria harbour. Hannah is a fellow traveller who is from St Albans...not far from where I was born....we got chatting on the Cape of good hope tour and doing the same overland route as me with a different truck....I'd bump into her in the most remote places along the way again and again all through Namibia...anyway we both headed off in different directions...I caught the red bus into Cape town and Victoria Harbour passing the beaches and fancy houses... I did notice that every house had high walls.....electrified fences and fast response security signs......I dont know how bad the crime or that is but I never felt threatened at all.....

Victoria harbour is a modern district with marina, harbour, shopping arcade, food places and plenty of things happening. The place was busy. After a few photo stops I could smell food so decided to have lunch. I really was spoilt for choice.....they even had a 'Wimpy' who remembers wimpy with the toasted bun....mmmmm. I was tempted to have that just for nostalga but I clocked a sea food restaurant.....now I love sea food...dinner is served. ;-) After a whole pan of squid prawns and fish....feeling stuffed but content I proceeded to take a wander around. I had a quick go throught the shopping mall.....things are expensive here, clothes, electrical goods, I wanted to get a shirt as I ripped my favorite one ....buggered if im paying off the equivalent of Greece's national debt to get one though! I bough a packet of wet wipes instead. 

I decided to head back as I had to meet the truck that would be taking me overland through Southern Africa at 6pm....At least I could have a shower and get ready for that.....I walked back along the road past shops bars and restaurants....they love to drink here in SA....probebly more pubs here than in the UK! they always seem to be busy as well...all showing either cricket rugby or football.....

The meeting went well, I met my fellow travellers, 10 of us in total from Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, and Sweden.....oh and me ... one Brit on this trip:-) after our introductions we had a meal out in town as a bonding session.....the next day we would be travelling in a converted truck through 4 countries covering hundred of miles.....( hope they have alot of toilet stops:-\) 

Day one on the road Dec 3rd.

After a breakfast we loaded up and boarded the truck..... we were at last on the road! The truck is 20 seats with a few tables inbetween.....big windows, no aircon but the windows open right down. Our luggage is stored in lockers at the back, tents, food and equipment stored in cubby holes along the side of the truck.....we have a Kenyan leader called Victor, a driver and chef also from Kenya.....they are absolutely fantastic, a good laugh and enjoy their job. Our first stop is a campsite on a vin yard....my dad would be in his element:-) The tents had been put up for us already, there was grass, toilets, showers and a bloody great vin yard....the others did the wine tasting and a few were suffering the next day I can tell you poor sods....especially having to take down a tent and get in a truck for hours....bless em....It was an introduction into our routine for the next 3 weeks....we will all take in turns to help cook, wash up, set up....all part of a team ...we are assigned our own tent and bed roll, I'm sharing with an Aussie called Reg so we will put up and take down our own tents for the rest of the trip....I must say we're really quite good at it now. The hardest part for me is when you move the tent over after you have it down to check for scorpions or worst.....if I do ever see one poor Reg will be on his own as im running full pelt in the other direction so fast even Zola budd would be impressed ;-)   not told Reg that yet.....

We left the Vin yard in South Africa at stupid oclock in the morning.....we were on our way to Namibia, the boarder crossing would be long so we left early....Out the window the scenery changed from greens to desert.....every now and then you saw townships.....there is a big citrus fruit industry out here so the workers live in the small towns....We reached the boarder finally got off the truck in South Africa....the sweltering heat took your breath away....we got our exit stamps and boarded....through to Namibia...off the truck and waited in line to get our visa's ....the Namibian boarder force have recently been given finger print machines...and computers to check on interpol tht your not an undesirable....as if..after ages getting all your hands scanned ...then re scanned because one finger was missing....we all got through......Were now in Namibia.....happy days. 

Namibia 5th Dec........

It was only a short drive to our camp in Namibia, it's practically on the boarder...we would be doing a kayak trip next day and you could quite easily kayak over the boarder to SA again.....but I wont. The campsite had all facilities, even a swimming pool! once we got the tents up we were all in the pool to cool off....the river flowed just below us it looked so inviting. Thankfully there's no crocs...(no I dont mean the foot wear) hippos snakes or piranah....I know because I asked! nothing will want to kill you bite you sting you or rip you limb from limb.....always a winner....I have to add hippo now to my list as I didn't know this before but there are more fatalities from hippos than anything else apparently....and I though they were dopey water cows!!

Next day came and once we had breakfast...washed up and waved our plates and cups dry we were all off the the river for the kayak trip......It was a top day, even went down a few rapids but it was hot....after a dip in the river and a water fight with another tour group we paddled on....anyone remember the film Deliverence? ....well that sprang into my head i dont know why...we see some wild life, fantastic scenery.....a real memorable day....once we got back we had to pack up camp and were back on the road for a long drive along the Namibian highway, endless desert and wildlife....even driving along we see Zebra, wilderbeast, Oryx, and osterich, absolutley fantastic to see them in the natural habitat. It was hot and dusty (sorry to rub it in...europes under a few feet of snow this week) ;-)... There's no aircon but all the windows down gives you a little relief. Thankfully we stopped every now and then for a pit stop or to see some view or another, some small towns with about 3 houses that took you back in time. Being a former German colony alot of the settlers here are German speaking and sell pasteries, apple struddle, and other delicacies...even after a short time the influence is evident....It all came to an end in 1915 when the British, needing all the men as canon fodder on the Western front asked South Africa to invade Namibia .....So with a hoard of South Africans storming into the country weaing tight shorts and vests throwing a rugby ball to each other the Germans had it away sharpish....well who wouldn't?? Namibia remained South African right up until 1990 when Namibia got it's independance. 

We finaly reached the next camp for the day, it was located in the middle of the desert but a fairly big camp with all facilities....including wifi...hot showers and a restaurant. It was fairly busy so while we made use of the wifi and I had a cuppa a sand storm came out of knowwhere....it wasnt strong at first but we quickly put our tents up as we didn't know how long it would last...I can tell you it's fun putting up a tent in wind and blinded by sand...but we managed it...then pegged them down as the wind was getting stronger, think I lost about 10 layers of skin from being sand blasted. One good thing to come out of it was that I didn't have to help cook...so we went to the restaurant.....The storm did eventually die out so I had a shower to get rid of all the sand....and now thankfully chaffe free....the whole shower block was just a layer of sand...the tent you could make sand castles in, but I didn't care I was knackered so crashed out as it was a 4am start the next day to watch the sunrise over the sand dunes......

I don't know why but I love deserts....maybe I was Lawrence of Arabia in my last life:-/...Up at the crack of dawn, pitch black off we drove to the middle of the Namibia desert, just as it was breaking day we were hiking up a bloody great sand dune, as the sun rose it was getting hotter and hotter....the desert comes alive, the colours change constantly..reds...yellows...it was amazing, I even forgot about the cardiac arrest I was having earlier climing up a bloody great dune! There was such a peacefulness...who knows what was under my feet though...I watch Attenbrough!! I wore good sturdy boots...scorpion snake and spider free...The sun rose and the heat came...hotter and hotter and it was only stupid oclock in the morning still....I wouldn't like to be stuck out here that's for sure.... After a while when we got down we had breakfast alfresco style next to the truck, Henry our cook can put together the most amazing meals with a few ingredients and a two ring burner...what a great morning......once we packed up it was time to head deeper into the hot searing desert....With the sun now high, it was fierce the heat...but I had me water...sunblock....I was good to go. To get right in to the interior we hired 4x4's....and was taken on a roller coaster ride through the sands....on the way we spotted oryx...wild and free....I took so many photos of the desert..the trees coming out of the sand, what an amazing place, almost alien, void of life it seemed apart from a bunch of mad tourist running around...This place will be by far my most favorite, the oldest desert in the world and I'm standing here....

As we made our way up north along the coast of Namibia you could see the landscape change, from barren sands to scrubs lands....that's when we saw the animals...Zebra...springbok...Oryx ostrich.....too many to name. The best is yet to come though when we reach Etosha National park. The campsites seemed to get more remote as well....one night we slept in the middle of know where right on top of a rock formation...(apparently this will be void of scorpions, snakes and spiders as they dont like it up here...I am still to be convinced )so under the stars we shall sleep.... just in our sleeping bags. The stars that night blew me away, the night sky was alive...it was lovely and cool as well....with the occasional scampering of little mammals...nothing to worry about...I did sleep with a big stick though. 

Our first real stop on the trip was a town called Swakopmund a little town in the middle of the skeleton coast, an area renowned for its ship wrecks, adrenaline sports and away from the heat. For some reason it only ever gets to about 20 degrees....and chilly enough at night to need a jumper....just to rub it in UK ;-) The town was like an upmarket town you see in the Western films...It was slow paced, easy going with plenty of shops, restaurants...bars...and lots of tourists mainly from South Africa ...I liked it, especially when after searching endlessly for a roast dinner....(it was Sunday) and failing...I stumbled upon an Indian restaurant...it was like a mirage in an oasis....dinner is served;-) It was bloody lovely... With my washing done...fresh skids always a bonus;-) re pack and ready for the next part of the trip which will go to Etosha national park......

So far we have travelled 2000 Klms ...in a truck, stopped overnight at a campsite or in the middle of knowwhere.....Henry our cook makes the best meals ever....I've not gone hungry...everyone mucks in to help cook wash up and flap the dishes dry...we put our own tents up, which we do with military precision...even in the dark...up at stupid oclock and tents down...breakfast...load the truck and were off.....I've loved every minute. Even driving along i'm out the window looking at wildlife.

ETOSHA NP Namibia......

We arrived at Etosha national park midday....got our tents up in the camp park actually in the reserve.....then we went on our first game drive.....The truck we're travelling in is high with windows that slide down far enough to see out of but closed enough so nothing can jump in and rip you limb from limb...it was like a live version of "the lion King"...we passed water holes teeming with Zebra, Antilope, wilderbeast, elephant ,Giraffe you name it....between waterholes herds of elephant crossed in front of you...a lion slept under a tree, buzzards circled over head...just as you thought you have seen everything two Rhino came out of the trees......absolutely amazing it was. We returned back to the camp for dinner, as usual our rota told us what we would be doing...some of us cooking...some washing up... or cleaning the truck..(don't ever call it a bus as Dan gets upset...'he's not a bus driver')..;-).everyone mucked in. Victor told us to beware when moving about in the dark as there are snakes and scorpions so flash your light everywhere you step....I wouldn't mind but the toilet block was about 20 agonising steps away....and it didn't help my bladder to know I could be bitten or crushed by a bloody great snake....i layed off the tea i can tell you!! I turned in for the night zipped up the tent and drifted off to sleep....It's hot at first, but the nights soon chill so I can get into the sleeping bag....I share a tent, it's a two person tent like a dome....completely rain proof and we called it home, we have our own numbers so our bed roll and tent was number 8 and it was our responsibility for the trip to use and look after that tent...It's quite unnerving to know that your surrounded by wild animals and all you have between you and them is a millimeter thick piece of fabric.....an elephant could just step on you and squish you like a sandwich wrap....a lion slice open the thing with one claw....I must have had that thought in my head as I was woken by a roar!! grow!l and shriek!!.....still groggy i was trying to work out what was in the tent!! :-O ...panicked I was waiting for the death blow.....Turns out it was by bunkie snoring!!! My heart was still pounding....he was still making a sound of a horny hippo...At that point I could have quite easily have dragged him out in his sleeping bag to the watering hole and left him there.....I didn't! I shone my tourch in his face this seemed to have done the trick and he turned over...or it could have been to get away from the smell from where I nearly shat myself!! Either way I drifted off back to sleep.....

Next morning we were up and the tents came down....Henry cooked breakfast,we ate ....washed up and flapped our plates bowls and cutlery dry....(no tea towels) ...We set off to the other side of Etosha np to another camp, this place is hundreds of square kilometers wide so a good few hours driving, but along the way we would stop to watch heards of giraffe, elephants or other amazing sights....Eventually we reached the next camp, it looked like something out of a Mad Max film ...broken cars...old scrap metal all made in a kind of art...sewing machines engines...really querky....This camp had only an electric fence between us and what ever fancied a snack....and the middle of knowwhere.....i'm sure even Bear Grylls would have crapped himself!... As night fell Victor told us to be extra vigillant again for wild animals and things that slither or crawl.., a storm broke, lightning thunder and the rain fell, so we all bed down for the night...thats when the power went out...now normally I wouldn't care...but knowing that an electric fence was between us and some " jurassic park " kind of horror, and now there was no power ....what was powering the fence?? can anything just wander in licking it's lips?? Thankfully we all survived.  That morning as we were preparing breakfast as normal, still groggy I heard a shriek and saw Henry our Kenyan Chef move at lightning pace...Henry doesn't normally move at lightning pace...but all eyes were on him as he danced and jumped around....a bloody great scorpion had run over his foot!! and darted into a tree...( the scorpion not Henry) big ol black thing...orrible it was...I thought all Africans were used to creepy crawleys and snakes but he assured me NO!! I ate my wheatabix with one eye on that tree I can tell you! When we took the tents down we moved it over so that there wouldn't be any surprises under it....welcome to the jungle!

San Bushmen....Namibia...👣

Now we've met locals all along the way as we travelled up through Namibia....Today we will meet the San Bushmen, a tribe that used to roam the desert and live off the land. These days they live in communities, wear western type clothing, shop in supermarkets and go to school. However they keep their traditions alive by passing down the old ways to the younger ones. How to hunt, how to live off the land, old stories recounted.....we were visiting a living museum these people have been around thousands of years. Our guide spoke excellent English and wore a leather pair of 'speedos' with an axe that doubles as a pipe and digging hoe....a real multi tool. Also attached to his belt was a tiny bow...I asked if he hunted mouse with this? he said it was a 'love bow'....If you like a girl you have to shoot her in the bum with this love arrow and if she give you back the arrow and smiles she will be your love...if she snaps it in half and flys into a rage at being shot in the ass then you can take it as read that you will not be dating this women.... We were introduced to the other memebers of the tribe all dressed in traditional dress, ( I say 'dressed' as the women wore very little, hence boobs were everywhere!...where to look??:-O) The guide who gave himself a real western name like 'Frank'...none of us could even begin to say his real name as it contained a series of clicks and throat noises alien to us, these people speak with a click it's amazing to hear...each click before or after a word means something different....and I still struggle with French ! ...First we were shown how they make fire by rubbing a stick together...then we set off behined a group of Bushmen and women like a war party out on a hunt through the ....well bush...they would stop to show us various plants...they would dig down to the roots and give us a piece of bark that smelt like tiger balm..(or deepheat)...and thats what they use this medicine for as well...aches and pains...another bush and the root is used to make poison for their arrows to bring down an animal...we passed a tree and they made a straw out of a reed and drank water out of the trunk....even in this scourched dry enviroment there's water to be had....they showed us how to set traps using twigs and vines....absolutely amazing it was. Eventually we arrived at the village made of straw huts....with the rest of the tribe all sitting it was like going back in time. 'Frank" then showed us how they hunt with a bow...tracking..stalking...and fired at a target...he missed, after several attempts they both missed...they then asked for volunteers...I hit the target first time would you believe, honest....they all cheered....I was the hunter:-)...a proud Essex boy that day;-)  That was the end to our day, it really was a highlight for me meeting these people, they smiled and were happy yet had little...a lesson for us all. After a brief stop at the market where they make and sell jewellery, bags, axes, bows I bough a few gifts for friends and family.....I didnt buy a love bow by the way..and never bought a pair of the leather posing pouch either...i'd be arrested if I wore them at home....a perfect day though

Okavango Delta in a mokoro......and the hippos

We were now at the very north end of Namibia through a norrow belt known as the Caprivi strip, here Angola, Zambia Zimbabwe and Botswana all share a boarder....We were heading into Botswana to the Okavango Delta...where the land is marsh land accesible only by small canoes called Mokoro....punted along by locals. Leaving the truck we grabbed our tents and a couple days worth of supplies and skids as we were going to be camping out in the swamp....I kid you not. You can fit alot into a Mokoro and the locals defly punted us along this swamp....sometimes surrounded by grass and weeds other times in a wide open river....all the time keeping a weary eye open for a prancing hippo.....this is hippo country...you can hear them taunting you...The sun was high and burning you, wildlife teamed on the riverbank....antilope....birds..even elephant. Eventually the mokoro one by one infront dissapeared into the river bank...it was a long thin channel how they even knew it was there was baffling....we beached and unloaded our tents and equipment....We were on a small island surrounded by water and marsh....but completely open. Our camp consisted of a few trees....whilst we put up our tents the locals brought up a mokoro for Henry to use as a table and cook on...food and water was brought up....eventually this small Island was inhabited by 18 of us...fearless explorers...NOT.....and who knows what wild life....Our guide called 'Thomas' instructed us on the use of the 'toilet office'....a shovel was left on a path.....when the shovel was gone the office was in use....and also used to 'hide the evidence'....we were not allowed to wander outside the camp perimeter...if you wanted a toilet at night you flashed your tourch and one of the locals would come and help you.....there were no fences here....lions hippo and snakes roamed free.....if that was an excuse to use the 'office ' I dont know what is???:-O We had a quick lunch and got back into the Mokoro, we were going to look at the hippo. Now sitting in a little canoe..sorry mokoro....face to face with dozens of little eyes and flapping ears in the water not more than 50 feet infront of you is enough to give you the willies....every now and then one would rear up opening it's gigantic mouth and splashing the water....the locals kept a safe distance and all five of our mokoros came together....we watched in awe. The sun started to go down so we left the herd of hippos and poled back to camp watching the sun set....what an amazing photo that made....even took a video. How they found there way back ill never know but we got back to our little island. Henry cooked us a curry which was gorgeous and once we cleared away the locals put on a little show for us by the light of a great roaring camp fire...they sang, they danced....such a lovely end to the day....

Next morning we were up early, tents down and breakfast. I asked Thomas if anything was around last night? he said a hippo came close and some other animals came into the camp. Once the Mokoros were all loaded we headed off again to a camp on the mainland. This was more of a camp site with tents, toilet block, open air showers and a small bar. The campsite was still open, no fence...no electric...but we were staying in big safari tents not our two man dome jobbies....I had my own tent all to myself....I don't know if Victor the leader felt sorry for me because of my sleep deprivation...or as a way of saying thank you for not killing my bunkie for snoring....(there was a plan already believe me....out here theres no one to hear you scream....;-)) 

Chobe national Park Botswana.....via Namibia...

Today we headed back into Namabia, along the Caprivi strip and into Botswana again....it's quicker than driving around apparently. The place has the largest concentration of Elephants than anywhere in the world.....Our camp ground was on the river Zambezi you could watch Hippo and wildlife from the campsite.....I took a boat cruise with a few of the others and watched the hippo swimming ....But the next day I would get to see the hippos out of the water on dry land little legs massive bodies. I also saw my crocodiles at last...some swimming...some on land....herds of elephant played in the water....antilope, birds....fantastic. Another game drive in a small 4x4 took us into the heart of the Chobe NP ....along tracks the driver would take us to view every kind of wildlife from monkies to Giraffe...elephant..hippo...then I smelt death...a rancid sweet smell.....a lion had just made a fresh kill and we drove along the track we see the dead animal....then the lion resting under a shaded tree.....amazing.....she didn't seem to mind us interrupting her dinner...I love this place....

Our campsite in Botswana would be the last one we visit....it's really nice a very posh one but we still camped in our tents at the edge of the campground...with the other peasents.....our camp was invaded by monkey...then mongoose....Tanya came running up the path on the last day saying she was sitting on the bus and a load of monkies tried to get in through the windows....she was having a skype interview at the time for a job in her native Finland....not sure what the interviewers would have thought of that....but it makes her memorable....I wonder if she got the job?? Next day we loaded up and had our breakfast.....Today we will be driving into Zimbabwe, the last leg of the trip for me. I looked up on the bus and see the 10 familiar faces Ive shared this experience with over the past 3 weeks....The boarder was hell of along wait...it was hot and standing in line waiting for the two immigration officials to take your passport and your money...then give you a visa, it seemed to be an eternity on the tv was a premier league game as I looked around I saw locals with Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea tops on...the poor sods..;-).....We got there in the end, my passport now stamped I was in Zimbabwe.... A short drive to the last camp in Victoria falls. It was a fairly big town, catering for tourists...and in the distance you could see the mist of the falls....At last I was going to see Victoria falls....It's only a short walk from the camp ground....in my excitement to get there I didn't carry my poncho which ive been carrying around for the past month....we got to the falls and saw them at several view points....then it rained....it fell down!  We were soaked!!....but it still didn't take away the beauty of the falls.....A statue of Livingstone himself stood there...in the rain....We took refuge in a cafe and dryed off....It's the 23rd of December today...nearly Christmas...what better present could I give myself than a helicopter flight over the falls on Christmas day..:-) So I will be coming back.........I had said my goodbyes to the friends I had met, some going to Nairobi...and some to other destinations....we had a dinner on the last night....and a secret Santa....I'll miss Frida, Pam, Martina...Ash....and the others....ill probably hear Tanya at some point up there in Kenya..😉

Being greedy,  one Christmas pressy to myself wasn't enough....I found a really nice hotel close by....my own room...ensuite bathroom...AC....fresh sheets...clean towels...swimming pool....I treated myself to two days in luxury....well  after living like a hobo in a truck fending off wild animals and B.O for nearly 4 weeks it was a breath of fresh air litrally...They had internet as well....and it was fast....at last I can upload my photos...videos....the place was heaven.......I did have to run a guantlet of 'come to my shop'.....'I show you my house' 'I give you a good price anything you want cheap'...the hotel was on a street called '' elephant walk''....a market place selling carvings to bags to clothing....and I though it was just elephants who passed through here??? I didn't get any joy locating a Christmas dinner.....trust me I looked and researched...I did find an Asian place with Thai, Indian and Chinese on the board outside....when I went in licking my lips I was told ''no curry sorry''....'but you have it on the board'.....we have ''Thai''.....'urrrggghhhhh Thai??'....I never did eat there....fear of what they would do to my kong pou chicken really .....I had a game steak instead at the hotel.....(sorry you Vegan people)..and it was gooood....I had a shower after....actually it was about the third that day....then had a siesta on my big comfy bed.....that turned out to be a 9 hour siesta....is that a record?? I must have needed it....

Christmas day....I was up early ready for my flight....the weather looked clear, the mini bus came and picked me up, and off we went to the heliport....there were a few people there and a helicopter swooped in.... some of my fellow travellers from the bus were on it...they said how amazing it was and invited me to breakfast at the 'lookout restaurant' on the falls later when I land or "IF"..I LAND :-O.....I waited ....anticipation building....they wanted to weigh me....told me to wait here....then I was weighed again with a camera filming me?? turns out it was for the video......At last It was my turn, by luck I sat up front with the pilot....I asked if I could have a stick as well but he shook his head.....doesn't look like I will be driving today then.....The engine roared to life and we lifted effortlessly upwards....I filmed the whole experience..(      https://youtu.be/r40ZKlVyKV4       ) As we neared the falls you could see the spray....then in all her glory we circled and saw this natural beauty....amazing....what a Christmas.....We came into land and I was buzzing....I was ushered into a room to watch a video of me being weighed....(not dramatic viewing)...then getting into the helicopter....Then stepping out of the helicopter.....he asked if I wanted a copy...''only U$50''......'how much????'....'I'll give you my copy for U$25 and its got the flight over the falls in'.....he didn't buy it....I got a taxi to the lookout restaurant and met up with the others for breakfast. Just along from us people were zip wiring across the falls...the stupid gets....I took a slow walk back to the hotel, through the busy streets....through elephant walk...."come look at my shop"....."I give you good price"...."where you from".....' I'm eskimo'.....they probably know how to hassle you in 10 languages.....but I can guarantee not eskimo😉...now totally confused as they discussed what language Eskimo is I made my escape.....this head is not just a hat rack ;-)