This morning was special – an experience I will always remember when two lions walked in front of our jeep. The first video captures one of those lions. In addition, we saw lionesses and their cubs, impala, kudu, elephants, baboons (a baby hitching a ride), jackals, warthogs, and more birds.
The Big 5 – Leopards to go!
Zimbabwe is a country of 16 million people of which 65% live in rural areas. I consider myself so fortunate to have visited this country that filled my cup with such amazing memories. To finish our time here, we went to The Big Open Craft Market and I bought some curios (souvenirs) made from teak, olive and springstone. I also bartered for a mbira (a mini hand-held piano) and some “monkey ball” shakers. Negotiation is a must and expected! Teak trees are common in Zimbabwe and you will find a lot of curios and carvings made from wood of this tree. Also, popular curios are the woven plates that you can hang on a wall and soapstone animal figures. There is a women’s and a men’s market of vendors.
Once we were all shopped out, we headed, via bus, for the 1 hour drive to The Republic of Botswana to the town of Kasare on the Chobe River. While we entered through immigrations, I had to dip my shoes to confirm no foot-and-mouth disease—they are very serious about their beef industry here.
Some facts from our bus driver:
• We are close to the intersection of Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia – only place in the world where 4 countries come together.
• Marriage – In rural Zimbabwe when you marry, the grooms family must pay the dowry in cows. The greater the number of cows = the more educated/skilled the woman. There are still polygamy in some tribes but it’s slowly fading due to Christianity.
Botswana:
Facts-
• Monetary unit – Pula
• Main exports – diamonds, cattle and tourism. Also, copper, nickel, coal, and iron ore.
• Home to 2.3M people
• Capital – Gaborone
• One of Africa’s most stable countries and the continent’s longest continuous multi-party democracy with a good human rights record.
I look forward to seeing the baobob and acacia (umbrella and camel) trees in Botswana. Also, the sand dunes of the Kalahari cover most of Botswana
Hello Greeting:
*Du mela, mma (to greet a female)
*Du mela, rra (to greet a male)
Botswana is made of sand of the Kalahari and is home to over 130,000 elephants! In fact, there is a dispute going on right now regarding reducing the number of elephants in Botswana.
WE ARRIVED!
We arrived at the Chobe Marina Lodge, situated on the Chobe River, by lunch. I am blown away—this place is like a giant treehouse! We had barely checked into our room when Vervet moneys were doing handstands and a warthog was grazing the grounds outside the balcony!
Once we dropped our bags off, we had a buffet lunch and went on a Boat Excursion at 3:00. Long, hot afternoon which took us along the Chobe River into the Chobe National Park. Another breathtaking sunset while we cruised along the river, taking in so many animals and birds—elephants, (big) crocs, hippos, baboons, antelope (aquatic and waterbuck), impala, African fish eagle, AND another one of the big 5–the African buffalo! and then the icing on the cake was the sunset. I didn’t think a sunset would ever top the other night, but gosh was I wrong!
What an incredible stay at Pioneers Lodge in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe for adventures https://www.pioneersvicfalls.com
This is a fairly new hotel (since Covid) and it feels like I have stepped back in time. The gardens are beautiful (with two pools), the service is impeccable, and the rooms are comfortable! I highly recommend for your next Victoria Falls excursion.
There are only two countries that start with the letter “Z” and I went to both today. Before I tell the story, let me share some tidbits from my time here-
1. Zimbabwe got its name from the Shona tribe — dzinba dzemabwe—which means houses of stone or stone buildings. They were masons who built with stones and didn’t use mortar.
2. Zimbabwe used to be called Southern Rhodesia until their independence in 1980. Zambia was called Northern Rhodesia until 1964.
3. Victoria Falls is a safe tourist destination. Tourism is their livelihood and the penalties are steep if someone would try something shady.
4. Last night there was such a cacophony of dogs barking—the elephants were walking down the street!
Back to today…
After sleeping in (7:00 am) we started the day by touring the Victoria Falls Bridge, which connects the two “Z” countries—Zimbabwe and Zambia.
We took a bus to the Zambia side of the bridge, listened to an interesting overview on how the bridge was built, strapped in with carabiners, and walked across the cat walk with the Vervet monkeys in tow. And on the way we had the best view of Victoria Falls! Here are some fun facts about the Victoria Falls bridge:
1. The bridge was built and assembled in London to make sure it was structurally sound and would work. Then they broke it down and brought it to Rhodesia.
2. Built in 1905 and standing 128 meters high, it was an engineering feat at the time. There was/is no central support in the middle and it was built at the same time on each side so that they eventually met in the middle (fyi-similar to how the St Louis Arch was built). The gap was less than 1 1/2 inches. But the next day it was perfect due to thermal dynamics.
3. Workers’ tools had to be kept in a bucket of water given the hot weather.
4. It takes 6 years to (re)paint the bridge —all done by hand (including scrapping the paint off to prepare for the fresh coat).
5. On the Zambia side, the bridge was built in the basalt rock; and on the Zimbabwe side they dug down 15 meters to get to that same rock.
6. The vervet monkeys live on and in the bridge—automatic playground!
7. The cat walk was the original bridge and walk way. They built it 5 feet higher in 1930 when cars were introduced into the area.
8. You can Bungee jump off the bridge…two people in our party did!
9. Blondin- this was the name of the zip line that allowed the workers to carry supplies from one side to the next.
Next, we visited a primary school where we donated school supplies, took a tour, and enjoyed some entertainment from the students. This is a public school and the children wear uniforms. It cost a family $180 a year (3 terms per school year) to send their child to school. If the family is unable to find the tuition, they rely on funding from the government and private support.
We went to a couple of classrooms and had the opportunity to ask the students and teachers questions (and be asked questions).
This afternoon we went to an elephant sanctuary called Jafuta, a nonprofit that protects elephants who were injured or abandoned and can no longer live in the wild. All of the elephants are rescues who were orphaned or injured and cannot return to the wild. They are now conservation and education animal ambassadors and have a safe home where they are cared for and allowed to freely roam the reserve. That’s where I met Doma—a 45 year old male who has lived in protection most of his life after he was rescued from being culled. In addition to feeding them, we walked with the elephants in the bush. It was a very calming experience!
In addition to the elephants, we also saw a baboon, Yellow Billed Stork, and Gray Heron.
We finished our day with a talk from retired safari guide, Chris Warden. He is passionate about Dr. David Livingstone and shared more about David’s extraordinary life, explorations, and his fight to end the East Africa slave trade.
When I didn’t think the day could get any better in Zimbabwe, it did!
Our night cap and July 4th celebration was a Dinner Cruise on the Zambezi River.
After drinks, appetizers, and great conversation about our unbelievable day, we saw some animals! The Egyptian goose, a couple of crocodiles, and this little fellow who just wanted to sleep. He had some scars so the theory is he’s been battling his way into a bloat of hippos or trying to stay in his bloat.
After our game drive we did the helicopter tour over Victoria Falls. It was incredible to get the “by air” perspective since we visited the Falls yesterday by foot. Highly recommend!! 🚁
After we arrived back to the hotel, we took a little excursion to tue corner market and bought some treats – M&Ms!
Have you ever had one of those days that just is perfect from start to finish? That was today for me in Zimbabwe.
Because it was so perfect, I’m going to split this post into three parts from the three distinct events that we did today.
Let’s start with private game drive to The Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve, on 4,000 hectares of land and home to the big 5, including the critically endangered black rhinoceros. These animals are poached for their horns, which have been used in Chinese medicine for years to cure a number of ailments. According to our guide there only around 5,000 left. Today, their horns are removed so the animals are not poached/killed, and grow back within two years.
Our wake up call at 5:00 am. We were out in the jeep, bundled up, and ready to go by 5:30 am. It was a chilly start to the day but on our drive to the private game reserve we saw three shooting stars and knew it would be a memorable morning.
Upon entering the reserve, we saw the most beautiful sunrise
While on our way to find the rhinos, we ran into a small herd of elephants. It was quite the encounter. The guide stopped the Jeep and we stood motionless as the bulls crossed the road. A mother shook her head at us as a warning to stay back as she crossed with her baby. Then a teenager had a stare down with us before we proceeded on our way. Incredible experience where my heart skipped a few beats. It’s always the goal to stay a distance from the animals; however, in this case, they were right there!
We then found the black rhinoceros. In fact, we found two of them! What a sight to see as they snapped the branches from the trees and ate the leaves along with it. They are quite noisy eaters! The black rhinos can also lift heir heads quite high, unlike the white rhinos who are ground grazers.
The morning continued with sightings of: giraffes, warthogs, the elusive Roan Antelope (our one guide said she may see one every 2-3 years!), zebras, kudus, impalas, and baboons. Here are a few pics/videos.
Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi–oa–Tunya (the smoke that thunders), has it all—
1. It’s the largest waterfall in the world because of combined width (5.604 feet) and height (355 feet).
2. It is actually 5 falls straddling two countries —4 in Zimbabwe and 1 in Zambia.
3. It’s part of the Zambezi River and located within two National Parks
4. It’s one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World
5. Make sure you bring water shoes because you will get wet!
We walked along the rim overlooking the Falls, stopping at various points along the way to breathe it in, listen to the massive falls, and say “look, another fabulous rainbow!)🌈
We boarded our Fastjet Embraer 145 LR this morning from Johannesburg and headed to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. After the flight attendant sprayed an insecticide to make sure there are no pests traveling aboard from one country to the next, we settled in for our 1 hour 40 minute flight north. We’re expecting a warm 80 degree Fahrenheit day as we explore one of the world’s largest waterfalls located on the boarder between Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 and Zambia 🇿🇲. Located on the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls has a width of 1,708 m (5,604 ft) and was named for Queen Victoria of England by Scottish explorer, David Livingstone after he identified the falls in 1855.
Today was…indescribable. I am trying to find the right words for our step back in time as we learned more about the South African history of apartheid from 1948-1994. I will do my best to summarize.
First, our local guide, Chezlin, took us on a tour of Soweto, a symbol of the struggle against apartheid. Its original name means South Western Townships and was formed under the Native (Urban Areas) Act of 1923. Black and Colored South Africans were forcibly moved here during apartheid and were further segregated into ethnic groups. The houses were “match box” homes with very little room. There was no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Today Soweto is home to 2 million people and is made up of 37 suburbs. There remain shanty towns (squatter camps), which have many health and safety concerns.
First stop – Freedom Square, or the Walter Sisulu Square in the oldest suburb, Kliptown. It was here that 3,000 people met to work on The Freedom charter – a unified vision for the future of all South Africans. This charter consisted of 10 principles that were adopted at the Congress of the People in 1955 and remains the cornerstone of African National Congress (ANC) policy and the foundation of South Africa’s 1996 constitution. It begins with “The People Shall Govern!”
We visited a market right next to Freedom square and learned more about the food and the culture
Next stop – The Hector Pieterson Memorial. It is believed that the Soweto Uprising was the beginning of the end of apartheid. This event showed the world the atrocities happening in apartheid South Africa.
What was The Soweto uprising?
The police open fired using real bullets on more than 20,000 black students as they were marching in their school uniforms. They were peacefully protesting the enforcement of teaching in Afrikaans and English for all school subjects. Students could no longer learn in their native languages, like Xhosa and Zulu.
Where, when, and how it turned violent, nobody knows for certain. We listened to the first hand account of what happened that day in 1976. The story was told to us by Antoinette Sithole, seen here in the picture. Antoinette is Hector’s sister and the girl running beside Hector in the famous picture. Antoinette concluded her story with “forgiveness heals”.
The Soweto Uprising is remembered today in the museum, which had artifacts /and other first hand accounts from people that were there. The anniversary of Hector’s death is designated Youth Day in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela’s Home at 8115 Vilakazi Steet in Orlando West from 1945-1961, which is right down the road from Desmond Tutu’s home. I took lots and lots of pictures of all the awards, artifacts and furniture. We saw the tree where they buried their grandchildren’s umbilical cords per African tradition.
Last stop – we had traditional African food for lunch at a family- run hotel in the suburb of Orlando in Soweto. FYI—Orlando is the home of Trevor Noah.
We finished the day’s tour with an informational session from our guides and had a welcome dinner. Tomorrow we head north by plane!
Notes –
*South Africans drive on the opposite side of the road than we do in the U.S. I keep wanting to enter the bus on the side I am used to!
*The important mini-bus taxi system is the main way South Africans get around in busy cities. It’s a bit complicated for visitors and requires hand signals! Don’t sit in the front row unless you want to be in charge of the fees for the 16 other passengers.
*We started taking our malaria pills today.
*The South African unemployment rate is 33% – essentially 1/3rd of the 62M population are unemployed.
*Johannesburg is the biggest man made forest.
We arrived at the O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg late morning. Exiting the airport we were greeted by the 9 meter tall bronze statue of Oliver Reginald (O. R.) Tambo—an anti apartheid activist who served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967-1991. He was succeeded by Nelson Mandela. Along with Mandela and Arthur Sisulu, he also founded the ANC’s Youth League in 1944.
We were also greeted by our tour guide, Eric, and our travel expert, Robyn, with Smithsonian Journeys. After a much needed nap (over 30 hours of travels across two nights), we ate dinner at a local place where we’re staying in Rosebank. Rosebank is north of central Johannesburg.
And now it’s time for a proper night’s sleep and then off to explore Johannesburg—the largest city in South Africa with over 60 million people, 11 official languages, and a culture that has captivated me. I vividly remember when the U.S. Congress enacted the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. This act imposed sanctions against South Africa until 5 conditions were met which would end apartheid. I was in high school at the time and went to a conference where they educated us on the anti-apartheid struggle. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to visit Nelson Mandela’s house, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and then talk with a resident who will share their personal story about the Soweto uprising.
Last flight. Just 8 more hours. Exhausted but smiling!
After a (very) brief overnight stay in Dubai, we’re leaving at 4:00 am (again, in the dark) and heading to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Time to try and get some sleep!😴
It’s so strange when you take off in the dark, fly 14 hours, and land at sunset! That’s exactly what we did today (yesterday). Round of applause for Emirates – what an uneventful flight filled with lots of movies, food, and very little sleep as it was difficult to get comfy on a full flight. But even the economy seats (where we sat) were ergonomically built—reclining seats, adjustable headrest, and a great entertainment center. The entire business class had seats that allow you to lay down (sigh). The first class had private rooms (double sigh) and I didn’t get to see those. Esthetically, it was a beautiful plane with a fantastic crew—30 in all, speaking 11 different languages.
I especially loved the ability to view below and in front of the plane via cameras from my seat monitor —take a look at this landing shot!
Now it’s off to sleep for two hours at the Hotel Emirates arranged for us before we leave on the next leg of the trip—South Africa!
Yesterday we traveled from STL (St. Louis) to ORD (Chicago) and spent the night—it’s nice to have a buffer so we don’t have to worry about missing a flight! Today we leave for an amazing adventure 🐘🦒🦓 that will take us 22 hours of flying time.
STL—>ORD 🇺🇸 45 minutes
ORD—>DXB🇦🇪 14 hours
DXB—>JNB 🇿🇦 8 hours
We overnight in Dubai before flying to South Africa!
After landing on the only runway at the only commercial airport located within a US National Park, we were greeted by the snow capped peaks of the Teton mountain range. Exiting the airplane on an outdoor jetway and being greeted by the Grand Teton standing majestically at 13,775 feet took our breath away (and it wasn’t just because we were at 6,451’ elevation).
Jackson Hole is actually the name of the valley in Wyoming. We stayed in the town of Jackson and enjoyed 5 days in the wilderness playground of the Grand Teton National Park. Yellowstone National Park is only a two hour drive away but since we have been there before, we choose to stay around Jackson Hole.
The Jenny Lake Trail is worth the hike. If you go beyond Inspiration Point, you will be in Cascade Canyon – another really memorable hike! we had an incredible vacation. Not just because of the amazing nature, but also because my husband and I got to spend some quality time with our two sons (including trying to keep up with them during hikes!).
The most powerful geomagnetic storm in 20 years delivered the most amazing auroras across the globe last night. It was an extremely rare G-5 level event that followed a series of strong solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME for short) from mid-week.
Experiencing the aurora was a bucket list night for me and a lot of other people. The pictures on social media from Europe, Canada, China, and the US (as far south as Florida!) are insanely breathtaking. Never did I ever imagine that I would see an aurora in my home state of Missouri. And, I will never forget it.
People go in search of auroras. The aurora hunters and enthusiasts travel thousands of miles at the perfect time of the year, to the areas of the world that are known for their gorgeous display of green, pink, purple, and blue, only to be let down because the lights fail to make their appearance on demand. I know, I spent three nights trying to track the aurora in Iceland last year. It’s disappointing.
Little did I know that I’d be able to see them right from my front and back yard before 10 pm on May 10, 2024. As you can see from the pictures, they were pink, red, and a little green. The red is a result of the intense storm (and being further south). And while our northern hemisphere gives us the aurora borealis or northern lights, the aurora australis brings about the southern lights in places like Antarctica, Tasmania,and even Australia.
I’m exceptionally lucky. Last night was my fourth viewing of the aurora. My first was in 2018 on an airplane to Alaska, somewhere over Canada. They were vivid green and I watched them move throughout the sky at 39,000 feet at the end of August. It was such a peaceful moment because most everyone on the plane was asleep. I woke my boys to take a peek, but I felt like the lights were dancing just for me.
The next time was on a plane to Iceland in April 2023. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sitting by the window so I had to awkwardly crane my neck over the gentleman who had the prime seat. The third time was two days later in Reykjavík. Even with the city lights, they were visible to the naked eye. I have posted pictures in a prior blog post if you’d like to take a look. It was a perfect day—we had just returned from an incredible excursion in the southern part of Iceland. I ran out from my hotel room, in my robe, to the rooftop to catch a glimpse. Last night I was also in my robe. Therefore, I think I either need to be on an airplane or in my robe to see the aurora!
There’s a chance the northern lights will make a return over the next couple days. Please come back to Missouri, Aurora!
How did I not know that the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, aka St. Louis Cathedral, which sits in the Central West end of the city, rivals churches I have seen to-date?
I always knew this cathedral was there; however, I’ve never taken the time to visit. What a terrible miss on my part. It took a visitor from another country, who is spending Thanksgiving with us, to request a visit for me to finally discover this gem. Let’s just say that I was BLOWN AWAY! Completed in 1914, named for Saint Louis, and designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997, it’s an astonishing collection of mosaic art work.
My head swirled as I entered and looked up and around. There was a man from North Carolina admiring the details next to me. He commented that he’s been all over the world and this is one of the best cathedrals he has visited. I told him that I’ve never seen so many mosaic tiles outside of Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi). He agreed.
I had to look it up because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. According to Wikipedia, the basilica contains 41.5 million glass tesserae (tile) pieces in 7,000+ colors. The tiles cover 83,000 square feet and it is, indeed, the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia. Holy moly—right in my home town!
The mosaic work was done by several people/companies including a father/son team who dedicated their lives to the art.
It is #6 on TripAdvisor’s things to do in St Louis, following the Arch, the Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, the City Museum, and Busch Stadium. While I don’t disagree those are must see attractions, THIS BASICILA is a treasure of epic proportions—and I, too, have seen a ton of churches around the world. I may not be Catholic, but gosh, was this a spiritual moment!
There is a crypt with the former Cardinals of the St Louis Archdiocese, an organ with a story too long to tell here, and a museum to learn more about the mosaic art work. We didn’t have time to explore these 3 in detail (as we had reservations to go up #1 on the list—the Gateway Arch), but I will take a guided tour next time.
Do I really need to add words to these pictures?
These were taken at sunset on a really cold October day aboard Chicago’s First Lady. The 90 minute tour partners with the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). The view! The history! The buildings!
We struggled with making a decision. Do we drive two hours to go to Bryce Canyon National Park today or do we stay in Zion? We had many recommendations to go and so we thought, let’s do it! BEST DECISION!! Bryce Canyon, or BC (which I will affectionally call it), was beyond our wildest imagination. It’s something right out of fantasyland. They even have a Canyon named Fairyland! Whether you see chess pieces ♟️ or other mythical creatures, BC was like a sugar craving. You know when you open a candy bar and say, “I am just going to have 1 square and save the rest for later”? Then next thing you know, the entire bar is gone. That was how we felt about these rocks. We couldn’t just see 1 — we wanted to see them all! I have over 500 pictures and videos from today…I know, it’s over the top but so worth it.
The “rocks” are actually called Hoodoos and BC has the greatest Hoodoo collection in the world. And, the perfect climate, too, with the right balance of freezing and thawing to create them.
We started our drive through Zion National Park (Hwy 9) at 6:30 am, going through the historic 1.1 mile long Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel, which provides direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks. In about 1 hour 50 minutes, we arrived at BC and started hiking at the Bryce Point trailhead (Elevation 8,300). We walked the Rim Trail, stopping at various points, including Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. This led us to the Navajo Loop, taking us down to the Amphitheater (the floor) where we could hike amongst the Hoodoos. We joined up with the Queen’s Garden Trail, which brought us back to the top. I find it much more difficult to hike canyons—what goes down, has to come back up! I’d rather do the hardest part first.
We then ate a really delicious lunch at the rustic Bryce Canyon Lodge. It’s been in operation since 1925 and designed by the famous architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood. I had a Reuben on a GF bun—one of the best Reubens! We shared some garlic parmesan fries, which were also yummy. Maybe I was just really hungry from the hikes?
After lunch we hiked back along the Rim Trail, saw some deer that didn’t seem fazed by us, and made a quick stop by Fairyland Canyon on our way out.
Next time I would add another day for BC. Night time star gazing is supposed to be amazing. Also, there are a couple of other hikes we didn’t have time for in one day. I would love to see the shifting colors of the Hoodoos with sunrise and sunset.
Let’s talk a little more about the Hoodoos, because they are fascinating. They don’t grow out of the ground. Rather, they are eroded out of cliffs. Rows of narrow walls form calls fins. Then cracks occur and holes appear. The fins now have windows. As the windows get bigger, the tops eventually collapse and ta da—a baby hoodoo is born. Rain/snow act like a sculptors and make the hoodoo look like you see in the pictures—a bulbous spire. They have their lifespan and eventually break down into lumps of clay while new Hoodoos are born.
We did it! Well…I did it. Not sure there was ever any question my son couldn’t do it🤣
“It” means hiking Angels Landing, a 1,488-foot tall rock formation in Zion National Park. It stands 5,790 feet tall and provides the most amazing, surreal views of the canyon. It literally took my breath away!
This was by far the HARDEST 4 hour hike (5 miles out and back) I have ever done. 21 switch backs called Walter’s Wiggles, 1,500 foot elevation gain, and then we got on (what I call) “the chains course” for the longest last 1/2 mile of my life. You now need a permit to hike Angels Landing and we were the lucky lottery winners for today. I highly recommend this hike for adventure seekers but not for anyone fearful of heights or with two left feet! You can hear my out-of-breathe narration below if you want to add to your hiking bucket list.
We found out it’s called Angel’s Landing because a Methodist minister, Frederick Vining Fisher, once said that because it’s so massive that only angels might land on it. It’s indeed tall at 5,770 feet with rock from the Jurassic period. The trail is rated as one of the most dangerous hikes in the USA. There are no guard rails and 14 people have died due to falls. We played it safe in all ways – sunscreen + light weight clothing, plenty of water and snacks, took our time, used the chains, stayed away from the edges, and followed the rules of the park. Also, I didn’t take any photos/videos unless I was on a plateau or at a safe stopping point. Call me cautious but I wanted to write this post!
Angels Landing used to be a very congested trail, thus the reason for the lottery, which designated our date and start time. Make sure you check the park’s website for details – they have a season lottery (which we did) or a day before lottery.
Christina’s Journey Journal 