BOTSWANA - LEROO LA TAU

APRIL 2nd - a 50 minute plane ride on a 14 seater to another hard pack landing strip.  We were picked up by Ollie our guide for the next 3 days .  After meeting the management staff, lunch was served and we headed off for the siesta.  High tea was at 3:30 and we left on the afternoon game drive  at 4.  The main difference between Savute and Leroo La Tau is that the game drives are across the river and we have to take a boat to get to the jeeps.  This is when we found out that the guides are not allowed to go off trail in search of animals.  If caught off trail they would lose their guide license.   This also means that we get to view animals at a distance not up close and personal like Savute.  Now we know why binoculars are recommended.  For the first time we saw a hippo out of the water but it was across the river so quite a distance away.  We saw our first baby crocodile along the bank as we were returning to the lodge.

APRIL 3rd - 5 of us went on the morning drive.  After a short search we came across 3 lion cubs.  Ollie did venture a bit off road and we were able to get some closeups.  We also saw some steenboks which, even though fully grown, are the size of a pygmy deer.  As Ollie said, they'd barely be a starter for a lion meal. They are a member of the antelope family.  Other animals we saw this morning included impalas, elephants, kudos,  jackals and hippos.

After high tea we decided to try a boat cruise down the river to see what animals were around.  We found about a dozen elephants having a bath in the river.  There was some dissension among the group and we watched quite a skirmish between them.  They get quite ferocious using their trunks and tusks to intimidate each other.  One who had left the melee and was plodding up a hill took exception to one trying to come down the hill.   As the first one swung his trunk the second one stumbled and slid down the hill - just like two kids.  After watching them for a while we carried on down the river until we encountered hippos.  We are not allowed to disturb them so we had to turn around - certainly wouldn't want to take a chance of floating over one who decided to surface.

The river is close to being a swamp but it has a lot of lily pads with gorgeous big flowers.  Ollie stopped and picked one along with its long stem.  He preceeded to show how the native women would make a necklace out of the reed with the flower the focal point of it.

APRIL 4th - 4 of us went on the morning drive while the rest went to visit the local village.  We searched for both leopards and rhinos with no success.  The grass is quite tall and makes a great camouflage for them.  About a dozen rhinos have been released into the wild with chips implanted and have bracelets on them.  The military are able to track these animals and know exactly where they are but refuse to share this info with the guides.  The rhino is the only one of the big five that we've not seen so, hopefully, we'll spot them in one of our last two safaris.

We saw our first giraffes in this area and, of course, saw elephants, impalas, zebras and kudos.   On our way back to the lodge we spotted a giant lizard sunning itself along the river bank.

On the afternoon drive we covered a lot of territory and saw the tiny steenboks but no lions, leopards or rhinos.

The Lodge staff prepared a big surprise for us that night.  Only management were in the lodge when we got back for sundowners and they said the rest of the staff were given the evening off as they weren't very busy.  The manager said he'd take us to the Chief's house for dinner so we piled into the jeeps expecting a long bumpy ride to the village.  Instead, we only drove about 5 minutes before coming across a big opening which was well lighted with candles and luminarias.   There was a barbecue set up, drinks available and even a portable toilet with bum fluff.  The toilet was a big plus as we've been using bushes while on all the drives.  All the staff were bused in and they entertained us with singing and dancing prior to dinner.  We saw a rhino beetle which is one of the small 5.  It was a great finale to our stay at Leroo La Tau. 

Pictures - 1 - taking the boat across the river to the jeeps
                  2 - the elephants having their little set to
                  3 - zebras

BOTSWANA - SAVUTE SAFARI LODGE

What an exciting 3 days.  We left the Victoria Falls Safari Club after breakfast for an hour bus ride to the Botswana border where we cleared immigration.  No visa fees here after paying $75 US each to enter Zimbabwe.   An open air jeep picked us up for the 30 minute ride to Kasane International Airport which must be a figment in someone's imagination.  After clearing security we climbed on a 10 sear airplane for the 35 minute ride to Savute airport which has a dirt runway and landed at Terminal 5, gate 3.  The only building we saw was a small shack.  There we were picked up by Baba who is to be our guide for our stay at Savute Safari Lodge.  After lunch and a sort siesta, high tea was served and we headed out for our afternoon safari.  We saw a variety of animals but the highlight was a Leopard.   We followed her for quite a while and got some pictures but she's camouflaged by the grasses so it's tough to pick her out.  We stopped for a sundowner - drinks and snacks as the sun went down.  Then it was back to the lodge for cocktails and a delicious dinner.

March 31st - a 5:30 am wakeup greeting by one of the staff, continental breakfast, and then off on a 4 hour game drive at 6:30.  Caught a glimpse of a hyena before he disappeared into his den.  We saw 4 of the big 5 on this game drive.  There were numerous impalas, elephants, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, hippos, and Cape buffalo.  We also saw 4 lions but the best lion viewing was in the afternoon when we saw a mother and 3 cubs.   When we returned a bit later the father had replaced the mother so she could go hunting for their dinner.  While we were stopped for our sundowner we saw a male wildebeest chasing a female one as she was trying to leave his harem.  He was not successful in stopping her and in the end she was joined by another 3 females and a baby in escaping.

Botswana has some of the most beautifully colored birds we have ever seen.  They are pretty as we spot them in the trees but become very impressive in flight.  There are several varieties of geese - some as big or bigger than the Canada goose - and, of course, the ever prevalent vultures.

April 1st - we left a bit later this morning - 7 am.  Our first sighting was wild dogs which are endangered here.  They were on the hunt for breakfast and we followed them for a sort time but didn't see them take an animal down although they did send a herd of impalas fleeing.  We came across more lions and we think we've now seen the whole 12 member resident pride.  There were more impalas and wildebeests and then we came upon a male kudu which resembles a moose.  We also came across a flock of ostriches.

On the afternoon drive we encountered several elephants having a bath and annoying the hippos who were sharing the pool.  We saw many impalas, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras and a variety of exotic birds. 

As we pulled up to our sundowner stop we were greeted by a couple of staff members with a barbecue set up for our snacks.  Once again we saw a beautiful sunset and as we turned a corner on our way to the lodge there was a huge elephant right at the roadside.

April 2nd - morning -  4 of us did an early morning game drive on our way to the Savute airport.  We finally saw the hyenas -1 adult and 2 pups and then we came across part of the pride.  1 pup was lounging on a dead tree branch.  The big guy was there with his magnificent mane.  He was joined by the mother and 4 cubs.  We stayed with them a long while and got some wonderful closeups.  When the lions tired of entertaining us we moved on to see more zebras, wildebeests, impalas, elephants and giraffes.  As we approached the airport Baba found a leopard tortoise for us - 1 of the small five.

Pictures 1 - some of our crew in the open air dining room with elephants at the watering hole
                2 - impalas
                3 - wildebeests
                4  - the staff entertaining us before dinner
                5  - giraffe
                6  - the big guy and a cub

Zimbabwe Final Day

As I stepped out on the balcony at 6:30 am (yes there really are two 6:30's in a day) I immediately saw a giraffe at the watering hole.  Our plan for the day was to kayak down the Zambezi river.  This did not work out well as we are a group of 7 and there were only 2 guides.  Out of our 7 there was only 1 who was confident enough to take a "rookie" in her craft.  As a result Len, I and another fellow chose to take the jeep back to the meeting place.  Len & I felt that as the only 2 novices in 1 kayak we'd be a hold up to the rest of the group.  A disappointment, but on the upside, we got a great closeup of a zebra on our way back.

In the afternoon we went to a wildlife game preserve and we were able to ride an elephant for about 1 hour.  Along with a driver, Len & I got on Jock who is 34 years old and weighs 5 tons.  He is massive as Len's thighs can attest.  This has to be the highlight of the trip so far.  Along the ride we saw water buffalo, giraffes,  Buck deer, impalas,  worthogs.  After the ride we got to give Jock treats -  pellets made out of corn and molasses.  He was the only elephant who suctioned up the treats out of our hands.   We both had the sensation of a vacuum cleaner on the palms of our hands (the AL & Linda Hoover vacuum cleaner).  The others has to just throw the goodies into the trunk or mouth of their elephants.

In the evening we went to a barbecue, dance and drum club where we tried crocodile, impala and warthog dishes.  They were all delicious and may become the main items on the menu as we now leave for Botswana.  Botswana does not have Internet access so there will be no more blogs until we get to Capetown in 7 days.

Pictures -1 - atop Jock
                2 - our group of 7 greeting Jock
                3 - Bev feeding treats to the vacuum

Los Angeles to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

We left Phoenix with 3 of our fellow travelers and met the remaining 2 in the Emirates lounge in LA.  A long direct flight from LA to Dubai -around 16 .hours.  Emirates business class is a wonderful way to travel long distances. Interesting 16 hour flight leaving LA, traveling over Nevada and Utah before crossing into Canada over the Hudson Bay, NWT, Greenland and Russia before heading  south to Dubai.  We had lay flat seats so it's possible to get some sleep.  There was also a stand up bar at the back of our section.  They had a good choice of new movies and we watched a couple before falling asleep.  We had about 4 hours in Dubai before embarking on our 8 hour flight to Johannesburg where we arrived at 6 am Monday morning.  After a few hours wait we departed for Victoria Falls.

At Victoria Falls we were met by the fellow who was to be our guide the 3 days here.  Good accommodation and we were all looking forward to a shower before departing on a sunset cruise.  This was not to be as the Lodge had a major waterline break and there was no cleaning up.

The sunset cruise was on the Zambia river.  We saw a lot of hippos and they are huge. They were the only animals we saw but there was a lot of colorful birds.

Tuesday March 28 -  After a decent nights sleep and breakfast, we took a short walk around the lodge and encountered a large family of warthogs.  We were then picked up by our guide to view Victoria Falls.  Clad in ponchos and with plastic bags over cameras we walked the trail along The Falls.  They are impressive but apparently not as much water flows over them as Niagara Falls and in a couple months will be basically dry.  Len & I wore crocs which were a smart choice as some of our fellow travelers are still drying out their sneakers.   From Victoria Falls we went to Zambia for more views of the Falls and the Victoria Falls railway bridge which took 14 months to build and was completed in 1905. The brave can bungee jump from the bridge or do a zip line across the river.  Five of us did the bridge walk along a catwalk just below the bridge deck.  We had safety harnesses on and had to attach our safety lines to the cable along the catwalk.  When this bridge was built it was the longest, highest railway bridge in the world. We questioned the guide about this as we've always heard that the Lethbridge high level bridge has this honor.

The Lodge had a vulture feeding early afternoon.  Needless to say, I watched from a distance but it's hard to believe the vultures know the feeding time and they all wait in nearby trees or on the ground until the leftover meat is distributed around the feeding grounds.  They do not go near the meat until the organizer has left the area and then there is a mad dash for the food. There appears to be hundreds of them converging on the area.   It's a dirty, dusty 5 minutes until the meat has disappeared.

We had a free afternoon so a couple of us went to town, walked through the open market and visited a more upscale souvenir area.  All the vendors in the open market were men and it was just like the hustlers in Mexico and the Caribbean Islands.  Many of the large animal statues were made from recycled beer or soda cans and caps.  We saw gorillas on our way into town.

During cocktail hour we saw many deer and there was a sighting of a giraffe at the watering hole.  We missed the giraffe but did see a couple of elephants
take over the watering hole.   The people closer to the watering hole said the giraffe and deer (elands) cleared the area as soon as the elephants approached.

Pictures:  1 -Railway bridge
                  2 & 3 - Victoria Falls
                  4 - family of warthogs

IT'S OVER

In 111 days we visited 35 destinations, 6 different continents, 2 iconic canals and at least 19 different bodies of water.  It's been an adventure filled with unexpected delights, unforgettable sights and unbelievable experiences.  It's been the trip of a lifetime.  We weren't even sure we could last 94 days and then enjoyed it so much that we extended it to a full World Cruise of 111 days.

There are 170 passengers still on board who did the full World Cruise from Los Angeles to Los Angeles.  Many are already booked for 2017 and just waiting for 2018 to open for booking.  We've seen a big change over in staff and another 54 leave with us in LA.

We've made friends who I'm sure we'll stay in contact with.  Because this is such a small ship you meet almost everyone including the entertainers.  Some entertainers stay on for only a short time between ports but the Pacific Princess singers and dancers have been with us since Sydney and we've got to know them.  They are a joy to watch perform and fun to visit.

And so it comes to an end Wednesday morning.  It will be a shock to start cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and even driving after almost 4 months of having everything done for us.

PUERTO VALLARTA and LA PAZ, MEXICO

3 sea days from Puerto Quepos.   There was a spectacular lightning storm during dinner as we sailed from Puerto  Quepos.

PUERTO VALLARTA -   Day 107 - pop 256k, average temperature 86

We docked right across the street from Walmart and Sam's Club.  I think it was a popular destination for a lot of passengers especially the crew.  We didn't do a shore excursion, just wandered down the street until we could access the beach through the Hilton Hotel.  The beach is nothing compared to the Maui ones but it was cooler walking along it than on the streets.  A local group of Folkloric performers came on board for a late afternoon show.  They were really good.

LA PAZ - Day 109 - pop 200k,  winter temps average 77, summer 95 and humid.  About a 90 minute drive from Cabo San Lucas.  The area became a popular destination for stars like John Wayne and The Rat Pack to go fishing in the 60's.

We docked at Puerto Pichilingue which is about 10 miles of desert from La Paz.  A mariache band welcomed our arrival and played for a couple hours.  There was a shuttle running into town about every 30 minutes.  We passed what looked like a very challenging golf  course developed by Gary Player.  A waterfront promenade called the malecon had several statues along it.  Many bars, restaurants, jewelry stores and small shops lined the main street.  Ice cream stores were very popular.  There were some street vendors but they didn't pester us as we walked around.  La Paz is one of the nicest towns we've visited in Mexico.  Due to it's location on the peninsula it does not appear to have the problems that plague so much of Mexico.

Pictures - 1 - leaving La Paz, 2 -  waterfront clear water in downtown LA Paz, 3 - some of the entertainers at the terminal

PUERTO QUEPOS, COSTA RICA

Day 103 - a tender port.  Pop. 14k,  climate 90 degrees and 90% humidity.  Today was over 100.  The town where the rain forest meets the sea.  World famous national park Manuel Antonio with wild life and ecosystems - 1700 acres and 136,00 acres of marine reserve containing rain forests, white sand  beaches and coral reefs.

The ships tours went really early so we opted to get our excercise, have breakfast and tender in around 9 am.  We caught a cab and  went to the national park where we spotted numerous white-tailed capuchin monkeys, small black spined iguanas, raccoons,  bats, chameleons. The world book of records list the speed of the black spined iguanas as 21.7 mph.  We didn't see the 3 toed sloths but others did.  Big butterflys were supposed to be abundant but the guide said we were a couple weeks early for them.

The town was about a 20 minute walk from the port and very small but we saw numerous resorts and condos along the road to the park so tourism is alive and well.

Pictures -1 - some of the monkeys - note the baby on the back of the mother, 2- Len at one of the beaches in the park