What a whirlwind of a weekend. Alex and I along with the other interns headed up north to visit Chobe coupled with a quick trip to Victoria Falls! It was incredible to say the least, but let me start from the beginning.
We were able to take a plane (a very expensive one I might add) to fly in to Kasane, which is right outside the Chobe National Park. After being picked up from the tiny airport by our hotel guides, we reached the Water Lily Lodge and were amazed by what we saw. Greeted with an "all you can eat" buffet, we ate quickly and ran out to look at the view beyond the lodge.
It was so incredibly green! Much different than the array of browns of the bush we see in and around Gabs. Following some time spent relaxing by the pool, we hopped into a boat and were on our way to enjoying a 3 hour sunset cruise. With an unbelievable view in front of us, we took TONS of pictures. Sadly for me, my camera stopped working midway through the trip so I was stuck using my iPhone. It just doesn't do the sights justice, but here are a few things we saw!
The tour ended with a herd of elephants crossing the river during the sunset. What a day. It only got better from there. Once we docked, we headed to the bush lodge we were staying in for the next couple of nights. Although the drive there in the open air vehicle was freezing, where we arrived was totally worth it. Alex and I got our own hut on the edge of the lodge, with a porch that was perfect for stargazing. After enjoying a delicious homemade meal of vegetable stew and chicken, we hit the hay early in anticipation for the next day.
Waking up at our usual 5:45am time seemed much easier knowing what lay ahead of us. A full day filled with some of the most beautiful sights of Africa (not to mention one of the seven natural wonders of the world!) Despite the brief chilly open air vehicle ride to our van, I couldn't wait to get to Zimbabwe! We were told it would be about an hour trip to the falls, but that most of the delay would stem from crossing the border from Botswana to Zim. Once we had left the country painlessly, we headed to the Zim immigrations office. One of the other interns is actually originally from Singapore and didn't have to pay the mandatory $30 if you are from the US. I joked with the officer that I too was from Singapore and therefore should be exempt from the fee. His eyes seemed to glaze as the joke went over his head. "You are obviously from America, as you have an American passport." Right-o sir, nevvvverrrminddd. Clearly my dad's cheesy humor that strangers rarely understand is rubbing off :)
After making it across both borders, we were on our way to the falls, specifically the famous bridge where we would be able to enjoy the morning's activities filled with zip-lining, and for the more adventurous folks, bungee jumping and swinging. Once on the bridge, I actually got to straddle the "no man's land" and put one foot in Zim and one foot in Zambia. Three countries in one day must certainly be some kind of record!
Because I went skydiving with Robb last summer, I felt it was only fair to wait to bungee jump with him too. As a result, I merely zip lined over the gorge! This was the view:
I couldn't wait to head over to the falls and before I knew it, it was time. The view was unbelievable and breathtaking. Something I definitely must see again in my lifetime. Here are just a few angles, as it is too massive to capture in just one shot.
Amazing, right? I was so sad to leave, but I have vowed to return, especially since we missed out on swimming in the Devil's pool right next to the falls. The water is too high this time of year which just gives me an even better reason to go back. Once we arrived back at the lodge, we gorged ourselves on another delicious home cooked meal. For desert we had bananas swimming in a delicious amarula (which is slightly alcoholic and amazing) cream. And to top it all off, our night ended with a herd of elephants coming to drink at the water hole located right outside of our lodge. We watched them for what seemed like hours until they wandered off into the darkness and we could no longer see them. I continued to sit outside, wrapped in the warmest blanket ever, and stared at the stars. It's amazing how many you can see without the city lights drowning them out. The next morning, we headed out for our final game drive. I didn't want this trip to ever end, but alas all good things do. We saw a multitude of animals, including some elephants and giraffe feet from the vehicle! These were taken with no zoom from my measly iPhone, so you know its close!
Overall, this weekend must be dubbed the most amazing experience of this trip. I've been telling Alex all along that I wish experiences like this could be remembered moment for moment, but I guess that's why we have pictures to remind us. The only thing I would change about this trip to Bots, would be to have my family (and Robb) here to enjoy it too. I miss you guys! Stay tuned for my last few blogs coming up this week. Can't believe we leave here on Saturday; time really does fly when you're having fun!
We were able to take a plane (a very expensive one I might add) to fly in to Kasane, which is right outside the Chobe National Park. After being picked up from the tiny airport by our hotel guides, we reached the Water Lily Lodge and were amazed by what we saw. Greeted with an "all you can eat" buffet, we ate quickly and ran out to look at the view beyond the lodge.
It was so incredibly green! Much different than the array of browns of the bush we see in and around Gabs. Following some time spent relaxing by the pool, we hopped into a boat and were on our way to enjoying a 3 hour sunset cruise. With an unbelievable view in front of us, we took TONS of pictures. Sadly for me, my camera stopped working midway through the trip so I was stuck using my iPhone. It just doesn't do the sights justice, but here are a few things we saw!
The tour ended with a herd of elephants crossing the river during the sunset. What a day. It only got better from there. Once we docked, we headed to the bush lodge we were staying in for the next couple of nights. Although the drive there in the open air vehicle was freezing, where we arrived was totally worth it. Alex and I got our own hut on the edge of the lodge, with a porch that was perfect for stargazing. After enjoying a delicious homemade meal of vegetable stew and chicken, we hit the hay early in anticipation for the next day.
Waking up at our usual 5:45am time seemed much easier knowing what lay ahead of us. A full day filled with some of the most beautiful sights of Africa (not to mention one of the seven natural wonders of the world!) Despite the brief chilly open air vehicle ride to our van, I couldn't wait to get to Zimbabwe! We were told it would be about an hour trip to the falls, but that most of the delay would stem from crossing the border from Botswana to Zim. Once we had left the country painlessly, we headed to the Zim immigrations office. One of the other interns is actually originally from Singapore and didn't have to pay the mandatory $30 if you are from the US. I joked with the officer that I too was from Singapore and therefore should be exempt from the fee. His eyes seemed to glaze as the joke went over his head. "You are obviously from America, as you have an American passport." Right-o sir, nevvvverrrminddd. Clearly my dad's cheesy humor that strangers rarely understand is rubbing off :)
After making it across both borders, we were on our way to the falls, specifically the famous bridge where we would be able to enjoy the morning's activities filled with zip-lining, and for the more adventurous folks, bungee jumping and swinging. Once on the bridge, I actually got to straddle the "no man's land" and put one foot in Zim and one foot in Zambia. Three countries in one day must certainly be some kind of record!
Because I went skydiving with Robb last summer, I felt it was only fair to wait to bungee jump with him too. As a result, I merely zip lined over the gorge! This was the view:
I couldn't wait to head over to the falls and before I knew it, it was time. The view was unbelievable and breathtaking. Something I definitely must see again in my lifetime. Here are just a few angles, as it is too massive to capture in just one shot.
Amazing, right? I was so sad to leave, but I have vowed to return, especially since we missed out on swimming in the Devil's pool right next to the falls. The water is too high this time of year which just gives me an even better reason to go back. Once we arrived back at the lodge, we gorged ourselves on another delicious home cooked meal. For desert we had bananas swimming in a delicious amarula (which is slightly alcoholic and amazing) cream. And to top it all off, our night ended with a herd of elephants coming to drink at the water hole located right outside of our lodge. We watched them for what seemed like hours until they wandered off into the darkness and we could no longer see them. I continued to sit outside, wrapped in the warmest blanket ever, and stared at the stars. It's amazing how many you can see without the city lights drowning them out. The next morning, we headed out for our final game drive. I didn't want this trip to ever end, but alas all good things do. We saw a multitude of animals, including some elephants and giraffe feet from the vehicle! These were taken with no zoom from my measly iPhone, so you know its close!
Overall, this weekend must be dubbed the most amazing experience of this trip. I've been telling Alex all along that I wish experiences like this could be remembered moment for moment, but I guess that's why we have pictures to remind us. The only thing I would change about this trip to Bots, would be to have my family (and Robb) here to enjoy it too. I miss you guys! Stay tuned for my last few blogs coming up this week. Can't believe we leave here on Saturday; time really does fly when you're having fun!
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