Follow on form the "I hate not being independent" post

Day 6, Tue 6/7 - We had another late start & left camp about 8.30am & it took us about a hour to get to the Zimbabwe border.  I was so buzzed, New Zealanders didn't have to pay the $35us that the aussies have to pay or if you're from the UK it's $55us.  I was very, very, very happy!!!  We arrived at Savanna Lodge about 11ish I think.  No tents for 4 days!    We had a presentation of all the activities available for tourists, they all ranged form between $85us - $100us, it's just too much & nothing really appealed so I gave it a  miss.  After lunch we (Lilly, Tom, Claire, Alex & I) went for a walk into town.  Alex wanted to get her hair braided but they didn't have blond extensions so Claire  got hers done (which looks so good, I'm jealous, I really wish I could get mine done!).  Lilly, Tom & I went to the bank & I freaked out.  I took out $400,000 zim dollars ($70ish us) & I got this huge wad of money.  They gave it to me in $10,000 notes.  After I stashed the wad of money in the leg pocket of my shorts I was tad paranoid but it was cool, I didn't get robbed :o)    After  the bank we went to the internet then to the markets.  Most of the stuff that they sell are bowls & carvings that are a) quite big or b) too heavy.  Nothing really jumped out at me so I only brought a carved necklace pendant thing for about $200,000zim dollars ? ($5ish au - way too much). Lil & Tom brought this wooden hippo which was crafted beautifully out of wood & a bowl.  After the craft market we came back & got changed & had a few drinks (which are incredibly cheap here).  Tosca arranged for us to be picked up by Mercure hotel to go to their restaurant for dinner.  They had these really cool African dancers that then sang while we  were eating.  It was a garden buffet which was really nice & the  food was really good. I tried wart hog  steak which was absolutely wonderful, I even went back for seconds & I also tried the kudu which was nice too.  We came back to the hostel & proceeded to drink more, I think everyone else bailed about midnight but Tosca & I  managed to keep going till about 2am.  The first decent night I've had since I've been in Africa :o)  Considering most other nights we've been heading for bed about 8pm...   My pen ran out so I didn't write anymore this day.

 
New Post - Friday 9th July

It turns out we're staying an extra night in Vic Falls.  So at present I'm sitting/lying in the garden listening to my CD's on the loudest volume with the sun shining down on me & are loving it.  I think I'm the most relaxed that I've been in ages.  Thought I should at least try to keep up to date when I don't really have anything else to do :o) 

day 7, Wed 7/7 - Was planning on having a sleep in but got woken up by sweeping outside our room at 6.45am, not a happy camper!  Everyone else had to get up anyway to do their activities & I had to get up to cancel mine.  I really needed the day to my self, being around other people, constantly, for 6 days was taking its toll.  Plus it was $100us for the activity - at least 5 nights accommodation!  Yep, I've turned into a tight ass backpacker :)  Well, not true, if there was something that I really wanted to do I would have done it  but white water rafting has never really appealed, I've already bungie jumped & been in a couple of helicopters, I was tempted by the elephant walk but that was $85us for 2 hours...  So I ended up spending $60us on a one hour massage & a one hour facial - money well spent!!  I so love my massages & my skin was shocking (way to much icecream in Argentina).   After my afternoon of being pampered we had a few drinks at the hostel bar (they were out of juice (guava & vodka is wonderful!) so Claire & I had shots of vodka...  A group of us, Tosca, Karen, Claire, Tom, Lilly & I went to the Spur restaurant where I paid $5,000 zim for a T-bone steak (just over $10au).  It was only the 5 of us cause the Cape Town part of our tour was on a booze cruise.  We were supposed to meet up with all of them at the casino  but only 4 of them turned up so we had one drink at a really expensive bar, $12,000zim ($2.50us) then moved on to the explorer bar.  Drinks were a bit cheaper at $8,500 but still not as cheap as at the hotel $5,500zim ($1us).  We had a really good night but I tell ya what, my legs are killing me today - way too much dancing.

Day 8, Thur 8/7 - I had a pretty lazy morning & just mucked around.  Claire, Tom & Lilly came back from their helicopter flight & Tom, Lilly & I went for a walk to the supermarket where I managed to feed myself for lunch & dinner for next to nothing.  Then we came back to say bye to the lot going to Capetown which was a bit sad.  We then set off for Vic Falls, one of the 7 natural wonders of the world - does anyone know what all 7 are?   We've got Vic Falls, Angel falls, the great barrier reef, Uluru(?), The grand canyon, but are a bit stuck with the rest.
Vic Falls were pretty cool, quite different to Igazu.  I expected them to be prettier but they're not really.  I think the thing that sets them apart is just the amount of water that rushes through & the  depth.  It is amazing.  Over 93m that the water drops.  You get completely soaked from the spray & can't even see the bottom.  
I was quite tired  after the falls so pretty much  just ate (my supermarket bargains) then headed to bed.

Day 9, Fri 9/7 - that's today :o)  I'm up to date.  Like I  said before, I'm lying in the garden being very antisocial & listening to music.  Today we mucked around & didn't do much.  After going thorough my pack to see what I could get rid of we went into town.  I've now got 6 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts & about 12 tops...  ummm, to much !  So I'm going to get rid of a few tops, problem is I like all of my pants... Anyway, we checked the internet then went to the bank, I didn't have quite enough zim so gave Tom & Lilly $4us for $20,000 zim. 
We managed to find somewhere to down load our  memory cards for $7.50us which wasn't too bad  then we went to the supermarket to buy essentials, like vodka :) oh, & some food.  Think it's the cheapest bottle of vodka I've brought yet.  $12,600zim ($2au approx).  At the check out though, Claire fainted which was a bit scary.  She was first at the check out, then me, then Tom & Lil.  Lilly looked at Claire & was like are you ok?  She didn't look too great so I opened her fanta & gave it to her but she couldn't get it to her mouth so I helped, then she fainted.  I grabbed her & so did Tom so she didn't fall.  She wasn't out for long.  We then pumped food & drink in to her & now she's having a lie down.  She hasn't been drinking enough but she's ok now .

Well the sun's gone away so I'm going to go put some more clothes on & figure out what we're doing tonight.     Savanna Lodge, Vic Falls - Friday 9th July 2004 4.20pm

 
New Post - Wednesday 14th July

Everyone's getting sick & I'm scared stiff that I'll be next... We picked up the other half of our group a few days ago & half of them had what we thought was food poisoning - well that was until half of our original group started dropping like flys, yesterday.   It's quite bad too cause it's not exactly easy going on the truck so we had Karen throwing up in to the rubbish bin at the front & we couldn't stop because we were going through an unsafe area.   John & Claire  weren't feeling great & they were both going all of last night - both ends - poor things.  I've lasted 3.5 months with out getting sick all through South America so I'll be pissed off if I get a bug now .  We have 2 days off the truck  here at Kande Beach (which is beautiful BTW) so hopefully that'll give everyone  enough time to get over whatever it is without infecting me.  Really, I am such a caring person - I just don't want to get sick!  Claire & I share a tent & I've been looking after her just praying he doesn't pass it on to me.  At the moment I'm lying on the beach & its not even 10am, it's gonna be a scorcher.  The lake here is beautiful.  I love lakes though so I'm a bit biased, nothing beats Lake Taupo at home though (NZ). 

Ok, catch up time again:

Rest of day 9, Fri 9/7 -  We had a buffet dinner provided at the hostel & once again I proceeded to eat too much (I think I'm putting on weight...). Then no one really felt like going out so we had what started out as a few drinks at  the hostel bar  in order to get rid of out last zim dollars.  Then Tom brought out their bottle of Gin & Vodka.  By the end of the night I'd had a few Fin & coke's , which usually I think is one of the most disgusting things in the world.   Problem is Vodka & Guava juice is so easy to drink.  I felt so bad the next day & the thought of any more alcohol didn't do anything for me but the booze cruise was that night...  more on that later...

Day 10, Sat 10 /7 - We left Vic Falls about 10.30am, I managed to drag myself out of bed & pack but really did feel like crap.  It didn't take us that long to get to the Zambia border & then I think I proceeded to sleep most of the way to Livingston where we stopped about 12ish.  I brought a really cool painting for $10us.  This sounds bad & I shouldn't laugh about it but it is funny so I'll share.  Before I had a look at the little market where I brought the painting, most of us needed to use the loo.  When we finally found one it was the public block that you'd usually find in a park or what ever.  Anyway, the first ones to go in were Tom & Lisa (Lisa is Karen's friend who joined us at Vic Falls).  All we heard was gagging  -what sounded like someone throwing up.  We thought it must have been Tom cause it was so loud, but out  comes Lisa still reaching.  We thought the loos must have been really bad (even when they are good here they are still not so nice).  I really needed to go so thought I'd brave it &, well,  they were fine, well not clean but not the worst I've been in either.  We're awful  - Claire & I  couldn't help having a laugh.   Its funny what you get used to  in a scary kinda way.   To be continued....

I've still got heaps to catch up on, it'll probably have to wait for a few weeks now, more than likely to the end of this tour... 

Sorry I haven't posted photos!  I'm not allowed to put my CD in the PC's here :o(

Stonetown, Zanzibar - Tanzania, Friday 23rd July 2004, 11.10am