Thursday, Feb 13. Wonderfully we got through the trip without a single group photo. Until today as we gathered for the ride to the airport. Just the right number of group photos. Facing a 41 hour hotel room-to-front door trip. (Postscript Note: due to Friday afternoon rush hour, it was actually 42.5 hours.) Two hour flight to Johannesburg, layover, 11 hours to Heathrow, layover, 11 hours to LAX, Global Pass interview, Shuttle, rental car to home.
The highs were higher than I expected. So many animals. So active.
The lows were lower than I expected. Hot, flies, hot, loooong truck drives without stops to stretch, hot. (Our last camp allowed offtrack driving. We went places I didn’t think we’d get out of. Both scary and exhilarating.). Spending 5+ hours in the Disney Indiana Jones’ Adventure “enhanced motion vehicle” was more than I could take.
Comparison between Victoria Falls and South America’s Iguazu Falls: Both have their personality. Pedestrians get more “up close” opportunities at Iguazu. The nearly uninterrupted straight-line view of Victoria is impressive. But the views from the boats put Victoria on top. Riding into the falls at Iguazu was fun, but looking up at the 300 feet Victoria Falls is unforgettable. (In support of Niagara Falls, both Iguazu and Victoria have fantastic high water seasons with equal periods of low water. Niagara is a monster year-round.)
People-wise, we experienced rural Southern Africa, with eternally cheerful and helpful people. But virtually every person we encountered was dependent on tourism. Including the school, which accepts donations. Crossing borders was ridiculously costly, complex and counterproductive, not to mention sanitation nightmares. Predates technology. I therefore cannot make any judgement regarding Gross National Happiness. I suspect that it’s much lower than what we saw. My personal opinion is that their dependence on tribal/family traditions over what’s best for the country is a huge drag on progress, as well as an aid to their biggest admitted problem: corruption.
This trip was unforgettable and fascinating. OAT did as good a job setting it up as I can imagine. Our Trip Leader Mado was extraordinary. But I can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, any blame lays squarely on my idiosyncrasies.
