Our shower this morning had only hot water. Luckily, I was able to get in and out, no hair washing today. Our host said the water regulator has problems when the power is shut off.
Load shedding is when the power is shut off because of the strain on the power grid. We didn't experience it in South Africa where the government sends out alerts. In every place we stayed, there were either flashlights (called torches) and candles or the place assured us they had a power generator. In Zimbabwe, they just turn off the power, no warning. The complaint here is that the government doesn't want to dissuade tourists and big hotels, so the center of Vic Falls is spared. We are far enough away from the tourist hub that our AirBnB was not spared.
The other area that is not spared is the township. We had avoided a township tour. I feel conflicted about them. Tourists generally only enter townships with a guide (unless you take a wrong turn🙄). I wonder if the residents receive any benefit from the tours. We did have dinner at a traditional Zimbabwean restaurant yesterday. They make a point of hiring and training only local people, sell locally made crafts, and proudly display a list of all the local charities they support. The power went out while we were there. They had a generator, but it was eerily dark as we left with our driver.
In South Africa, the townships were part of apartheid. Many of them still have people living in shacks. When I asked our driver about the township around VicFalls, he said that during the reign of Robert Mugabe, he ordered a raid that began at 4:00 am that forced people out and then destroyed all the structures. He said many people weren't able to survive. Today, people live in small, mostly brick structures.
In Zimbabwe, the townships were not created by apartheid but by a fence the white government constructed around the Black neighborhood. Coming and going was monitored and the gates were locked at 6:00 pm.
We were picked up at 9:00 for an hour and a half's drive. Our final night will be spent in Botswana. Border crossings are always interesting. The driver was able to take us to the border where our passports were stamped showing that we were leaving. He then handed us off to a Bostwanan driver who walked us through the entry process, health check, disinfecting all our shoes, filling out the immigration forms, and getting our passports stamped.
Another 30 min and we were at Cresta Mowana, a resort and spa. What a different place from anywhere we've spent the last three weeks!
My favorite sighting were the hippos. We saw a few on land, and one slip into the water, and a few heads that came up for air.
We also saw other animals we'd seen before, including water buffalo.
There were a number of different birds but we don't have the camera lens to make it worthwhile taking photos. I can definitely understand the fascination with birds. Some can be so beautifully colored.
We ended the cruise about sundown. Another perfect day as the sunset on our last night.
