For the first time on the trip. Rosemary has "real" coffee. In the morning we decide to try the local shopping and pick up some very reasonably priced clothes.

We decide to walk across the border to view the Falls from the Zambian side. At the border crossing we discover that Zambia still harbors resentment towards the British: while Americans pay US$10 for a visa (and Canadians pay nothing), the bloody Brits are forced to pay US$50!

Going through the border checkpoint only takes a few minutes. Immediately after it is the famous Victoria Falls bridge, completed in 1905. It was sited close enough to the Falls so that those travelling across it by rail (or on foot) can sometimes feel spray on their faces, even though they are 100 metres above the river.

Since this is the 90's, there is now bungee jumping offered on the bridge, and there is quite a crowd. We pause briefly to watch a young girl work up her nerve and do it (screaming on the way down), then continue on.

It is definitely worth going to the Zambian side for the stunning view from "Danger Point". There is no real danger involved, but you have a broader view of the nearly 2 km expanse of the Falls and the deep gorge they have carved over the eons. (to illustrate the scale of this photo, the arrow points to a person standing on the cliff edge)

On the way back, crossing the bridge, a classic 1930's era steam engine with one passenger car and a dining car is stopped on the bridge. Now a tourist attraction rather than long-distance transportation, it looks to be in excellent shape and makes brief trips daily. I chat with the engineer, a friendly black guy who is happy to talk with a tourist.

We decide to head to the famous Victoria Falls Hotel for lunch. Also constructed in 1905, it offers a pleasant dining terrace and a view of the bridge. The washrooms display old photographs of the way it looked decades ago: it looks the same now.

In the hallways are framed cartoons of "What it means to be British" which poke fun at English foibles. Wonderful place to eat, but too expensive to stay in, even for a night.

This picture of a plaque at the Victoria Falls Hotel (note the bridge in the background) illustrates Cecil Rhodes grand plan for the British Empire to stretch from "Cape Town to Cairo". The imperialist era collapsed long before that goal was realized.

It's time to get on the bus to the airport. When we arrive, we discover that our flight to Hwange has been cancelled, with no reason given. However, the distance is only 86 km, and the airline has arranged for us to be taken there in a small van along with four other people. Among them is Bob from Park City Utah. A former executive with GE (How do you like being retired Bob? "I hate it!"), he has lived all over the world, including Singapore for seven years.

The drive only takes 75 minutes instead of the promised two hours. The road was in excellent condition. We pass by numerous small villages of 5-7 mud and thatch huts. These people are mostly subsistence farmers who also graze cattle. They are desperately poor, without running water or electricity.

Arriving at Hwange airport, there is no one to meet us. I try to call the lodge where we will stay for the next two nights, but I don't seem to have the right number. An anxious half hour passes before our host, Harry Bennie, shows up in a brand new Land Rover, apologizing profusely. The airline told him we weren't arriving until later.

We like Harry immediately. In his sixties, he is a true gentleman, a native Zimbabwean of English descent who has converted his large cattle ranch into a game ranch. By now its dark, so we can't see much. Harry talks and smokes non-stop. I have to crack the window a bit so I can breath.

Arriving at his establishment, Nyati Lodge, we are treated to an outstanding dinner featuring fresh pumpkin and string beans - delicious! Then we're shown to our "rondavel", a round thatched roof structure with an attached bathroom and shower. It is delightful. The sky is saturated with stars.