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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 26, 2018 16:37:02 GMT 2
It was by far the most expensive place we stayed. Normally $220.00 per person per night sharing but - $150.00 per person per night sharing for a USD cash price. It includes accommodation and 3 meals a day. Quite a discount for cash.
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Post by shrjeff on Oct 26, 2018 17:19:06 GMT 2
it looks like they were trying to be totally up=to-date and designed a sort of infinity pool...
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Post by Scrubb on Oct 26, 2018 19:16:17 GMT 2
Incredible room! Really, really stunning place.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 8:43:33 GMT 2
We were to move on the next day but we nipped back to Bulawayo to pick up a few things from a supermarket. I spotted the following car in the shopping centre car park - It is an old Austin A35 pickup. Fairly rare to say the least. It was made on 21.11.1956 and was one of 485 shipped out to the colonies, except Australia (also fifty went to Chile for some odd reason). Initially they were for the domestic market but it was decided to class them not as a commercial vehicle, but a normal one, thus paying higher taxes, a purchase tax. It was decided to ship them out instead - As I was pottering around it the owner came back. He mentioned he actually had two of them and used them quite regularly. He showed me around it, especially the production number though out of focus, number 46 - I spent many thousands of miles sitting and fighting with my brother in the back of the normal car version, a 1953 model, when I was a kid and I was happy to see them still going strong. After all the emotion, we had to stop and have a coffee. Especially because this cafe was one of the few nearby that had wifi access and Mrs M had to check her work emails - Here is the menu. Make note that on the bottom left it states that you ask what is the USD price if you want to pay in that rather than the local currency - mentioned before but is a type of bond supposedly tied one to one with the USD, but has been slipping quite dramatically of late. We paid in USD and the prices were half that shown -
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 8:47:02 GMT 2
There is a bit of a break now as we travelled towards the border for two days. That night we stopped at the Gwango Heritage Resort near Hwange National Park. We didn’t go into the park and the accommodation was clean and basic but it was quite a hot day and it took some time for the buildings to cool down - gwangoheritageresort.com/rooms/We slept well though and the next morning we were up early to get to Victoria Falls. We wanted to cross the border than day but we made a top off in the town first for a late breakfast and for me to relive my times past staying there and sampling the adrenaline sports on offer. It had not changed much though there were some new buildings and is still more than ever, very touristy - I stopped to take a few shots of the old railway station. Not impressive but has a long history - The exit from Zimbabwe and entry to Zambia was easier than the other way round. It wasn’t difficult then and this time we’d done it all in about half an hour. Immigration the Zimbabwe side didn’t even look at my passport, he just opened it, stamped it and handed it back. Customs weren’t bothered about anything other than the Temporary Import Permit I’d obtained on entry. He just asked for it, I handed it to him and he motioned for the next person to come forward. On the Zambian side the same virtually. A quick look at my visa and a stamp, Customs weren’t interested at all and wave me through and out the gate into the country. Mrs M did have a little hiccup at Zambian immigration because her passport is full of her comings and goings to Zimbabwe and elsewhere and the official was looking for her latest exit stamp but couldn’t see it. Mrs M had no idea which page it was one and I think eventually the official gave up and just stamped it anyway. This was our last night of our little holiday and we decided we’d splash out a little again and stay in a nice place - though it is far from the most expensive in Livingstone, the town on the Zambian side of Vic Falls. Plus even though we’d already treated ourselves several times whilst in Zimbabwe. We’d driven over the Vic Falls bridge between the two countries and border posts and passed slowly by the bungee jumping station in the middle of the bridge. I had to chuckle when as we passed it, there was a scream as a young girl jumped off. Mrs M and I looked at each other knowing it didn’t appeal to either of us. This is where we stayed, the David Livingstone - www.aha.co.za/david-livingstone/
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 8:58:57 GMT 2
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 9:01:24 GMT 2
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 9:03:25 GMT 2
We spent a happy evening finishing off on the balcony, me burping from eating too much to add to the romanticism, and watching the sunset. I’m not sure but I think Mrs M didn’t appreciate my windy moments. I’ll have to ask her to make sure - That was it then. Apart from a coffee stop on the way back to Lusaka the next day in a shaded garden at the side of a museum in a town called Choma - Objectives achieved - Mrs M had the luxury of being driven to Harare rather than flying again. We had a tour round Zimbabwe, 2280km, without one incident and could see a lot more of the country than we’ve seen before. We stayed in some nice places, intentionally for two reasons - one was we were unlikely to encounter any problems and more importantly, apart from few days two years ago in Namibia, this was the first break we could have without having any kids tagging along, for many, many years. I enjoyed the drive, she enjoyed the scenery and we both enjoyed the food and the little adventure. That’ll do until next time. Thanks for coming with me this far.
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Post by shrjeff on Oct 27, 2018 9:11:11 GMT 2
glad you two had a good time, mark...
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Post by Baz Faz on Oct 27, 2018 10:14:49 GMT 2
Really enjoyed the account of your visit. One thing struck me about the photos of the hotels: there are never any people in them. It's as if as soon as they spotted you everyone left. Just saying.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 10:24:09 GMT 2
Thanks jeff.
It's as if you saw what happens when I turn up Baz. Uncanny.
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Post by sophie on Oct 27, 2018 17:33:39 GMT 2
Loved being a vicarious passenger on your trip.. thanks to your wife for having some extra passengers along.
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Post by OnlyMark on Oct 27, 2018 18:11:55 GMT 2
Means she had someone to talk to.
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