I call this “Day 0” because it was the day before my tour started. My tour company offered a free night’s hotel stay before or after the tour, and I chose “before”, which turned out to be a very wise decision.
I had gotten up at 2:30 AM to get to the airport in time for a 5:30 AM flight to New York, only to learn there was a two-hour delay! Then, as were were finally getting ready to board, lights started flashing in the terminal, and there was an announcement that there was a fire and everyone had to evacuate onto the tarmac (??!!). I couldn’t help thinking, “Can’t we just evacuate onto our plane??”. Once on the tarmac, we saw a police car and fire truck pull up. Then I started wondering whether I would miss my connecting flights, and then I told myself I was coming in a day early and wouldn’t miss my tour even if I had to reschedule my flights. After about 15 minutes, though, we got the all-clear, and I was finally able to board my flight. With that cumulative long delay and a slow security checkpoint in New York, however, I just barely made my 16-hour overseas flight to Johannesburg, which was cramped and uncomfortable, resulting in very little sleep. Fortunately, after arriving in Johannesburg, the worst of my trip was over.
While waiting for my flight to Livingstone, Zambia, I met two of my soon-to-be fellow travelers – a couple who would be celebrating their wedding anniversary while on tour. When we got to Livingstone, a tour representative met us at the arrival gate, and we received an unexpected nice surprise. He got us tickets for the Zambezi River ferry and went ahead to the hotel with our luggage. We cruised for about 30 minutes and spotted a crocodile, hippos and geese and other birds.
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The ferry docked at our hotel, the Royal Livingstone, where we were welcomed by singers and dancers (they even invited us to join in the dancing!). We also received a hot towel, fruit juice and a hand massage. We were advised to keep the sliding doors in our rooms locked as animals freely roam the grounds and monkeys sometimes will come indoors and steal things!!
I had a very nice comfortable room – a welcome sight after long uncomfortable hours in the air. While I was reading on my bed, a shadow passed over the room. I looked up – and there was a giraffe walking by my balcony! I got up and went outside to take pictures – there was an impala there as well.
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On the way to dinner, a trio of zebras crossed the grounds in front of the dining room.
I had a great dinner with cream of mushroom soup, beef tenderloin and chardonnay while a trio of musicians played a wonderful mix of classical and popular music – a wonderful way to end a hectic travel day.
View of the Zambezi River at sunset from my table at the Royal Livingstone Hotel
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