Sunset Dinner Cruise

After a much needed nap for me our group went on a sighting and dinner cruise on the Zambezi River. We saw crocodiles, lots of hippos and on our way back to the hotel 2 elephants in the road. All of the town of Victoria Falls is part of the national park so animals can roam in the town and be protected.

It seems a bit strange to be back in Africa after leaving in 1993. As we drove from the airport to the town of Victoria Falls the broken signs, trash on the roadside and women walking and carrying loads balanced on their heads is all seemed familiar and almost as if time has stood still. Zimbabwe is clearly a third world country. Their currency is now unofficially the US dollar. The visa tax is $50.00. Our local guide explained that the town of Victoria Falls exists as a tourist town. There are many stands selling local crafts.

Short night in Johannesburg and then off the Victoria Falls.

I arrived about 10 pm at the hotel in Johannesburg and felt pretty raw. I only slept a little on the plane. We had a 6:45 am departure for Victoria Falls. After some very restless sleep for me the group headed off to the airport. Our boarding gate was clearly marked. It had rained in Johannesburg all night and our guide said rain is needed in Zimbabwe and and at Victoria Falls. We landed and it was 100 degrees. 

As we flew in to Victoria Falls it was evident how dry the area is. 

The arrival area made it clear that we were in Africa.

The pool at the hotel is inviting and my room is ready to protect me from mosquitoes.

 

Short turn around

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got back to Newberg Wednesday Oct. 28. I enjoyed seeing the fall leaves and sent in my ballot.  I also had the beginnings of a bad cold. By Friday Oct. 30 I went to a Providence Express Clinic and got some meds. Sat. morning Oct. 31 my neighbors drove me to the airport and I had a 5+ hour flight to Atlanta and then a 15+ hour flight to Johannesburg. 

Saying goodbye to Portugal

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning I checked out ot our hotel in Porto and my high school classmate, Donna, and I got a taxi to the the train station in Porto. We took a high sped train to Lisbon which took about 2 hours and 45 min. It was a very comfortable trip. We had reserved a hotel in Lisbon that was a 6 min. walk from the train station. The train station in Lisbon was not an accessible one. The elevators didn't work and on some levels there were no escalators. We made it slowly down the steps to street level and managed not to drop any luggage. We ate dinner at one of the many restaurants in the food court at a nearby mall. The upper level had nice views.

 

A taxi is scheduled to take us to the airport at 7:45 am to start a very long travel day. Our flight is from Lisbon to Philadelphia. After a 4+ hour layover I fly to Portland to hopefully arrive at 11:05 pm. This trip has been very enjoyable and the weather has been ideal. The 21 travelers in our group were all interesting people. I realized that at some point that I was a bit weary of seeing more historic buildings so the days when we were in the countryside and outside were a welcome break for me. 

A short boat ride on the Douro River

Our walking tour ended at the wharf where we boarded a boat to see the sites of Porto from the Douro River. 
 

This is what our boat looked like. We went to where we could see the mouth of the river as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

On our walk back to the bus we saw this modern statue of John the Baptist. In my opinion it seemed very out of place on the historic building. 

 

Last full day in Porto

Unbeknownst to me and other members of our travel group the time changed last night from daylight savings to standard time. That meant I arrived at the breakfast buffet an hour early. This morning we had a walking tour of the main downtown area. The Portuguese Army Day was being celebrated today so there was lots of activity in the central square in front o City Hall. The Center of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That means that the facades of buildings can't be changed but the interior can bu gutted. Notice the interior this building. (There is none!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some sites we saw- a cathedral, tiled walls of the train station, and street scenes. 

A walk around Porto to end the day

 

After we arrived back at our hotel in Porto a fellow traveler and I decided take a walk. We stopped by a small bookstore and peaked into a famous cafe and saw several churches.

 

Livraria Lello book store was established in 1906. It has stood in the heart of Porto as a place where literature, art and architecture come together to celebrate the power of ideas. Recognized worldwide as the World’s Most Beautiful Bookshop, It is one of Portugal’s most iconic cultural landmarks and a symbol of the city’s creative spirit. It costs 18 Euros just to enter and there are timed tickets. We were able to sneak a peak and take a quick photo from the entryway.

We passed by a protest on our way back to our hotel. There have been protests about the high cost of housing in several cities in Portugal duing our time here.

The hotel where we are staying has a rooftop lounge. This was the view of Porto from 17 stories up.