Here’s the weather we’re heading into at Johannesburg. Not bad at all. Pretty much San Diego winter weather.

On the 31st we move from S Africa to Zimbabwe. Quite a different weather situation there, about 15-20 degrees warmer, but still pretty darned good.

I have high hopes for the Zimbabwe/Botswana visit and Victoria Falls. Here’s the Natgeo writeup about our first day there.

Day 8 Victoria Falls   Morning Join a knowledgeable guide for an unforgettable experience at Victoria Falls. Explore the rainforest and learn about the geology, history, and local legends of this world wonder. After your immersion, get up close to the falls and discover the beauty of “the smoke that thunders.” Be sure to have your camera ready!   Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
Climb aboard and cruise along the beautiful Zambezi River. Enjoy some snacks, drinks, a festive atmosphere, and gorgeous views of the sunset. It’s the ideal way to end an eventful day in Victoria Falls.

And the next day we head to a wildlife area on the Zimbabwe/Botswana border.

Day 9 Full Day Excursion to Chobe National Park Depart Victoria Falls in the morning for a full-day guided tour of Chobe National Park in Botswana – a wildlife-abundant region covering about 11,700km2 of the Northern Kalahari. Begin your adventure with a cruise down the Chobe River, taking in the sweeping views and witnessing the wildlife grazing along the riverbank. Enjoy an included lunch on land before boarding 4×4 safari vehicles for an afternoon wildlife safari drive with an expert guide. Keep an eye out for lions, elephants, and buffalo. Transfer back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, arriving in the early evening. Please note that this activity includes two border crossings between Zimbabwe and Botswana. The ordering of activities is susceptible to change.

After that, it’s just unwinding all the travel – over 10,000 miles to travel to get home. Fly Zimbabwe back to Johannesburg, spend the night, then Johannesburg back to LAX via Heathrow. We gain a day flying west, just as we lost one flying east.

Sitting here today, I don’t know why we waited this long to make this trip. We got really enamored with wine trips to Europe in the 2015-2019 timeframe, as opposed to seeing the rest of the world. But that’s the theme of this blog – Better Late Then Never.