Our African Journey: Days 14-15, Chobe Chilwero to NY

Thursday, October 27.  We rose at 7 AM, had our last breakfast at the lodge, bade our hosts goodbye and checked out.  We were about to retrace the steps that had led to the last leg of our journey.

We were transferred in one of the lodge’s game drive vehicles to the road from Botswana to Zimbabwe where we met the O.E. representatives who drove us in their car to the border between the two countries and assisted us through Botswana immigration and customs.  We then were handed off to another O.E. representative who assisted us through Zimbabwe immigration (on entering the country) and who then drove us to Victoria Falls where we again were assisted through Zimbabwe immigration and customs (this time on leaving the country).  Finally we boarded the SAA flight from Victoria Falls to Jo-burg (optimistically sending our baggage on through all the way to JFK).  When we arrived in Jo-burg, we met our final O.E. representative, went through South African immigrations and customs and checked in for our return flight to NY.

We had about four hours time before boarding that last flight which we spent shopping in the airport shops.  Then on to the plane for our 16 hours flight to JFK.  At 6:30 AM on Thursday, October 28, we landed at JFK, picked up our baggage (which actually had arrived after having been sent through all the way from Zimbabwe) and then through US immigration and customs.  We were met by our driver who drove us into Manhattan and we were home.  It was about 9 AM in NY, more than 30 hours after we left Chobe Chilwero (adjusting for the time difference).

So, all things considered, would we go back to Africa?  In a New York minute!

I’ll be posting one final comment on it all tomorrow.