More changes within our hotel in Mumbai based on new lockdown requirements…

The sights and sounds of Victoria Falls from both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides were unlike anything we’ve seen in the past.

Previously, the hotel refused to provide room service. Now it’s mandatory. We liked picking up our food, which allowed us to ensure it was safely handled from the cooks to our plates. Hum… 

Now, our food will be handled by yet another person or two, the person who puts the plates on the tray and the person who delivers it. This only adds to the risk of infection by a staff member touching our plates.

After this elephant dug a decent-sized mud hole, he decided to try to lay on his side.  Digging the hole must have been exhausting for this big fellow in the heat of the sun.  Please click here and scroll down to the videos for four stunning videos of him swimming in the Chobe River.

Based on information found online (always questionable), it’s unlikely to get the virus when an infected person is handling food during the preparation of a meal. However, the virus can survive on plates being touched by an infected person. 

We will become even more diligent in handling our plates when they arrive by washing our hands after moving them to our trays which we frequently wash with hot soapy water before and after we eat. We have little control beyond those measures.

Sunset on the Zambezi River.

As a result of this new dictate, other than my walks once an hour in the corridors, neither of us will use the lift to go to the lobby. In one way, this is good, allowing us to avoid infection from people in the lobby or those who may have coughed or sneezed in the elevator, although we wear masks when leaving the room.

Each time I walk, I wear a mask, and when passing either guests or staff in the corridors, I make a point of keeping my back to them as they pass in the narrow hallway.

Riding the ferry is free for people but not for vehicles between Zambia and Botswana but, to disembark requires removing one’s shoes and walking in the water.

Oh, good grief. This is tiresome. It would be so much easier if we lived in a house, cooked our meals, and ordered groceries and supplies online. But, this is our situation, and it doesn’t appear as if anything will change for months to come.

A few flights fly out of India via Air India to Singapore, the UK, and the US. As international travelers, we wouldn’t be allowed to enter Singapore or the UK even if their international airports were open and they are not. 

Albert, our guide, prepared “tea time” before we entered the Chobe National Park.

And as mentioned, we aren’t interested in returning to the US with over 1.3 million cases, and our health insurance is only good outside the US. We’re fine here.

When I went downstairs to pick up a package delivered from Amazon India a few minutes ago, I spoke to our hotel rep, Dash, and he explained our food handling would be meticulous. He’s taken it upon himself to deliver each of our two daily meals personally. He will not touch our plates. 

I was happy to see Tom safely return from climbing to the top of the wet slippery bridge he tackled without me.  I’m not quite as surefooted as he is.  It was slick, the visibility was poor, and I wouldn’t have been able to take photos in the heavy mist, so I stayed behind with Alec while we awaited his return. I was getting worried when he’d been gone for a long time. Seeing him in his yellow poncho made me sigh with relief.

Instead, he has the kitchen staff place the food onto the plates and then onto a clean tray. The only part he will touch is the edge of the tray when he hands it off to Tom. We will wash our hands before and after we eat.

This afternoon, we’ll watch the finale episode of Game of Thrones and soon begin a few new shows. It’s a wonderful way to get our minds off of our situation. Tonight, we’ll wrap up the engaging show, Succession, a must-watch series also on HBO, ideal for binge-watching.