Graskop, the Panoramic Route & road to Johannesburg (11/23)

We woke up on the 23rd to no rain, but still very thick cloud cover. We headed out for the panoramic route despite the clouds and hoped for the best. We were able to see the falls along the route, but the 2 things we were most excited to see we could not: God's Window and the 3 Rondawels. We tried to make the best of it though and found our own spots to stop and make pictures. We also found some good photo ops of baboons and pigs.

So after seeing what we could we headed out for the long 6 hr journey to Johannesburg. No one tells you how beautiful the entire country of South Africa is... We got to see much of the country on the drive and I am thankful for that. The weather also was beautiful blue skies outside of Graskop.

Okay, so we are not thankful for the drive experience in Johannesburg. As we are getting close to Johannesburg it starts pouring.... Bad. The traffic was horrible, too. It was dark at the point we were there and we were just trying to drive in the rain and traffic without disaster. We had directions from google maps printed to our hotel there where we would just stay until our flight the next morning to Vic Falls. So after getting lost and turning around about 4 times we finally get to the supposed google maps directions to our hotel. Ummm, not at all the right place. We have no working cell phone, in the biggest city in the world in a foreign country where it is dark and pouring. We ended up being lost for 3 hours. It was so awful.... And the worst part??? We had no gas left and they do not have a feeder or access road along their highways so when you spot a gas station you cannot find a way to it. I literally just started crying after driving about what seemed like an hour on empty when our empty light started blinking. We were freaking out. Our last option was to make our way to the airport after searching for so long for a gas station on our own with no luck (assuming we could even make it there without getting lost 100 times). Thank God we were not lost 100 times on the way there and that they were able to help us. Also, thank God that our car actually made it there... I still cannot believe it made it. Anyways, I think we arrived at our hotel at 10:30 when we were supposed to be there around 7. We were starving and spent so we ordered room service. It arrived- the order was wrong though. Then we noticed that they gave us no silverware or ketchup so I called that in and they delivered ketchup but no silverware. 3rd time was the charm I guess but at that point we were just ready for a new day!!!!!!