Hello Victoria Falls!

June 20, 2013

It took two flights to get to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. One to Johannesburg and the other to Vic Falls.  We arrived at the airport to hear and then see a local group in traditional clothing singing and dancing.   Mom soon joined in.

We stayed at the Victoria Falls Hotel and were able to see the water spray of the falls from there.  The sprays can been seen about 100 miles away during the high flow season!

Once we finished with lunch, we took about a mile and a half walk along the falls to 11 viewpoints.  Some viewing areas were like stepping into a heavy rainstorm.  No pictures from those spots; however, anywhere we had a view of the falls and the magnificient rainbow that accompanied it, we were enlightened.  The sound of the rusing water and the fresh scent from the forest around enhanced the experience.  It is not surprising that we were standing in the midst of one of the seven natural wonders.  This national park was dedicated to keeping the area around the falls as natural as possible.  They have been successful, in my opinion.  There are no buildings or other structures to inhibit the views, and even the walkway's railings were made not of wire but of branches from thorn bushes.

Dr. Livingston, from England, was the first white person to see the falls.  He saw them during the low flow season and then went "missing" for several years.  He fell in love with the area and even after he was "found", he still showed his devotion to the area and its people.  In fact, his heart is still there.  After he died, the people in the area kept his heart and sent back the rest of his remains.  He was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.

After the falls, we had a bit of time to relax before dinner.  Mom and I enjoyed the bottle of wine we brought from South Africa.

At dinner (a magnificent buffet!) we were treated to a performance of various groups from villages in Zimbabwe.  The narrator for the evening described the traditions, many of them initations into adulthood, and the masks that are a visual representation of these traditions.  We even witnessed a man using his teeth to lift and hold a metal beam.  I was impressed not only by the elaborate masks and costumes, but also by the voices and rhythms that the groups created.  As I write this, I can still hear them singing.