Day 18- The Smoke That Thunders – Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls is one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. It is called Mosi-oa-Tunya or The Smoke That Thunders. With it being spring here, there won’t be as much water going over the falls compared to the rainy season, but I’m sure we will still be impressed by its power and beauty.
I remember learning about Stanley and Livingstone in grade school and have dreamed what it would be like to see Victoria Falls. The dream is now a reality.
World Waterfall Rankings
Tallest
- Angel Falls (Bolivar, Venezuela)
- Tugela Falls (South Africa)
- Olo’upena Falls (Hawaii)
Volume, Width, or System Size
- Iguana Falls (Argentina/Brazil)
- Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
- Niagara Falls (Canada/United States)
Victoria Falls Tour
Our hotel is only 10 minutes from Victoria Falls by bus. Ernest drops us off close to the entrance and organizes our entry into the park. We can feel the dewy mist on our faces as we walk through the rain forest to the statue of Dr. David Livingstone.
Dr. Livingstone, an explorer, was the first European to see Victoria Falls which he named after Queen Victoria. Born in Scotland, he studied theology and medicine. He advocated for the East Africans against the slave trade.He died in 1873. His heart was buried in Africa, while his body was sent back to Britain. He was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.
Ernest explains there are multiple viewpoints to see the falls, but that the first 13 are the best. We can then wind our way back to the entrance which will take approximately 30 minutes. We have 2 hours to view the falls and return. This is more than enough time. Ernest follows us and waits for us at the path’s exit.
Shannon and I take our time to enjoy the different viewpoints while snapping some photos and selfies for ourselves and offering to take photos of others before we move on to the next platform.
We see various members of our tour group along the way. We are not in any hurry and have already decided to relax and enjoy the walk. As we get closer to the falls, we are getting wetter and wetter which is a relief from the heat. We know that as soon as we head back, we will dry off, so we are not bothered and enjoy the experience.
I have to walk cautiously so as not to slip on the pathway rocks. They have become smooth over time from all the traffic, and when you add the mist to the stones, they can be treacherous. Make sure you wear shoes with a grip. Other than that, it is a lovely walk through the rain forest with beautiful ferns, flowers and vines.
I am having a hard time describing how happy I am to be here. I imagine Dr. Livingstone navigating the Zambezi River, hearing the roar of this spectacular waterfall and marvelling at its power and beauty.
Heading back to the entrance, as predicted, we were dry within a few minutes. We bought a cup of gelato and did some browsing or should I say Shannon did until it was time to leave. We bump into Carolyne and Tim Lovett in the souvenir area. Carolyne and I each buy a beautiful neck buff in blue tones with African birds on it. I can’t wait to try it on. It will be a nice addition to my collection.
Across the street from the park entrance are various market booths with people hawking their wares. Most of the stalls are displaying the same product. I have my eye on a couple of animal masks (zebra and giraffe). When I ask for a price, Shannon jumps in and starts negotiating. It is quite humorous. She is pretty good at it and obviously enjoys bantering with the locals. I can tell she enjoys getting a deal and has no problem walking away when she feels she is being taken advantage of. It is fun to witness.
I meet Antonio, a strapping young lad, who says he wants to come to Canada. That was the short of the conversation. I asked him what he would do in Canada, and he gracefully waves his hands toward his wares laying on a blanket and says with a smile, “This!” I explain that there isn’t a market for carved masks of elephants and water buffalos, but he responded with he was sure I could come up with a back-up plan. Wink wink! Goodbye Antonio! lol
Back to the bus, we drive about 10 minutes to the Look Out Cafe where a pre-selected lunch menu is ready for us. The view over the canyon is breathtaking. Off to the left is a bridge that people bungee jump from and to our right, we can see the cables of a canyon zipline. I’m sure both activities are thrilling, but not for me today. We have something else in mind.
With Victoria Falls viewed and lunch completed, we head back to the hotel for our R&R time until our Farewell Dinner tonight. There will be no rest for us though. Shannon and I decide to do a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls and I CANNOT WAIT!
Flight of Angels
Ernest arrangeS everything for a group of us. They were a little late picking us up, but we were only a few minutes away from the helipad, so no concerns.
Inside the terminal building, we watch Colin, Teresa, Wayne, Nancy and Alison go through preparations for their flight. There is a weighing, a safety talk and indemnity forms to be signed. Colin asks me to video capture the take off and landing. I was able to get the take-off but we were in safety talks when they landed.
It is our turn. Shannon and I will be flying with Andy and Rick (from the Alberta Grizwold crew). First, is the weigh-in where the results are no real surprise considering the food we have consumed, and then the safety check and form signing. There are two helicopters rotating passengers every 15 minutes. At 216 USD x 4-5 passengers – you do the math. This is a very lucrative business. You can hear the helicopters over the hotel almost all day long.
We are given our seat positions in the helicopter and make our way out to the helipad. We pour ourselves inside, fasten our seatbelts, place our headsets on our noggins and wait for the whop, whop, whop of the blades to start. Before you know it we are floating in the air and moving higher and higher over the grasslands and then over the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. It is magical!
What a rush it was to see Victoria Falls from the air. On the way back to the pad, I see an elephant at a watering hole and the guys see a giraffe. It was a terrific experience. I’m so glad we had the chance to do it.
Souvenir Shopping
I managed to get the giraffe and zebra masks I wanted back in town, but still needed a few more things. Shannon knows I detest shopping so we agreed if I got bored, frustrated or tired she would continue on with me heading back to the hotel. We are only a 5 minute walk away. Instead, I leaned into the exercise and enjoyed myself. We had some laughs with the store vendors.
One of my last stops was at The Elephant’s Walk and Artist’s Village. The galleries were beautiful but I couldn’t find artwork that would be easy enough to get home. We visited a women-owned shop that specializes in product made by local women including herself. She was making bracelets on a loom when we arrived.
We chatted about the Girls’ Dignity Project which is a non-profit program for underprivileged girls in Zimbabwe who miss significant days of school due to their periods either from the lack of sanitary products or embarrassment. This project educates young girls about their health, and builds skill by teaching them how to sew reusable sanitary napkins so they can go to school. No girl should miss school due to inadequate or no sanitary wear. I made a donation to the cause. It is similar to the Period Purse I already support.
Farewell Dinner
I get dressed for dinner and visit Shannon’s room for a glass of wine before dinner, We must drink it to make suitcase room for her purchases. lol Suddenly the skies rumble and they open up with rain coming down in torrents. Thunder booms and lightening lights up the sky. It comes and goes quite quickly.
Once again the meal is preselected to make it easier for the kitchen and wait staff. Most people forget what they ordered so Cristiana handles the deliveries to our place settings. Dinner is lovely and as things are winding down, Shannon stands up and makes a toast to Cristiana to thank her for everything she did to make the trip a success. Cristiana was grateful for her words. She tells us later that no one had ever done that before. That is surprising to me. She deserves accolades for navigating all the personalities and logistics. She did an amazing job and considering this was her first visit to South Africa – stellar!
Day 19 and 20 – A Fond Farewell – Making Our Way Home
We come to the end of the trip, but we still have 3 more flights to take before arriving home.
Victoria Falls to Johannesburg – we make the trip as a group. The flight is with an internal carrier, Cessair and is excellent. Once again, 2 beverage services, a snack and a sandwich all within 1 hour and 50 minutes with 1 flight attendant. At the Johannesburg Airport, Cristiana organized access to the Bidvest Premier Lounge for Shannon and I. There was lots shopping options in the terminal, and our tour gang were coming and going with their acquisitions. Shannon and I were flying out first, while the rest of the gang were going to be waiting for another 3-4 hours. Our boarding time was here. We jump up and bid our goodbyes to our fellow travellers, but don’t get a chance to say goodbye to Cristiana. We reach out to her over text.
Johannesburg – London Heathrow – We flew British Airways on this 10.5 hour flight. Although it was a long flight, it seemed to go by quickly. Shannon slept for most of it, while I watched Season 1 of The Pitt. At one point, I had an issue with my seat. The leg rest wouldn’t go down. I walked to the back of the plane and the lead flight attendant, Rebecca walked me back to my seat and apologized for the inconvenience and proceeded to fix the issue. She was kind and professional.
London Heathrow – Toronto – We were able to get into the United lounge to rest a bit and grab some breakfast. It was nice to have a comfortable place to charge phones, check messages and just relax for a few hours. We tried upgrading, but nothing was available.
Boarding for our Air Canada flight went fine. Shannon had the window, and I had the aisle. We also had a bulkhead row giving us lots of leg room. The flight itself was fine, but he personnel on this flight need to step it up in comparison to the other airlines. The flight attendants in our section never smiled. It was like they didn’t enjoy their jobs at all. I mean, we all have bad days, but your role is service. Instead of asking what they could get for us, it was “What do want, egg or veggie?” Rude, direct and no class is how I would describe it. It did appear there was a newbie on board who didn’t know the menu choices, so he stumbled a bit, but I can understand that. No water for 4 hours, although you could get up and get it yourself. We paid for premium economy and other than a little extra legroom, there was nothing premium about it. Apologies to my flight attendant friends. I hope this is a one-off instance. It was a little disappointing.
Happy to be Home
It’s funny how I can be driving down the street and suddenly I get a flashback to the trip. OMG I was in South Africa and Victoria Falls! What a fantastic trip it was. Thanks to my travel buddy Shannon for coming along. We do wish Carol and Gerry could have experienced it with us. Glad to hear Gerry is on the mend.
Thanks to the people we met on this journey from our own travel group to the guides and guru of Approach Tours. You made the experience wonderful and added colour and texture to this beautiful country. It’s nice to be home, sleep in my own bed and see my family, but I can’t help wonder – Where will I go next?
