10/14/07
We meet up with our guide for the Falls tour and entered into the park. Our guide was the best we have had, as he really took the time to explain the elements of nature and man, as it has affected Victoria Falls. His gentle nature was apparent immediately as was his sense of humor. I had an enlightening controversial conversation with him regarding the state of things in his country, Zimbabwe.

And then I saw the Falls! Wow, there is something here that calls to me and sings a powerful song. There is a folk tale about the God of the river, whose name I cannot recall, and how he used to protect the people here but when all of the tourists came he swam up the river. Then the people put in a dam he was separated from his wife, so whenever something goes wrong there, they blame it on his anger for wanting to get to his wife.

The best views of the falls are on the Zimbabwe side, and we spent over 2 hours walking along, enjoying the different views, the changing climates and the animals. At one point, opposite the largest falls there is a tropical rainforest, complete with dewy rain, hornbills and bushbuck. Then just a few feet later it is dry and hot again. The most magnificent view was off of danger point, where the drop off is apparent and the river is flowing violently.

On the way back we stopped to see “the big tree”, a Baobob tree that is believed to be over 1500 years old. It is massive! Then it was back to our hotel, and we all split up. Some of the group went to lie down and rest by the pool. 2 of the group went off to walk with the lions, which was great fun as they spent a couple of hours with lion cubs. And I went off to fly across the gorge!

I did something called the Flying Fox, were I was strapped up in a full harness, and they clipped me onto this cable that crosses 200 m across the gorge (which was about 98meters wide). Then I just ran off the platform and threw myself forward into empty space, like Supergirl and FLEW across the gorge! It was amazing. I am smiling just typing about it. When I got to the other side, I turned around to hold onto the return line and glided back and forth a couple of times, suspended across the gorge, as they pulled me back in.

When they offered me a second ride, gratis, I did not hesitate to say YES. This time I just whooped my way across, with a big AHHHHHH and a wide mouth grin. On the return flight back I could see the swallows below me and the buzzards or hawks gliding above me. What a wonderful feeling.