Out of Africa Day 6

Baobab tree

Following breakfast, Mehluli picked us up at 8:15 to take us to Victoria Falls. First, though, he drove us to see a 1,200 year old Baobab tree. It was huge, with a girth of over 74' and a height over 78'. Nicknamed the tree of life, the baobab trees provide food, water and shelter to various birds, insects and reptiles.

Victoria Falls is located along the Zambize River between Zimbabwe and Zambia, and is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World (the others being the Northern Lights, Grand Canyon, Paricutin, Mount Everest, Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, and Great Barrier Reef). It is the largest waterfall in the world, with a width of 5,604' and a height of 354'.

Mehluli guided us on a walk along the falls, providing us with a rich history of the falls and the area. Thankfully we were provided with large raincoats, and we certainly needed them as the spray from the falls was like being in a rainstorm. It was quite an experience to see the falls from a distance as well as close up.

Victoria Falls

From the falls we were driven to the airfield of Zambezi Helicopters. Jim and I have never been in a helicopter before, and we were not sure how we would like it. Dubbed "Flight of Angels", the name did not inspire confidence in us. We selected the shorter 15 minute flight plan, which gave us several passes over Victoria Falls and one over a national park. We absolutely loved it! There is really no way to grasp the magnitude of the falls from the ground. An overhead look really put the falls in perspective. I would not hesitate to take a helicopter ride in the future.

Next Mehluli took us to a bridge where we could walk above the Zambize River from Zimbabwe to Zambia and back again. While the scenery was beautiful, the experience was marred by the street vendors hawking their wares. They just would not take no for an answer, which forced us to do the walk at a faster pace than we would have preferred.

bridge over the Zambize River

We retired back to the lodge to rest up a bit before dinner. The next day would begin early once again.