Mosi-oa-Tunya

Better known to much of the world as Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya is where I took a guided walk this morning. The Indigenous name means “the smoke that thunders.” When I arrived yesterday and looked at the top of the falls from my hotel, I thought somebody was burning something—it looked like smoke. I hadn’t realized it was actually the mist and spray created by the tremendous churning of the water at the bottom of the falls. So the name makes perfect sense.

Among the largest waterfalls in the world, it didn’t disappoint. Our group took a two-mile walk that started above where the falls begin, on the side of the Zambezi River where I took the boat yesterday, and followed the falls along a good portion of the width — the full width of the falls is about one mile. The walk ended at Victoria Falls Bridge, crossing the gorge of the Zambezi River toward Zambia.

The water falls from the left side of this picture into a gorge, which is what you see behind me here. It then flows away from where I’m standing. Our walk was along the rim of the right side of the gorge. Beyond the right side of the gorge is where my hotel is located. 

In some places we got a beautiful view of the falls, while in others the mist was simply too much and obscured the view—a little in some spots, a lot in others. In a couple of places the mist actually turns into what feels like rainfall. They provided us with raincoats, which helped a lot, although my feet were soaked by the end of the walk.

This is the end of the very high-flow season, so I think I actually got lucky. Earlier in the year the water flow would have been even greater and might have obscured more of the views. I think I’m here at the perfect time to get a little bit of both. There are times of year, like in October, when the water flow really slows down and parts of the falls aren’t even running.

After the walking tour, I had the guide drop me off in town to do some shopping. While there are definitely a lot of tourists here, it doesn’t feel crowded at all. After purchasing a few required souvenirs, I took a side street to find a restaurant my driver had recommended yesterday as excellent. I had a local Shona (one of the Indigenous peoples of this area) chicken dish. It didn’t disappoint.

The little town of Victoria Falls depends on—and I think primarily exists because of—the falls. My driver from the airport and the local guides have all repeated that it’s a very safe place to be. I can definitely feel that.

A little bit about money: in South Africa the currency is called the rand. The dollar is very strong in comparison, so I felt very rich there—things were very, very affordable. Here in Zimbabwe, at least in Victoria Falls, they actually use the American dollar, so the cost of things is a little more comparable to the US.

After lunch I walked back to the hotel and had a restful afternoon. My stay includes both a massage and a high tea, both of which I took advantage of today. Kristi would have been very proud of me for indulging in both … and I imagined that it was 1947 and the royal family was having tea at the table next to me … 🤣

After tea, I needed to check something off my list and get a souvenir. Kristi and I would always visit a grocery store in a new country—not only to buy food and snacks, but also just to get the feel of a grocery store in another country. So I headed out to walk about a mile to the Pick n Pay. I looked around a little and picked up what I needed.

I needed to get back because the sun was setting. While people are safe in town, I’d also been warned that after dark there could be wild animals roaming the streets, including elephants. I wasn’t too worried about it, but I thought I didn’t need to take any chances after my rhino encounter. I did see some baboons and this morning I added a bird to my list, a Trumpeter Hornbill.

When I got back, I spent some time sitting and just watching the bridge, the fall’s mist rising above it, listening to the roar of the water, and just contemplating life.

I came to the conclusion that while I love traveling, traveling alone is not the best way to do it. I’m so glad I got to experience our South Africa adventures with Liesbeth, Jos, and Gerrit. I’m happy I came here for a few days because it is incredible. And I’m missing a lot of you at home.

Because I had tea late in the afternoon, I opted for soup for dinner and turned in a little early. I have to get up early in the morning for my excursion.

Victoria Falls Hotel - a reel showing the hotel a little.