Zimbabwe is a land-locked country in southern Africa. It is a little bit larger than the state of Montana.
We are here to see Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.
Flying in you could see the cloud of mist marking the falls on the landscape.
Our accommodations here were quite nice, the five star Victoria Falls Hotel.
Originally constructed in 1904, they have maintained all the glamour and elegance of the era. We felt like gentry walking about the grounds.
Guards patrolling the grounds for stray wildlife did not carry spears here.
As with all places we have stayed in Africa they have directed guests not to leave their windows open lest monkeys will invade your room. These guests will have a surprise when they get back to their room.
Entrance to the falls.
The falls were "discovered" by David Livingston in 1855. He named the falls in honor of Queen Victoria. The indigenous name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, literally means "the smoke that thunders".
The falls are created as the Zambezi River drops 351 feet into a gorge. The 5,698 feet wide falls can be viewed from the opposite side of the gorge.
While it is neither the highest nor widest falls in the world it is claimed to be the largest.
There is a drastic difference in the amount of water flowing over the falls during wet and dry seasons.
We are here during the wet season when the flow is at full volume and the mist is the heaviest, often obscuring views of the falls completely.
As wind directions shifted and the mist cleared we were able to catch momentary glimpses of the falls.
Caught this nice rainbow emerging from the falls.
This is "Danger Point". Did I go out for a look?
View from "Danger Point"
The Victoria Falls Bridge, constructed in 1905, spans the Zambezi River just below the falls and links Zimbabwe and Zambia
Zambezi River flowing through the Victoria Falls Gorge just below the falls with the Victoria Falls bridge in the left back ground.
We visited a local elementary school.
Over 2,000 kids attend the school. The day is broken into two sessions morning and afternoon. Half of the students attend the morning session with the other half attending the afternoon session. They then alternate sessions every other day. The average class size is 45 students.
