Two Parts Italy

I saw the mist first - rising from the river in the distance - and I immediately understood why the indigenous people of the area call Victoria Falls “The Smoke that Thunders.” The mist looks like smoke – a massive cloud of smoke that seems to sit atop the Zambezi River. The thunder, of course, is the roar of the falls, which flow at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia in southern Africa.

Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a sight I have wanted to see since I was a kid. When I traveled to the area in June, it did not disappoint. How could it? Victoria Falls is classified as the largest waterfall in the world based on its combined width of 5,604 feet and height of 354 feet. From the ground, the entire fall can’t even be seen. From the air, the sight is breathtaking. The waterfall is the full width of the Zambezi - a powerful sheet of water more than a mile wide that cascades into a chasm it has carved over time.

After viewing the waterfall from the air in a helicopter, we took a well-marked footpath on the Zimbabwe side to scope out different sections of the fall from ground level. Sixteen viewing spots dot the path and the spray from the waterfall (the mist, or the smoke) gets stronger and stronger as you go. (A raincoat is advised – and provided at the entrance for visitors who don’t bring their own.) The spray is constant, which means there also is a constant rainbow at the falls, and can be seen as far as 30 miles away. The end of the path offers a view of Victoria Falls Bridge, which links Zambia and Zimbabwe below the waterfall.

A statue of Dr. Livingstone (I presume) at Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls was given its Christian name (in honor of Queen Victoria) by the Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who is believed to be the first European to have seen the falls. There are many fun facts about the falls. The One that fascinates me the most is that from September through January (the dry season), part of the waterfall can actually dry up.

An ever-present rainbow is at Victoria Falls.

Of course, southern Africa is home to various wild animals and those, too, can be spotted near the falls. From the helicopter, we saw elephants. While taking a cruise along the Zambezi, several hippo were seen, as was a small crocodile sunning itself on the shore. And on the footpath, we were greeted at one point by a baboon running toward us, as well as several smaller primates lucky enough to call this natural wonder home.

-post by Judy

Victoria Falls Bridge links Zimbabwe and Zambia.

While Italy is my first love, seeing as much of the rest of the world as possible remains a priority for me. My most recent non-Italy adventure was to go on safari in Botswana, and despite dreaming of this for years, I really had no idea what to expect. I knew I would see animals, of course. But I couldn’t imagine what the experience would be like. Now I know why. There is nothing else like it. From the people to the animals, the lodges to the terrain, and the sunsets and “sundowners,” every experience was fresh.

Zebras and wildebeest - they often travel together.

During our trip, we stayed at three different lodges while in Botswana (we also traveled to Zimbabwe). One lodge rested on a ridge above the Boteti River, which allowed us to sit in camp or on the porches of our tents and watch zebras and elephants and birds come for drinks of water. The barking noises of the zebras could be heard at night, as could the trumpets of elephants. On the far banks, with the help of binoculars, we spotted crocodiles, herons and some impala. A hippopotamus had taken up residence beneath the game-viewing blind of the camp.

The tents themselves were more than comfortable – roughing it, this was not. Indeed, this was glamping at its finest. Double beds with cozy comforters, indoor and outdoor toilets and showers, hot water for coffee brought to the room first thing in the morning. It was all part of the experience.

The view from the porch of our tent at Meno a Kwena

The other two camps were just as great – in fact, a bit more upscale. They were in the Okavango Delta, the swampy inland delta with grassy plains that is home to a wide-ranging animal habitat and that has captured my imagination for years. Early-morning game drives, afternoon tea, sunset game drives and “sundowners” (stops for drinks and snacks while the sun sets) were on the daily agenda. So were sightings of elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, impala, kudu, jackals, hyenas, warthogs, cape buffalo, and more. The number of birds we saw was mind-boggling and the expertise of our guides was equally impressive.

Above photos, from left: an outdoor shower at one camp; elephant tracks; a rare sighting of a pangolin; bathroom sinks at a camp

We learned how to distinguish among animal tracks, why some male lions roam by themselves, how the guides tell one lion from another and over time (whisker spots unique to each cat – they’re like our fingerprints). We sat and watched lionesses stealthily move through the tall grass, hyenas hunt prey, a male lion snooze close to the road and two baby hippos sleep in the sun next to the watering hole of one camp. I was continually entranced and entertained and educated. And I can’t wait to go back. -post by Judy

Victoria Falls - a True Natural Wonder

On Safari