The Smoke that Thunders 🌊

King Bambino is taking us this morning by his taxi to Mosi-oa-Tunya – the "Smoke that Thunders", the original name of the Victoria Falls.

"Born, bred and buttered" in the town of Victoria Falls, as he puts it, he can still remember how tranquil the place must have been with just 2,000 inhabitants. Today about 40,000 people live here, most of them relying on tourism – and they greet us just as warmly.

A herd of around 50 elephants is also part of the town and is known to cross the streets from time to time. However, today we only see their droppings. 😉

At the entrance to the Victoria Falls, there are not only souvenirs but of course also raincoats. Naturally, we are supposed to buy these from King Bambino’s friend Ben. Unfortunately, we have our own with us – well prepared as we are. 😉

As it turns out, the rainforest at the edge of the falls lives up to its name: Due to the massive spray, it is indeed raining quite heavily here.

At the same time, it is slowly getting warmer. We still stay in long sleeves because we don’t want to rely only on the prophylactic malaria pills and Anti-Bite Tropics. Stuffy? 😇

Initially, it’s so foggy that you can hardly recognize the dimensions of this wonder of the world. But as the designated tour progresses, the visibility improves – and gradually you can begin to fathom how immense these waterfalls truly are.

An elderly lady from South Africa points out people on the opposite shore: “They shouldn’t be there.” As a guide, she is here often and is likely to know.

We prefer to stay on the safe side ... 😉

The roar of the water is at least as loud as the engines of the helicopters that continuously circle over the falls to offer tourists an even better view from above.

On the way back – passing the famous Victoria Falls Bridge – we are then surprised by the first wild animals. And with them, one truly has to summon the courage to just keep walking. 😳

Later this afternoon, there is still an excursion from the tour operator planned.

We are excited. 🌍