At the airport, we were greeted by a lively guide named Emmanuel, who explained to us that the indiginous name for Victoria Falls was Mosi-oa-Tunya which translates to "the smoke that thunders". We soon found out why.
When we arrived at our hotel, which nestles itself in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, we were astounded to see two wild giraffes alongside the entry road. Immediately following were several wild zebra munching on some grass. This was only a precursor of God's gorgeous creations we had the joy of seeing this day.
The hotel rests several hundred meters from the falls, and a continual roaring can be heard at a great distance. Clouds of mist coming off the falls can be seen on the lookout deck, easily taking one's breath away. It is apparent that the indiginous name rings very true, but is something to experience to fully grasp its meaning.
After we settled in, we met Emmanuel in the lobby to take us on a boat cruise on the Zambezi. We hopped into the small speed boat that fit the twelve of us perfectly. We cruised by a stunning array of birds, some colorful, some large. Emmanuel pointed to bubbles rising near the bank, exclaining "Hippo!" We soon saw two little ears followed by a round hippo face!
The animal appearances kept getting better: a small crocodile, then a huge one, a family of hippos, and then, against the odds, not one, or even two, but THREE elephants-- a rare occurrence along the river. Many of us were in tears at the sight of such majestic beauty.
At the end of the evening we processed what we had experienced, and it couldn't be put into words. Most of us felt that being here, in this place of natural beauty, was filling our souls with something inexplicably wonderful, something none of us will ever forget.
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