On our first trip to Africa in 1997, Doug and I stopped in
Victoria Falls. When the Zambezi River is high, this waterfall becomes the
widest curtain of water on the planet. Even when the water isn't high, it's a
spectacular sight. The falls lie on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, and on
our very first visit all those years ago, we started on the Zambian side.
Livingstone was a very quiet town then; there was really one hotel set up for
tourists coming to see the falls, and we were among just a handful of guests
staying there. The Zimbabwe side, in contrast, felt like spring break. The town
was full of backpackers there to party and go whitewater rafting and bungee
jumping before they headed off on safaris. The streets were full of locals and
tourists alike, all with big smiles on their faces.
