Victoria Falls Adventure

We started with a week in Namibia working with the local National Public Affairs Council.
This is our meeting with Womba (National Director for Namibia) and Frank Fredricks.
He is a two-time Silver Medal winner at the Olympics as a 100m and 200m sprinter.  He attended
BYU on a Track Scholarship and Willard Hirshi was his coach at the Olympics.  He is not a
member but is willing to be an advocate for us in Namibia.

We decided to take the week-end and explore some of Africa.  We landed in Zimbabwe, 
traveled by van across the border, and then landed in Zambia.  So we
had to get a visa for each country.

  This is Victoria Falls which is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.  It was much 
longer than Iquazu Falls in Argentina and very beautiful.

This is the mist of the Falls we could see in the distance.  At first it looked like a fire ahead.
As we walked along the pathway to observe the Falls from different angles, we were
completely soaked because of the mist.  It was a downpour not a mist of water.

We saw fantastic rainbows, sometimes two at a time.  One time we saw a rainbow that was
in a complete circle--seriously!  I tried to get a picture but I needed a wide-angle lens.  You'll
just have to take my word for it.

The next day we spent some time riding elephants.  Grandpa wanted
to ride by himself, of course, but the guide said no.

This is one of the coolest things I have ever done.  Imagine--riding
an elephant.  Who would have ever thought. 

We rode for about 45 minutes and the guide taught me all about snakes as we rode.  That was really
fun.  They have many, many huge and dangerous snakes in Africa.

            River Cruise on the Zambesi River

Speaking of snakes, this is a "Snake Bird."  Sitting here it doesn't look like its name.  But the
next picture. . .

Especially from a distance, it really looks like a snake standing up in the water.

There were huge lizards all over the trees.  

There were crocodiles swimming all around us.  Then we discovered the reason why. . . .

We saw the baby Hippo that had been killed by the crocodiles.

They finally began to take it down below the surface of the water.

Going, Going, Gone.  I'm glad we didn't see it being killed.  That would have been sad.  But that's
the way it is in Africa.  Survival of the fittest.  The sad thing was, however, Mama Hippo was not
far away loudly expressing her displeasure.

We saw SO MANY elephants.  Just a couple of the better shots.  After playing and playing in the
water, they get out and spray themselves with dirt and/or mud.

Just like kids--having a great time playing with each other.

Now what do you think?  Can an elephant really have TWO trunks?  A picture says it all
don't you think?

For you young artists, I thought this would be a very fun picture to paint.  Anyone game to try?

At the hotel, there were zebras that walked around the grounds all of the time.  This young man was
their keeper and he showed us how he could talk to them by making different sounds.  And the
most fun thing was his name is Webster.

He also took us for a walk and showed us a mother giraffe and her two offspring.  The
little one is about 2 weeks old.

Yes, they were everywhere.  In fact, we had to circle the airport when we arrived because
they had to get the baboons off of the runway.  It reminded me of Tonga when they had to
chase the pigs off of the runway.

This would be Daddy Baboon.  We heard this LOUD honking-type sound.  He was calling to
his family that were on the ground below him.

He got their attention--mom and two of the babies.

Then we saw the whole family heading for the brush.