From the Sky to the Zambezi Rapids

Listed among the seven wonders of the world, Victoria Falls are the largest falling mass of water on the planet. The thunderous waters of the Zambezi plunge from a height of 100 metres into a two-kilometre-wide abyss, offering a fascinating display of pure force. During his journey thousands of kilometres through the heart of Africa, the legendary Doctor David Livingstone was the first to spot the glorious majesty of Victoria Falls from the Zambian side. He travelled the mighty Zambezi aboard a large "makoro" (a canoe carved from a tree trunk), manoeuvred with a local paddle, with which he overcame the perils of the rapids between him and this great wonder of nature. Faced with the incredible spectacle of the Zambezi's waters hurling themselves from a height of 100 metres, he was so astounded that he named them after his queen, Victoria.

Helicopter From the Victoria Falls heliport you can take excursions of about 15 minutes flying over Victoria Falls.

Rafting Victoria Falls is in any case the ideal place for those seeking pure adrenaline rushes. Rafting on the Zambezi, starting right below the falls, is an unforgettable experience. 19 rapids between grade 4 and grade 6 to tackle in a single day. Seven in the morning: after signing a waiver assuming all responsibility in the event of death, the briefing begins on land: Obey the helmsman's commands: left, right, go, go, go, in, out; when the raft capsizes, curl up in the foetal position and let the current carry you; if you hit a rock, stand up and lean forward; if you meet a crocodile......., watch out for rocks and whirlpools; if you're sucked into the vortex don't panic, wait a minute and you'll resurface, if you don't resurface wait another minute..........

whaaat? Don't panic? Under tons of water? But who is this guy? What world does he come from? And the crocodiles, are there crocodiles? Yes there are, but they stay between one rapid and the next, in the calm waters, they normally cause no problem, normally, that is, right, never heard of bad luck? The brave fellow concludes by reassuring us: the most dangerous rapid, an interminable grade six, affectionately called the devil's toilet, will be tackled on foot, on the riverbank. We position ourselves on the rafts: ours has eight of us plus the helmsman, and the "rescuer" of the lost ones follows us in a kayak. The practical briefing begins: left, right, in, OUT and everyone throws themselves into the FREEZING water!! We set off. First stretch of calm waters: the river is imposing, squeezed between two very steep rock walls.

I glimpse a strip of white foam in the distance; it's the first rapid, the boiling pot, a name, a programme. We approach slowly while the guide explains how we'll tackle it, what we'll have to do and then I don't know what else. I don't have time to realise, I grip the raft's rope to breaking point and in an instant I plunge literally into a liquid vortex, I can't see anything anymore, the water is everywhere above and below me, I feel torn away, I resist, the adrenaline is at its peak, we come out of the rapid unscathed, letting out an irrepressible yell of joy and satisfaction. Only one lady was thrown out; we recover her, but this scene will repeat at every rapid. It was only the first and not even the hardest; after us several rafts capsize and we have to rescue the castaways.

The organisation is anyway impeccable, with kayaks stationed for assistance near the most dangerous whirlpools. After half a day of adrenaline rushes we come ashore for lunch; here the first part of the route ends and the most exhausted struggle to climb back to the top of the canyon. We have little time, we have to move on to the Okavango, so we give up the second part of the descent and the obligatory video tape that would only be ready late in the evening. As we travel the long straight road that takes us into the heart of Botswana, we still have a good dose of adrenaline in our bodies and the images of the walls of water in our eyes. Truly stupefying!!