After my adrenaline-filled day of high thrills from the VicFalls Bridge, I decided to step it down a notch for my next adventure.

There is a company called Batoka Sky that provides a number of tourist experiences, but the one activity I wanted to experience the most was to see the falls from a microlight airplane. A microlight is basically a hang-glider outfitted with two seats (one for the pilot in the front and one for the passenger in the back), a small engine and a propeller. When you see the little flying contraption, you really wonder how sturdy the thing is.

Unlike seeing an attraction from a helicopter, where one is in a loud but secure cocoon, a microlight flight is an experience that exposes one to the elements. It’s windy, unencumbered and quite the thrill.

I arrived at the airstrip, signed in and was then escorted to the aircraft. My pilot for the 30 minute ride was Heiko, a German expat who lives in Zambia with his wife and three adopted children. He’s been flying microlights for over twenty years.

I strapped into my seat and we were quickly taxiing down the runway. The acceleration of the microlight was impressive as we shot along the dirt strip. In the blink of an eye, we were airborne.

The immediate view was amazing as I had a 270 degree open view of the Zambian countryside. We quickly gained altitude and then leveled off at our cruising height of 4,000 feet.

The falls were immediately visible, revealing themselves with their mist rising above the horizon.

We made our way over to the falls and flew a half-dozen circles around this grand spectacle. While it’s one thing to see the falls from the ground, to witness them from above is a whole different experience.

The depth of the gorge, the black rock, the white mist, the blue water and the many colors of the perpetual rainbows all combined for an awe-inspiring view. I could have stayed up there all day.

After 15 minutes of enjoying this natural spectacle, we then spent the second half of the flight flying up the Zambezi River to view game, which come to the river for water.

Again, it was an amazing perspective to see these animals from the air. We saw hippopotamus, crocodile, elephant, water buffalo, gazelle and giraffe from our heavenly perch.

Heiko and I communicated via headphones with mics, and we had a nice opportunity to chat and get to know one another. As we began to head off toward the airstrip, he asked if he could take a moment and pray for me. Of course I agreed.

He then asked God to look over me during my travels and to get me to my destinations safely. He also asked God to help me find my ultimate path that will bring me fulfillment and happiness. He had sensed that I am at a key transitional point in my life, and he prayed that I would find the right answer with His help.

It turns out Heiko is also a minister – he and his wife also run a church when he isn’t flying. He really touched me and I quietly cried in the back seat of that little set of angel’s wings.

Once we landed, I thanked Heiko so very much for a truly inspiring and beautiful experience. While I’ve been blessed to see and experience so many natural wonders, it’s the people that have really provided such a fulfilling journey of exploration.