Baobab trees in Zim, some of them hundreds of years old, can be the width of several SUVs. They have thick trunks and limbs, with smaller, finger-like branches that have amazing silhouettes in the moonlight.

Only in Africa - where many countries do not entertain major lawsuits - would a park offer its visitors a chance to actually walk through the savannah with lions! In Gweru the guides gave us large sticks and this warning - NEVER TURN YOUR BACK! Here I am petting one of the male lions - an absolute beauty. This was my favorite day in Zimbabwe. As a Leo, I felt right at home.

Here I am, playing with a baby Simba! Little lions are so much like kittens. They love biting anything in reach - even my acrylic nails. I was surprised to learn that their fur is coarse, not soft.

I had to be convinced to go on this canoeing trip. Don't let the smile belie my absolute horror at paddling through croc infested waters. I apologize now to all croc lovers, but that is one species I could certainly live without. While I'm sure no one has ever had their paddle bitten off and their boat overturned on this river, the mere thought that dinosaur-era creatures were lurking beneath my flimsy canoe gave me heart palpitations.

Against my better judgment I got out of the car while on safari and met up with some warthogs. This picture was taken before I realized that these warthogs were really quite harmless, and cute, in fact.

Here's one of our safari vehicles. Great for spotting all the birds and smaller animals that live on the ground.

Elephants are actually very hard to see in the bush. They blend quite well and it took several hours to actually spot one.

Great Zimbabwe is an archaeological wonder. No one really knows the origins of Great Zimbabwe, a castle/fortress in the middle of the savannah. There is nothing like it in Southern Africa.

I took this picture because I loved the way the clouds were reflected in the water where one of the lions were sitting.

A close-up of my favorite little lion (now a big lion).

Tandem paragliding over Zimbabwe was amazing. We flew over waterfalls and forests so dense that the land looked like a vast green carpet.

This rhino gave us quite a scare when my driver turned off our vehicle so we could watch the animal without the noise of the engine. At that moment, the rhino spotted us and began pawing menacingly at the ground. At this point, we realized the danger we were in, but like something out of a horror movie, the car wouldn't start. Obviously, the rhino didn't charge and the car eventually started, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this.

The widest waterfall on earth - Victoria Falls. From every direction rainbows arch across the falls. Usually, you can see three and four rainbows at a time.