The Smoke That THUNDERS

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We arrived in Livingstone late, after driving over some of the worlds biggest potholes at about 140 kph! So it was off to bed pretty quickly.

The next day I said my good bye's to Sanele with a promise too visit his art sudio in Victoria Falls in couple of days even saying that I would go to Zimbabwe a day early despite my reservations about what I had heard with regard to their attitude towards the British.

My intention was to go and visit the falls, however it started raining so I was going no where very quickly. Again.

I went the next day instead. I had heard that you get wet, I had heard that it is an awesome sight. I had heard that it really does deserve its reputation as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

That's what I heard before I got there.

When I actually got there all I heard was the thunder that the water makes as it hits the bottom of the falls.

Victoria Falls is 2km wide and at its highest point the water falls over 100 meters!

As a result the water is smashed to a vapour that occassionally rises high enough to touch the clouds above it and can be seen for miles around! The mist also rains doiwn near the falls itself, hence drenching every one that wants to walk accross Knife Edgew Bridge to get more views of the fall. Ehen the said you get wet, they should have said wear your swimming costume!

It truely is awesome. After being drenched trying to walk over the bridge (which I didn't do as my fear of falling to my death kicked it) I walked up the Zambezi instead to see the mist from upstream instead. While you can't actually see the water falling, you do see it going over the edge and you cant escape the sound.

You also get an appreciation for just how powerfull the Zambezi actually is, especially when you look at the rock formations...

I could sit here and keep on telling you what an aamazing site it is and how the water is so powerfull it has carved a gorge over 200 meters deep through volcanic rock. But honestly words cant do it justice...

(Hopefully my brother will be adding the photographs soon!)

It really is an amazing sight and if your also into sports like rafting, canoeing, bugee jumping, sky diving and safari's its deffinately worth coming here (but visit the Zimbabwean side-its alot cheaper and the infrastructure is better for the time being)

The next day I packed my things and headed over the border to Robert Mugabe's regieme and Zimbabwe.

Would I be stopped and refusedf a visa at the border?
Would I have to pay a bribe to get accross?
Could I carry 30kg's worth of backpack 1km?

A nervous nights sleep was had...

Next stamp in passport: Zimbabwe

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Photos

Part Of Vic Falls From The Zambian Side
The Falls are 2.1 km wide and straddles a border. This is what you first see from the Zam side

View Of The Falls From Up Stream
The power of the water just before it plummets iver is amazing.

The Mist
The water goes over so hard that it gets pulverised into a mist that can rise as high as the clouds above.
But I took this picture because of the rainbows.

Mist And Falls
What these pictures don't convey is the sound and the rain and the fact that every possension you have obn at that moment is about to be drenched