Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Day 2

Me at the Victoria Falls

“Scenes so wonderful must have been gazed upon by Angels in their flight”, so said David Livingstone in 1855, when he first set eyes on the awesome spectacle he named the Victoria Falls. To the indigenous Tonga people it is Mosi-oa-Tunya—"The Smoke That Thunders".

Barbs and Mart by the Livingstone Memorial

On this, our second day, we visited the falls themselves. Twice as high as the Niagara Falls, and more than twice the width of the Horseshoe Falls, its only rival is Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil.

The Devil’s Cataract

Our visit came at the end of the dry season, and just before the rainy season, so the flow was not at its maximum, but it was still impressive. At least we stayed dry, and weren't showered on by the spray that increases with the flow of the Zambezi.

David and Barbs admiring the Rainbow Falls

After the rains, this cliff is covered with water. On this day it was a mere trickle.

The Devil’s Pool; I don’t think I’d like this photographer’s job!

When the river level is low, a rock pool forms on Livingstone Island on the Zambian side. Here, adventurous tourists like to sit in the pool close to the edge of the precipice. It is not as safe as they like to think, as a number of people have lost their footing and tumbled over the edge.

Our next activity was the Gorge Swing by the Lookout Café, managed by Wild Horizons. For this you stand on a platform on the edge of a sheer 120m cliff, and jump off to freefall, for about 70m, straight towards the rocks and river below. Then the rope becomes taut, and you swing backwards and forwards across the gorge, before being winched up to the platform again.

Our group getting harnessed up, ready for the Gorge Swing

Amy and Richard, ready to swing in tandem across the gorge

Professional videographer, Victor Jackson, waiting to take footage of the swing

Off they go! …and they can take home a copy of Victor’s video as proof

I actually did the gorge swing in tandem with Mart. But I am determined to go solo next time. It may seem foolhardy, but it is an exhilarating experience.

After our adrenalin rush at the swing, we needed to rest for a while, so we headed over to the Victoria Falls Hotel for a leisurely lunch on the Stanley Terrace.

The Victoria Hotel; one of the oldest hotels in Africa

Wonderful lunch in beautiful surroundings

Sundowners at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

This was our busiest day. Our next engagement was sundowners at the Vic Falls Safari Lodge, watching the game come down to drink, as the sun set, followed by dinner at the Jungle Junction part of the Victoria Falls Hotel complex.

African dancers at the Jungle Junction

Evening dinner at the Jungle Junction is an unforgettable experience. Apart from the delicious all-you-can-eat buffet, you are entertained throughout dinner, by dancers epitomising the spirit of Africa.

Finally, we staggered back to our lodgings, ready to fall into a peaceful sleep, and gear ourselves up for the next day of our adventure.

Elizabeth Coughlan

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