Victoria Falls

On Monday morning, we left Gaborone early and headed north. We reached Francistown for a late lunch and headed for Nata. We had hoped to stay in the Nata Lodge, but it was full, so we stayed in a pretty basic (and noisy) place. On Tuesday, we headed north again, reaching Kasane on the northern border before noon. There we booked Chobe Safari Lodge for Wednesday and Thursday and headed for Vic Falls in Zimbabwe.

After a somewhat complicated immigration process and a wait on a herd of elephants meandering across the highway, we got into the town of Vic Falls in early afternoon. We booked a room in a bed-and-breakfast (that would only take US dollars) and decided to see the falls the next day since the entry cost is a bit steep. We looked around in town and the surrounding area. (Changing money was a unique experience!)

The Zambezi River, just above the falls.

The river at this point is about 1.6 km wide, about to drop into a chasm that stretches the width of the river. The chasm is 95-120 meters deep! By comparison, Niagara is half as high, 2/3 as wide; Iguacu (Brazil/Argentina) is about 1-1/2 times as wide but not as high. Vic Falls has much greater flow than those two, but less that several in Africa and South America.

This was at least my sixth trip to Vic Falls, but by far it was at the highest water level. The power, sound and mist of Mosi-o-tuna (smoke that thunders) was almost better experienced than seen. The mist precluded a view of any more than small parts of the falls at once.

Devil's Cataract is the closest part of the falls to the edge of the river.

From this view, Devil's Cataract is on the left, and one looks down the chasm with the the falls stretching for a mile.

Jerry photographs a bit of the falls amidst a light shower.

Another part of the falls.