Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe & Zambia

 Hello!

We made the long journey to Africa and spent today hiking and exploring Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia side.  First some information about the falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the three largest waterfalls in the world.

Niagra - 167 ft tall, 3,946 ft wide with 85,000 cubic ft/sec avg volume of water.

Iguacu Falls (border of Argentina & Brazil) 269 ft tall, 8,858 ft wide with 61,659 cubic ft/sec avg volume of water

Victoria Falls 351 ft tall, 5,698 ft wide with 38,846 cubic ft/sec avg volume of water.

Each of these waterfalls is configured differently, but if you are looking for the highest, widest sheet of continually falling water, then this is it!!

The pictures below will make you question this assessment but please remember we are here at the very end of the dry season - the waterfall is at it's lowest volume.

We have been fortunate enough to have seen all three and I can tell you that each is magnificent in its own way!




The image below shows only a few waterfalls of the 20+ that are normally thundering down! In the "high" flow times it is difficult to see because of the heavy mist coming off the falls.


Of course we saw many rainbows!


We started out early this morning so that we could get back in and out of the heat.  It is about 100F this afternoon - we took a taxi to the Falls about 8:30 - it was bout 85 at that point and 100F by the time we got into a taxi to come back - arriving at 1:30.  In between we walked about 7.5 miles!  

We walked from Zimbabwe to Zambia (and back), crossing this awesome bridge.

This bridge was fabricated and assembled in sections in the UK and shipped to Africa. It was constructed in 1904-05.  Upon first installation there was an overlap of 1.25 inches  - when work resumed the next morning, the bridge had contracted and it lined up perfectly!  

This bridge was originally built for railroad purposes, today it is cars, trucks and pedestrians.  We understand from locals that copper comes to Zimbabwe from Zambia, coal the reverse.

Not everyone has a car.  We saw many people carrying goods on their head and bicycles over-loaded!

We haven't decided what to do tomorrow but I am looking forward to another adventure!

Take care,

Sheri & Carsten



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