The Smoke that Thunders
About 8km away from Livingstone are the mighty Victoria Falls – the Smoke that Thunders. When driving along Mosi-oa-Tunya Road in Livingstone, one can see the mist from the Victoria Falls just after passing by Livingstone City Council. Especially early in the morning it looks like the mist is creating all the clouds. When the air heats up during the course of the day the misty clouds reduce.
Come with me. I take you on a Tour of the Victoria Falls
I’m home in Livingstone and I’ve been to the Falls many many times but guess what? It’s never going to be boring. Every time there is different. It usually starts with some very inquisitive Chacma Baboons right at the entrance gate. You have to leave your car to go to the ticket counter to pay your entrance fee. If you are not really careful they might snatch something from you. If it is not edible they will still chew on it and drop it later.
Heading upstream
I usually walk first a bit upstream. Along this path you find some mopane trees that dung markings. This is done by Hippopotami that come here at night to graze. They put markings along their tracks to find the way back to the water. Elephants used come here too. An Elephant barrier with spiky stones was built in recent years and the Elephants are now blocked.
Along the upstream path you get some good views in to the gorge and across to the Knife Edge Bridge. During low water season in September to November you can see the Main Fall on the Zimbabwean side. Except for midday when the sun is to high you can expect to see rainbows.
Across the Knife Edge Bridge
Following the pathway in front of the Victoria Falls across the Knife Edge Bridge you will see, hear and feel the Falls. Huge amounts of water falling over the edge into the gorge. This makes a lot of noise and creates the spray. It is spectacular to see the misty curtain opening for a moment and the next moment the Falls are hidden. At the end of the path you have a good view of the Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Down to the Boiling Pot
There is a pathway down to the Boiling Pot. The steps are quite uneven and can be slippery too. This footpath goes through the only piece of rainforest in Southern Zambia. Rock Dassies are frequently seen sunbathing on the stones, Spurfowls are calling and many other birds can be spotted including Black Eagles, Red-winged Starling, Robin-chats. At the end of the path one has reached the Boiling Pot. The Zambezi River is about 2km wide on top of the Falls. Down here the waters are pushed through the narrow gorge which is not more than 100m wide. From here one can see the Victoria Falls Bridge from the bottom. Maybe you are lucky and see someone Bungee jumping from the Bridge.
