Take My Breath Away: The Victoria Falls Sun Rise and Lunar Rainbow Edition

Recently I visited Victoria Falls to watch the sun rise.

Zimbabwe's Natural Wonder of the world did not disappoint.
It always leaves me in awe.

The sun rose slowly behind the water, changing the mist from a deep, dark black,

to a cloud of white mist

that began to light up the sky in shades of pink, white, orange, and black.

At 0600, there is no one in the park. It's amazing to have one of the world's most beautiful places to yourself.

The mist from the Falls.

The sun trying to emerge.

Then BAM! It's like a blast of colors that are stunning from the sun rising on the Zambian side,
enveloped in mist when viewed from Zimbabwe.

Amazing, just amazing.  No photo I've seen ever captures the wonder of the Falls.
See that? That's the sun.  That's right, a huge massive African sun and that's all you see through a wall of mist.

One of the few places in the world where lunar rainbows exist: Victoria Falls at full moon.
Here's a photo of the 'super moon'...all I have is my memory of the lunar rainbow (no photos!):
one of the most stunning experiences of my life, to see double rainbows at night, illuminated by the moon,
falling gracefully over the falls while the water seemed to glow.

Here's an idea of what the lunar rainbow looks like:

Photo credit.

Go, go, go, if you ever have the chance.  Go at dawn; go at a full moon. Just go.

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Into the Mist: the Victoria Falls Edition

While visiting Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in the dry season,

I was amazed by the amount of water still flowing from this natural wonder of the world.

Even in the dry season, I had to pull out a waterproof point-and-shoot camera because of all the mist!

INSANE, isn't it?  This is what this area looked like from farther (and drier) away.

I am excited to visit it again during the rainy season...where I hear the water is insane and you have to wear a poncho!

Pretty dramatic, eh?  So beautiful.

My last edition of Into the Mist: Chimanimani Style!

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Victoria Falls in the Dry Season

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

With a rainbow!

The Falls from Zimbabwe.

How different the Falls look closer than the Victoria Falls Hotel.

Even at the height of the dry season, there was a ridiculous amount of water.

The sound of the falling water was AMAZING.

You could hear it long before you reached the Falls.

I saw the Falls' mists and my first thought was holy moly! That is a LOT of water.

Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

If it's this much water and mist in the dry season, I can't wait to see the Falls during the rainy season!

All the water from the Falls leaves part of an environment similar to that of a rain forest.

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Blowing Rock

While traveling recently in the United States, I visited Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The view of my beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains was breathtaking.

I remembered what it was like to have a proper Autumn, something I miss dearly while in Africa.

Blowing Rock is both a wonderful, little mountain town and an actual rock.

I want this house.  Seriously.

The Blowing Rock.  Apparently North Carolina's oldest traveling attraction...

Sunrise over the mountains.

Such a different sunrise from the last time I watched it in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Sublime.

From Blowing Rock, I followed this lovely country road....

...to the wonderful Blue Ridge Parkway.  

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Into the Mist

After cozying up here, we woke early to visit Chimanimani National Park in Zimbabwe.

The park entrance.  The mountains run part of the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

We began our hike into the Chimanimani Mountains.

And quickly began to wonder...

If the mist would ever dissipate.

The mountains were amazing, with cliffs and paths along the mountain's edge.

But the mist lasted for hours (see the tree?)

And for the first time in my life, I realized I was literally walking through clouds.

It was an amazing moment.

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