Mosi-oa-Tunya: The Smoke That Thunders

After an exhilarating helicopter flight over Victoria Falls, we visited the Falls at sunrise.

Every trip to the Falls has been so unique for how it looks, how it feels, how it awes.

But sunrise, oh sunrise, by far is my favorite time to visit.  I fell in love with it at sunrise on this trip.

In all my visits, I'm surprised I've never showed you this in its both amazes and terrifies:
the fence that keeps you from going over the edge into the Falls at certain vantage points.

These thorns won't stop anything if you're really heading over.

This trip was blessed by so many rainbows. Stunning.

Be still my heart!

The sunrise.

Oh, Victoria Falls, you never disappoint.

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Snapshots from the Air: Flying Over Victoria Falls

While visiting the wonderful Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe, we soared over the Falls.

Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, is awesome.
Awesome as in the genuine definition: inspiring awe.

Taking a helicopter over the Falls runs away with your imagination and captures the beauty of this world.
It is easy to understand why David Livingstone wrote after seeing it that
"scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight."

I've visited the Falls many times; each time is different and leaves me so wonderfully content.
No painting, no photograph I've seen captures its majesty and its indescribable ability to make you feel both tiny and happy.

They also never capture just how ginormous Victoria Falls is. Because it is.  Even that's an understatement.
The other name for Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders") is somehow also an understatement.

Here's a video from my flight, look how it dwarfs nearby roads, that building at the bottom corner?
That's a lodge to give you a sense of its immensity.

Oh! Be still my heart, how beautiful the world is.

This was at a drier point of the season and it can still be seen so far away!

Our sweet ride.  It went too fast.

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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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Chimanimani's Bridal Veil Falls

After this lovely hike (including a visit from a tarantula!!), we came to Bridal Veil Falls.

The falls are in the hills six kilometers outside the Chimanimani village in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe.

Our winter visit meant cold, cold crystal clear water.

A serene reminder of the beauty tucked into all of Africa's corners.

The falls' clear pool.

Chimanimani is one of the beautiful spots in Zimbabwe,

so different than what most think Africa 'should' look like.

Just beautiful.

The falls were named for its resemblance at rainy season to a bride's veil.

So different from the last waterfall (Victoria Falls!!) I visited in Zimbabwe.

So different from the last hike I took to a waterfall in Chimanimani.

The hike into the Chimanimani Park and up to the falls is well worth the effort-- and it's a relatively easy hike.

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A Return to the Eastern Highlands

Recently I returned to the lovely Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe.

Wouldn't you just love to have this view?

While (re)visiting the cozy Frog and Fern Cottages, we hiked into Chimanimani once again.

The Chimanimani Mountains are just so stunning and form part of the boundary between Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

We may have paused in our beautiful hike to freak out at THIS exact point. 

Um, seriously, a tarantula crossing the path? Holy moly, freak out!

Here's another shot of the guy. Definitely do not like spiders, definitely do not like large, dangerous, hairy ones...

We hiked up toward Bridal Veil Falls and the scenery was just so lovely.

Reaching the falls area.

Sneak peek of the next post: the Bridal Veils Falls!

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