Victoria Falls

Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders)







Victoria Falls, as you might imagine, is an awesome sight. The Zambezi River recorded it's highest levels in over 50 years in April. The water was still flowing fast and wild when we visited. We had been convinced by our host at Siankaba, Jean Claude, that the hiking down to the Boiling Pot was a "must" for any visit to the Falls. Being game for anything, we told our guide, Oliver, that we would leave first thing in the morning on Saturday. I should have read this before agreeing:

The whole volume of the Zambezi River pours through the First Gorge's 110-metre-wide (360 ft) exit for a distance of about 150 metres (500 ft), then enters a zigzagging series of gorges designated by the order in which the river reaches them. Water entering the Second Gorge makes a sharp right turn and has carved out a deep pool there called the Boiling Pot. Reached via a steep footpath from the Zambian side, it is about 150 metres (500 ft) across. Its surface is smooth at low water, but at high water is marked by enormous, slow swirls and heavy boiling turbulence.[4] Objects--and humans--that are swept over the falls, including the occasional hippo, are frequently found swirling about here or washed up at the north-east end of the Second Gorge.

I was thankful for all the cardio workouts I had been doing at the gym... It was a rough climb down. Being part mountain goat would have helped, but alas, it was up to us to figure out a path down the jagged rocks to get to the bottom of the gorge walls. It was worth it, and the climb back up was much easier - as far as navigating the rocks. This is where the cardio kicked in! I was the second one up to the top - just a minute behind my husband.










Once we finished with the Boiling Pot, we made our way around to all the scenic overviews of the Falls. One could stay dry at the higher levels, but if you wanted to be in the 'mist' - serious rain gear was needed. I got wet, even wearing the raingear. The sneakers I was wearing had to be tossed when we got home. They didn't have a chance to dry out while we were in Zambia and after a day and a half in a plastic bag, well, you can just imagine the stink. Even 2 washings with bleach didn't help!









This one of Ed cracks me up - If you look behind him, to the left you will see a baboon sneaking behind him. I kept seeing the baboons, but every time I told Ed, Marty & James - they never saw them!





I finally caught one of the baboons in the act!



This is the market that is at the entrance to the Visitor's Center at Victoria Falls.



Next post will be the Village Walk James and I took with our guide, Victor.

Savuti to Zambia

On our final morning at Savuti, we had an abbreviated morning drive. Our plane to Kasane, Botswana would pick us up at 11AM. We would go through customs in Kasane then fly over the border of Botswana to Livingstone, Zambia. This was our last game drive as our time in Zambia was to be spent exploring Victoria Falls.



We came upon a troop of agitated Chacma Baboons. At first, we didn't know what had them so upset. Then Goodman pointed out some unwelcome visitors on the left side of the trail:



The wild dogs looked hungry. As much as they look like our own domestic canines, don't be fooled... They are ruthless predators and can take down an antelope in a matter of minutes. They won't take on the baboons - the primates are too fast, have too many options for escape and they outnumber the dogs by a handsome ratio. Here, one of the dogs sizes up a baboon:



Chacma Baboons are a social animal. They travel in large, family groups and are quite vocal. I found this family quite cute:





After watching the theatrics of the canines & primates, we moved along to the runway. One of the other guides, Vincent, would meet us at the runway with our bags. We were off to another country and other great adventures.

Here is the approach to Kasane Airport (I got to sit next to the pilot!):



Once we cleared customs in Kasane, we followed the beautiful Zambezi River downstream, coming upon Victoria Falls. Our pilot received clearance for a fly-over - so we enjoyed a spectacular view of the falls before landing in Livingstone.









It was a 30 minute drive from the airport to our lodge, The Islands of Siankaba. This was the most meaningful part of the visit to me - I was so excited to visit this lodge.



We were greeted at the mainland reception building and within a few minutes were on our boat, to get to our island hideaway. The four of us (me, James, Ed & Marty) were the only visitors at the 6 chalet resort. We had the entire staff at our disposal, which was a luxury we had not ever experienced. Our chalets were accessible by a network of rope bridges which dangled above the very swollen Zambezi River:





Here is the view from the deck of our chalet:



And of course, no day is complete without a 'Sundowner' - which we joyfully enjoyed from our boat:





Our first Zambian sunset:



The following day, Saturday, we were off to visit Victoria Falls and make the descent to the 'Boiling Point'. You'll love seeing the photos!!! Until tomorrow...!

More Savuti Wildlife

The Cheetah Brothers and the Hyena

Savuti - A Story Unfolds

Being on Safari is like reading a suspenseful, page-turner novel. Our guides/drivers are the narrators; the animals are the main characters; and the environment containing us all offers the clues that make each turn in the road exciting.

Thursday, May 21st was an exciting day in the bush. It started with one small clue:



Our guide, Goodman, made note of a lone vulture sitting in a tree. The vulture was not showing interest in anything in particular and seemed quite relaxed. We stopped to try a couple shots of the spooky creature and then continued on our way. Within 5 minutes, we came upon this sight:





This was a fresh kill. Goodman told us that this wildebeast had most likely been killed within an hour of our finding this carcass. Lions work quickly, taking only the meatiest limbs of a kill. They do not immediately eviscerate their prey, as the smell of open bowel and intestines attracts other predators. The adults eat first, giving the cubs the remainder. This makes it possible for the adults to stand watch while the cubs eat. Goodman hopped out of our rover to show us that a cub must have been part of the meal - they are not as efficient as an adult at cleaning a bone...



We continued on our way, knowing that whatever animal had feasted on the wildebeast had to be close by. Lo and behold, not long after, we came upon this group:



These lions were part of a 5 member group: Two adult males, one female and two male cubs. One of the older males had been blinded, presumably in a fight:



The other members of the group were obviously resting, having full bellies and plenty of time until dark - when they would begin to hunt again. Hard to believe that this crew was a bunch of killers:











We stalked the lions for about 45 minutes, never facing them - always parallel so as not to influence or inhibit their movements. Once our heart rates returned to normal, we continued on at a leisurely pace. Here are some other sights we saw on that exciting morning...















This had all taken place before 10AM. The anticipation for the evening drive was unbearable as we headed back to camp. But first, brunch and siesta...