A big cloud of spray rises in the air like smoke, and our lunch box and us are sitting just a few centimeters from where the river thunders over 100 meters down into the vertical gorge. Locals call the falls „the smoke that thunders“ (Mosi-oa-Tunya) but to the rest of the world they are better known as Victoria Falls. Sitting right on the lip of the most impressive of Africa’s waterfalls is a monumental experience. Anything even remotely similar to the hike/balancing/jumping from stone to stone through the currents of the Zambezi river just above this gaping gorge would certainly be forbidden in Europe, but as they say: ‚This is Africa‘.
This exceptionally impressive experience is only to be had towards the end of the dry season, when the water level is at its lowest. Once the rains have started again, crossing the river will become impossible and suicidal. However, at the end of the dry season you only need to pass the sign saying „Beyond this point on your own risk“, and you can walk across the river towards Livingstone Island.
It was on this island that the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone named this natural wonder ‚Victoria Falls‘ – in honor of his Queen. The town of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side of the river used to be the main access point to the falls but since Robert Mugabe came to power in the late 80s, the uncertainty and occasional riots that came with his reign of terror have deterred tourists and gave rise to the Zambian tourist town called ‚Livingstone‘. We arrived here by bus and took our new tent directly to the ‚Jollyboys Backpackers‘, where we pitched in the backyard. It’s one of the nicer traveler haunts featuring a great pillowy chill-out area, a pool, pay-for Wifi and a decent enough kitchen. Right the next morning we took their daily free shuttle the 10km down to the entrance of ‚Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park‘, just before the border to Zimbabwe. The hike along the ‚eastern cataract‘ – the Zambian half of the deep gorge into which the Zambezi river falls – is obligatory and really impressive even with the significantly reduced water flow in the dry season, despite the fact the these falls are neither the highest nor the widest waterfalls in the world. The topography is absolutely unique with the 1000m long first gorge’s only exit being a narrow chasm opposite Livingstone island where all the water from the falls combines and flows into the boiling pot – a big circular current at the center of the second gorge. There is no way down into the first cataract, it is simply too steep, but even high up on the walkway opposite the falls there is enough spray to drench the unprepared visitor. Should you ever visit this place yourself then don’t forget to turn left once you get back to the new Livingstone statue and walk upstream to the point where a concrete wall just under the surface of the water marks a relatively safe ‚entrance‘ to wade into the stream and onwards to the lip of the falls. Keep your eyes open though, because besides the unofficial tour guides and local fishermen there are occasionally crocodiles and elephants in the river. It is an adventure, but still reasonably safe and much more fun than health-and-safety style fences like in Europe. Where else do you get to eat your picnic right above smoking thunder?
