The Smoke That Thunders
Our Africa journey is underway, and it's been off to a great start. So great, that I haven't even had two seconds to begin to even edit my photographs, let alone write a blog post!! As I write this, I am frantically recharging batteries as I get ready to head back into the Kalahari Desert in search of the two lion prides in this area. But let's back track...
Our trip started in Zimbabwe, a landlocked country about three times the size of England. Roughly 20% of Zimbabwe's surface area is protected in the form of national parks, private wildlife parks, nature conservancies and recreational parks. The country is dry for at least 9 months of the year, meaning many areas suffer from long-term droughts. On top of that, poaching, hunting, the destruction of land and overfishing of lakes/rivers have caused stress on the surrounding environment. I had been to Zimbabwe in 2016 to document lion conservation efforts, but I never had the time to visit Victoria Falls (where this visit comes in).
This seventh natural wonder of the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site drops one million liters of water per second down a 360 foot drop (twice that of Niagara). The mists from the Mosi-oa-Tunya ("the smoke that thunders" as the locals call it) can even be seen from 40 miles away. Europeans first set eyes on these falls in 1855 during an expedition led by Dr. David Livingstone who had come to Africa in 1840 as a medical missionary (but who earned his fame in search of the Nile's source). Instead, he found Victoria Falls, named in honor of his British queen. He once wrote, "On sights as beautiful as this, Angels, in their flight must have gazed", which is why helicopter and microlight aircrafts over the falls are called "Flight of the Angels".
I woke up early to photograph the falls at sunrise, and though it's not the right time of year to see the sun rising over the falls, the power of the falls was a magical sight to witness. Having arrived at the gates at 6am, we even got there before the park opened! As I sat photographing the falls from viewpoint 13, my mom and I were the only people around... adding to the magic of the mile long falls.
Later in the day, we headed to the Zambia site of the falls. Though Zambia is also landlocked, three rivers (the Kafue, the Luangwa and the Zambezi) flow through the country. From the white water rafting and bungee jumping to helicopter rides, Victoria Falls is well established as one of the world's premier adventure destinations. Personally, I prefer the Zimbabwe side of the falls because you get a better idea of scale. That, and you don't get sopping wet!! At one point, I was wearing two rain ponchos as I walked along the falls and I still got drenched in water from head to toe. Luckily, the camera survived.
After a short stay in Victoria Falls, we headed off to the Kalahari Desert. The Tswana people call this primeval landscape the Kgalagadi: the land of thirst. By some accounts, the Kalahari has the largest volume of sand on any desert on earth. Here in the Kalahari, we are staying at a camp called Tswalu which translates to "a new beginning". The camp is driven by two ambitions: to create inspirational experiences for the guests and a conservation vision to restore the Kalahari to its raw beauty. While Tswalu is home to the more "charismatic" African species, the arid habitat also supports smaller animals, birds, and plants. There are over 77 species of mammals, 240 species of birds, 42 species of reptile and 4 species of amphibians.
On our first night at Tswalu, we had the most amazing sighting... a female leopard walked RIGHT past our car! This was the only photograph I got, though the experience of following her in our car as we went off-roading through the thick bush was absolutely incredible.
Our trip started in Zimbabwe, a landlocked country about three times the size of England. Roughly 20% of Zimbabwe's surface area is protected in the form of national parks, private wildlife parks, nature conservancies and recreational parks. The country is dry for at least 9 months of the year, meaning many areas suffer from long-term droughts. On top of that, poaching, hunting, the destruction of land and overfishing of lakes/rivers have caused stress on the surrounding environment. I had been to Zimbabwe in 2016 to document lion conservation efforts, but I never had the time to visit Victoria Falls (where this visit comes in).
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| Victoria Falls at sunrise, long exposure. |
This seventh natural wonder of the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site drops one million liters of water per second down a 360 foot drop (twice that of Niagara). The mists from the Mosi-oa-Tunya ("the smoke that thunders" as the locals call it) can even be seen from 40 miles away. Europeans first set eyes on these falls in 1855 during an expedition led by Dr. David Livingstone who had come to Africa in 1840 as a medical missionary (but who earned his fame in search of the Nile's source). Instead, he found Victoria Falls, named in honor of his British queen. He once wrote, "On sights as beautiful as this, Angels, in their flight must have gazed", which is why helicopter and microlight aircrafts over the falls are called "Flight of the Angels".
I woke up early to photograph the falls at sunrise, and though it's not the right time of year to see the sun rising over the falls, the power of the falls was a magical sight to witness. Having arrived at the gates at 6am, we even got there before the park opened! As I sat photographing the falls from viewpoint 13, my mom and I were the only people around... adding to the magic of the mile long falls.
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| Mom and I at viewpoint 13, where I photographed the falls. |
Later in the day, we headed to the Zambia site of the falls. Though Zambia is also landlocked, three rivers (the Kafue, the Luangwa and the Zambezi) flow through the country. From the white water rafting and bungee jumping to helicopter rides, Victoria Falls is well established as one of the world's premier adventure destinations. Personally, I prefer the Zimbabwe side of the falls because you get a better idea of scale. That, and you don't get sopping wet!! At one point, I was wearing two rain ponchos as I walked along the falls and I still got drenched in water from head to toe. Luckily, the camera survived.
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| Victoria Falls as seen from the Zambia side. |
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| The Victoria Falls bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the Zambezi River below. |
After a short stay in Victoria Falls, we headed off to the Kalahari Desert. The Tswana people call this primeval landscape the Kgalagadi: the land of thirst. By some accounts, the Kalahari has the largest volume of sand on any desert on earth. Here in the Kalahari, we are staying at a camp called Tswalu which translates to "a new beginning". The camp is driven by two ambitions: to create inspirational experiences for the guests and a conservation vision to restore the Kalahari to its raw beauty. While Tswalu is home to the more "charismatic" African species, the arid habitat also supports smaller animals, birds, and plants. There are over 77 species of mammals, 240 species of birds, 42 species of reptile and 4 species of amphibians.
On our first night at Tswalu, we had the most amazing sighting... a female leopard walked RIGHT past our car! This was the only photograph I got, though the experience of following her in our car as we went off-roading through the thick bush was absolutely incredible.
Thanks for reading about my African adventures... Stay tuned for what's to come and be sure to hit the subscribe button to be notified of new posts! As always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics.
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