The Falls

It is quite embarrassing, but, after three months of living and working in Victoria Falls, I finally found the time to actually visit the attraction from which the town takes it's namesake.  Victoria Falls are not the highest waterfall in the world, but, at high water, the combined flow over the falls is the single largest sheet of falling water in the world.  At high water, the amount of water flowing over the Falls in one minute is greater than the total water consumption of the capital city, Harare, for two days.  The relatively small area directly surrounding the falls, particularly the land subject to the constant spray, is a natural rain forest, the only one in Zimbabwe.  Above and beyond all the facts, Victoria Falls is simply breathtakingly beautiful.  The unobtrusive, unfenced pathways through the Falls and the minimal (and unsettling) low thorn branch fences - or no fences in some areas - allow a viewing experience that is dominated by nature, not by human interference.  It is difficult to describe in words how stunning and grand the Falls actually are, and I'm afraid that even my pictures will not do them proper justice.  The best way to see the Falls is to visit and spend a few hours sitting and watching a force of nature that existed long before you did and will exist long after we are all gone.  As a side note, these pictures of the falls are at fairly low water.  I will try to take some pictures at high water for comparison later this spring.

Devil's Cataract, island view

Main Falls, Devil's Cataract island view

Main Falls, partially head-on, you can see the spray building on the bottom right

The path through the Falls

The sign cautioning everyone on the transition from small stick fences to no fences at all

Rainbow Falls

Danger Point

Looking over to the Zambian side, note the people viewing from Zambia on the upper right hand, gives a good reference to the size of the gorge

Horseshoe Falls, through the spray

Part of the 'fence' that separates you from a 750ft fall into the gorge

Sylvester

For the past few weeks, two of my good friends here, Lexi and Emma, had the job of looking after a seven-month old cheetah named Sylvester.  He was rescued south of Bulawayo when a local couple noticed his mother and other siblings being eaten by a lion.  Since Sylvester was rescued before his eyes were even open, he will never be able to be released into the wild, as he is too used to humans and has not been taught how to hunt or fend for himself; he is afraid of guinea fowl!  Given that he is still a kitten, albeit a huge one, he is a trial to train and take care of.  Wild Horizons, a large tourism company, has taken over Sylvester's care and made him a nice home enclosure out at the Elephant Camp resort.  The biggest part of Sylvester's daily maintenance is taking him on a twice-daily walk out in the bush beyond elephant camp.  I was lucky enough accompany Sylvester on many walks and to spend some time with him courtesy of Wild Horizons and these girls.  So without further ado, here are some pictures of him in all his baby cheetah glory.

Sylvester on his 'block' waiting to get his harness and collar put on for a walk

 

 

 

 

Sylvester trying his hardest to get the button off my pants... he loves chewing on/playing with shoelaces and buttons

He also likes licking any human skin, which is quite trying since his tongue has the texture of rough sandpaper

 

Taking a break on a felled tree. Wild cheetahs use any high point, usually termite mounds, to survey the surrounding area

Sylvester stubbornly refusing to go back to his enclosure after his afternoon walk

Sylvester mid-walk (walking is a loose term for it, he is unleashed and runs, stops, and stalks his walkers at liberty)