Victoria Falls and Devil's Pool

There's been a huge lapse since the last post only because of travel and poor internet connections--again, the internet here is dial up speeds and that is more of a hope than reality sometimes.  So much has happened since then.  We've had visitors from the states and gone on a barnstorming tour of wildlife in Majete and Liwonde Parks, as well as a trip to Zambia to see Victoria Falls.  To remedy that I'll try and post something every day this week with pictures and videos from the past two weeks for all 6 of the people who read it (thanks Mom and Dad for looking at each entry twice!).

I'll start things off with one of the highlights of my life: Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls.  Here is a video Harry (the cameraman and guide) took in Devil's Pool, right at the edge of the falls.  I appear at 1:02 if you want to go right there.  It will make more sense after reading the rest of the post, but I wanted to watch.   Don't watch if you're afraid of heights.

Baboons are everywhere in the park at Victoria Falls.  They even welcome you in.

This is what the falls should looks like 8 months of the year.  It's dry season, and Zambia uses some of the Zambesi for electricity, so only half the falls are running.  It's a blessing in disguise, because the mist is less overwhelming so we see more and it opens up Devil's Pool.  The pool is off Livingstone Island...the one covered by the mist cloud above the falls on the upper left.

The area we are walking on would normally be where the river goes over the falls. There were two guides with us the entire time.

Devil's Pool is a natural eddy at the edge of the falls.  Yes, we are swimming right at the edge of the falls here.  It is only accessible during dry season, which runs from mid-September to mid-December. 

Here is the edge of the pool with the rainbow from the water crashing below.  You can see the lip we sit on in this ultimate of infinity pools.

O'Brien, the guy in the wetsuit and our protector, seems just as happy as we are.

It's mind blowing.

Amazing to be right on the edge of something that thunders like this.

Right over the edge.

Me joking about going over the falls.  Stay where the water is pooling.  Beware of 3 feet to the right, Kevin.

A lot of whiteness going on here.

Looking up the falls from the Zambian side where we stayed.