On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
This series was created by Alain Chamot (1971-2020).
I have been kind of depressed lately, stuck at home and seeing at all the great places people have gone. So I started looking back through my travel pics for something “inspiring.” I found my waterfall pics from three distinct continents. I actually have pics from five, but with the limit of eight pictures per submission, I might have to do a second round.
Starting closest to home, we have Niagara (2011). I have been to Niagara Falls many times. My mother’s family is from the 1000 Islands region of upstate New York and we often went for summer visits. Next we go to South America, to Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil (2016). Finally we go to Africa for a visit to Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe (2013).
A couple of years ago, upon returning to the US from some foreign trip, I was questioned about the Zimbabwe visa in my passport. Apparently the ICE boys at OHare could not think of any legit reason why someone would go to Zimbabwe.
It is quite a hike in high heat and humidity from the tram to the falls. Therefore, some EMTs had set up a free aid station on the path to assist the stricken. Also, there were these cute coatimundis everywhere food was being sold and eaten. People were warned not to touch them, with horrific pictures of the damage the animals could do. Had no effect. People were petting them anyway.
Most of the falls are on the Argentine side, but the view is better from Brazil.
This is the view toward Victoria Falls from the terrace of the Victoria Falls Hotel. Out tour group stayed at the historic hotel for three nights. Our stay in Zimbabwe included, in addition to seeing the Falls, dinner with a family from the village who served smoked locusts and other local delicacies. We were told not to leave the hotel grounds at night because elephants that were wandering through the village had killed someone the night before.
Several of us took a helicopter ride over the Falls. I was in a middle seat, so my pictures were not the best, but I think this one gives an idea of the scale of the Falls.
There is always a rainbow.
Steeplejack (phone)
Cool pictures.
Mary G
Wow, what a great experience. The view from the helicopter really shows how big the whole thing is. Victoria Falls has been on my bucket list forever.
eclare
That photo from the helicopter, wow!
JeanneT
Amazing! So glad you hunted these photos up from your collection!
sab
Reading Dorothy Dunnett’s Niccolo, I looked up African rivers they were in. Wow. River they weren’t in but nearby was Congo. It is deeper than most of the US Great Lakes, and it is just a river.
Victoria Falls is rhe Zimbabwe, not the deepest river or the biggest but still impressive. And the falls are uniquely large.
Your photos are amazing.
Spanish Moss
I am sorry you have been feeling kind of depressed. I so appreciate your giving us a window into a world that we cannot see in person right now. I hope you feel better soon!
KSinMA
Those photos are definitely inspiring. Thank you for sharing!
Wag
Great photos! If you love waterfalls, your next destination should be Iceland. More waterfalls than I have ever seen before.
MelissaM
These are wonderful! Thanks for digging through your stash of pictures. Also I like the “cheat” to get more than 8 pictures in of the collage.
stinger
“There is always a rainbow.” Words for our time.
Thank you for the pictures!
JanieM
Beautiful. Second stinger on the rainbow comment.
Baquist
Thank you for these pictures! I have some old pics of Victoria falls taken with a crappy cell phone, but you inspired me. I’ll dig through and see if I can submit some.
BigJimSlade
Ah, Victoria Falls. I was there in the mid 90s, they were charging like $20 on the Zimbabwe side, so our group went over to Zambia. It was low water season, so you could walk out pretty far on the rocks, and we hopped into a little hot tub sized pool of water with maybe 3 feet of rock separating us from the drop. You could put your elbows on it and peer over the edge, looking straight down to the rocks and crashing water. I yelled out “FUCKING LEKKAR!!!!”
Also, the full day, white water rafting down the Zambezi was incredible!
way2blue
Argentina is on my list, although well traveled friends say ‘Brazil’ when I ask which country was their favorite. And you’ve been to both. That helicopter ride must have been amazing. Thanks for sharing.
suezboo
@BigJimSlade: pedant here. it’s lekker, actually. good sentiment nevertheless. yes, there are safrican pedants.