Friday, 9 December 2011

Flashback Friday–Victoria Falls

Time for another flashback post :) I was reminded lately of the time I spent in Africa – I travelled and lived for a year and a half in Africa, including a Cape-to-Cairo journey. Looking through some old photos I have scanned in, I came across this gorgeous set that were taken at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, regarded as one of the top three waterfalls in the world.

In 2001 I attended a World Rainbow Gathering in Zimbabwe, which was incredibly amazing. After the gathering, a small group of my friends and I decided that we should go see the sunrise at Victoria Falls on full moon night

The only catch with this plan was that one has to pay to get in to the Victoria Falls Park and go with a guided tour. So we thought better to sneak in and go about by ourselves.

So we waited till it was late night and we embarked into the bush some distance from the official entry gate and climbed over the fence. What fun to be sneaking around in the African wilderness! At night!

At some point, one of my friends came around some trees to find himself face-to-face with an elephant. Another friend got caught by security, and managed to run off and get out, though totally scratched up from running wildly through the jungle and finally jumping a barbed wire fence.

Those of us who stayed for the sunrise were treated to spectacular circular night-time rainbows around the full moon, and then the stunning views of the sunrise, while the full moon was setting and rainbows in the mist of the falls.

It was a truly amazing moment, I will remember always.

ZimVicFalls1

ZimVicFallsEla

ZimVicFalls2

These three photos were taken all at the same time, at sunrise on the full moon, July 2001. The first view is looking east, to the sunrise, the second is looking north directly at the falls, with me posing and the third is facing west, to the full moon setting behind a rainbow. All taken with a Kodak disposable camera.

4 comments:

  1. Great photos! And with a disposable camera - wow!

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  2. thanks jen :) and yep, a disposable camera. Back then I didn't own a proper camera, so I'd get the 'sposies. It would take me 4 or 5 months to finish off one roll of film, which I'd then have developed, and I'd send the negatives home for safe keeping, and write on the back of the photos and mail them to people as postcards.

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  3. Wow! I hardly read blogs these days, but came across this, and it has really put a smile on my face for days. I even linked it up on FB, to share your joy. I love that someone in the world has had this experience. It's deeply beautiful. Clel xx

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Thanks for your lovely words, witty banter and entertaining discussion :)