The Other Victoria Falls

Today we hiked to Victoria Falls – just outside the village of Delices.  The waterfall is fed by the White River, which is very high in sulfur deposits, so the water has a very milky appearance.  This is not a hike for people who aren’t surefooted when walking over boulders or crossing rivers, but it wasn’t a very challenging hike in terms of steepness or length.  It’s about a 45 minute hike each way with four river crossings and countless boulders to cross over.  Rocks are slippery, gnarled branches obstruct the very narrow path, and wet leaves accumulate on the trail.  Sharp rocks jab at your feet when crossing the rivers and the strong current is quick to knock you off-balance.  That is what makes it a moderate-to-difficult hike.  But the end result was 100% worth it.  The falls are gorgeous… very powerful, with a drop of about 80 feet, in a canyon that looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.  There are pools for swimming that were filled with the milky water of the White River (it’s supposed to have healing properties that are quite good for your skin).  Half the fun was just shimmying across the boulders trying to see what extended around each twist and turn.  There was a different view from every vantage point.  Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of the falls from up close because of the powerful spray that would have absolutely destroyed my camera.  The walk back didn’t seem nearly as hard as the walk there did, or maybe I just found my footing somewhere along the way.  I’m sure I’ll be tremendously sore tomorrow from all the climbing, but for now, I’m just proud of myself for completing the hike with a smile on my face.