The Mighty Fall

In 1855, the African explorer, David Livingstone, was the first European to encounter one of the world's most majestic sights - The Victoria Waterfall. The "Vic" Falls are situated in southern Africa between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River.

This is a view (photo left) of the falls and gorge as seen from the west (on the Zimbabwean side) and close to a statue of David Livingstone.

Trivia: the locals call this spectacular natural wonder 'Mosi-oa-Tunya' = the smoke that thunders - certainly a deafening sound during the flood season (February-May, peaking in April).




Geologically, the falls formed as a result of erosion and climatic changes over a period of 150 million years! The Zambezi River flows through alternating soft and hard rocks and Devil's Cataract (right) is the latest in a series of "weak" north-south faults that are "cutting back" into another fault that will form the Vic Falls of the future.

Apart from Devil's Cataract, the Main Falls (left) is the only part of the Vic Falls with a "curtain"of water throughout the year.
Trivia: at 1708m wide, the (entire) Vic Falls are the longest "curtain" of water in the world, dropping between 90 + 107m into the Zambezi Gorge.

During the dry season (approx. 7-8 months of the year) what remains of the basaltic lava deposits are visible in the bare cliffs (right). In the background - the Zambezi Sun hotel, situated in Zambia.

Did you know that the "present" Vic Falls is the latest and in fact the 8th in a series of faults? About 100km south of today's Vic Falls, the Zambezi River once tumbled 250m as a waterfall over the crest of the basalt into the Matetsi valley (= the first waterfall). Since then the process was repeated 7 times over eons of years, and is clearly visible in the zig-zag-pattern of gorges south of the present Vic Falls.

In contrast to the first photo, this is a view (right) of the gorge below the Vic Falls as viewed from the east (= Zambia side).

Trivia: the falls and surrounding area was declared a World Heritage Site site in 1989 and is now classified as 1 of 7 wonders of the natural world.

This photo (below) was taken in February this year = during the flood season.

Trivia: generally, the spray from the falls rises to a height of about 400m BUT during the flood season it's sometimes twice as high AND visible 50-100km away!



Another "view" (can't see much other than mist) during the flood season and the famous falls-rainbow, as seen from the Zambian side. Close to the edge, the spray "shoots up" like inverted rain during the flood season - don't forget to take a raincoat along.

From the relaxed atmosphere on the "deck" of the Royal Livingstone Sun hotel on the Zambian side, visitors can enjoy just watching the Zambezi River flowing by - with the mist "that thunders" visible in the background.

Or take a boat cruise higher up on the Zambezi River and enjoy sundowners in a magnificent setting with majestic sunsets (right and below)......




......... which can be enjoyed all year round, and not only during a specific season.












To end, a "fun" photo (right) of what I once bought as a postcard - how the mighty fall?!

Social Primates

After finishing what I call a "photo-story", Impi the Impala (there's a preview of the first Chapter on www.impi-impala.blogspot.com), I'm already busy with a follow-up: Moni the Monkey. The first four photos today are examples of what I've used in my Impi-story, and the last four are meant to feature in my Moni-book. Isn't Moni cute and something very special? (Scroll down to have a peep). I'll "introduce" you to my Impi, and impalas in general, during one of my next blog-entries.

The Vervet monkey is one of only 2 monkey species in South Africa (in contrast to the rest of Africa) - the other is the rarer Samango. The Vervet monkey is common throughout our country, a highly social animal and part of well-organised troops dominated by males.

Vervets have many endearing qualities - doesn't this one (left) express quite a human-like attitude? Amongst some of the features vervets have in common with us, a close (primate) relative, are their 5-fingered limbs and flat finger nails.

Trivia: the Vervet monkey species is 7-8 million years old = at least 6,500 MILLION years older than modern-day human!

Vervet monkeys are known to show (very human-like) emotion, but did you know that they can distinguish certain colours? That cetainly is extraordinary amongst animals. In their case, it's mainly a mechanism to recognise if fruit are green or ripe. Although their diet tends to be omnivorous, vervet monkeys or mostly herbivores.

Although grooming (left) is a necessary function to clear each other of blood-sucking parasites like e.g. ticks, grooming is also a social activity often performed during the "heat of the day" when monkeys, like most animals in the bush, rest after foraging in the morning.

Did you know that monkeys not only groom each other, but also occasionally groom small antelopes, e.g. the Duiker?

When I look at this photo (right) the term "Old World" monkey springs to mind BUT not only in relation to how monkeys as primates are scientifically classified. I think the look in this baby monkey's eyes (face) is "classical" and so "wise beyond its years"!?

As promised above, I introduce (left): Moni the Monkey. I couldn't believe my eyes when what I detected in the distance wasn't a rodent - my first thought at the time. Once I realised that it actually was a "white" monkey youngster and part of a troop, I couldn't (of course!) stop clicking away with my camera. Luckily I was on foot and alone, so nobody and nothing could distract me from having my "fill" = a series of photos of this unusual encounter with an albino monkey.

The idea was born right there and then: the little white monkey was going to feature as the main character in a second "photo-book" = my photos of nature accompanied by a (fictional) story - instead of as just a coffee-table-photo-book.

Yes, the male monkey (left) was about to attack me - and I didn't "read the signals"! In my eagerness to get real-close-and-personal with this troop of monkeys, I forgot the one cardinal rule, which as tourist guide, I always share by way of a warning: never forget that even cute creatures like monkeys are wild animals! Instead I snapped happily away whilst getting too close to the females with their young ones, which I (should) know the males tend to fiercely protect. Just after taking this photo, three snarling males suddenly went on the attack - and I was the perceived threat. At least I kept my cool and slowly backed off backwards, NOT looking them in the eye and trying to crouch to appear smaller.

I won't lie: I got a huge fright!!

Nature in Disguise

Today I'm sharing photos, which I didn't originally plan to include on this blog. After thinking that it's all very well and good to get a great or even the "perfect" photo (of e.g. a wild animal in its natural environment), I know that's never easy when visiting the African bush. Also, it "costs" a lot of patience. Now I invite you to share the "joy and pain" with me when going on safari:

A tree with 2 trunks (left)? Oh no, that looks like crossed legs and yes, there's an inquisitive head sticking out above the foliage!





How just a few thorns (right) on a near-bare bush can hide as large an animal as a giraffe! As in the first photo, this giraffe is as inquisitive as I've noticed most of these giants in nature tend to behave. Talking about humans wishing to determine what's hidden (disguised)!?

Nature at its best! How well-camouflaged are these 2 grey rhebok? Yes, the one on the right isn't too difficult to spot, but what about the second one further left?




Are we playing a game of hide-and-seek? Well, it looks as if this kudu female (right) "thinks" so.





Click to enlarge and then - look again, as I had to do after thinking I had detected a klipspringer on top of the front boulder. In this, its natural habitat, a small klipspringer antelope often stands like a statue - as if frozen to the spot. Luckily and since my obsession with collecting as many photos as possible of birds, I've developed a "good" eye for detecting small creatures.

Not a real disguise (right) - yet if you look "deeper" into the bush, you'll discover a herd of antelopes "hidden" behind the 2 kudu females.





The elephant (left) is fairly visible, but sometimes, even as large an animal as this one is completely camouflaged by bushes. If you don't believe me or haven't experienced this before, trust me, the one moment you think you're seeing an elephant, but the next moment - it's gone!!





Leopards are notoriously difficult to spot. Luckily this leopard (right) didn't "get away". Not the clearest of photos, but then I had to "zoom in" to just get a good glimpse of him, because it was "in hiding" far away from the road on which we were traveling.

Another cat (left) - hadn't the lioness lifted her head, I don't think we, in an open safari vehicle, would have spotted her well-camouflaged by thick grass. [If you want to see what this magnificent specimen looked like - once she sat up - go back to my entry on this blog under the heading "The BIG 5", photo 9 - it's one of my most treasured photos].

Look closely (or click on photo to enlarge, right) to see the "virtually" hidden "shadow" (?) of a cheetah behind tall grass. No zooming in was necessary during this occasion, because this magnificent creature was walking right next to us and parallel to the road - yet it was impossible to get a direct/clear view of it, other than what I present to you. To a certain degree, this one got away (painful to admit when you're "dying" to take a picture - so close, yet so ...... far?).

This photo is proof how important binoculars are, apart from a camera with a powerful zoom-lens, when on safari. The landscape is "teaming" with not one but two of the Big Five - elephant and buffalo (an unusual and therefore very special sighting). Our son-in-law, Quinton, had the "right equipment" to take this photo when we stood on the hilltop at the archeological sight of Thulamela (northern Kruger National Park). The animals in this photo aren't disguised as such but nonetheless difficult to spot - that's camouflage in the bush for you!

Animal spotting at its best - extremely exciting on the one hand, yet very frustrating at other times.

I didn't "doctor" (enhance) the above photos in any way so that the full effect of life in the bush remains "untouched".

Reach Out

I would like to state that I fully support the "Million Unite Against Crime" Campaign and encourage other South Africans to join the planned march on 10 June in Pretoria.


Let's unite and symbolically hold hands as Castor and Pollux do on top of the Delville Wood Memorial in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria = government offices (to where the march is planned].

The Friendly City

South Africa's Port Elizabeth (in contrast to the one in New Jersey, USA) is known by various names, e.g. a "Settler City", the "Windy City" but also as the "Friendly City" or "iBhayi"(= "the bay" by Xhosa speakers). In 1820, about 4 000 British settlers landed here in what was then known as Algoa Bay but recently was renamed Nelson Mandela Bay (or Metropole). When these settlers arrived, they were allocated farms by Sir Rufane Donkin (the acting Govenor of the Cape Colony at the time).

This photo (right) is what I think of as a Bird's eye-view of PE - as seen through the window of an aeroplane. Visible are the harbour, the Humewood and Pollock beaches, Cape Recife (extremity, left) and "around the corner" Noordhoek towards Sardinia Bay bordering the Indian Ocean. "Below us" is the Nelson Mandela Bay.

When approaching the city centre from the Humewood side, one can't miss these over a hundred-year-old and attractively restored Victorian-style buildings (photo left). The Feather Market Centre (pink building on the right) was built during the ostrich boom to host auction sales in ostrich feathers. Recently, the building was refurbished and converted into a concert hall and conference centre.

Opposite the restored Feather Market (and behind the City Hall) is to me, one of the most interesting monuments - the Prester John Memorial, dedicated to the mythical king-priest and the Portuguese explorers, who discovered South Africa. It is said to be the only monument in the world depicting Prester John.

Did you know that Prester (priest) John is believed to be a descendant of the 3 wise men (in the Bible)? It was a common belief at the time that Prester John ruled a vast and prosperous Christian kingdom - thought to be Ethiopia. The Portuguese explorers were sent by Prince Henry, the Navigator, to find the spice islands and possibly join forces with Prester John to control the spice trade from the east.

Trivia: opting for the sea-route to the east meant rounding the by then unknown southern regions of the African continent. It was an "enforced" option, because the land-route to the Far East was blocked by Turkish forces, who had invaded and then controlled Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453.

The City Hall (left), was completed in 1862, whilst the attractive clock tower was added a few years later. Today it's a national monument and a fine example of the Roman revival style in Victorian architecture. The building was restored to its original "glory" after it was badly damaged by a devastating fire in 1977.




The Main Public Library (right) was used for a while as a courthouse before the present library was officially opened in 1902. The beautiful facade was transported from England in numbered pieces and assembled in PE. The Sicilian-marble statue of Queen Victoria (in front of the building) was unveiled in 1903.

Trivia: various statues of Queen Victoria were erected during her long reign in colonial times to "adorn" public buildings in South African cities, e.g. another one in front of the parliament buildings in Cape Town.

The Edward Hotel (left) is one of PE's landmarks and part of the city's heritage. As a result of careful maintenance, the hotel retains its distinctive Edwardian style.




In front of the Edward Hotel stretches the open space of the Donkin Reserve. It was named after Sir Rufane Donkin, who had a stone pyramid erected in loving memory of his late wife, Elizabeth, who had died from fever in India, and after whom he named the city. The old 15 000 candle-power lighthouse next to the pyramid was built in 1861 and still serves as a beacon for ships entering the Nelson Mandela Bay.

The Donkin Street Houses are a fine example of Victorian architecture, which had a "face-lift" in the 1960's. The 18 terraced houses date back to the 1850's and form part of the the historical heritage of PE. Although declared national monuments, they are these days in serious need of repair - which makes me glad I took this photo (above) before they started to deteriorate. Is the PE city council listening?

I think of the Cape Recife (= "cape of the reef") Nature Reserve as one of the best water-bird watching locations in the country, never mind PE. The Reserve also offers natural dune vegetation (fynbos), rocky outcrops, magnificent sandy beaches, the remains of a World War II military observation post, a 24m high octagonal lighthouse and a beacon (the latter 2 visible on my photo during low tide).

Sunset over the Nelson Mandela Bay and King's Beach, where in 1947, the visiting King George VI, his wife, Queen Elizabeth, the 2 young princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, and the rest of the royal party, swam. I haven't managed to determine so far if it was called King's Beach in honour of this occasion!?

[If you wish to obtain more information on the history of Port Elizabeth then you might want to log onto the following site: www.nmbt.co.za/attractions/history.asp]

People of Heaven

The translation of "Zulu" is "heaven", and KwaZulu means "Place of Heaven" (as in our province, KwaZulu-Natal). Accordingly, the amaZulu are the "People of Heaven".

This photo features traditional Zulu "beehive" huts, customarily built to encircle the central cattle kraal. Cattle have always represented wealth to the Zulu (and other ethnic groups), so these prized animals feature centre-stage. Customarily, acacia-thorn-tree branches are used to construct palisades, which encompass the circle of huts as well as the inner cattle kraal.

A chief in full regalia (right) - in this case, chief Thomas Fakude (from KwaBekhitunga/Stewart's Farm). Zulu men, in general, wear front and rear aprons made from calf skin, sometimes also featuring strips of wild animal hides, proudly displaying which animals they have hunted. The knobkierie (= 'knob"-stick) is a traditional weapon whilst a shield, made from an untanned cattle hide, is considered an essential item. The wearing of a leopard skin (e.g. across the shoulders) is usually reserved for chiefs or men of high rank, whilst all married men wear headbands.

Instead of the traditional grain pit, a small storage hut on poles also serves to e.g. stow maize cobs and pumpkins.

Did you know that originally, grain pits were dug into the ground of a Zulu cattle kraal? Sometimes, these were also used as burial pits for chiefs, e.g. the great king Shaka's corpse was wrapped in an ox-hide and then interred in the grain pit of the royal cattle kraal at kwaBulawayo (= "the place of the persecuted man").

The two Zulu women (right) are busy crushing maize-pips in the traditional way. Married Zulu women cover most of their bodies by wearing cloak-like covers over a thick skirt made from sewn-together strips of cow or goat hide. In the past, the traditional headdresses married Zulu women wear were fashioned from woven grass and (permanently) plaited into a ring of hair around the skull. These days, most traditional hats are removable. Colourful bead-work adorns most pieces of clothing.

This Zulu lady (left) demonstrates the traditional and age-old practice of using grinding stones. She grinds the crushed maize-pips to flour. The flour, mixed with water and boiled, becomes maize porridge - still the staple food in most parts of the African continent south of the Sahara desert.

Trivia: once freely available, maize replaced sorghum - used to make porridge or brew traditional beer.



Zulu implements - in a woven basket (right) are 2 calabash, used as drinking vessels or to scoop traditionally brewed beer from the magnificently crafted and "twice-fired" black clay pot - featuring prominently on the photo.




In front of an assortment of containers made from grass, reed, ilala-palm leaves, bark and calabash, traditional weapons are on display (left) - other than a knobkierie, two spears feature in this photo: one spear is used for throwing (= isiPhapha) and the other is a stabbing spear (= iXhwa = assegaai = invented by king Shaka).

Traditionally, Zulu maidens only wear tiny skirts made from grass or soft hide sometimes adorned with beads. The colourful array of beaded skirts and necklaces (right) is worn to aesthetically please foreign visitors to a traditional village.