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And yet somehow here I was, staring at the edge of the tallest waterfall in the world, and it was almost my turn to go in.
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The Devil's Pool is a small deep pool at the very top of Victoria Falls. The pool has a natural rock barrier that prevents you from being poured over the edge of the waterfall. Regardless, it is only advisable to do with a guide, as they know the exact places that are safe to swim so the current doesn't push you over the waterfall in a place that has no barrier. It is also only accessible during a few months of the year, during the dry season. At any other time of year, the force of the water is too great and will send you over the waterfall immediately, rock barrier or not.
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| Close-up of the pounding waters of Victoria Falls |
Engaging in activities that are death-defying, high-adrenaline, or just plain frightening is not really my cup of tea. Roller coasters? No thanks. Sky diving? Definitely out of the question. I prefer to look, take pictures, hike, watch the birds.
So how did I find myself here, having swam through part of the Zambezi river, bare feet standing on slippery rocks in rushing water, hot sun beating down on my head, heart pounding as I look out at the water plummeting over the side of the gorge, at the top of the tallest waterfall in the world?
I had signed us up for the Devil's Pool mostly for J's sake. It had always been on her wish list, and I figured I would make the swim with the group and then stand on a safe rock somewhere and watch her do it. I toyed with the idea of doing it, too - I wanted to be brave enough, have that experience too. "You'll regret it if you don't," J had said to me earlier.
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| View from the top of the waterfall - the mist is from the crashing falls |
Our guides picked us up from the lawn of the Royal Livingstone Hotel, and we hopped in a small boat and were soon speeding across the Zambezi River and over to Livingstone Island. We disembarked onto soft sand and were treated to a drink of banana and maize before continuing the walk across the island. There were stunning views of the falls here, and we stopped to take some photos before continuing on to the other side of the small island. We were told to leave our bags, hand our cameras over to the guide, and get into the river for the swim to the Devil's Pool.
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| View of the falls from Livingstone Island |
The guide was with us every step of the way, explaining exactly where to step into the river, where the large rocks were, which ones were slippery, where best to swim and where best to "crab walk" sideways through the river, and pointing out the exact swim route so that the current didn't sweep us away.
I readily followed all the instructions. There was no time to think, really - just do. Step here. Swim there. Catch up to the others. Walk sideways through the water. Swim around the large rock. Climb out on the other side.
And suddenly there we were. Standing on rocks, just metres away from the edge. The guide went in first, and instructed the others on how and where to get in. One by one people let themselves in, and then it was J's turn. Once she was in the water, I quickly followed the guide's instructions and got in, too. There was no time to think; therefore, no time to be afraid.
"Hold on to the edge of the rocks," someone told me. J? The guide? I complied - it was easy to feel safe (ish) as I shimmied myself along the very stable boulders. I reached J, relaxing in a corner. The rock barrier was thicker here, and we were cradled in gentle water. This, I could handle. Still, I clung to the rocks. Little fish nipped at our feet. The sounds of rushing water were all around me as others slowly made their way into the pool. The guide had us in three "stations" around the pool - some people in the "cradle" where we were; some near where we had entered but where the water was gushing in full force; and a few at a time at the actual edge of the falls. J and I watched as others made their way to the edge with the guide, and the other guide snapped dozens of photos.
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| Us swimming through the Zambezi |
Finally, it was our turn. I moved aside and let J go first. She reached her hand back for me, and I slowly let go of my safety boulders and swam the few feet towards her. The rock barrier was indeed very thick, and felt relatively safe. The falls poured over the rocks immediately to my right as I faced into the gorge. Wow! Here I was. At the edge of the Devil's Pool! J and the guide peered over the edge, pulling themselves closer to it.
I was quite content to stay where I was. "I'm good right here!" I said. But neither of them was having it. "You have to see the rainbows!" was J's reply. I was already here - J was right, I'd regret it if I didn't have the full experience. I cautiously pulled myself forwards a tiny bit and stretched my neck. "Oh! There's a double rainbow!" I exclaimed. I looked over and around for a few seconds at the crazy amount of water going over the edge and the stunning rainbows, then lowered myself back to where I had been. That was enough for me!
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| Us at the edge of the Devil's Pool |
The "photographer" guide busied himself taking plenty of photos of us, and then we were ushered over to the third "station" - a couple of metres away from the edge, but it actually felt more dangerous as the water pounded our backs and we clung to the rocks. All I could focus on was clinging to the slippery boulder edges underneath me, and making sure my foot stayed lodged in a small indentation. Surely this water was going to pour me over the edge? It really was an exhilarating feeling, though.
After a few minutes of this, another guide came over and told us we could climb back out, and gestured vaguely towards the rocks, then swam off. I did not budge. All I could feel was the force of the waterfall behind me and all I could see was the current it was creating - directly over the falls. "I need help, come back," I called out. No way was I letting go of my precarious hold on the rocks without someone to help me back.
The guide eventually came back and tried to tell me to swim out and around the current, but I was having none of it. "I need to hold your hand," I said, so he held out his hand, which I grabbed and he pulled me out of the current and over to the rock. I scrambled out with relief, and J followed behind me.
"We're alive!" I said in astonishment as I looked back at the Devil's Pool, now conquered.
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| Other people doing the Devil's Pool... taken the day before from the opposite side of the gorge in Zimbabwe |
Fear is a funny thing. It can consume me, but once I'm IN the experience, it seems to get put on hold. There's no time for fear when I'm focusing hard on something (in this case, clinging to rocks!) While it is definitely not something I would have considered doing on my own, I'm definitely glad I did it. The view we got from being right at the edge... incredible.
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That night, we set off on a sunset cruise of the Zambezi, with free drinks and dinner. The boat slowly went up and down the riverbanks as the sun gently made its way down to the horizon, and we enjoyed spotting crocodiles, various birds, monkeys, and far away buffaloes on the shores.
The highlight of the night, however, were the elephants. Large groups of elephants had come to the river to drink and bathe, and we excitedly rushed to the sides of the boat as one elephant dipped its trunk into the water, filled it up, and then calmly curled it up into its mouth and drank, the extra water droplets dripping back down into the river. We watched as it repeated this exercise numerous times, until the boat moved further up the river. It was heading towards another large group of elephants that had decided to cross the river.
The side of those large creatures swimming across the water in front of us, sometimes climbing on each other, sometimes dipping their entire bodies underneath so that only trunks were sticking out, sometimes rolling around or splashing, was a surprise to our eyes that had been previously used to seeing elephants only in the dry plains of the Serengeti. We watched, delighted, as they made their way across the river and one by one climbed onto the bank and into the trees.
Eyes and hearts full of elephant wonder, we sipped our beers as the sky turned pink and orange, and then finally dark. A gentle end to an exhilarating day.
I don't know if I could do it, wade to the edge of the waterfall like that. Made me nervous for you just reading about it! But maybe... it all sounds so amazing though.
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