Happy Friday, folks – with another #frifotos-inspired* post. The theme is fall, interpretation is wide open. And fall, of course, is much more than the American word for autumn. I’m in a splashing mood today, so I’ll choose one of my favourite features of nature, a waterfall.

And not just any waterfall, but one of the world’s largest: Victoria Falls on the mighty Zambezi River. Did you know waterfalls are classified by type? Not so surprising perhaps. Wiki lists 10 different types and Victoria Falls belong in the cataract category; the large, powerful waterfalls. Sprays from here can be seen a whopping 50 kilometres away on the Bulawayo Road.

I wish I had better photos to show you, dear reader. But there it is. This is one of my recollective posts, so we’ll have to settle for these scanned prints from the pre-digital era.

Victoria Falls is one of the world’s best-known waterfalls, forming part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, a very exciting part of the world. More facts?

Dr. Livingstone, I presume?

Victoria Falls was named in honour of the famous queen, by explorer David Livingstone, probably the first European to see this spectacle of nature. He was awed.

No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.

… and by thousands of Africans through the centuries, no doubt. Mosi-oa-Tunya is the indigenous name for this mighty force of nature, the smoke that thunders. A much more descriptive name of the world’s largest waterfall, don’t you think?

unesco logo

Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Here are more UNESCO World Heritage sites around the world.

* #FriFotos is a weekly Twitter chat where travellers share their favourite photos. Each week has a theme.