Welcome to the mountains of Nyanga, an area of the Eastern Highlands of Zim bordering the civil-war torn country of Mozambique. The area is heavily logged for pine and non-native eucalyptus poles, yet known for spectacular views. It was unfortunate, then, that we drove in on a saturated day of wind, rain, and mud meets fog.
The region is not known for large game or the stereotypical African animals. However, it is home to hundreds of species of birds and insects, two kinds of indigenous monkeys, and a number of antelope.
The roads were a muddy mess and trees were downed everywhere, but we made our way to the goal: Mtarazi Falls.
Hiking to the second longest waterfall on the continent of Africa was an iffy thing. That's because the fog was thick and we knew we could get all the way there only to look into a valley of cloud cover. God must have been listening, though, because the weather parted specifically for our viewing pleasure then closed quickly back up again as we hiked back to our car... Success.
The paths were lined with my favorite, South Africa's crazy national flower: the King Protea.
So strange to be in an area in which pine trees and palm trees grow next to each other in nature.
The trail allows hikers to see (and hear!) the roaring river below on their way to the falls.
Two falls occur at the point in which the Mtarazi River flows over the Eastern Escarpment of Zimbabwe. They fall a daunting 2,499 feet.
There are no safety railings or fences- just free fall cliffs at the end of the trails. (Hence we are carrying our little guy.)
Our views were stunning. Still, because of the weather, I don't have the prettiest pictures. If you look up images of these beauties, you will see that the views on a clear day are nothing but gorgeous.
The water flows into the Honde Valley below. Half belongs to Zim and the other half begins the beautiful mountainous border of Mozambique. This gorgeous valley is known for its tea and coffee plantations, which provide a huge chunk of region's economy.
