Kuleli sonto eledlule kube nezikhukhula ezimangalisayo eLivingstone. Izindlu zokulala zazigcwele amanzi; amakhaya agcwele amanzi anodaka. Kwakuyisimo sezulu esibi esabangela ukuthi imifula emibili yezinkathi ezithile igcwale ngesikhathi esisodwa. Amahlebezi athi kwabhidlika idamu lasepulazini elingeke lisizakale.

Eduze naseLivingstone, sinemifula emibili yezinkathi ezithile zonyaka, ngokuvamile ethulile, edonsa amanzi emvula aqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-30 aye eMfuleni iZambezi. Lena yimifula iMaramba kanye neNansanzu.

Kwase kuphele izinsuku ezimbili sinemvula, kodwa kwakungeyona imvula enamandla, imvula nje eqinile. Esingazange sikuqaphele ukuthi phakathi naso sonke lesi sikhathi semifula emibili, kwakunamasonto amabili linemvula.

Ngolunye usuku kuleli sonto, imifula, isiqoqe amanzi emvula ubude bayo, yagcwala. AmaMaramba, ngasemlonyeni wawo namaZambezi, aphenduka isifufula. Kwakuphakeme kakhulu okwake kwaba khona iminyaka eminingi, eminingi. Amanzi ashayeka emgwaqeni kanye namabhuloho kaloliwe phakathi kweVictoria Falls neLivingstone. Amanzi ahlehla akhukhula indawo ezungezile, ehlanganisa izindawo zokulala ezimbili kanye nepulazi lezingwenya. Ngenhlanhla, zonke izihambeli ezihlala ezindlini zokulala zithuthelwe ngokushesha nje lapho kucaca ukuthi umfula uzokhuphuka ube yingozi, kwasinda ingwenya eyodwa kuphela - yafika ekhaya ngakusasa.

Ngemva kokubuka iMaramba okwesikhatshana, ngaya eVictoria Falls ukuze ngibone impumela yawo wonke lamanzi ehlela eZambezi naphezu kwezimpophoma. Ngazulazula eSun International grounds ngaya eFalls Park; lalisanetha iLanga ligcwele amanzi ezindaweni.

Ukubuka okokuqala kweVictoria Falls kwakumangalisa. Amanzi agcwele inhlabathi ayegadla phezu koMpophoma ngamandla angaka. Ngamangala ngokuphelele ngalombono, nakuba kwakufanele ngikulindele.

Ngazulazula kakhulu ehlathini lemvula ukuze ngibone okwengeziwe, kodwa isifutho esivela ezimpophomeni sase siphelele; kwakufana nokuhamba phakathi kwenkungu. Nakuba ngangilunguza phakathi kwenkungu, ngangingakwazi ukubona izimpophoma. Ibhuloho iKnife Edge, elithatha abantu abahamba ngezinyawo besuka endaweni yokubuka baye kwenye, laliguqubele ngokuphelele, futhi nganquma ukuthi angifuni ngempela ukuqhubeka nokuba manzi. Nakuba nganginesambulela, isifutho singena eceleni. Umuntu udinga ijazi lemvula ukuze avikele kulolo hlobo lokukhukhuleka; nalapho isifutho singena ngaphakathi kwanoma yiliphi ijazi lemvula.

Ngabuya ngendlela yezinyawo ukuze ngibone iBhuloho Lempophoma laseVictoria, eliwela umhosha. Naso sabe sesongwe ngesifutho njengoba imifudlana yamanzi iphahlazeka eceleni kwemihosha, isifutho sikhuphukela emoyeni.

Ngabuyela edolobheni ngizibuza ukuthi kwenzekani emfuleni iMaramba – ngabe usuqhamuke kakhulu? Ngenhlanhla isibibithwane sase sidlulile futhi amanzi ayelokhu ehla kancane. Kodwa kwakumnandi ngenkathi kuqhubeka.

LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:

Having watched the Maramba for a while, I went to the Victoria Falls to see the effect of all this water going down the Zambezi and over the falls.
Fortunately, all the guests at the lodges were relocated as soon as it became clear that the river was going to rise to a dangerous level, and only one crocodile escaped –.
The Knife Edge Bridge, which takes walkers from one viewing point to another, was completely clouded, and I decided that I didn't really want to go any further and to get that wet.