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African History 1: The Smoke that Thunders 10 Views
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Description:
Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world. But the real question here is: if Victoria Falls and no one is around to hear it, did she really even make a sound?
Transcript
- 00:04
Nineteenth-century European explorers loved to say that they "discovered" stuff in Africa. [Explorer discovering in Africa]
- 00:10
We can’t really blame them.
- 00:12
It sounds way cooler to say you found a huge canyon previously unknown to mankind…
- 00:18
Than to say you visited a canyon where Tuareg traders regularly let their camels take a [Explorer discovering a canyon and Tuareg trader appears]
- 00:22
dump.
Full Transcript
- 00:23
So it’s no big surprise that when the most famous African explorer, Dr. David Livingstone,
- 00:28
gave Victoria Falls its name… [Dr Livingstone by Victoria Falls]
- 00:30
He didn’t mention that the natives already had one for it: Mosi-oa-Tunya
- 00:35
or "The Smoke that Thunders.”
- 00:38
Sorry, Dr. L, the natives obviously have one up on you when it comes to naming things.
- 00:43
"The Smoke that Thunders" is a spot-on description of the world's longest curtain of falling [Dr Livingstone using a measuring tape]
- 00:48
water.
- 00:49
Eat your heart out, Niagara!
- 00:51
The gorge that causes the falls was formed by the Zambezi River on the border of Zimbabwe
- 00:56
and Zambia.
- 00:57
Geez.
- 00:58
Talk about a bunch of “Z” hogs. [Man dressed in black clothing with a cape]
- 01:00
The falls are so gigantic that they create their own unique ecosystem… [Animals surrounding the Falls]
- 01:04
…and four endangered bird species call them home sweet home.
- 01:09
Today, the falls are thought of as a Natural Wonder of the World and have been designated
- 01:15
a UNESCO World Heritage site. [Victoria Falls stamped with UNESCO stamp]
- 01:18
Not too shabby.
- 01:19
One of Africa’s most visited sites, the falls are also a must-visit destination for
- 01:24
thrill-seekers, who like to bungee jump from the bridge.
- 01:27
Kinda hardcore.
- 01:29
Even Livingstone wasn’t that brave. [Man falling from Victoria Falls]
- 01:30
And this was a guy who didn’t stop exploring Africa, even after a lion mangled his arm.
- 01:35
Actually that’s…probably more impressive than bungee jumping. [Lion eating Dr Livingstone's arm]
- 01:38
Okay, so maybe we were being too hard on Livingstone.
- 01:42
After all, he was one of the first Europeans to expose the horrible toll that slavery had
- 01:46
taken on Africa.
- 01:47
And even though he took it upon himself to name falls that already had a perfectly good [Livingstone declaring his love for Victoria Falls]
- 01:51
name, his narrative describing them is still pretty awe-inspiring.
- 01:55
When he describes the scene as "gazed upon by angels in their flight," we can’t help
- 02:01
but get the goose-pimply feeling of someone seeing an African marvel for the first time. [Dr Livingstone looking at the Victoria Falls and angel appears]
- 02:06
So remember…next time you’re on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, don’t forget to
- 02:09
ask directions to “The Smoke that Thunders.”
- 02:12
And if you’re asking a non-African, make sure they don’t think you’re asking them [Livingstone stood in a kitchen and microwave explodes]
- 02:15
to show you what happens when you put a fork in the microwave…
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