BEAUTY OF THE WORLD

The world is a beautiful place; the beauty of the world can be described in various words and various presentations. The hills, plains, valleys and rivers of the world have all come together to create a really beautiful world.Unfortunately the word beauty varies from one individual to another, as it is said beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

The rolling hills of the Nyika Highlands are one testament to the beauty of the world. Having climbed up to as much as 2200m above sea level (going through a rugged road) one is presented with a ‘flat land’ that baffles the mind both in terms of the their sheer beauty and size. The Nyika plateau is one place that is blessed with much more than topographical beauty. It is said that the flora and fauna on the plateau is second to none. With its beauty and abundance animal/bird life the Nyika plateau was declared a world heritage site in 2000 (Nyika National). The highest peak on the Nyika is actually 2605m above sea level; Nganda Peak is perpetually covered in clouds at this height! The plateau covers a total of 3200 sq. Km!

  

From the Nyika plateau to the west there is another presentation of natural beauty, the scattered hills of Nthalire valley. Seen from over 1300m the view from above is just breath taking. The ‘snaking’ earth road adds to the beauty of the area more so when you compare this with the beauty of the Nyika plateau.

Driving on the road at times one encounters nature (presenting a beauty) that one is left speechless. The elephant rock in the Chikangawa forest (part of the Viphya mountain range) is one such rock formation. To a lay person (not a geologist that is) this rock formation is a wonder as one always asks how such a massive rock came into being. Its origins aside the presence of the rock and the shape that it has taken within its environment makes this natural occurrence a beauty to see.

Seen from a good vantage point a road snaking through a mountain presents its own form of beauty. It may be argued that this is not natural, the answer would be yes and no. Yes the road is a man- made feature but all that the road does is emphasise the existing natural beauty of the surrounding area more so if the design of the road is done properly.

When looked at from a mountain top a road meandering through a naturally beautiful place does do the same task. The Gaborone-Lobatse road seen from Kgale Hill does emphasise that fact. The valley below the hill is a beauty but the road makes the beauty stand out.

How about the view of a giant wetland seen from about 1000m above ground? The Okavango delta is a breathtakingly beautiful world heritage site with an abundance of both flora and fauna. It is generally said that to appreciate the delta one has to fly over it then you get to see the sheer size and beauty of the delta. The delta is a source of both life and pleasure. It is the largest delta in the world covering 15,000 sq. Km and large mammals in and around the delta are about 200, 000 (Okavango Delta).

The Victoria falls is a thunderous beauty. With 1088m cu. m per second falling (on average) through 108m the Victoria falls is indeed a thundering beauty. That is about 4000 adults’ daily water supply falling every second through the falls! The sound generated by the falling water can be heard kilometres before one reaches the falls and the vapour can also be observed from a distance.The beauty of the falls and the life it supports has also made this beauty a world heritage site (Victoria falls). 

That being said the beauty of the natural world is all around. It can be seen in the setting sun for example. As the sun sets it gets covered in clouds and right before one’s eyes a natural beauty is presented. This is one beauty that can easily be taken for granted. As seen from the M1 road between Dedza and Ntheu the setting sun does present a beauty worthy taking a moment to appreciate.