In a way, I would have liked to stay another day by the banks of the Zambezi. It’s too hot to handle.

There is no way that would have been a pleasant experience for us two Cruisers. Lucky for us that we can escape, or at least drive to the cooling waters.

This land is bone dry. That’s how they roll around here. The animals are tough. The locals are tough.

As tough as one needs to be to survive. But then again, this picture is what I am escaping from.

Arteries and veins.

Washed out canyons in red sand. Doesn’t that look extraordinary? The art of detail. The art of nature.

Truly spectacular and vividly wild. Right along the mighty Zambezi.

The elephants don’t pay attention to detail. They use these tunnels and gorges to get to or from the water’s edge.

The path rises on a gentle slope to the ‘mainland’. Wouldn’t that just top this photo? A lone bull after a morning shower?

That didn’t happen but I was lucky to witness another outstanding feature.

A rainbow over this mini Grand Canyon. How fortunate was I, right here, right now?

I discovered this sandstone maze a few hours earlier through Rick’s lens on his early morning flight.

Osmo was already set up for the sunrise Timelapse over the Zambezi River. However, the sun had other ideas.

Cloud layer over cloud layer stacked up over the horizon, accumulating moisture afar. It is raining somewhere out east.

The cameras and I were smiling, it was breathtaking.

How about these reflections over the water towards the sun?

Turning Rick and pointing northwards showcased heavy showers over the mountains. They could move towards us at any time.

Instant showers don’t help this land much. The intensity of this downpour washes soil into the river. As quick as it comes, it’s gone.

The sun was still playing hard to get as Rick returned to camp.

It faded nicely as these two fishermen appeared on the river.

Osmo had meanwhile finished its Timelapse video of the sunrise. This camera is perfect for landscape photos.

A hornbill father was busy preparing a wooden hollow in a trees not far. It’s breeding season soon. If the rains return.

Another ‘dry’ wet season will have multiple consequences for this land.

I needed to explore the gorgeous maze with my own eyes.

Arriving at the washed-out ravines, dark stormy clouds dropped their moisture over the mountain range.

The sun behind me revealed a rainbow over stormy clouds. I put Rick in the air rather quickly.

The strong winds blew the water droplets out of the spectral Muriel as the rainbow started fading.

Rick captured a few great shots as the height of the drone changed the angle toward the sun.

I kept the saucepan flying low to capture the early morning colors and shadows. The horizontal contrast in colors and shapes is mind-boggling. The earthy red sand shaped sharp pillars of the ground. Straight lines point in one direction.

In contrast to the round and smooth clouds above. All in circles without straight lines. Red-brown versus blue and white.

As the sun lifted higher and higher, so did Rick. The scale of the canyon land is slowly revealed.

Scrubs somehow hang on to this bizarre hinterland.

And then there was one of Africa’s most iconic rivers. The mighty Zambezi. Victoria Falls is further west on the border to Zimbabwe and my next destination.

It’s hard to miss the rugged force of water here too, constructing this bizarre landscape.

With its whirlpool. I ran out of batteries.

Rick returned to the countdown on Zimba’s hood, there were a few thorny trees to care off.

What a natural art gallery these canyons ought to be.

There is no way, that I would be able to charge the batteries in this heat. Everything would have had a meltdown.

It was mid-morning already and time to move on. How about a wee detour? There are a few tracks towards the mountains I haven’t driven yet. The land had paused with hardly any movement.

Behind shredded timber, a small herd of elephants found a path.

Look at the exhaustion already. It is still early in the day. This dreadful dryness had its fascination.

Some baobab even started flowering.

It is an eerie natural contrast. Odd and hot.

I dreaded our drive back on this gravel road, dry and dusty, exhausting to the max for both of us.

Around lunchtime, I found a picnic place with gigantic shade.

I spotted this baobab forest on my way in but ran out of time to stop and smell the flowers. I did now.

Wow. Zimba just fits right into the landscape.

It was incredible, what a spectacle.The contrast.

The leaves. The flowers. Baobabs trees inhale the steaming humidity, making the most of early season thirst. I have a feeling it will be a good season.

The rains have been following Zimba and myself already. Usually known as the sunny boy, stormy weather had taken hold of us.