Jumping vacuum, rivers that are split, water flights. Cataracts are merely geographical, cracks, ruptures, shocks… but this chaos is perhaps the most beautiful of nature disasters. The magic of a cataract is whimsical and rivers have many ways into the abyss. It is difficult to establish a ranking for the seven most powerful, but at least to me, they prevented me seven specially:
1.- Aponwao (Venezuela)
One of the many waterfalls of Canaima National Park. The river which names the waterfall falls over 100 meters. The noise is part of the show that usually top the mist and a rainbow eternal. To peer into the waterfall must come down the river in a local boat and be clear when to paddle to shore, because if you pass the point of no return, will drag the river and see the show at ringside.
2.-Victory (Zambia y Zimbabue)
"The smoke that thunders" is the translation of his original name: Mosi-oa-Tunya. This is perhaps the most powerful waterfalls in the world shakes and the sound that faces the abyss of water fall. The Zambezi flow suddenly overflows, no intermediate hops, unceremoniously. It's a thunderous spectacle of almost two kilometers wide and 108 meters.
3.-Yosemite (U.S.)
The Yosemite Valley, California, is one of the world's most visited natural. It has walls exceeding thousand feet. To top off the delirium, dozens of rivers aerial flying everywhere. And the most harmonious of waterfalls is named Park: The Yosemite waterfall runs 782 meters to crash into the rocks at the base.
The place redefines wonder, where there is no language more eloquent than the sound of water and design to improve the harmony of your waterfalls.
4.-Agua Azul Waterfall (Mexico)
The day I visited the Agua Azul waterfall, in Chiapas, I discovered a water maze… brown, due to recent storms mud. Pity. If low water clean, azure, the wonder is completed. The River, at this point, descends gracefully, separates, skips and jumps again. It is a delicate cascade, somewhat rococo and water color… ¡Months! if luck painting it blue…
5.-Tis Isat (Ethiopia)
Contemplating the reddish color of Tis Isat hard to imagine that one is contemplating the first steps of the Blue Nile. This is one of those solemn waterfalls, leaden, sheltered by the Ethiopian landscape green contrast. The only two kilometers walk that took us there surely outweighs the eternal image of the cataract's largest African Great River.
6.-Iguazú (Argentina and Brazil)
In my opinion this is not only the world's most beautiful waterfall, but is also one of the most spectacular places on the planet. Its 140 jumps seem designed to overwhelm the visitor and the forest, surrounding all, elven tops the atmosphere of this natural park. The place redefines wonder, where there is no language more eloquent than the sound of water and design to improve the harmony of your waterfalls.
7.-Angel Falls (Venezuela)
Just one fact: 979 meters. We must return to Canaima, in the Gran Sabana of Venezuela and into the confines of a forest where no man has control, to contemplate the tallest waterfalls. Here nature is everywhere, wild as its cliffs and jaguars. When I flew over Angel Falls understood that there can be no greater challenge, a pulse as visceral between water and gravity.
What we have left ..?
Not all cataracts have visited the planet or rankings can produce beauty goals. For that reason I think it would be good to aim some discards, wonders alternates: Niagara Falls, on the border between the United States and Canada, the Epupa, north of Namibia or the cascade of Eyipantla, in the Mexican state of Veracruz, deserve, at least, a mention.
