Published in the San Francisco Chronicle

As infinity pools go, this one might be a little too literal for comfort.

Pressing my back against a rocky ledge just beneath the surface, I glance over my shoulder into the abyss - towering plumes billowing from the immense cauldron of Batoka Gorge 300 feet below. Just a few inches of granite prevents me from being swept by the current over the edge of the world's largest waterfall.

I'm in Devil's Pool, a natural formation on the Zambian lip of Victoria Falls. During the dry season, from September to December, a rock barrier forms an eddy, allowing adventurous tourists to safely swim right up to where the Zambezi becomes a chasm twice the height of Niagara Falls.

It's about as close as you can get to this Natural Wonder of the World and live to talk about it.

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