I don't have stabilizers on my lens and, travelling at 100 to 120 kph, it's not easy to capture sharp images - I took a few thousand photos and managed to salvage these, I hope you find them interesting:
Most Dwellings in this area are made of wood and mud, with thatched roofs.
A young boy transports water in a Drum on a cattle-driven sled.
Transporting water is a major hassle and chore for most people in the region, the exercise can take a whole day - water is collected from communal water points, mostly very far from people's homes - lucky are those who live close to the boreholes and wells.
An example of the Nguni cattle breed found in the area. Nguni cattle are known for their fertility and resistance to diseases.
A young Cattle-herder atop his Donkey.
"Best Gloomy House" - one of the numerous Shebeens along the road.
I've got hundreds of pics of the sometimes comically-named Shebeens which are also known as 'Cuca Shops' - enough for a whole separate Post sometime ...
Kids using a net to catch fish in a pond.
Our destination was the Ngepi Campsite on the Okavango River, close to Divundu.
It was great to be amongst old, big Trees again - most people use wood to meet their basic energy needs and the smell of Woodsmoke is always in the air; sometimes just a faint whiff and at other times overwhelming but, - ever present.
I've never been anywhere outside Southern Africa and I imagine that if I was on another continent, the one thing that would make me totally homesick is the smell of African Woodsmoke ...
Dozens of Thatch-sellers were camped along a length of the road.
Thatch is mostly used for the roofing of rural homes and also for creating Features (Lapas) in wealthier homes, hotels and game lodges.
Three young women stride along the road carrying sheaves to one of the Thatch Dealers.
The harvesting of thatch Grass is a seasonal and often the only source of income for many people.
Mbeyo Baptist Church - the walls are built with a stick frame which is filled with mud.
A young Hunter stalks a bird, catapult at the ready.
Transporting water on a Donkey.
... to be continued ...
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great photos Graham.
ReplyDeleteThey bring back memories of my trip along that road in 2011.
I was driving tho so it was impossible to get a decent photo......
Thanks Sue & welcome back from your adventures - yeah, since I got my camera I just love to be a passenger ... :)
DeleteI enjoyed my trip with you, as always!! What exactly is a Shebeen/Cuca Shop--a bar?
ReplyDeleteThanks Fran - yeah, a cuca shop is a bar where alcohol is sold ...
Delete... a 'waterhole' ... :)
DeleteWell I've never been "in" South Africa, except for your wonderful pictures. Are you on a trip with your tall friend--forgive me, his name slipped away. In any event, enjoy yourself and thanks for letting us enjoy the sights.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne - hehe, you mean Stretch? ... no, I wasn't with him ... I enjoy nothing more than showing pics of my world to you ... :)
DeleteWhat a great trip, thank you! I loved the picture of the young boy stalking the bird, what a capture, his eyes, wow. I also liked to see donkeys at work. Having worked at the donkey rescue that used to be next door here and having fallen in love with these wonderful animals, it felt good to see them working and being useful instead of just standing around, fenced in.
ReplyDeleteThank you Inger - yes, I was also struck by the intensity in the Hunter's eyes ... it's a detail I only saw after I'd downloaded the pic ...
DeleteI enjoyed these photos a lot Graham. I think Africa (what I've seen of it) ranks up there with one of the most stark and beautiful places on earth. I didn't grow up smelling wood smoke all of my life; only as a child. Even so, when I was in Kenya smelling smoke I thought of happy memories.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the pics Penny - I think if someone could can and market an "African Woodsmoke Aerosol" they could make a fortune ... :) ... I wouldn't buy it though ... imagine smelling fake woodsmoke ...
DeleteThey do have a hard life compared to us, but so much simpler.
ReplyDeleteThe best gloomy house sounds promising...I am guessing its where to go when your spirit is in need of uplifting?
hehe Monica, the "Best Gloomy House" pic is one of my faves ... I spoke to a woman from Kavango and she told me that not a drop of water gets wasted ... understandable when one has to carry it, sometimes for many miles ...
DeleteAll these are so typical "Africa". A wonderful selection and interesting post Graham.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing which makes me homesick is the smell of a good piece of wors on a braai. :)
Thanks Joan - hehe yes, here in this desert town I often go outside on weekend nights just to sniff the worses on braais ... :)
Deleteas always - good pictures. I didn't know you took so many. Interesting that what you call "catapult" is called a slingshot around here. I had a few slingshots growing up.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill - I would get upset if I saw city or town kids hunting birds for 'fun' - you can be sure though, that any bird killed in the rural areas will be eaten ...
DeleteGraham thanks so much for these great photos, you have just transported me back 'home' for a wonderful visit. I can dream, but just one day I may get back to see it all for myself again. I think once Africa is in your blood it never disappears no matter what. Wood smoke, braais, lapas, mud huts, shabeens and Nguni all words that I never use here. Have a good week and thanks. Diane
ReplyDeleteHehe thanks Diane - don't forget 'Biltong' :) ... I'm chuffed that the pics were able to rekindle memories for you ...
DeleteHi Graham - love the reminders of life in southern Africa .. having looked up Divundu - I see it's in the panhandle .. my mother and I were lucky enough to go to the northern part of the Skeleton Coast on the Cunene in the late 80s ...
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading parts 2 ... and? Cheers Hilary
Thanks Hilary - hehe my first reply didn't post and I've forgotten what I said ... :) ... glad it brought back memories for you ...
DeleteInteresting pictures and they show and tell life is hard.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keats - yes, life is hard for the majority of people in rural areas.
DeleteWhat a cool picture of the boy hunting the bird. Also, I wish I could smell African Woodsmoke. :) Your blog is so fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThanks Elisa - who knows? ... perhaps someday you'll get to visit Africa ... :)
DeleteGraham, I love your pictures, do you think I ever could smell the African Woodsmoke.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the pics Fazlisa ... :) ... I'm thinking of ways to make 'canned' woodsmoke ... perhaps in the form of an Incense Stick? ...
DeleteGlad to see you back on the blog. As usual, your photographs are wonderful and of the highest quality. I thoroughly enjoy them and your stories. As Indiana Jones says, I too hate snakes, and I do not think that I could live in the countryside full of them as you do. Between the boomslang, which I did not lived in Namibia and the puff-adders, I would probably have a nervous breakdown. Where exactly do you live in Namibia?
ReplyDeleteI've just looked at these photos again and they are really stunning Graham.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the Cattle herder on his donkey with the ox/cow/bullock behind him, and the young hunter with his "cattie" are the best. They both have great "feeling" and motion.....