OneStonedCrow

Bach and Forth

2012-01-15T08:00:00.002+02:00

Hey Friends,

Tomorrow I head north to continue building on the house - my mind is in a bit of a muddle because I'm still procrastinating as to how to complete the top section of the en suite bathroom.

I've kind of made up my mind but I have two viable options, each with it's own challenges to overcome ... decisions, decisions ...

I'll be off-line for about two months. I do have a portable USB device called a 'Netman' which allows me to access the internet from anywhere except my home - just out of range of the signal ... I will be able to check mail occasionally, using my old and painfully slow connection.

In the meantime, a few pics:

An aircraft flies past the moon.

Sign at Tsaobis Leopard Park.

Sign at the entrance to a Wine Farm in South Africa - I guess when they're closed they just drive the tractor away ...

A dry river bed.

Sign at one of the large grape farms, Aussenkehr, Namibia

I couldn't resist snapping a pic of this woman with five kids in tow.

Moose McGregor's Desert Bakery, Solitaire, Namibia.

Game grazing around the waterhole at Twee Palms, Etosha pans - I hope to spend a few days at the Pans while I'm in the North.

I fell in love with this worm in the garden of a restaurant

On my way north I must stop in Windhoek, a city I dislike intensely - I'm desperate to find some suitable long-sleeved shirts to keep the sun off my arms. Lately I've noticed that cuts and sores are taking longer to heal and I'm terrified of skin cancer.

I want to thank you all for continuing to visit this blog. I love interacting with you and indeed, without your comments, I wouldn't be blogging.

Most off all, I value your kindness and friendship.

Keep well Friends - I'll see you after awhile ...

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New Year Bash - Evening

2012-01-13T19:00:00.001+02:00

Late in the afternoon I slouched back to the park where the New Year Bash was being held.

I was worried that I wouldn't get any pics because I didn't have an external flash.

It was still hot and as the sun set the artists started performing again- later in the evening there was a spectacular fireworks display over the desert.

By 10pm a stiff breeze was blowing chill air off the ocean 70 km away. I was feeling cold, my feet were sore and my brain had been rattled by the giant speakers ...

I cut-out before the end of the show - I think I've just become a little more deaf ... :)

Related Post: New Year Bash - Afternoon

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New Year Bash - Afternoon

2012-01-12T22:05:00.004+02:00

This last weekend I was invited to a New Year Bash and asked to take photos. The Bash was organised by a Mining company for the community of the small town.

I took about 1300 pics - a small selection in two posts:

The Bash started at midday and when I arrived the music was already beating-out and this Nama lady was dancing alone on the grass, seemingly in a world of her own.

Namibia's cultural diversity was highlighted by people in different costumes - here two Owambo Ladies make an entrance, swaying and dancing to the music.

Herero ladies in bright dresses - the dresses originate from the German colonial period of our history and are based on the fashion of the time.

Baby on mother's back, secured by a strip of goatskin.

A group of Nama people perform a traditional dance.

A local TV channel was there - here a presenter is interviewed.

After the traditional dances, the live groups started performing. They seemed to be all Namibian artists and I must confess I didn't know any of them - it became apparent though, they were well-known amongst the younger generation.

It was a very hot day and at about 3 pm the artists took a break. Games were organized for adults and kids and I slipped away for a few hours to find some shade.

I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the quality of our local musicians - I should try get out more ...

Our own reggae band, I wish I knew their name..

Southeast Namibia: Karasburg & More Poverty

2012-01-08T15:25:00.009+02:00

After leaving Warmbad the day's destination was Karasburg, 48 km to the North.

Instead of going directly there though, we headed South first, 78 km to the Orange River and Vellorsdrif, a remote border crossing to South Africa - just to see what there was to see.

I'd seen 'Tantalite Valley' marked on a map and was intrigued, so we took this road which ended 20 km later at a deserted Mine. The buildings were still in reasonable shape and it looked like mining may resume in the future.

At the time I had no idea what Tantalite is - I thought it had something to do with Mica because there was a lot of it around but it's turns out that it is a source of Tantalum.

Tantalum is a chemical element, used in alloys for strength and higher melting points, in glass to increase the index of refraction, and in surgical steel, as it is non-reactive and non-irritating to body tissues.

The countryside around Warmbad had been pretty drab and featureless but this changed approaching the Orange River, to scattered Quiver Trees and hills, the sides of which were patterned with roundish black rocks.

A furry Goatherd turns to check me out.

Sociable Weavers' nests in a quiver tree.

This rock tower suddenly appeared on the skyline on the road between Ariamsvlei and Karasburg - it's probably about 15m high - it's what I'd originally envisioned for the en suite bathroom I'm building on my house.

I'm impressed with the straightness of the walls, quite a tricky task.

In Karasburg I heard that the farmer had constructed it in order to deter poachers.

Late afternoon we reached Karasburg - a drab town set in a desolate landscape. I have no idea what caused it to come into existence, the only industry in the area is a few large farms.

Although Karasburg is in better shape than Warmbad the majority of the population also lives in abject poverty.

Many people were obviously intoxicated and openly consuming alcohol. To me, the overall impression was depressing.

Two women and children walk along the road carrying their possessions.

Horse and Donkey transport is common in Namibia and generally the animals are in reasonable shape but I was disturbed by the poor condition of the many horses I saw in Karasburg.

These girls, aged between about 12 and 14, were hanging around in front of a general store and when they saw me sitting in the car with a camera they asked me to take their pic - taking great delight in viewing the images in the LCD screen.

I saw that the young lady in the left of the pic was talking to me and indicated to her that I couldn't hear what she was saying - with all the familiarity in the world, she grabbed my head with both her hands, pulled it out of the window and shouted in my ear that I should give her some money.

I asked her what she wanted money for and she replied that she wanted to buy bread. I hesitated a moment because I've given kids money before, only to see them spend it on sweets.

I gave her some money and watched them rush into the shop - they emerged with a loaf of bread.

Looking at close-ups of their faces makes me feel sad because I know that, barring a miracle, these kids will be trapped in a cycle of poverty for the rest of their lives - and there are millions more like them throughout the world, living without hope.

This smartly-dressed lady posed for a picture - she was with a friend and both were dressed in identical outfits - one of the girls from the previous pic photo-bombing the scene ... :)

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More Far-out Farm Signs

2012-01-02T19:30:00.006+02:00

More Farm Signs which have caused me to stop and take a pic:

In the last few years I've seen a proliferation of farms which have become Guest- or Game-farms in Namibia.

Tourism must be booming - even in these tough economic times I've seen an increase in the number of tourists self-driving and in Tour Buses, particularly on the more remote gravel roads.

An old mining ore-car marks the entrance to farm 'Kanabeam' near Ai-Ais Hot Springs.

I've always known these ore-cars as 'Cocopans' but I can't find any on-line reference confirming this. The closest I get is that the word is derived from the Afrikaans 'koek pan' - cake pan - and I guess that with a little stretch of imagination, it could resemble one.

Not very imaginative but hard to miss - an old tyre on a fence post.

I found it hard to believe that this family name is genuine - "Die Fokkense" is probably the Afrikaans equivalent of the "Fockers" of the 'Meet The Fockers' movie.

Hehe ... and the "Greatly Blessed, Deeply Loved" above the white heart made of an old tyre ...

A Hornbill adorns the sign at Ohange Lodge.

A Vulture-friendly farm.

Vultures are being endangered by farmers who use poison to kill vermin - the Vultures feed off the carcasses and are also poisoned.

On the edge of the Namib desert, a farm marker with a strange metal trunk attached to it - the box was empty.

'Berg' means 'mountain' in Afrikaans - this sign has been skilfully cut from a thin metal sheet.

Two male Oryx engaged in battle on this farm gate.

Kobo Kobo hills conservancy.

Often farmers in a particular area join together to form a Conservancy - I'm not sure exactly what this means or what the purpose is but, I'm guessing it has something to do with abiding by certain conservation principles.

Related Posts:
Where The %/*# Are We? - Can't Find My Way Home
Far-out Farm Sign

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More Road-trip Critters In Namibia

2011-12-27T15:35:00.004+02:00

More critters seen on Road-trips in Namibia - most of the pics were taken on my last trip from the North:

A desert Dung Beetle with it's find - if I remember correctly this specimen was pulling the dung along, unlike most Dung Beetles I've seen which roll a ball and push it backwards with their hind legs.

En route to Büllsport early in the morning, this African Wild Cat ran across the road ahead of me and sat peering from the grass - it's the first time one has crossed my path.

A blow-up of the big-eared kitty - these wild cats interbreed with domestic cats.

A fuzzy shot of a dishevelled-looking Bat-eared Fox scurrying for the safety of the long grass - another 'first sighting' for me.

An unidentified Bird Of Prey soars above me.

A lone White Horse stands lost in the landscape.

A small herd of Springbuck stop to check me out.

A 90mm long Scorpion near the Orange River - you don't want to get zapped by this specimen - small pincers, fat tail = bad news.

A small herd of Mountain Zebra in he Namib Nauklauft Park. There are two species of Zebra in Namibia, the other being the Plains Zebra, which is found mainly in the Etosha National Park.

Two Zebras, One Ass.

I saw these animal symbols on a touring Camper-home in Grootfontein - it reminds me of the fighter pilots of old who put symbols of their 'kills' on their planes - is this guy trying to say that he's bagged all these beasts with his awesome caravan?

Related Posts:
Animals On The Road
Driving in Namibia - Animals On The Road

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Two Christmas Songs

2011-12-23T19:50:00.007+02:00

Every year, the period leading up to Christmas through to the new year is usually a time of introspection for me - I don't know if it's a programmed response or what.

This year, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd is my song to reflect on:

When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.

I have become comfortably numb.
I am not a Christian but I've spent my whole life in a Christian culture and cannot help but be caught up in the Season.

To my Christian friends, I wish You a Blessed Christmas with your Loved Ones and offer you this Carol, Gaudete (Rejoice), composed in the 16th century and performed here by one of my favourite Folk Groups, Steeleye Span:

Gaudete, gaudete Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae, gaudete.
Tempus ad est gratiae hoc quod optabamus,
Carmina laetitiae devote redamus.
Gaudete, gaudete Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae, gaudete.
Deus homo factus est naturam erante,
Mundus renovatus est a Christo regnante.
Gaudete, gaudete Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae, gaudete.
Ezecheelis porta clausa per transitor
Unde lux est orta sallus invenitor.
Gaudete, gaudete Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae, gaudete.
Ergo nostra contio psallat jam in lustro,
Benedicat domino sallas regi nostro.
Gaudete, gaudete Christos est natus
Ex Maria virginae, gaudete.

Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!
Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born Of the Virgin Mary, rejoice!
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Lizards In My World

2011-12-21T17:45:00.003+02:00

A few Lizards from my world:

This is called a "Flat Lizard" - what a lame name for such a beautiful creature, hey?

A desert lizard, probably about 100mm long.

Is that a miniature crocodile?

It looks quite prehistoric with it's spiky scales.

Also a "Flat Lizard", I believe.

Close-up of the Flat one.

A tiny lizard - look at the length of it's tail.

Quite a large lizard on some bricks at my home in the north.

A Gekko - I have quite a few inside the house, they eat insects and sadly, my cats eat them.

I believe that this is called an "Agama'.

This orange specimen was camouflaged in the red sand of a dune.

I don't know much about Lizards, Skinks, Agamas and Gekkos - if anyone knows of a good reference book please let me know.

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Southeast Namibia: Warmbad Pt 2

2011-12-18T13:30:00.006+02:00

I awoke early in Warmbad and went out looking for images in the rising Sun:

Three churches dominate the Warmbad skyline - this rock structure was built by the Rhenish Missionary Society in 1877.

The first European style buildings, including a church, were built between 1805 and 1810, by Christian and Abraham Albrecht from the London Missionary Society, thereby establishing the first mission station in South-West Africa, (pre-independence Namibia).

This derelict building stands in Warmbad's 'main street'.

Through Wikipedia I found the photo below, taken between 1908 and 1914 and which appears to show the building above in better days:

Donkey cart in front of the Warmbad S.A. Territories Ltd building, early 20th century.

At this time Warmbad lost its original importance as a stop-over for travellers, being bypassed by railway connections and new road construction - many of the buildings began to decay.

A liquor store - or "Bottle Store" as they're known in Southern Africa - one of only two shops I saw in Warmbad, the other is a small general store.

Alcohol abuse is the root cause of many of Namibia's many social evils - it is not only a problem amongst the poor, but the wealthy as well.

The majority of Warmbad's inhabitants live in abject poverty. There is no industry in the area, residents survive from old-age pensions and subsistence goat farming.

An old disused public Telephone Box outside the Post Office - I haven't seen one of these in ages.

Another decaying building - there are many of these old and interesting structures in Warmbad but it seems that not much effort is being made to preserve them.

Walking around Warmbad I saw many opportunities for developing the historical aspect of the settlement in order to attract tourists and revenue to the area - there is a museum and guided tours but there's so much more that can be done.

A common type of Namibian shelter, corrugated sheets nailed to a wooden frame - the residents of this dwelling have electric power and are able to afford satellite TV.

I was forced to question my perceptions when a German woman I met there - apparently on a Mission to assist the people of Warmbad - related that she was shocked once to see four young boys kill a tiny bird then cook and devour it between themselves.

She assumed that the kids were starving.

My perception of the incident would have been that the kids, having no other form of entertainment, were doing what rural kids do, playing outside, with hunting being one of their activities ...

... and as for four of them sharing one tiny bird - that's the culture of the Poor, they share what food they have, no matter how little.

People were starting to rise and I spotted two young women carrying their water containers to a communal water point - this is the daily reality of millions of people not only throughout Africa but, I suspect, in many other countries around the world.

I can't believe that these frail-looking girls carry those full containers home without assistance - I doubt that I could carry one container for more than a few meters.

The bliss of having water on tap ...

The rock entrance gate of a German colonial fort which now serves as the entrance to the Police Station.

After Imperial Germany declared its territorial rights over South-West Africa, a fort was built in Warmbad in 1905 and Schutztruppe soldiers were stationed at the settlement to counter the Herero and Nama uprising.

The old German Garrison Hospital, adjacent to the Doctor's house shown in the previous Warmbad post.

My first (fuzzy) picture of an Owl - This Barn Owl lives in the old hospital and flew off as I approached.

I don't know exactly why, but I feel compelled to revisit Warmbad as soon as possible ... maybe it's the lure of the Owl and the many other birds of prey I saw there ... or perhaps I have a 'higher' purpose to serve there ...

Nah, I'm too old for going on missions ...

Related Post: Southeast Namibia: Warmbad Pt 1

References:
Wikipedia
Dr Klaus Dierks

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Julius & The Hong Kong Hash House Harriers

2011-12-15T12:10:00.002+02:00

When I travelled to the North in October, I was accompanied by my buddy Stretch who had paid his first visit to the Southern Desert - we stopped at the Tropic Of Capricorn to take pics:

After setting my camera's timer I scrambled to get into the picture but, alas, I was too slow ...

I noticed that the reverse-sides of the Capricorn signs on either side of the road were plastered with stickers and messages left by travellers who'd stopped here.

Visitors from all over the world had left their mark.

I followed Dom's blog link and found an entry on his Namibia visit - I also found an image of him at the Tropic when he'd pasted his sticker on the sign.

Is that a Japanese Bunny? - and "Ratpanat"? ... that sounds like a word from Malaysia, or Singapore?

Disrupted by routine - Germany, Japan and Australia were here.

Though there is a hint of humour in this sticker left by the Hong Kong Hash House Harriers, (whoever they may be), there are also deadly serious undertones to it.

For those who don't know who Julius is, he's Julius Malema, the obnoxious, recently unseated ex-leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) Youth League.

Malema is most notorious for inciting his followers by singing the anti-apartheid struggle song "Dubul’ iBhunu - Shoot the Boer" at his political rallies, hence the 'I'm not the Boer' reference on the sticker.

The word 'Boer' means farmer and is used more generally to refer to the whole Afrikaner population and, in a wider, derogatory sense, to all white-skinned people.

Even though South Africa's High Court has ruled that the song is 'hate speech', there are still people, like enlightened guru Bono of U2 fame, who jet into South Africa and the security of a luxury hotel, then declare that it's OK - there is a time and place to sing this racist song.

The inconvenient truth is that since 1987 almost FOUR THOUSAND white people (mostly Afrikaners) have been murdered in South African farm attacks, often tortured and slaughtered in the most barbaric way.

If you have the stomach for it, you can follow the links and read the list of victims' names and gory details here.

In light of the above, it would be interesting to learn on which occasions precisely, does Nobel Peace Prize nominee Bono deem it appropriate to sing a song which incites people to genocide - perhaps just before Malema's minions go out marauding?

The Washington-based organization Genocide Watch has rated South Africa as being at Stage 6 on it's 8 Stages of Genocide scale.

To me, the most frightening aspect about Malema is that, even though he's been temporarily disabled, he may well become a future President of South Africa.

Cartoon by Zapiro

... and on a lighter note, we did finally get it right - well, sort of ...

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Southeast Namibia: Warmbad Pt 1

2011-12-13T10:00:00.003+02:00

Towards the end of November I took a trip to south-eastern Namibia.

It was my first visit to the area - I had heard that it was underdeveloped but was not prepared for the poverty I found there.

Our first stop was Warmbad, a depressed settlement on the Homs River.

Warmbad was known to the Nama people for centuries as |Aixa-aibes and was first named in 1760 by scout Jacobus Coetzee, the first documented European to cross the Oranje River into the South-West African territory that today forms the state of Namibia.

'Warmbad' means 'hot bath' in Afrikaans and German and refers to the hot spring around which the settlement is located.

One of the first intact buildings I saw was this shebeen - Para-dise, which started the Dylan song, 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' playing in my head:

“Eternity ?” said Frankie Lee
With a voice as cold as ice
“That’s right”, said Judas Priest, “Eternity
Though you might call it Paradise”

The community-owned camp-site is sub-standard and unattractive so we chose to rather stay in the bungalows which were decent and not too expensive.

Pictured above are two of the single bungalows.

Stairway to Paradise?

Some of the oldest buildings and ruins in Namibia are to be found in Warmbad - built by Missionaries in the early 1800's.

At the Hot Spring close to the Camp Site a bath has been built, housed in a fancy building but, the place is closed.

Some kids had gained entrance through an open window and were frolicking in the water.

It's my understanding that various Governments and aid organisations have donated millions to the Warmbad community so that they can improve facilities and attract tourists to this historically important area but, for reasons unknown to me, they just don't seem to be able to get their act together.

Around sunset, I took a walk around the area to see what I could capture in the magic light.

A goat kid jumps off a wall. There are many goats here - they seem to be the only animals that thrive and are an important source of food and revenue for the community.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the largest concentration of Aloe garipensis I've seen, in the rocks adjoining the camp-site - there are hundreds and they were glowing bright red in the setting sun.

Ruins - the camp-site and bungalows are to the left of the palm trees - in the distance, the desolate, flat landscape.

I was fascinated by this old rock building - not only because it had no windows and only one locked entrance, but also for the way the builders had constructed the roof with rocks too ... I wonder what purpose the building served?

The Doctor's house adjoining the old hospital - a relic of the German Colonial era - I took many pics here.

After the sun had set this bird of prey, which had been roosting in the old hospital, hovered over me indignantly at being disturbed. I've identified it - probably incorrectly - as a Rock Kestrel.

Unfortunately, being hung-up on taking pics of the ruins I'd forgotten to change my ASA settings and the image turned out fuzzy.

References:

Wikipedia
Dr. Klaus Dierks

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Büllsport Rocks Rock Me

2011-12-10T16:05:00.004+02:00

When I came from the North a few weeks ago I camped-over at Solitaire, an outpost on the edge of the Namib Desert.

The next morning I was up before Sunrise and took a route through the Nauklauft Mountains.

I was heading for Büllsport, a Guest Farm on the eastern edge of the mountains - the 55km journey took ages because I kept stopping to take photos in the cloudy morning light.

I ordered a much-needed coffee and then walked around to view the reason I was here:

The Rocks.

These long flat rocks occur somewhere on the farm and the owners have used them to construct very attractive walls, or fences. I'd seen them before but I wanted to take another look.

Some of the rocks are over 2 meters tall and I would love to get my hands on a few - to build a Stonehenge type rock circle on my lawn - but, I'd been told on a previous visit, a few years ago, that there were none available for sale.

While drinking my second cup of coffee I was chatting with the owner and hopefully asked her if she had more of the rocks and, any for sale - to my delight she said yes, she had a small stockpile of them right there.

... I grabbed my tape-measure and bought two on the spot.

From now on I'll be taking that route every time I head north.

One of the guest rooms at Büllsport.

After I'd left Büllsport I saw quite a few of these rocks standing on farms I passed so I guess they must be abundant in the area.

I'll tell you what, if I had a few thousand Bucks in small change, I'd hire a truck, cart a few loads of the Rock to my home in the north and start building another Dwelling with them ... after completing the Stone-Circle of course ...

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Canadian Cool In The Namibian Heat

2011-12-07T20:00:00.003+02:00

A few weeks ago I was driving somewhere on a 165km stretch of road in the Desert.

The journey had been long, it was hot and I was in semi-automatic mode ...

Suddenly I passed a long-distance cyclist travelling in the opposite direction.

Alert now because I'd missed a photo-op, I spotted another cyclist approaching in the distance and so I slowed down, pulled off the road and grabbed my camera.

Lo and behold, it was a lady cyclist, kitted-out for a long-distance journey.

With a wave she stopped and pulled over - she told me that her name is Brenna and I heard well enough to get it right first time.

Brenna is Canadian and, together with her partner, who I had passed earlier, was cycling from Cape Town to Morocco ... I was amazed at the scale of their adventure.

She paused briefly to give me her e-mail address so I could post the pics to her.

With a last smile it was time for her to press on.

... and then she was gone, continuing her journey of a Lifetime.

I admire people who embark on this kind of adventure, travelling a continent on their own power, uncomplicated, with miles and miles to unclutter the mind - vulnerable and exposed to nature completely.

I think that Namibia is probably one of the best countries to cycle through.

Happy Trails Brenna.

Related Posts:
The Zen Of long-distance Cycling
Intrepid Travellers

ps ... I posted this earlier but had to delete because the pics were not loading from my Picasa album ... I'm trying Photobucket, please let me know if there are any hassles with the images ...

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Animals On The Road

2011-12-02T10:00:00.008+02:00

Some of the animals I encountered and managed to photograph on my last trip North:

Two Horses graze on the sparse vegetation on the edge of the Namib desert - see the red sand dunes in the background.

A Namaqua Sandgrouse

A gang of Gnus - 'Blou Wildebeest' in Afrikaans.

This is the largest group of Ostriches I've seen.

Their bobbing heads looked too funny as they trotted away - Ostriches are known as 'Omo' in the Owambo language.

A family of Meerkats look ghostly as they peer at me through the dry white grass.

An Oryx - those horns are dangerous - I've heard about a wounded Oryx swatting bullets away with his horns but I'm sure that's a tall story.

Warthogs.

A Baboon scampers away as I try to get a pic. These rascals have been shot at so many times by angry farmers that if you aim anything at them, they scatter.

A fake Zebra at the entrance to a farm - I'm surprised that it hasn't been pock-marked by poachers ...
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S'long Spirit ...

2011-11-30T17:05:00.002+02:00

I received bad news today - Spirit is dead.

He disappeared on the day before I left the North and I was hoping that he'd only gone wandering, as he has done in the past. I was told this morning that his body has been found in the long grass close to the house.

I strongly suspect that he was zapped by a snake. He was in perfect health and it could only have been a snake which caused him to die so suddenly.

The week before his disappearance it was very hot and humid and there were a lot of large snakes around, they were hunting and were likely all venomous.

I've probably been too lenient in dealing with snakes near the house lately - I was hoping we could live in harmony.

It's slight comfort knowing that he probably did not suffer or die caught in some trap but, still - I feel sad.

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2011 Tsumeb Copper Festival

2011-11-29T19:00:00.007+02:00

At the end of October the 5th Tsumeb Copper Festival took place - I was looking forward to it because of the opportunity to photograph people and bright colours.

On the one day I took a break from building and journeyed into town to see what I could see:

A woman selling brightly-coloured dresses and bags waits with her child for customers.

A local band entertains the crowd waiting for the official opening ceremony to begin.

A police contingent leads the parade preceding the opening ceremony - I just love the way the kid popped into the picture as I took the shot, look at that mischievous face ... it's called 'photo-bombing' I believe ...

One of the many exhibitors - the organisation of the Copper festival seems to be getting better every year.

I was fascinated by how this tourist was fussing over two women who were carrying their babies on their backs, secured in blankets - a common sight in Africa and something I take for granted - unable to understand each others' language, the two women seemed bewildered by her attentions but the encounter was amicable, with smiles all around.

Something for your head.

Three heads are better than two ...

A local brew made of fermented something - the guy selling it told me the name of the stuff but I've forgotten.

Dried and fried Mopani Worms - a local delicacy - not for me though, I don't like the taste at all.

One of the food vendors prepares porridge in a massive 'potjie' cooking pot.

Related Post:
Tsumeb Copper Festival

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A Trip To The Richtersveld - Part 2

2011-11-25T08:00:00.002+02:00

Sunrise at the Richtersberg Camp site on the Orange River - all the camp sites are very basic, visitors must carry their own water and provisions.

Although I was a passenger, I know what a thrill it is to drive these roads.

I'm guessing that this is a lizard ... gorgeous colours hey ... if you look carefully you can see that it's still shedding its skin.

This viewpoint took my breath away.

Sentkannetjie - Crassula columnaris.

I almost missed these tiny well camouflaged plants.

Spectacular rock formations abound.

What can I say?

Helskloof - the sides of a mountain covered with Pearson's Aloe (Aloe pearsonii) - the only place in the world where this plant grows in such density.

Three Black Crows in one of the rare trees ... they were quite far away and I struggled to get a decent shot of individuals:

A lousy photo I know but, I like the way some of the feathers of the bird are sticking out equally around it's body ... it's easy to see why Crows are associated with witches and the Underworld.

I'm hoping that some of my artistic Friends here will be able to sharpen it up and/or incorporate it into an artwork ... :)

Related Posts:

A Trip To The Richtersveld - Part 1

Scenes From The Richtersveld

A Few Plants From the Richtersveld

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A Trip To The Richtersveld - Part 1

2011-11-22T16:10:00.002+02:00

Before I went north in September, Stretch visited this area for the first time and a group of us took a 3-day camping trip to the Richtersveld in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, about a twenty minute drive from my present location:

Approaching the Orange (Gariep) River, one of my favourite scenes in Namibia. I call it 'Flower Mountain' because to me it looks like a rosebud which is about to bloom.

The pontoon comes across the river from South Africa to fetch us at Sendelingsdrift - 'sendeling' means missionary in Afrikaans.

The terrain is very rugged and changeable.

We were a week or two too late to see the plants at their best after the sparse winter rain.

... so named because of the strange impression on the rock.

Most of the roads are pretty rough and are best travelled in a 4-wheel drive but, I've seen people driving here in ordinary sedan vehicles.

Another weirdscape.

I almost missed this fleshy starfish-shaped succulent flower.

A lone Quiver Tree, Kokerboom in Afrikaans.

I photographed this tree on my first visit visit here about three years ago but couldn't resist taking another shot.

I'll probably be off-line for a few days from Thursday exploring new territory but I'll set Part 2 to publish automatically.

Related Posts:

Scenes From The Richtersveld
A Few Plants From The Richtersveld

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Bach To The Future

2011-11-20T17:55:00.008+02:00

Hello Friends,

It's been a steaming-hot two months in northern Nam and now I'm back in the cooler southern Desert with a good internet connection. (It's cooler because I'm only 60 km from the coast - close enough for the ocean-breeze.)

I didn't have a TV at home and missed a chapter in the 'Arab Spring' with the demise of Gaddafi - perhaps it is better for my Spirit not to have seen it, I might have rejoiced ...

I also missed the beginning of what I hope is a 'Universal Spring' in the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

I have a lot of time for reflection while I'm building and in that place beyond thought, some call it intuition, I know that if we don't (and we won't) shift away from rampant greed and excess in our dealings with each other and our Planet, we will lose it all.

'When you ain't got nothing you got nothing to lose' - when we reach a critical mass, violent revolution and chaos will drag us back to the stone age.

My good news is that the Flamboyant tree which was affected by Black Frost during winter is alive - severely battered but alive ... I'm so relieved!

My neighbour told me that for two nights the temperature dropped to -6° C ... unheard of in these parts.

I love the colour Red - it'll probably take a few years for the tree to recover completely.

I built the outer rock wall of the en suite bathroom up as far as I could.

My next task is to install a corrugated roof, cut to size, which rests on the inner wall and, when that's done, I can complete the outer wall with rock.

I also installed two glass brick windows to provide additional light in the bathroom.

I had no idea what I was doing but managed to muddle through the job all-right ...

It's strange - often I put off doing something because, in my mind, there are all kinds of obstacles and things which can go wrong but, when I'm eventually forced to take action, everything goes smoothly and I end up wondering what I was afraid of. Does anyone else have this kind of hang-up?

The last two weeks were extremely hot and humid - ideal conditions for snakes to hunt and seek water. I only saw one but there were fresh tracks of different snakes in the sand every morning.

It's often possible, by examining the ridges of the track, to tell which way the snake travelled. The ridges indicate the direction the reptile was pushing as it moved forward ... the track in the pic above shows that the snake was moving away from the camera.

One of Stretch Moonman's remaining babies which I photographed when I visited.

Don't ask me what kind of bug this is - I've only seen a creature like this once before - lovely colours hey.

A pair of Damara Dik-Diks grazing near my house - these two tiny beautiful creatures have been living on my patch of ground for about five years now - they're still very shy though and bolt at the sight of a human.

Sunsets were, as usual, stunning - it's impossible to recreate them in a photo.

I'll close this post with a thought written on what appears to be an old boiler which is being used as a farm entrance marker ...

... those words seem familiar, I think someone wrote a book ...

I've just had a thought; could it be a time machine sent here from the Future ... or the Past?

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On The Road Again ...

2011-09-29T11:45:00.002+02:00

Hey Friends - I've just come back from a few days camping in the Richtersveld and tomorrow I head back North again, this means that I effectively have very little Internet access for awhile.

I have a lot of work to do on the house and, in a way, I'm not looking forward to it because October and November are our hottest months - the weather all over the world seems to be wonky so I guess anything could happen.

I have a lot of images to edit and hope that I can put a few posts together when I return to Space ... In the meantime, a few random pics:

Succulents along the road between the Orange River and Ai Ais Hot Springs - the window for seeing these plants at their best is only a few days.

A mushroom growing on Elephant dung - taken on a visit to the Etosha Pans.

Summer Butterflies gather at a puddle on a road in northern Nam.

A Fish jumps up a weir at Ai Ais - it looked like the fishes were playing and having fun.

A harmless Variegated Bush Snake at my home.

I don't know what kind of ducks these are - I like the way their wings are opposed.

A kid does a somersault off a sand embankment as his buddies look on - I took this photo from a moving car.

Tumbili grooming me while I hold the camera at arms-length and try to get a pic ...

I'm out Friends and I'll be on-line again in early December - Ciao and take care of yourselves hey.

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I love this story ...

2011-09-21T22:15:00.004+02:00

I've been waiting for ages to slot this sad image into a Blog Post and today I came upon this heart-warming story in The Namibian:

A KITTEN had the adventure of a lifetime when it stowed away in the chassis of a 4x4 travelling through the Kaokoveld, to Windhoek and finally to Germany where it now lives with two other cats in Munich.

Wolgang Morhart was on a self-drive tour of Namibia at the end of January 2011 and on the way from Otavi to Orupembe, after driving about 90 kilometres on a dirt road, he stopped to stretch his legs.

When he got out of the car he heard a whining noise coming from under the car and immediately investigated. He found a dusty little kitten clinging to the undercarriage of the Land Cruiser.

He took the shivering kitten, immediately named Kaoko, into the cabin and continued his journey.

Little Kaoko was starving and devoured the macaroni and mince Morhart had for dinner. That night Morhart woke up with Kaoko sitting on his chest. After a while he pressed himself tightly against Morhart and shivered, and the next moment an elephant trumpeted close by.

Kaoko loved to be in the car and together the two of them travelled for three weeks through Namibia.

“I have cats and I am used to getting the odd mouse as a present, but Kaoko brought me a scorpion the one evening,” says Morhart.

After returning to Windhoek Morhart stayed here for two more weeks and Kaoko did not leave his side, which made Morhart decide to take him back to Germany.

“I tried to find a suitable home for him here but he would not leave my side so I though we were meant to be together.”

He inquired about the red tape involved in taking a cat from Namibia to Germany, and the process eventually took six months.

“It was a long fight, lots of money and the help of good friends and people who made it possible for Kaoko to finally land in Munich,” says Morhart.

On August 18 Kaoko landed in Munich and although he was a bit drowsy he immediately recognised Morhart, climbed onto his lap and did not leave his sight.

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The Fish River Canyon

2011-09-07T07:30:00.003+02:00

Pics of a trip to the Fish River Canyon two weekends ago - it's just up the road from my present location, about 200 kms:

The deepest part of the Fish River Canyon is situated within the Ai-Ais/Richterveld Transfrontier National Park and the northern Entrance Gate is at Hobas.

Hobas is like an oasis in the desolate landscape and also a convenient Camp site 10km from the Main Canyon Vantage Point.

The camp looks pleasant enough. It's neat and tidy, the sites are shady and there's a small swimming pool and kiosk.

The Main Vantage Point overlooking the Canyon - a new structure, it wasn't here at my last visit a few years ago.

Hell's Bend - The view from the Vantage Point.

The Fish River Canyon is reputedly the second largest in the World after the USA's Grand Canyon. It is one of Namibia's main tourist destinations.

Two kilometres north of the vantage point, a group of hikers prepares to set out on the tough, 5-Day Fish River Canyon Hike.

There are no facilities along the way; hikers sleep under the stars and must carry their own supplies. Water is normally available in the Fish River but must be boiled or cleaned with purification tablets.

The trail is 85 kilometres long and, once in the canyon, there is no way out except for one or two emergency exit points. Earlier this year, a group of hikers had to be evacuated when the Fish River came down in flood.

Hikers must present a medical certificate of fitness and complete an indemnity form prior to commencing the trail.

A group of hikers descends into the canyon.

Many people claim that this 2-3 hour descent is the toughest part of the whole trail.

I'd love to walk the Fish River Canyon but I fear that this jarring, steep decline would mess my knees up completely.

The view from another point a few kilometres south of the main vantage point.

In total, the Canyon is 160 km long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres deep.

Rain had fallen in this arid area and patches of tiny red succulents, combined with the natural colour of the rock, gave the ground a pinkish hue.

To commemorate their visit - in a 'Kilroy Was Here' kind of way - many people build little cairns. There are probably a few hundred on the edge of the canyon.

Above is one of the more creative examples.

A last look at the canyon from another vantage point - photographs can't really capture the magnificence of the scene - you'll have to come check it out yourselves - April to September are the best times if you're planning a trip ... :)

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My Secret Magical Desert Garden

2011-09-01T19:10:00.002+01:00

A few years ago I 'discovered' a strange Magical Garden in Namibia's southern Desert, close to the mining town of Rosh Pinah:

The garden is on a hill which is capped by a snow-white Quartz outcrop.

Scattered along the sides of the hill are thousands of small quartz rocks, many with patterned black Lichen growing on them.

Many of the plants on the hill I've not seen growing anywhere else.

I've got no idea what the botanical or common names are.

Some of the plants are so small or inconspicuous that they can be easily missed, I usually find something new every time I visit here.

I think that this is some type of Aloe.

Such a weird looking plant, like fat fingers sticking out of the Earth - I was lucky to find them in flower once.

These are two plants, the thorny one on top with flowers and, underneath it a small succulent which looks like a Lithops or 'Living Stone'

These two plants have fat roundish stems with cabbage-like leaves.

I only tell trusted people where this Magical Garden is because, when I showed some images to one woman, she immediately suggested that I should dig them up and transplant them to my garden ... grrrr.

I haven't been here for quite awhile now and, in fact, I'm a little scared to visit in case some dingbat has discovered it and ripped some of the plants out.

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A Fistful Of Slithers

2011-08-25T16:00:00.003+01:00

My buddy, Stretch Moonman, gave me some images of pythons which hatched in the Reptile Park where he's the curator:

One of the Pythons in Stretch's care.

The Southern African Python is the largest snake in Southern Africa, averaging 3-4 m long. Previously known as the African Rock Python, it's called 'Ombome' by the Owambo people of Namibia.

Pythons are extremely valuable in controlling rodent populations but are indiscriminately killed by fearful, ignorant humans.

Pythons have been reported to kill people but this is very rare. Pythons can however, inflict painful and dangerous bite-wounds which may require medical attention.

I once kept a small python, Monty, for a while but released 'him' into the bush after he slithered into my shirt and left a row of bloody teeth marks on my back.

A clutch of eggs laid by one of the large females in the Reptile Park early this year.

Pythons usually lay between 30-60 eggs and are the only snake I know of which incubate their eggs and remain with the babies for two weeks or more after hatching.

The eggs, each slightly smaller than a tennis ball, hatched after 91 days.

Mama raises her head in a defensive posture, her body coiled around the 21 newly-hatched babes.

Awwwww ...

I visited Stretch earlier this year and photographed two of the babes which he had in his living quarters.

Stretch doesn't have to worry about break-ins and thefts - no would-be thief has the courage to enter his house because of his reputation for keeping all kinds of dangerous snakes.

One of the two babes in Stretch's house was the 'runt' of the litter (with the spot, or scar on it's forehead).

When I last spoke to him, he said that the poor creature had all sorts of health problems and that he thought it will not survive.

Stretch displays some of his 'babies' before taking them out into the bush and releasing them.

The harsh reality is that very few of them will survive to adulthood, most will be eaten by birds of prey and other predators.

I wonder what the collective noun is for a bunch of baby pythons ... a Medusa?

References:
Johan Marais - Snakes Of Southern Africa.

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A Thorn Among Roses

2011-08-21T15:10:00.004+01:00

When I returned home in July I had a unique experience: for the first time I met 'Someone from the Internet'.

Leslie, (left in pic), is a dynamic American lady who, through an Aid Organization, volunteered her time and money to do a stint teaching Computer Literacy in a rural school in Northern Namibia.

She was thrown in at the deep-end when, upon arrival, she was asked to teach English instead - seemingly because the previous teacher had suddenly bailed-out, unable to handle the challenge and tough living conditions.

Undaunted by the sorry state of our education system and the cultural obstacles facing the pupils, she has bravely set about her task, determined to make a difference in the lives of the kids.

We started communicating through our Tumblr accounts before she arrived in Namibia and our paths crossed when she attended a workshop in the town close to my home. Together with her colleague Elise, she was able to visit for a few hours.

I was pretty nervous about the meeting - I recalled how, as a teenager, I had met-up with a Pen Pal from a wealthy family and had felt uncomfortable in my ordinary clothes and ways. I needn't have worried with Leslie and Elise; I dunked my cookies in my coffee and all was cool ... they were just people like me.

Also, being aware of the dangers of meeting strangers from Cyberspace, I appreciated the risk that they were taking and felt a certain angst to somehow demonstrate that I'm not a creepy old perv.

Mind you, I probably did come across as a bit of a Dufus because I'm a little hard-of-hearing and sometimes had trouble processing their Southern accents - heavens knows what I sounded like to them in my flat Effrican Inglish.

Sadly, our time together was too short to get into any serious conversations.

I have two vivid memories of our meeting. The first is that Leslie listens to Bob Dylan - I would have loved to explore her interest in his music further because Dylan had a defining influence on my thinking when I was about her age.

My second memory is that she had on the coolest pair of shoes I've ever seen - they looked like a snug slipper but they had toes, like a foot-glove. I couldn't believe my eyes but have since heard that these shoes are not uncommon - maybe I've been in the bush too long.

Anyway, if she had a quiver of arrows slung across her shoulder and a bow in hand, the picture would have been complete - now, whenever I think of her, I have this recurring image of a fleet-footed Huntress or Warrior popping into my head ... yeah, I know, ... that's just the way my mind works.

I would have liked to have taken a photo to show you her shoes but that might have seemed weird, ... eh?

Before she arrived, Leslie asked in a mail if I thought it safe for her to travel solo around Africa and I replied "No!", it's too risky ...

Well, I've changed my mind - I think she would breeze a journey through this Continent ... go places where I would fear to tread.

Leslie will be in Nam until December and I hope we get the chance to sit and chat around a fire before she returns home.

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Slouching Towards Blogylon

2011-08-17T14:20:00.011+01:00

Hello Friends,

Before I left for the North at the end of June I was unable to post because I was feeling uninspired and negative about life in general - probably the Post-60 Blues.

I thought that it didn't matter whether or not I posted my usual "I'll Be Bach" entry when I go off-line for awhile.

... I was wrong and I apologise to those of you who became alarmed by my extended silence.

Even though we may never meet and only communicate through blog comments and the occasional mail, it's finally beginning to sink into my skull that the feelings of affection and goodwill we have for each other here in cyberspace are as valid as those in 'real life' (indeed, even the distinction between real and cyber is rapidly blurring).

When I arrived home I was horrified to find that one night of Black Frost had destroyed many plants ... the whole world seemed bleak and grey. My neighbour lost hundreds of Mango trees.

What upset me most was the loss of the ever-messy but shade-giving Flamboyant Tree in front of the house.

I've seen Black Frost a few times but it's never affected the Flamboyant before - I'm hoping that it's not dead but, when I left a few days ago, there was still no sign of any new life.

Spirit seems none the worse off after his castration in April - I got him to the Vet just in time, because Mutt was starting to recognise Spirit as a potential rival and attacked him viciously every time he saw him, attempting to drive him off.

As for Mutt, I was also going to have him 'done' in April but I had to cancel two hard-to-get Vet appointments because both times wily Mutt outwitted me and escaped from the room in which I'd locked him ... I've decided to just leave him alone now and let him be a Tom - I reckon that after his two incredible escapes he's earned his 'wings'.

At least now, when Mutt returns home every few days to grab a bite to eat, he still gives Spirit the evil-eye but refrains from attacking him.

I wish that Spirit would make himself more useful though - by catching mice instead of birds and lizards.

I spent six weeks building a new Septic Tank and in the process screwed my back up - I was in agony for the whole period and it's frustrating that my body hurts so easily these days.

Perhaps I should take up knitting instead - (don't laugh, I have vivid memories of my Grandfather knitting while puffing on his pipe).

I had to construct the Septic Tank as a matter of urgency because without it I can't progress much further on the house. I chose to build it during winter because it would have been sheer hell down in that hole during summer - also the risk of flooding if it rained.

The tank is very big and probably a case of overkill on my part but, ... hey, now I can die satisfied, knowing that I've provided a service to Mankind which may endure for centuries ... :)

There were dozens of different species of birds around, including my favourites, the Fork-tailed Drongo - I just love the way these birds dive up into the air to catch insects at dusk. Drongos are aggressive birds, fighting amongst themselves and also attacking much larger birds of prey.

The Drongo is known as "Rungada" amongst the Owambo people who also call it the 'Foreman of all Birds' because it is the first to start singing and calling before the sun rises ... it wakes the chickens up.

Also, for the first time in twenty-something years, I saw two Crows fly over the house.

The Fur People are all ok and Stoffel enjoyed our nightly walk-a bouts, chowing bugs and digging up sprouts.

I take Stoffel out as the sun is setting because then she's less likely to wander off and get up to mischief. After she's done her rounds she comes inside quite happily, has a drink of Horlicks and then heads off to bed, snuggling under the covers during winter.

Sunsets were spectacularly red because of all the dust and smoke from bush fires.

I know that winter is the time of death and rebirth and all that but, I much prefer summer, even though I often long for just one moment of coolness during the oppressive heat ...

I hope to have some interesting post in the next few days.

Once again, my apologies for being so thoughtless:

... if I were a Good Man, I'd talk with you more often than I do ...

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Sossusvlei - Sandbox For Adults

2011-06-10T10:30:00.015+01:00

After a recent visit to Sossusvlei it was difficult to select only a few images from the more than 600 pics I took and, many of my favorites had to be abandoned.

There are zillions of spectacular pics from Sossusvlei online and all I could do for this post is try to show a representative sample from my visit:

Sossusvlei is about 70ks West of Sesriem.

The access road is the only stretch of tarred road for hundreds of kilometers.

Thank heavens it is tarred because, if it was gravel, the dust from all the vehicles using it would make the journey unbearable and ruin many photo-ops.

Sossusvlei is located in the Namib-Naukluft National Park and visitors are only allowed into the area between sunrise and sunset.

Springbok, Oryx and Ostrich are common along the road and, despite the arid conditions, many weird and wonderful creatures survive here.

If you're into pastel shades and soothing contours this place will blow you away.

When I finally get around to painting the inside walls of my house I want to use a 'peachy' shade similar to these dunes.

Dune 45 is also known as 'the most photographed dune in the world' because of its unusually simple and fascinating shape and its proximity to the road.

It is 80 meters high and it is not very steep, so that it can easily climbed, which makes it convenient for visitors to stop and take pictures.

The obligatory 'Sossusvlei Dead Tree' picture. There are many dead Camel Thorn trees in the area and some of them must be hundreds of years old.

The last 7km to Sossusvlei is a sandy track and can only be reached by 4×4 Vehicles or on foot.

The rule when drving this stretch is 'Don't stop in the soft sand' - keep the vehicle moving until you reach solid ground.

Sossusvlei is the spot where the usually dry Tsauchab River is swallowed by the sand dunes which extend all the way to the Atlantic coast.

This year good rains fell in the Tsauchab's catchment zone and the pan was full - an unusual occurrence.

Visitors climb the large dune at Sossusvlei.

It's difficult to climb in the soft sand and in the heat I was content to sit under a shady tree and watch others sweat-it-out.

Ghost Dance.

Fairy Circles dot the side of a grass-covered dune - some of them have been put up for adoption.

It appears that the boffins have still not solved the mystery of their existence.

'In the oral myths of Himba people these barren patches are said to have been caused by the gods and/or spirits and natural divinities.'

On a sidenote: this week has seen record freezing temperatures in Namibia.

Rare Snow fell in this area and caused a sensation: - "Reports and photographs of the snowfall circulated rapidly and widely across the Internet and inboxes bulged with rare images depicting snow in areas usually associated with heat and dust, not biting cold and white blankets of snow."

Click on the 'location' map below to get a different perspective of the dunes.

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A Trip Through The Gamsberg Pass - C26

2011-05-31T11:15:00.010+01:00

After meeting Meg in Windhoek, we traveled to Sossusvlei via the C26 gravel road through the Gamsberg Pass.

A donkey cart in the hills before the Pass.

Donkeys are amazing creatures - I've seen them easily pull a cart up a gradient which I thought impossible.

There are some beautiful farms along the route - many of them cater to guests and campers.

A sign at the start of the Pass warning Truckers of the steep decline and sharp bends ahead.

This area has spectacular scenery, too much for one blog post.

The flat-topped Gamsberg Mountain is the dominant feature.

There seem to be quite a few Astronomical Observatories around here. I gleaned some info from this Source:

"The Gamsberg has been identified as one of the most suitable sites for an observatory in Southern Africa.
It is a table-mountain 120 km south west of Windhoek above the Namib desert at an altitude of 2350 m above sea level.

It experiences a large number of cloudless nights, a dark sky, excellent atmospheric transparency and low humidity. Comparative test measurements have demonstrated that it is of just as good quality as the well-known astronomical sites in Chile."

Who needs a Rollercoaster?

Namibia has just had a record-breaking Rain Season and most of the usually bone-dry riverbeds still had water in them.

A troop of Baboons at a river - I was surprised that they allowed me to photograph them.

Most Baboons I encounter run as soon as I approach or point my camera at them.

They can become pests on farms and are often shot at.

I love this Leopard design at a farm entrance ... or is it a Cheetah? ... :)

And then we were out of the mountains, on flat ground approaching the desert ...

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Sesriem - On The Edge Of Nowhere

2011-05-24T21:49:00.006+01:00

Sesriem is a 'settlement' on the edge of the Namib Desert.

It is the western entrance to the Namib Nauklauft Park and consists of two camping areas, a Lodge catering mainly to Fly-In and Coach-Tour visitors and, a fuel station/store.

It is also the access point to the famous Sossusvlei and its much-photographed dunes.

On the gravel roads leading to Sesriem there are many Desert Lodges and Operators offering services like Balloon Safaris and Aircraft flights over the dunes.

I don't know what it costs to Balloon over the desert but I'm sure I couldn't afford it.

I had to be satisfied with this aerial view of Sesriem - a Welcome sign at the Sossus Oasis Camp Site where we stayed: the circle in the foreground.

Entrance to Sossusvlei is restricted to daylight hours and therefore Sesriem, being about 70kms east of Sossusvlei, is a convenient stop-over for visitors wanting to get to the Dunes early the next day before the sun gets too hot.

The camp sites at the Sossus Oasis Camp are nicely spaced, ensuring a degree of privacy.

Each shaded camping spot has a barbecue, electrical-point and wash-basin for dishes. Behind the reed enclosure is a toilet and shower with hot water - what a pleasure it is to shower here after a long day on the road, cool breeze blowing and a fantastic view over the desert.

The owners of the camp pride themselves on their eco-friendliness - hot water and electricity is solar generated. I assume that water is also pumped from solar-powered boreholes.

A Biker enters the Namibia Wildlife Resorts Camp where permits are issued for entrance to Sossusvlei.

Motorcycles are not allowed into Sossusvlei so bikers have to either hitch a ride with a motorist or use one of the expensive Shuttle-service Vehicles.

We took two Bikers with us on our trip to Sossusvlei; they'd traveled across Russia, Europe and Africa and were on their way home to Oz, via Namibia and Cape Town - it would have been a shame if they'd come all that way and not been able to get to Sossusvlei.

A Balloon over the Desert.

It seems that the Balloons only fly at sunrise when there is no wind - the view must be spectacular.

In the pic above you can see one of three Micro-light aircraft which appeared in the sky and then came in to land on the gravel road running past the camp.

The whole setting of Sesriem is surreal.

This outpost in the desert with all the strange-looking vehicles coming and going gave me a sense of Déjà vu - later it struck me that Sesriem is like a scene from a Mad Max movie.

After landing, the Airmen taxied up to the pumps and proceeded to refuel their flying machines:

Wow, I can only imagine how it must feel to tour a country in this way - I was feeling too shy to strike-up a conversation with these travelers so I can tell you no more about them.

The Sesriem Canyon, about 5kms from the campsite.

It was midday and hot and I was in no mood to trek down the path leading into it and back up again - maybe next time ...

'Sesriem', literally translated from Afrikaans means 'Six Thongs' - you can read why this Canyon is so-named here

If you follow the Location link below you'll get a good perspective of the area.

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Mmmmm ... I Can't Think Of A Title ...

2011-05-17T11:44:00.005+01:00

A few more images from my recent trip Northwards:

Rostock Mountain at Sunrise.

Painted boots serve as a Farm-Entrance marker - the person who once wore them had a massive pair of feet ... those leathers are huge.

A Koringkriek clings to a lamp in a strange pose - you can see a pic of a 'normal' one here.

A group of Tourists pause for a photo-op on the Tropic Of Capricorn.

This Black-chested Snake Eagle was sitting on a pole and flew off as I approaced - it then turned around and came swooping past me - is that a look of contempt in it's eye?

Another strange Farm Sign ... it's difficult to miss Bethel with this bright object so in-your-face ...

A Lizard in the sand - at least I think it's a Lizard ... I haven't got around yet to researching the differences between Lizards, Skinks and Geckos ... perhaps someone will just tell me ... in simple English.

A group of Farm Workers being transported home on a trailer pulled by a Tractor - I just love the kid peeking out from it's mother's back ... and Mom's forelocks blowing in the wind ...

This is one of the most amazing rock-formations I've seen ... it's probably about 80cm to a meter thick and I can't decide whether it's man-made or natural ... what do you think?

Whew! ... it seems like I've travelled thousands of Ks in the last few weeks and, thinking about it, I have ... on Thursday I'm off to Capetown for a few days - hopefully, when I get back I can relax awhile and get my life sorted out ...

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Back-Road Through Paradise

2011-05-14T10:30:00.003+01:00

Hello Friends,

I'm Bach in 'town' again for awhile - when I left for the North in mid-April I travelled the back roads skirting the Namib Desert, past Sossusvlei:

I wonder if this Horse has a Name? ... in the distance, almost center, is the 'Alien Communicator', the subject of an earlier post.

I ruined two days of images because I didn't check my camera settings and the pics turned out all grainy, I'm posting some of them anyway.

Most of Namibia has had a very good rainy season and grass plains stretch as far as the eye can see.

The grass grows and seeds quickly in this environment but does not appear to be very nutritious.

I wish I had the time to stop and photograph every Sociable Weavers' nest, especially at sunrise or sunset, when the light shines on them 'just right'.

A Tractor stands on the edge of one of the massive farms found in this area.

I'm not sure of it was meant to serve as a farm-marker or if it had broken-down ... it looks like it's in workable condition though. Notice the Coke Can 'muffler' on the exhaust-pipe ...

A bridge over the Kuiseb River which only flows after good rain in the catchment area.

This is the area where the author of The Sheltering Desert, together with his friend and a dog, survived for more than two years at the outbreak of the Second World War.

In the pic you can see the ruins of two rock huts - I doubt that these were their shelters though.

A flash-Flood had passed this way only hours before ... the road was rough in places because of the unusually good rains.

I don't know what the yellow flowers are that grow on the southern side of some of the hills near Karibib but, they make them look very pretty.

I'll be taking Megan to Capetown next week where she's due to take a return flight to London.

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Walking My Wheel

2011-04-16T09:14:00.006+01:00

Hey Friends,

From tomorrow I'll be off-line for three weeks - My eldest daughter, Megan, is coming back to Nam from London for a visit, I haven't seen her for two years.

I need to take Spirit to the Vet too, he's been wandering around with Mutt and disappeared for 5 days.

In the meantime, a few random pics that didn't make it into a post:

A resident Scorpion which I accidentally disturbed the last time I was home.

A large copper mural on the restaurant wall at the Hardap Dam - it depicts an African Fish Eagle taking it's prey.

Making a living in Lüderitz.

Street Art in Capetown

I ran inside to fetch my camera to photograph this 8cm long Centipede, I took one pic and my camera battery died. I ran inside again to replace it, took one pic and my CF card was full - I ran inside again to replace that and when I returned the creature was gone ... :) ... lovely colors hey?

An abandoned house in the desert - imagine living under those forbidding hills.

I loved the black-red contrast and the rock planted in the tire.

So, like this guy taking his wheel for a walk - I'm out of here ...

... before I go though, here's a song for you - it's a song I just love dancing to - dance with me:

Take care of yourselves my Friends.

I'll be Bach ...

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The Hills of Namibia Revisited

2011-04-13T10:17:00.008+01:00

In 2009 I posted this pic of a derelict building. I had snapped it from a moving car on the desert road between Aus and Lüderitz.

It was one of hundreds of photos I had taken that day and I didn't know exactly where it was located on the road.

On my recent trip to the coast I was looking out for it because my Friend and fellow blogger, Aurora, had incorporated the building into one of her paintings:

Monica named her work 'Hills of Namibia'.

I love the image - the house in the distance through the window - and, I was intrigued by the Crow and Red Onion on the window sill.

Because I'm not a 'food' person and I don't cook, I couldn't recall ever having seen a Red Onion - well, I've now discovered that they do exist and I've even seen and eaten some.

Anyway, I was determined to find this building again ... and I did:

To my great surprise it was at Garub - the place of the Wild Desert Horses featured in a recent post.

The derelict building stands next to the railway line running between Aus and Lüderitz.

It's a short distance from the bore hole which now provides drinking water for the Desert Horses.

In the past, Garub was a watering point for Locomotives.

No trains pass here now - the track near Lüderitz was covered by the shifting sand dunes and fell into disrepair.

Recently, work was started on the rehabilitation of the line but has come to a standstill - funding for the project has dried-up.

In the early 1900s the building had obviously been Home to the person who maintained the water pump and replenished the Locos.

He surely was an unusual character who voluntarily exiled himself to this desolation - there is no other habitation in sight.

I was wondering about the people who had lived here so many years ago when, walking around the building, I found a strange Sign on one wall ...

... 'They' had been here before me ... :)

There is only one other similar derelict building on the 125km stretch of line, Grasplatz, a few kilos from Lüderitz.

It was here that, in 1908, a railway worker found the first Diamond in Namibia. This triggered a diamond-rush and led to the establishment of Kolmanskop which is today, a famous Ghost Town.

Well, in my usual clumsy fashion I managed to mess-up the original 'Hills Of Namibia' post.

Thanks again to Monica for the painting. She is a talented artist - you can view more of her work at InnerLandscapes.

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Ghosts On The Lüderitz Peninsula

2011-04-10T13:59:00.029+01:00

I don't believe in Ghosts but, for this post, let's just pretend I do.

The Lüderitz Peninsula is an eerie place. To the West, the icy Atlantic Ocean, to the East the forbidding Namib desert.

Dull pastel shades predominate and these are even more subdued when the frequent mist rolls in, creating a very strange atmosphere indeed.

There are a few derelict buildings around, like the one above, likely one of the first Lighthouse Keeper's houses at Diaz Point, dating from the early twentieth century.

This house was probably built before 1910 and, my guess is that at one time it was the Lighthouse Keeper's residence.

The lighthouse is automated now and the house is rented-out as a self-service accommodation - I slept two nights here.

As soon as I stepped into the door I felt the Ghosts - of people who in bygone years had lived at this bleak and isolated spot, in a time when transport and communication were very difficult and clumsy.

I didn't feel uncomfortable in my Awareness. I was at peace but the vibe in the house caused me to have a heightened 'sensitivity' for the whole time I was here.

After settling in, I took a walk along the rocky shore and came upon four graves on a beach, just above the tide-line - only one was marked with a headstone.

The inscription in German reads: 'Here Lies The Lighthouse Keeper Theophil Piechaczek, Born 23/4/1873, Drowned 13/5/1905'.

I later discovered that in those times, when the Lighthouse Keeper needed supplies, he was obliged to row across the bay to the town of Lüderitz, a distance of more than 5 km.

Theophil Piechaczek and his assistant had drowned in rough seas upon their return from town that day.

The spooky aura was enhanced by the skeletons of Cape Fur Seals scattered along the shore.

There is a large colony of Seals on a nearby island and it seems that many had come here to die.

I had to remind myself that no massacre had taken place and that the ghosts I was seeing had accumulated over a number of years.

The next morning I climbed the small rocky outcrop on the edge of the ocean, up to the Diaz Cross

It was on this spot in 1488 that the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Diaz, having rounded the Cape Of Good Hope, had erected a stone cross on his homeward journey.

The present cross is a replica but, I was aware of the ghosts of the intrepid seafarers who had passed this way in their flimsy wooden ships more than 500 years ago - what had they thought, how did they feel as they gazed upon this awesome desolation, so far from their homes?

Later, on a drive around the peninsula to visit the numerous bays and fjords, I came upon these two graves on the beach at Knochen Bucht.

Any writing on the wooden crosses has long been erased by the abrasive weather.

Who were these people, how had they died and how did they come to be buried here? Their Ghosts did not answer.

At Wit Muur - White Wall - the magical spot mentioned in an earlier post, The Sea, I found another grave.

There was no writing on the stone and, barring human interference, it will probably still be standing there thousands of years hence.

At Sturmvogel Bucht my heart became heavy for the first time.

I came upon an old Whaling Station with a bleached Whale-skull lashed to a wooden post, bleak testament to the horrific slaughter which had taken place here in years gone by.

American, British and French whalers had hunted Whales to near extinction here early in the last century.

I stood on the causeway where hundreds of thousands of these magnificent creatures' lifeless bodies had been dragged from the sea up to the processing plant, there to be rendered into lamp oil for the hungry European and American market.

Whale numbers have slowly been recovering in recent years but, the damage has been done.

A pet cemetery at Messum Bay - some residents of Lüderitz have buried their beloved pets on the beach.

One grave marker, in German, reads: 'Gypsy Please Come Back' - this plaintive expression of grief caused me to recall how, as a child I had cried for the first time in the face of Death, when my Sausage Dog, Hans, had died.

And then there were my personal Ghosts.

A few days after my 21st birthday in 1972, I had arrived in Lüderitz with my buddy Brian (left in pic) aboard a small wooden Fisheries Research Vessel.

Brian had gone ashore one night and got badly beaten up by some local knuckle-draggers because he had long hair.

I ended up staying in Lüderitz for a year and Brian returned to S Africa - we lost contact shortly afterwards.

There are other Ghosts in Lüderitz but, the horror of their story deserves a separate post.

So, were any of these Ghosts real, or were they just figments of my imagination?

I guess I'll only know for sure if I become a ghost myself ...

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Feral Horses Of The Namib Desert

2011-04-08T09:30:00.007+01:00

I've traveled the road between Aus and Lüderitz in southern Namibia a number of times and seen the roadsigns warning of the presence of Wild Horses but, I've never seen any of the animals themselves.

On my recent trip to the sea I spotted a lone horse grazing in the distance - I felt lucky, I'd finally seen one of the famed Wild Horses.

In the background is Dicke Wilhelm - Fat Wilhelm - a prominent mountain on the flat landscape, upon which a German Heliograph station was located in the early 1900s.

Garub is a bore-hole and watering trough about 20 kms west of Aus. It was originally established to provide water for locomotives on the nearby, (now unused), railway line.

The water point is situated about 1 kilometer from the main road, with a sheltered spot for visitors to observe the horses.

Three days later, on my return from the sea I was even luckier - scattered in the area around Garub there were about 40 to 50 animals, grazing close to the road and in the distance.

Two Wild Horses stand by a telephone pole.

Modern electronic communication has made this line redundant and I expect the poles will be removed sometime.

A group of horses crossed the road ahead of me.

To the left (north) of the road is the Namib Naukluft Park and to the right is the Sperrgebiet - Forbidden Area - forbidden because of the wealth of Diamonds to be found here. Unauthorized entry into this area can result in arrest and a prison sentence.

Personally, this draconian control of land by a Corporation irritates the anarchist in me but, the upside is that a vast area of land still remains in pristine condition, unspoilt by the presence of Man.

Horses are not indigenous to Namibia and there is much speculation as to the origin of these animals, which have been roaming free in the desert for almost 100 years.

You can find a summary of the various theories here.

The most plausible theory is that a core group was left behind by South African troops in 1915 as they advanced Eastwards against German forces at the outbreak of World War One.

Although some of the animals look a bit scruffy because they are not groomed like domestic horses, they generally seem to be in good condition.

It's estimated that there are about 150 animals roaming the area around Garub - looking at the sparse, poor grazing, it is indeed fascinating how these animals have adapted and survive in this harsh landscape.

Additional links:

Fighting For A Life In Freedom

Wikipedia

Wild Horses Of The Namib

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Monkey Through The Looking Glass

2011-04-03T00:20:00.021+02:00

Two of the three Vervet Monkeys I take care of are absolutely fascinated by mirrors.

Here Stoffel challenges her reflection - she's been fighting with herself for over 20 years now. Despite the futility of the exercise, if I'm around, she cannot pass a mirror without posturing; raising her eyebrows, approaching her image and chattering in anger.

I have no idea what goes on in her head, I can only speculate that it's her uncontrollable jealousy - she gets insanely uptight if any female, human or other, approaches me.

This is Tumbili peering at her reflection in the camera lens - she's cuddling a stuffless stuffed toy.

She has a strong maternal instinct but I can't allow her to mate because that would just perpetuate the 'monkeys in captivity' thing ... Primates should be left in the wild, that's where they belong.

Tumbili using her new porridge bowl as a mirror.

I've given her plastic-framed cosmetic mirrors in the past but she destroys them within a few hours.

She seems to prefer tiny mirror shards, manipulating them to see inside this wonderland which she can't enter - it's too funny to see her turn her back on me, mirror in hand, and watch as I approach with her food.

Lucky shows no interest in mirrors. She is very difficult to photograph - as soon as I point a camera at her she ducks and hides.

She distrusts humans in general and it is only recently that she's begun to approach me and cautiously take her favorite snacks from my hand.

Lucky was found trapped on a barbed-wire fence. She had a dog collar around her waist attached to a short piece of rope which had become entangled in the fence.

She was in terrible condition, her teeth had been knocked out, her mouth deformed and she was full of scars, with a particularly nasty wound around her waist from the dog collar - she had obviously escaped from her tormentors when her restraining rope broke ... hence the name 'Lucky'.

A fur-less monkey takes a photo of his reflection in a window.

This particular specimen generally ignores mirrors but, at times, is obliged to look himself in the eye when he shaves.

A great shot of Stoffel taken by my daughter Nadine. Notice that, because Stoffel only has one arm, she's using her foot to hold the mirror.

Like Tumbili, she spends ages manipulating the mirror to peek into every corner of the 'otherworld' - I wonder who is more entertained? ... her, wondering? ... or me, wondering what she's wondering?

Related Posts:

Soul Sister

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The Big Six O - Oh No!

2011-04-01T12:30:00.018+02:00

Twenty years ago I was given this mug as a birthday gift. It was a joke, in a funny-ha-ha kind of way - but, I wasn't old then - tomorrow I'll be old.

Tomorrow I turn Sixty.

This pending milestone has been bugging me for months now. I'm not a habitual whinger and I have much to be thankful for but, the inescapable truth is that getting old sucks - my body is slowly shutting down.

All my pointless complaints are trumped though, by an anonymous quote I came upon this week:

'Do not regret growing older - it is a privilege denied to many.'

So, looking to the next twenty years, (I dare not even contemplate that Twilight Zone beyond Eighty), I have many thoughts, many fears.

Personally, my greatest fear is of losing my mind to a disease like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's because, without my identity I am nothing.

I feel afraid for the future of the Human Race - we are unable to rise above our barbaric nature. The Earth is groaning under the sheer weight of our numbers, we are reaching a critical mass.

Conventional wisdom says that I should try to 'grow old gracefully' - I don't know what that means but it sounds kind of lame. What is the alternative? To go down kicking and screaming? - Hopefully I can find a balance between the two.

'The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are' - Anon.
In my youth, when I had the energy and should have been an activist, I was too self-absorbed to care about wider society; to rage against injustice or change the world.

Today, I have no need to 'find myself', I never was 'lost' - my vision is broader and what I see is making me an Angry Old Man - I'm angry at the way our world is driven by human greed in all it's forms and Man's Inhumanity Toward Man.

Heaven forbid though, that I should become a Grumpy Old Man - I think that a sense of humor and of the absurd is probably critical in maintaining a healthy balance.

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and 'round and 'round
In the circle game
And go 'round and 'round and 'round in the circle game.

We can't return and I don't wish to.

Going forward, I have people who care about me and I enjoy good health - I need nothing else on my journey.

I'm alive - Now - sharing this moment in time with You, my Friends. I breath and I am acutely aware of the wonder of Creation, of Existence ...

I am Blessed.

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Spirit's Progress

2011-03-27T10:26:00.001+02:00

Spirit arrived in October last year - he'd followed his hero Mutt home from who-knows-where - an endearing character, he settled in immediately.

I spent Christmas in the desert and when I returned home in January was glad to find him in good health. He's almost at full adult size now.

I've noticed though, that at times his tear ducts seem a bit 'weepy', possibly caused by pollen or something from his wanderings in the bush - I'll ask the vet to check it out when he goes for the snip next month.

Spirit hunting - he's very alert and investigates anything that moves.

I'm glad to see that he gives the chickens who have babes a wide berth - he was probably beaten-up by a hen when he tried to go for her chicks.

I think he has some Dog in his bloodline - If I go for a walk he follows me around like a puppy, racing around and zooming up and down trees.

Whenever Spirit sees Mutt he jumps on him in a play-attack - Mutt usually growls and runs off, seeking shelter in the bush.

This was the first time I'd seen Mutt lose his rag with Spirit and beat him up. Spirit retreated a few meters and looked stunned but, it wasn't long before he was pestering Mutt again.

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Let's Hang-Out

2011-03-24T06:35:00.001+02:00

When I arrived home in January, Stretch visited and found this Bat hanging-out on one of my uncompleted inner walls - judging from the droppings on the ground it had been roosting(?) there for a few days.

When I was a kid, someone told me to be careful of Bats because they can get tangled-up in my hair - I know now that this is probably an Old Wives Tale but, because of this and together with the Vampire associations of folklore, I've generally given them a miss.

I often see Bats flying at dusk but, this was the first time I've been able to get close up and personal with one.

I have no idea what species it is but was surprised by it's beautiful markings - I've always thought of Bats as being pitch-black.

It didn't seem to mind my presence - I'm sure that I could have reached out and touched it but was afraid of disturbing it.

What a strange looking face it has hey?

It hung-out on my wall for a few more days and then, one morning, it was gone. I hope that it just relocated to another spot and hadn't become the prey of some other creature.

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The Sea

2011-03-20T16:30:00.010+02:00

For a few months now I've felt the urge to be by the sea again, so, when the opportunity arose last week to visit Lüderitz, a short 300km drive to the Northwest through the desert, I grabbed it.

I must admit that, after viewing the recent horrific events in Japan, I approached the ocean with a small degree of suspicion.

We spent two nights in the old Lighthouse Keeper's house at Diaz Point, a few ks west of Lüderitz. The lighthouse is fully automated now but, the old house (right center in the pic with red wall and car is front of it), has been converted into an accommodation unit.

In the foreground is the camping area, the buildings to the left are all derelict.

There were many ghosts in the house and, indeed, the whole area - more about them in a later post.

There are a few small protected beaches close by, set amongst the rugged rock formations characteristic of this area.

After arrival, it took me only a few minutes to chill completely and, on the second day, I lay down for a few minutes nap and drifted into a deep, three-hour long sleep - it's been awhile since I've felt so refreshed upon awaking.

There were countless photo-ops around the weathered, abandoned buildings. With the mist coming and going the whole world seemed gray at times and pastel shades predominated.

A white sand dune with plant life seemingly climbing to the top boosted by smaller dunes around their bases.

A close-up of one of the plants which, like most of the creatures here, depend on moisture from the mist for their survival.

A seal colony on the small island opposite the lighthouse - it was fascinating to watch them frolic in the sea then try to climb up to drier areas, many of the smaller ones having to make numerous attempts after being washed off the rocks by big waves.

A crayfish boat passes, bringing back memories of when, in my youth, I'd worked on these vessels for a year.

This is so different to my normal environment - I spent a lot of time exploring rock pools.

The coastline here is rugged and forbidding - above is a 50cm thick quarts wall, exposed as a result of the weathering of the softer rock around it.

This wall, the colors in the surrounding rock and sand, the mist and a number of big round weathered quartz boulders combined to give this spot a distinctly magical aura - rocks of ages.

Flamingos wade in the shallow water - they would not allow me to approach too close.

There were also many Dolphins feeding - a bit too far to get a decent image.

This video mirrors my vibe right now - The two days I spent here were invigorating and relaxing at the same time and I wonder why I haven't done it more often - that old cliché "a change is as good as a holiday" is true ... I feel refreshed after my visit to The Sea.

Related Posts:
Kolmanskop Ghost Town
Colonial Architecture Of Lüderitz
Succulents On The Desert Coastline

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Mushrooms On My Mind

2011-03-14T10:30:00.002+02:00

When I traveled to my home in the north of Nam in January, the weather was rainy and misty and just right for the appearance of Omahova, a local delicacy and, I kept my eye out for people selling them along the roadside.

Sure enough, towards evening, I came upon this guy selling some in the rain. I stopped and took a pic but didn't buy any because they were open already and in this state they're often infested with worms.

Two days after I arrived home the weather was still good for mushrooms and I decided to take a drive to Tsinsabis, a small San settlement about 30km north on the newly tarred road past my home.

The window for the appearance of mushrooms is about one week, two weeks max.

It wasn't long before I came upon this guy selling Omahova - the ones he is displaying are open already but he had a few which were still closed and which I bought.

The prices asked for the mushrooms have increased dramatically over the last few years but, are still cheap - whatever the price, the people selling them are dirt-poor and I'm glad that they're able to earn a few bucks in this way.

As I was buying the mushrooms, this lovely child came running up from some shacks in the distance and graciously posed for a photo.

Further on up the road, near Tsinsabis, the rain was bucketing down and I decided to turn back because I was having difficulty seeing out the windows.

On my way back the rain eased up and I came upon this guy selling some Omahova - I bought a few of the closed ones.

I also found these two youngsters close to home - by this time I had enough Omahova but I gave them a few dollars anyway after they'd posed for pics.

A close-up of a mushroom lying on the road - When I arrived home, I chopped-up the ones I'd bought, dumped them into boiling water for a minute, then bagged and stuck them in the freezer, to await the arrival of someone who knows how to cook.

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Rocks, Cats and Fur People

2011-03-11T15:00:00.006+02:00

Hello Friends

I hope you're all well ... I'm OK and back in the desert after a lousy road-trip during which I suffered a rear-tyre blow-out which damaged the body of the car.

The weather in the North was great, lots of sunshine and rain ... in fact, floodwater from Angola is presently threatening the northern border areas of Namibia.

Despite having to dodge rain showers and hide from the burning sun, I managed to get good bit of work done - a few pics:

My aim was to finish as much as possible of the outer rock-wall of the en suite bathroom.

I took the rocks up as far as I could before I need to install the roof.

I've formed an idea that I'll put corrugated-sheeting roof over the inside wall and then take the outer rock wall up another 1 to 2 meters.

There will be holes in the rock wall for rainwater drainage and the top of the wall will be wavy and uneven so that it looks forever unfinished - the completion left to the imagination of the observer ...

... I'll see ... I often change my mind as ideas progress ... :)

No, Spirit's not jumping for joy - he's trying to catch a butterfly - more about him in a future post.

He was a bit of a pain at times, jumping up on the wall and knocking over rocks that weren't set yet.

I built a secret cavity behind the big rock - (Ok, so now it's not secret anymore) - concealed behind a removable smaller rock - I want to make it a 'time capsule' with a few small artifacts ... and a vial of toenail clippings, in case some cleaver scientist discovers a way to bring a Mammoth back to life ...

A view of the work-in-progress - I sometimes have to use timber to keep the rocks in place before they're set.

Stoffel inspecting the work and giving Spirit the evil eye - I take her for a walk-about in the evenings and she loves to eat small pieces of wet concrete ... I don't know why ... she eats the most disgusting bugs too ...

... and this is as far as I got.

A small piece to complete, plus the slate around the window frames and then I have to think about finishing the top and building a new septic tank ... it never ends ...

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See You After A While ...

2011-01-18T09:44:00.004+02:00

Hello Friends, tomorrow I return to the north again - I'll be off-line for about six weeks - in the mean time, a couple of random pics which I haven't been able to fit in elsewhere:

This appears to be the wheelhouse of an old fishing trawler at Mariner's Wharf, Hout Bay, South Africa - I think it's meant as a joke.

A sign at the Namibian Immigration Control at the Noordoewer border post with South Africa - I guess it's supposed to warn long-distance Truckers about the danger of AIDS - many women earn a living as prostitutes catering to the drivers in towns along main roads in Namibia - I know of one fatal accident which occurred when the truck driver was engaged in hanky-panky instead of keeping his eyes on the road.

A Namibian scene burned onto Kudu leather by H Vrey - his work is well known in Namibia - I was a bit upset with him once, many years ago - he also makes leather crafts and, when he measured me for a hat he told me I had the biggest head he'd ever seen ... :)

A toy lion (or is it a monkey?) clinging to the side of a car - there was one attached to each side of the vehicle.

An aircraft leaves a vapor trail over the desert at sunrise - not a common sight and, whenever I see one, I wonder about the people aboard and their lives ...

I'm hoping for a good rainy season when up North and looking forward to seeing Stoffel again and how much Spirit has grown - he'll still be too young for the snip though.

These last two months, having a broadband internet connection, I've been engaged in the Wikileaks saga - I've been lapping up every piece of information I could get hold of and, in a way, I'm a bit sad that I won't be able to follow the drama closely anymore - I believe that these events are of great historic importance.

Still, I take comfort from this interesting BBC Article about information overload and our need to take an 'information fast' occasionally.

I wish you health and good cheer:

Image Credit: Unknown
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Butterflies And A Moth

2011-01-12T10:43:00.001+02:00

A few butterflies in my garden in the north:

... and a Moth from the south at the Orange river. This specimen is as big as my palm.
Related Posts:
Some Bugs In My World
More Things That Bug Me

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Random Signs Around Namibia

2011-01-10T08:45:00.006+02:00

Don't Drink and Drive - a message graphically supported by a dead car - Namibia has a scary road accident record, many of them alcohol-related.

A mobile phone ad intending to convey the message that coverage is possible in even the remotest areas of Namibia - in this case among the pastoral Ovahimba people.

It used to disturb me that people who barely had money for food could afford to walk around with cellphones glued to their ears, until I realized how important communication is in the extended-family lifestyle of most Namibians - cellphones have become a vital support lifeline within this culture.

Sign at the entrance to Erindi Game Reserve in northern Nam - a private enterprise catering to upmarket guests - sadly, I doubt that they'd let me pitch my tent there ... :)

The way to the Sands Casino in Windhoek - gambling was legalized in Namibia some years ago and a few casinos have opened up around the country - I don't gamble and have never been inside a casino but, they seem to be prospering without me.

A billboard advertising a brand of Maize Meal - the staple diet for a large proportion of the populace.

A seal of the National Monuments Commission of Namibia - found on all recognized National Monuments.

Zig Zags - another brand of maize meal.

Lapa Car Wash - I love the Warthog.

Ok, this isn't in Namibia, it's Norvik's Treffpunkt at the Mariners' Wharf in Hout Bay, South Africa - I'm not sure how to translate the sign so I'll just say it's the most 'Southerly Sausage Shop in the World' - popular with German tourists I guess.
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Helmeringhausen - The Horse Has Left Town

2011-01-08T10:02:00.005+02:00

Sometimes, on my way between north and south Namibia, I take a shortcut along a 230km gravel road. The road is rough in places and, about half-way, I often stop at a small settlement called Helmeringhausen:

This is it - Helmeringhausen ... a 500m stretch of recently-tarred road in the middle of nowhere, with a couple of buildings on either side - I estimate that there are probably not more than 40 permanent residents living here.

Not many photo-ops here so I took a pic of the window at the gas station (we call them 'petrol stations') - I love that sign 'Never mind the Dog, Beware of the Owner' ... I'm not sure why they're so concerned about security; it would be very difficult for any would-be robber to make a getaway - where would he run to?

There's a small open-air museum with some farming implements and other odds 'n ends - this appears to be an old drill-rig used for searching for water in this arid land.

I'm assuming, from a small memorial on the site, that Helmeringhausen was established by the farming community many years ago, probably as a central meeting place and a source of basic supplies.

At the end of the road, a Metal Man directs the thirsty traveler to the hotel and Coffee shop - not that anyone could miss it. Dig those sandals - and one of my favorite trees behind the figurine.

The Coffee Shop, an oasis in the wilderness. It seems that quite a few tourists and tour buses pass through here on their way to more famous attractions like Sossusvlei and Duwiseb Castle.

A colorful straw-bale family greets visitors to the Hotel.

A lone dead car and tree keep each other company in the sun. Any idea what make of car this was?

Another pic of my favorite tree at sunset - I love the symmetry of the crossing branches.

Well, I guess it just goes to show that there's always something to photograph, even in the middle of nowhere. Too bad about the horse though - but, I can't say I blame him for leaving ...

You can see where Helmeringhausen is by clicking on the 'location' link below this post.

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Footless And Fancy-Free

2011-01-03T17:05:00.012+02:00

A few pics of snakes I've encountered recently:

Stretch Moonman catches a Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake at the Namutoni Camp in Etosha - quite a feat as this is probably the fastest snake in southern Africa. It's mildly venomous but not dangerous to man.

I was taking pics when he released the creature - it came speeding between my legs before I could focus a shot.

This incident occurred about a hour before our Elephant Adventure.

Back at the Snake park where Stretch is the curator, he took me into the cage containing a Western-barred Spitting Cobra which he coaxed into spreading it's hood and spitting.

Naja nigricollis also injects a potent venom for which there is no anti-venom.

Nadine, a Brown House Snake - Lamprophis capensis - named after one of my two daughters who worked at the Lodge for awhile.

Harmless to humans, the House Snake feeds mainly on rodents, birds and lizards, which it kills by constriction.

A Puff Adder - Bitis arietans - this is the only snake I loathe with a passion, mainly because, unlike other snakes who usually move off when they detect the approach of humans, the Puffy is lazy and just stays lying where it is, often well camouflaged in long grass or under dead leaves - a trap waiting to be stepped on.

It strikes easily and has a potent tissue-destroying venom which can cause terrible disfiguring injuries or death if untreated.

Stretch took a hit from a Puff Adder about four years ago and I took these pics about three days after the incident. I must admit I expected the worst, I thought that he was going to lose his thumb. These are the 'nice' pics - they get worse as the venom spread.

Having witnessed the excruciating pain he went through I have great respect for Stretch - I believe it was only his attitude and mental strength which saved him from losing his thumb and, indeed, his whole hand.

I fear that under similar circumstances I might have cracked.

A Cape Cobra, (not sure of ID), eating eggs after chasing one of my hens off her nest - the bird was lucky because often the Cobra strikes at night, killing the hen when she refuses to move off the nest in the dark.

The snake was lucky too - a few years ago I would have reached for my shotgun, not my camera.

I was alerted to it when the birds started making an unholy racket outside.

See the egg in it's throat? - he got away with two.

Spirit was frolicking around my feet as I was taking pics, unaware of the danger.

Afraid that he'd accidentally pounce on the snake I grabbed him and chucked him into the house - when I returned the snake had disappeared into a thick Privet hedge.

What with snakes, mongooses and bush-cats, it's amazing that I have any chickens left at all.

Related Posts:
Cape Coral Snake - Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus
Horned Adder - Bitis caudalis

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Christmas Spiders And Shongololos

2010-12-30T10:21:00.004+02:00

When I was in the north last year in November, the first rains of the season fell and these shiny velvet Christmas 'Spiders' appeared.

I don't know where the name comes from - maybe it's because they look like little red-suited Santas ... I'm not sure that they're true spiders either, I only count six legs and two 'feelers'.

There were also thousands of Millipedes, commonly known as the 'Shongololo' - (try say that out loud, it's not so hard ... shon-go-lo-lo).

The common variety of Shongololo, shown in the pic below with a Christmas Spider, is about 7cm long:

I also saw the rarer Giant African Millipede - Archispirostreptus gigas - and managed to get a pic with it's 'normal' cousin for a size comparison:

This specimen was probably about 25cm long:

I don't know whether either Christmas Spiders or Shongololos are eaten by predators but, while the Christmas Spiders look delicious in their shiny velvet suits, the Shongololos look positively unappetizing ... I'm not about to try and find out either ... :)

Related Posts:
Some Bugs In My World
More Things That Bug Me

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Blown Away On Christmas Day

2010-12-25T18:23:00.003+02:00

Coro y Orq. Via Magna. Beethoven. Misa en Do M. Gloria

Camping On The Orange River

2010-12-22T08:22:00.001+02:00

This Border Collie belongs to the owner of the campsite. He spends a large amount of time frolicking in the river, chasing after waterbirds and waiting for humans to come play with him.

A couple sets off on a three-day journey down the river, accompanied by a guide.

Pics from camping and canoing trip on the Orange River.

Related posts:
Namibia's Stunning Orange River Road
Orange River In Flood

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Banded Mongoose - Mungos mungo

2010-12-16T10:04:00.005+02:00

Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) occur mainly in the dry savannah and woodlands of northern Namibia and are commonly seen in the Etosha National Park.

They are diurnal, sociable animals, living in packs, or 'mobs', of 30 to 50 individuals.

They feed mainly on insects but will take other invertebrates, mice and wild fruits.

The characteristic feature of this species is the series of up to 15 transverse black bands from the mid-back to the base of the tail, which gives rise to their name.

Individuals in the pack maintain contact by twittering and strident chittering of members warning the pack to slip off quietly when there is danger.

I photographed some at Namutoni Rest Camp in Etosha where they have become 'tame' and unafraid of humans.

This one appeared to be trying to look 'cute', hoping that tourists would throw food at it.

This year, for the first time, I've had a mob of about 30 visiting my house.

At first I thought it was nice to have them around but soon changed my mind after they started chasing chickens off their nests and eating their eggs.

I photographed the one above through my window, eating an egg - they finished off a clutch of 12 eggs in a matter of minutes.

They disappeared for a few days after I took a couple of shots at them with a catapult but I'm sure they'll be back now that they know there are eggs to be found here.

I've also noticed that they've dug holes under the rocks in my rock stockpile and that most of the scorpions that were living there have disappeared.

References:
Amy Schoeman - Notes on Nature
Reay Smithers - Land Mammals Of Southern Africa

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Tsumeb Copper Festival

2010-12-11T14:38:00.000+02:00

For the last four years, the town of Tsumeb in northern Namibia has held a three-day 'Copper Festival'.

Tsumeb owes it's existence to a very rich ore body which was mined for almost 100 years.

Even though the mine itself has closed, the custom copper Smelter still exists, processing ore from other mines in Africa and abroad, a lifeline contributing to the continuous existence of the town.

I took a morning off building and drove into town to take a few pics:

The event is held in the United Nations park in the center of town - an opportunity for local businesses, organizations and vendors to display and sell their wares.

Various activities are organized during the three-day event to attract people, including music shows and cultural dancing. Stalls selling food and beer become popular meeting places.

Children from one of the local schools take part in a parade during the opening ceremony.

Frances Galton was an English explorer who first noted the existence of the Tsumeb Ore Body in 1851.

A vendor selling toys and other odds 'n ends - loved the pink tent.

Local handicrafts on display.

A woman having her 'hand points diagnosed' - I've got no idea what this is about.

One of the many colorful stalls.

Scary masks for sale - I wouldn't like to bump into one of these on a dark night.

Halloween was never an event in Namibia but, I've noticed that in recent years radio and news media here have been promoting it.

Spider Man blow-up dolls ... *ahem*

This guy asked me to take a family pic - I just love the woman's face, so open ... uncomplicated.

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Spirit - Something The Cat Dragged In

2010-12-05T14:45:00.005+02:00

This is Mutt, being groomed by Stoffel.

Mutt was born here and the only one of a litter of three Toms who wasn't afraid of Stoffel - he became her 'Toy Boy Cat' - she would spend hours grooming him and, as you can see, even enthusiastically chewed all his whiskers off, causing him to look extra dumb.

After I banished him from the house for messing, Mutt's whiskers grew back and he started disappearing into the bush, sometimes for up to two weeks, often returning with wounds and new scars from fighting.

In early October Mutt disappeared for two days and, one morning, returned home with a scrawny little kitten in tow - I took this pic a few seconds after they arrived.

The kitten looked to be about six weeks old and, apart from being very thin, seemed in good health. It was fawning on Mutt and, much to his annoyance, trying to suckle on him.

I don't know if the kitten's mother was a feral cat or not but, I think that he had accidentally become separated from the litter and had latched onto Mutt during his wanderings.

I knew intuitively that a new resident had arrived.

I named him "Spirit".

He was wary of me at first but, he's sharp - it only took him two days to figure out who the 'Provider of Food and Backscratches' is and so we became friends.

Spirit is very curious, lively and loves to play - he's already ruined a few plants, especially ferns.

Using his kitten-cuteness and ignorance of cat etiquette he monopolizes the food bowls and soon put on some weight.

It surprises me that even though Mutt is the archetypal tough Tomcat, when Spirit's playfulness irritates him to the point of craziness, Mutt flees and takes refuge in the bush instead of slapping or dominating the kitten.

Of course, Spirit has captured my heart. He has a lovely character, friendly towards humans but with a nice balance of self-sufficient bush-cat wildness.

Here he is in practice hunting mode - I've had to discourage him a few times from molesting small chickens.

Spirit's close encounter with Stoffel.

On this day, a massive Cape Cobra was eating one of my chicken's eggs and while I was taking photos, Spirit was frolicking around my feet, unaware of the danger.

Afraid that he'd bumble into the snake, I grabbed him and threw him into the house. When I came back inside, Stoffel was trying to befriend and groom him.

I don't want him to become a house cat so his contact with Stoffel will be limited.

I'll get back home sometime in January and by then Spirit will be a young adult cat - I hope his character will still be the same. I'll have to make a decision on whether or not to have him spayed.

If I don't have him castrated, Mutt will start fighting with him and one of them will eventually be forced to move away. (Mutt chased both his brothers off a few years ago).

On the other hand, I don't 'own' Spirit, I didn't choose him from a pet shop or shelter, he chose me. Castrating him will alter his nature, is it for me to interfere?

To snip or not to snip? What do you think?

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'allo 'allo

2010-12-01T11:46:00.003+02:00

Image credit: Unknown
Hello Friends,

I'm back in cyberspace again - actually, I've been online for a few days but have been so mesmerized by the Wikileaks 'Cablegate' drama I've neglected to do anything else, like compose blog posts ...

The weather in the North during October and most of November was unbearable - even my emergency lighting system wilted in the heat.

I'm not sure whether it's age taking it's toll or the result of global warming but this year the temperatures seemed to affect me more than ever before.

The intense heat and drab, dry environment was depressing at times, the whole world seem cruel and hostile to the existence of life.

It was extremely difficult motivating myself to do any building and I didn't complete half of the work I could have.

I did manage to complete the last section of the East wall.

It was difficult because of the height - the scaffolding in the pic above is seven feet high but not even that was high enough to finish the last few rocks ... as you can see I had to work whilst standing balanced on an upturned plastic crate perched on the unsteady scaffold plank.

I'm glad that the high rock-work is completed - I'm getting too old for monkeying about like this and am not as sure-footed as I used to be.

For the first time since starting building ten years ago, I dropped a big rock - I momentarily lost concentration and pulled out a wedge holding the rock and it fell to the ground, narrowly missing my feet on the scaffold and the window - luckily there were no animals below but I was so rattled by this incident that I had to sit down for a few minutes in order to regain my composure.

As I said, it was stinking hot all the time I was home. On some days clouds would appear and at times I could smell rain in the distance but nothing fell near me.

Amazingly, as I was grouting the last rock in the wall, it started raining - the hole was fixed and for the next few days it pelted down, making the world feel a friendly place again ...

I'm back in the desert now where one would expect searing temperatures but that's not the case ... being 80ks from the coast the air is quite cool and I have to wear a jacket in the evenings - I'm not complaining though ...

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Up In Smoke ...

2010-10-03T09:25:00.004+02:00

Jason Hernandez - The Smokeman
Hey Friends,

Tomorrow I return to my home in the North again. I can't believe that two months have passed so quickly - Isn't it strange how slowly time dragged when we were young and how the years just flash past when we get older?

I hope to get some building done. Summer is here and the next two months are Namibia's hottest - I'll have to plan my days so that I work in the shade as much as possible, hopefully we'll get some early rains.

As most of you know, it's very difficult to blog at home because of my lousy internet connection there, so this blog will probably be static for the next two months.

I haven't prepared any drafts for automatic posting because to me the most satisfying part of blogging is in interacting with you, which I can't do on the smallholding. Automatic Posts just seem so hollow and impersonal.

I must confess that I'm suffering from an information overload right now and am actually looking forward to a world without TV or broadband internet access ... 'got to get ourselves back to the Garden'

My e-mail addy is on my profile page so if you've got news, (like you're planning a visit to Nam), or even just to say 'Hi', please do write - I check mail from time-to-time.

Thanks to you all for your visits, comments and interaction over the last two months, I've really enjoyed it.

I wish you health and good cheer - see you in December.

Graham

ps ... I couldn't resist sneaking this one in - For my recent Giraffe post I thought that I didn't have a pic to show how Giraffe splay their front legs to drink but I found some among my hundreds of unedited images:

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A Few Bucks ...

2010-10-02T08:40:00.005+02:00

A few of the Buck to be seen in Namibia's Etosha National Park:

Kudu - Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Widespread throughout Namibia.

Damara Dik-Dik - Modoqua kirkii
A tiny buck, with a shoulder height of about 40 cm.

Black-faced Impala - Aepyceros melampus
Restricted to an isolated population in northeastern Namibia.

Gemsbok - Oryx gazella
Widespread throughout Namibia, even in the desert.

Springbok - Antidorcas marsipialus
Early travelers relate that they saw herds of hundreds of thousands of these buck which took hours to pass.

Steenbok - Raphicerus campestris
Solitary animals ... I've not seen many of them but they are widespread throughout the subregion.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist posting this lucky shot of a young Kudu jumping again.
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Far-out Farm Sign

2010-09-30T11:07:00.005+02:00

I just love this sign at the entrance to a farm on the gravel road between Aus and Helmeringhausen in Southern Namibia, a road I travel often.

The area here is very desolate but ideal for sheep farming. The short tree in the images is a Quiver Tree - Aloe dichotoma or, 'Kokerboom' in Afrikaans.

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How 'Alien Gap' Got It's Name

2010-09-27T13:28:00.010+02:00

Well, because of the interest shown in 'Alien Gap' mentioned in my previous post, I'll tell the story:

As you can make out from the pic above, the area is very rocky and at this spot the road inclines steeply to the top of a hill which has a narrow cutting through which only one car can safely pass at a time.

Late one moonless night I was traveling this Orange River road, my daughter Megan in the passenger seat and a Fox Terrier named 'Boo' sitting on the backseat.

The Corolla was functioning normally but Megan and I were both feeling tired after a day-long journey.

As we approached Alien Gap and were about to drive up the incline, the car suddenly lost power and stopped dead in the middle of the road. The engine was still running but I couldn't get the car to move, it was as if there was no connection between the wheels and the engine.

All of a sudden Boo jumped up and started snarling and barking furiously at 'something' outside the window behind me - I've never in my life seen a dog so terrified, he was in a state of total panic - the whole 'atmosphere' was highly charged and the hair on the back of my neck was probably standing straight up.

It was pitch-dark outside and the whole episode felt like one of those dreams where you're trying to escape from something but, despite all your efforts, you just can't move or make progress ... it was as if a 'force' was holding us there.

After what seemed like ages but was probably only about minute and a half, I finally got the car to edge forward slowly up the hill and, having passed through the cutting we continued on our journey without further incident.

Both Megan and I were baffled by the incident and the way the dog had gone completely crazy. Having no rational answer we jokingly speculated that we'd had an "Alien Encounter" ...

... but that's not the end of the story ...

A few weeks later I was traveling with three passengers in a DIFFERENT car, (a four-wheel drive vehicle), on a flat stretch of the same road in broad daylight. All of a sudden the same thing happened - with the engine still running, the car suddenly lost power and started slowing down ... this lasted about 20 seconds before the wheels seemed to 'engage' again and we continued driving.

The funny side of this second incident is that everyone was aware of the 'Alien Gap' story and, when the vehicle lost power, we all looked out the windows and up at the skies as if in search of 'flying saucers' - and then looked sheepishly at each other when we realized what we'd just done ...

As for Boo, he was never the same after Alien Gap ... one day, at my home in the north, he disappeared and, after a search, I found him standing in a patch of long grass, stiff-legged and staring blankly straight ahead. He was unresponsive to my calls and appeared to be looking right through me. Far from any vet and afraid that he had rabies, I had no choice but to put him down - the test results showed that he didn't have the dreaded disease ... so what made him lose his mind?

So there you have it, the story of Alien Gap ... do you have a possible explanation for these incidents, was it just a coincidence of two mechanical failures?

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Namibia's Stunning Orange River Road

2010-09-26T11:04:00.007+02:00

The 2,200 km Gariep, (or Orange River as it is commonly known), has it's source in Lesotho's Drakensberg Mountains and for the last 550 km of it's westward journey to the Atlantic Ocean, forms the international border between Namibia and South Africa.

This post highlights the 160 km stretch between the town of Rosh Pinah in the West and the Noordoewer border post in the East, a road I travel often.

On leaving Rosh Pinah, the road descends a few hundred meters down to the river. This is one of my favorite scenes - I've named the mountain in the distance 'Flower Mountain' because looks like a rosebud about to bloom.

Behind Flower Mountain is the Sendelingsdrift border post with pontoon access to South Africa's Richtersveld National Park.

The scenery on this stretch of road is spectacular and, until recently, has been one of Namibia's best-kept secrets.

The Orange river is responsible for Namibia's diamond wealth, having carried the crystals from South Africa's Kimberly area millions of years ago.

The river normally flows peacefully, with no diseases, crocodiles or hippos. The last hippo was shot by a poacher in the early 20th century but there is talk of reintroducing the species in certain areas.

The 50 km near Noordoewer is a popular stretch for canoeists because the area offers unique fauna and flora, rock formations and perfect all year temperatures.

The Boom River, one of the seasonal streams flowing into the Orange, is a spot where I often see Baboons and Vervet Monkeys. The river also abounds with bird life, especially large water birds.

The dirt road twists and winds around cliffs and mountains and in some places there is space for only one vehicle to pass.

This pic was taken a few years ago when the area had really good rainfall and the whole desert burst into flower.

'Alien Gap' - so named because late one night I had a very strange experience here. I've said before in an earlier post that I've felt some unexplained 'powers' or 'forces' in the desert - I'll just leave it at that for fear of being called a 'nutter'.

The mountains overlooking Aussenkehr - the pastel colors around here have to be seen to be appreciated, images don't really capture the beauty.

I wish I could show all my pics of the area in this post - you guys will just have to come check it out for yourselves ... :).

Horse & Donkeycarts

2010-09-22T11:23:00.009+02:00

Donkey-drawn carts are a common form of transport in rural areas of Namibia, here a pair of them drag a cart up a steep incline.

Horse-drawn carts are sometimes seen on highways in cities like Cape Town, I think these guys probably make a living transporting things.

Two women and kids cross the Fish River Bridge near Kalkrand.

Elderly folks return from town, near Maltahohe.

Hawkers in Cape Town, South Africa.

Donkey cart loaded with firewood near Rehoboth, Namibia.

A family outing.
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