Off Again

Hello Friends, a few pics I've taken recently ... hope you enjoy them:


On The Road … a dead car used as a feature outside the town of Steinkopf in the Northern Cape, S Africa.


Two guys sitting on a step in Nababeep, N Cape.


Quiver Tree Forest, Keetmanshoop, Namibia


Ostrich Mama with a Gang of Chicks.


Cactus feature.


This dude selling belts on a street in Springbok asked me to take his pic …


A Dog guarding his turf eyes me.


Who Are You?


Another Dead car


Rock Dassie or Hyrax. I'm sure I read somewhere that, in evolutionary terms, this creature is the Elephant's closest relative but, I'm not going to stick my neck out and say it is so ...


Sociable Weavers’ Nest in Quiver Tree at Sunset. notice the lovely flat rocks on the ground - there was one rock more than 6 meters long but sadly, none were for sale.

My apologies for being so scarce on Blogylon, the truth is that I haven't had much enthusiasm for anything.

I'm returning home next week and not looking forward to facing an empty house but, I have much work to do.

Thank you all for your messages of condolence, support and wisdom, I appreciate them all - it is true that a burden shared is easier to bear.

Please take care of yourselves and each other - I'll see you after awhile.

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Julius & The Hong Kong Hash House Harriers

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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Random Signs Around Namibia

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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A Few Plants From The Richtersveld

Boesmangif - Euphorbia virosa






Sentkannetjie - Crassula columnaris
Related Post: Scenes From The Richtersveld

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The Dunedin Star - An Amazing Rescue Story

This post is a follow-up to a previous entry, Namibia's Skeleton Coast - The Gates Of Hell.

This page is a dedication and synopsis of a truly amazing rescue operation on Namibia's Skeleton Coast in 1942:


"...Fearing that the Dunedin Star may break up Captain Lee made the decision to put the passengers and crew ashore.

The launch was disabled by the heavy seas, cast upon the beach, and left there useless for further operations.

Nobody was injured, but 63 people, including eight women, three babies in arms, and a number of elderly men, were left on the open beach, without shelter of any kind, with only the food and water in the lifeboat to share between them, and no help likely to reach them for at least two days ... "



Wiki also has an entry of the grounding and rescue:

"... A Ventura bomber dropped supplies on the beach, then later, in an attempt to rescue women and children, landed on a nearby salt pan. However the landing gear broke through the crusted surface of the salt, damaging the aircraft and getting the aircraft stuck in the sands.

After performing on site repairs and a four day digging effort, the aircraft finally took off again, only to crash into the sea approximately 43 minutes after taking off. The crew not only survived the crash, but managed to swim ashore and later find their way to the overland rescue convoy as well ...



... Her grounding became famous because of the perilous conditions facing the survivors after they landed on the desolate Namibian shore. The coastline is completely inhospitable, being guarded on one side by the fierce surf and on the other by the almost completely barren Namib Desert that runs almost the entire length of the coast and varies in width from 50–160 km ..."

The Dunedin Star Shipwreck was the subject of a book, Skeleton Coast, by John Marsh and published in 1944:


"...The story of the wrecking of the big British passenger liner Dunedin Star and the eventual rescue of her more than 100 passengers and crew, at the cost of other lives, another ship, a big aircraft, a number of army trucks, etc., has become known to millions since the book was first published, and is generally accepted to be the peer of true adventure stories so far to come out of Africa ..."

Links:

Namibia's Skeleton Coast - The Gates Of Hell
MV Dunedin Star
Wiki Article
The book
Blue Star Line

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Rastas

RASTAS
I think I know where these dudes hide their stashes ...

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Cape Town - Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Colonel Bird's Bath



Protea







Cycads




Euphorbia obesa




Whenever I'm in Cape Town I try to visit the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to get my fix of green - and gigantic old trees ... it always renews my spirit.

On my last recent quick visit to Cape Town, my camera was in for cleaning and it was raining so I couldn't get to the garden - these are pics from previous trips but they don't really capture the beauty of the place, I just thought they may be of interest to some.

Here's what this site has to say:

"Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.

... was the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country's indigenous flora.

There are over 7000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including many rare and threatened species."

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Etosha - Elusive Cats - The Lion

In all the years I've visited the Etosha Pans I've never been able to get up-the-nostrils close to any of the big Cats - this last visit was no different but, I did encounter Lion at a distance on two occasions:


The first time we came upon a pride eating their previous-night's kill, they were about 150 meters from the road and it was difficult to get any good shots.


They were finishing-off the remains of some hapless beast. It was impossible to see what kind of animal their prey was but someone told me that it was a Zebra.


There were about 30 to 40 Jackals gathered on the outskirts of the feast, hoping for some scraps. Here one of the male Lions chases some of them off after they ventured too close.


The next day we spotted this male sleeping under a bush about 50 meters from the road - I got the mental impression of a fat golden sausage lying in the shade.


He was obviously feeling satiated from the previous day's kill and we had to wait about half-an-hour before he even blinked an eyelid.


He probably wanted to get rid of us curious humans so he posed for a few shots - nice gnashers hey?


Finally, he became bored and with a great big yawn he lay down and went to sleep again.


A LION TALE
I'll probably be in trouble for telling this story but, it involves lions so here goes:

A few years ago my daughters and I were in Etosha when we spotted two lions lying under a tree about 50 meters off the road, like the fellow in the pics above.

We stopped to observe them and within minutes were surrounded by about five carloads of tourists all jockeying for a good viewing position.

Everyone had their windows open, hoping that the lazy animals snoozing in the shade would do something so that they could take photos.

It was steaming hot and uncomfortable but, this was the vibe, the ambiance of Africa - stifling heat, dust, sweat and, best of all, lions in their natural environment. Everyone was entranced, quiet, the air thick with expectation.

We were in a double-cab pickup, my daughters in front and me on the backseat. It was obvious to me that the lions weren't going to provide any show. I was becoming bored so I dreamily reclined on the seat, bare feet sticking out the window.

After awhile, in a near-stupor, I felt the need to break-wind. Unfortunately, what I thought would be a little 'sneaker' turned out to be a thunderclap which destroyed the pristine silence.

Well, except for a muted snigger from one of the cars, there was once again complete silence after my lion impersonation but, the damage had been done, the ambiance shattered.

The girls turned around and glared at me as they tried to become invisible in their seats.

Nadine started the car and we slunk away. Being the coward that I am, I continued lying out of sight on the back seat and let them take the heat of embarrassment.

Needless to say, I was in the dog-box for the rest of the day.

So, on the off-chance that a visitor who was there that day reads this, I'd like to apologize for ruining your African Experience.

Related Posts:

Etosha National Park - A Timeless Experience

Etosha - Elephants

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