Category: Culture
Pertaining to cultural observations and lessons learned.
A very special Owambo wedding day!
Heralia and Simeon, good friends from Arandis, were recently married at her village in the north of Namibia. I was fortunate to attend and photograph the event. This is a long post with a lot of photos. I hope they give you a sense of the colorful sights, festive ceremonies, joyous music, smiling faces and delicious food we all enjoyed.
Continue reading “A very special Owambo wedding day!”Zambezi, Chobe and Victoria Falls
Following the Game Count, I had the chance to hang out on Namibia’s Zambezi River and to visit Botswana’s supreme Chobe National Park – home to the largest collection of elephants anywhere in the world. I also got to Victoria Falls, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, one of the natural wonders of the world. It was a treat to meet other Africans and to see a bit of our neighboring countries! I hope you enjoy the images! Continue reading “Zambezi, Chobe and Victoria Falls”
Game Count in Zambezi
I recently participated in IRDNC’s wildlife census activity in the Zambezi Region of Namibia, the far northeast corner of the county, at the tip of the extended thin finger of land squeezed between Zambia and Botswana. After a 3-day long road journey from Arandis, hitchhiking about 8 hours a day, the transformation of terrain and population density made evident those words from the national anthem: “contrasting, beautiful Namibia.” Green, Trees and Water – things I don’t often seen in the desert! Continue reading “Game Count in Zambezi”
Sharing this beautiful land…
My love made it to southern Africa over the holiday break in December, when I was able to show her why I love it here in Namibia. We started with a few days in South Africa, then flew to Namibia where we saw many of the iconic cultural and natural aspects that one should see on a first visit: wild animals (large and small), the dunes and the sea.
I hope you enjoy some of the photos we collectively took.
Off the grid in Namibia’s wild, wild West
Longtime best friend David recently visited Namibia, so we hired a 4×4 with a roof-mounted tent to explore a corner of the country that has attracted me since my arrival: Damaraland and Kaokoland. Lying mostly in Kunene Region, it is considered one of the most remote places on Earth and besides its fascinating scenery, flora and free-ranging wildlife, it is the traditional homeland of the Damara and Himba tribes.
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Tov Tsumeb Orphanage visits Etosha National Park
I’ve been fortunate to work with fellow PCV Angel in supporting the Tov Orphanage in the town of Tsumeb, coaching the management team and board of directors in effective governance and operations. Our inspiration is the children – all affected in some way or another by HIV/AIDS – who organized a whole weekend’s visit to Etosha National Park, complete with a fun environmental educational program and a wonderful game drive. I hope you can feel the energy and joy that these kids exhibit!
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Kolmanskop – a relatively new ghost town
During my visit to Lüderitz, recounted in last week’s post, I also visited the nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop (or Kolmannskuppe in the old German). First established in the late 19th Century as a diamond mining town, the last resident departed in the mid-1950s. Since then, it has been subject to the slow but steady encroachment of the Namib Desert sand. It’s a photographer’s Mecca, particularly during the early and late hours of the day, and I did the best I could during the middle of the day. Continue reading “Kolmanskop – a relatively new ghost town”
10th Annual Crayfish Festival in Lüderitz
I recently visited the remote Southern town of Lüderitz for its 10th Annual Crayfish Festival. Located on the Atlantic Coast, this quaint German town comes alive once a year to celebrate its seafood industry. Crayfish (aka “lobster”) are a major export from Namibia (particularly to Asia), but they kept more than enough for the locals and the tourists to enjoy at Festival time. Enjoy the photos!
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Saying goodbye
Nothing illustrates the uniqueness of a culture as the way in which momentous personal events are celebrated: births, weddings and deaths. Last week was filled with a number of gatherings to celebrate Kawii’s life. This post shares in words, photos, video and audio clips, a bit of what I experienced as we celebrated his life and bid him farewell.