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!”Galleries
An abundance of gratitude…
This past weekend was most special! Bringing together so many of my favorite people in Namibia! Colleagues from work, clients, Namibian friends and fellow PCVs joined me Friday night to celebrate my farewell – an experience I will never forget! Some of them agreed to be caught in these photos and many others graciously made entries in my Memory Book. (I can’t bring myself to go through that one until I’m on the airplane in 10 days’ time.)
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”
A coastline like no other…
The Atlantic recently published this photo gallery of the Namibian coast.
I’m going to miss it so much when I have to leave soon…
Backpacking the Naukluft 8-Day Trail
I was treated to a very special visit by my son, Tyler, who spent several weeks in Namibia during March and April. A highlight of his visit was backpacking together along the remote, 125km-long Naukluft 8-Day Trail with 9 other American volunteers (from Peace Corps and World Teach). As always in wide open expanses of land, the photos never do justice, but I hope just the same that you enjoy the photos taken by Tyler, PCV Sheridan and me.
Continue reading “Backpacking the Naukluft 8-Day Trail”
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.
Continue reading “Off the grid in Namibia’s wild, wild West”
Day of the Namibian Child and Reading Club
When I recently lamented my neglect of this blog, a friend said: “Live your life now – write about it later…”
But I couldn’t go any longer without telling you about one of my many activities.
Continue reading “Day of the Namibian Child and Reading Club”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!
Continue reading “Tov Tsumeb Orphanage visits Etosha National Park”
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”