Blogs from Africa

Victoria Falls Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and the major waterfall on the Zambezi River. The African people who live around the falls call it Mosi-oa-Tunya which means "smoke that thunders". The water makes a roaring noise as it falls over the cliff and down into the Zambezi River below. A cloud of water vapor is always seen around the falls. Dr David Livingstone was the first European to see the falls in 1855. The Scottish missionary and explorer had heard many tales of the thundering, smoke like waters on the Zambezi. Livingston stood on a small outcrop on the edge of the falls and named them Victoria Falls in honour of Queen Victoria. Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was interesting to ... read more

Senegal Kermel market http://www.heygo.com Alioune explained about the Senegal flag that was on his cap today. The flag consisting of three vertical green, yellow and red bands with a five pointed green star at the centre. Adopted in 1960 to replace the flag of the Mali Federation since the country gained independence that year. Senegal retained the green-yellow-red flag but substituted a green star for the kanaga. Green is seen as a symbol of hope and of the country’s major religions, while yellow is for natural riches and the wealth derived from labour. Red recalls the independence struggle, life, and socialism. The Marché Kermel was established in 1910 and one of the first in Dakar. Alioune took us first passed some of the craft stalls with the stall holders wanting to say hello, the carved wooden ... read more

My http://www.heygo.com live stream tour took me to Tanzania, an incredible insight into life in a Maasai village near the Serengeti with Mufasa our guide. Welcomed with song & dance we then ventured into the village where the gate is made out of a pile of Acacia sticks to keep them safe from wildlife. Cow dung & mud are daubed onto the houses by the womenfolk. The sun was setting as the cows returned from their grazing with one of the mothers immediately taking milk for the children which was served to them by the fathers. We listened to the children practice their counting skills and Mufasa sang them a song, much to their delight. As darkness fell it was time to eat, on the menu soup & goat. The younger men served the elders. A ... read more

“There are no desperate situations, there are only desperate people.” – Heinz Guderman Who would have thought as the month of June 2021 winds down that Covid-19 would by now not have disappeared? On the contrary, as we move into month seventeen of this catastrophic pandemic, this pesky virus has mutated into a monster by way of the variants constantly evolving and the scary reality that the most recent of them, the Delta variant, spreads far more easily and rapidly than any of the others to date. There is little doubt that for many of us there is a numbing acceptance that we are a long way off of getting the better of this virus and thus seeing our lives return to normal. The numbers don’t seem to matter anymore given that there is a sort ... read more

Here we are, the last entry of a stunning long week in Namibia. We spent a night in Windhoek as we had to do the Covid test. So drop the big car for a smaller one. Next, drove to play the best golf course in Namibia, I name Omeya. Not cheap compare to South Africa, but beautiful place 30kms South of the capital. Not much to write about a crappy hotel. Dinner may have been in the number one spot by tripadvisor...we did eat way better in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. The drive from Walvis Bay from Etosha took us a good 6 hours. Most of the road is actually tar which was not really expected. We crossed very few villages where here you feel really in the middle of nowhere. 10km before reaching Etosha....the Fortuner ... read more