The Pluviophile
Tourists (and I include myself in this) seek out opposition to their identity. That is the fundamental description of ‘novel’. Not opposition in an aggravated way, but in a way that makes them feel as if they are undergoing a unique experience – non-mundane. Wet country people go to dry places, hot to cold, desert […]
Terra Somnia
Atlantis, El Dorado, Lemuria, Kumari Kandam, Shambhala, Shangri-La. Places known for their beauty, wonder and mystery. Places spoken of in learned conversations and ancient texts. Places no one knows where, or even how, to find. Life on Earth is filled with dreamers. Science has shown that most sentient creatures experience some form of REM sleep. […]
On safari, with Herodotus
We live in the information age—an era in which curiosity can be satisfied almost instantly. Yet this drive to document and share experiences is nothing new. In 1839, Pierre-Gustave-Gaspard Joly de Lotbinière travelled to Greece with a rudimentary daguerreotype camera and captured some of the earliest photographs of Athens and the Acropolis. In 1840–41, Noël […]
With my belly full
A rich aroma of herbs and melted butter permeates the air. Onions slowly caramelise to translucent perfection as they sizzle and pop in their pan. The rhythmic chop-chop of a knife on a cutting block and the cheerful chatter of the cooking staff give character to the intricate vapours. The marvelous alchemically concocted scent drifts […]
Crunch, crunch, crunch;an ode to the guild of guides.
The vast majority of us can’t drive where guided wheels crunch deliberately over sand patterned by crashing waves. Their steady synchronised rotations cut two perfectly parallel tracks in the pristine beach. Crunch, crunch, crunch. It is not just the permit you need, nor the desire, but the skills to safely navigate the mercurial hazards of […]
Shangri-Namib
Heat is nothing new to Namibians, as a matter of fact, most of us only properly function above 28 degrees celsius! My personal cut-off is 18 degrees, below that I am officially cold and want to crawl back in bed. People have often told me that you can dress warm in the cold, but you […]