Many young women are keen of getting nice pictures of themselves. And photo shootings are always fun anyway. So was it with Linda too, as we met for a coffee at South Beach. A hazy day at beach but just right for a few shots.
A crowded ferry sets hundreds of people over to the southern beaches of Daressalam. At Kigamboni i found a little paradise to camp and got stocked for more than two weeks. Every morning i watched early sun pushing trough the clouds and chased them away, made my coffee with the friendly words of the staff, did some laundry or small repairs before taking my book to the hammock at the beach.
There’s always been people to talk with too. As i met energetic Radhia, who told me about life here and all the many ideas and projects she has in life. Or two young volunteers just finished their time on a project in Rwanda and were on search for a perfect beach before heading back to Europe. I offered to drive south to more remote and unspoiled beaches …and we found was we were looking for: A lonely, white sanded beach with crystal clear water.
It’s a little while since, but i don’t want hold back the pictures from my last Tanzania trip any longer. After the safari tour to Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater with – a rather disappointing – safari tour operator. I was happy to continue traveling with my own car and pace. On the safari tour i met two young tourist girls, who wanted to go to Daressalam too. I offered them to join me trough Maasailand instead of a boring, long bus ride direct to Dar. They agreed for sharing fuel and food.
The day before departure, the three of us went to local market to buy food. It’s hard bargaining if one goes with typically dressed tourist girls to the food stalls. Somehow we managed to get our supplies, as the girls told me about their appointment with the owner of the safari company we went days before. The same guy who cheated me and gave false informations to me, was inviting those young girls for pizzas and swimming pool at the most expensive hotel in Arusha and paid them even their room in a backpacker hostel. I joined the girls for that appointment and got at least a pizza myself and some relaxing hours with wifi at the pool at „Mt Meru Hotel“. The pizza was tasty, the pool refreshing and the view of Mount Meru splendid.
The first day traveling didn’t brought us very far, but to a wonderful oasis i knew from earlier visit. Hot spring and pool with crystal clear water was a delight after a dusty road trip. Since we supposed to travel as friends, the girls had to help with cooking while i pitched their tent for the night. With the highest mountain of Africa – Mt Kilimanjaro – we camped just next to the hot spring.
On the next day, we got deeper in Maasailand, with no specific route, just follow south on dusty roads. We passed some huts and villages which seemed to be abandon. Some kids lead cows somewhere, looking bewildered as we crossed their ways. The rain brought much green food for their cows. For us was it easy to find a quite place to camp in that lush, green bushland and enjoy a peaceful sunset.
Before i left the country i got the chance for a spontaneous photo shooting with this Namibian beauty.
Being a tour guide for my parents was a completely new thing. It brought me a whole bunch of experiences and challenges too. At the start i did a selfie with my crappy cellphone at train station for remembering reason and posted it on Instagram. I repeated it at airport. Somehow i liked it and went on picturing my parents in this selfie style throughout our trip in Namibia. It became a collection of selfies of our journey.
What else could be better than a relaxing bath in hot springs at an end of a long journey on rough, dusty roads, many new impressions and some early mornings? I brought my parents to the newly opened and completely new designed Hot Springs of Gross barmen, not far from Windhoek anymore.
What’s the fascination of the Himba people? Is it their ancient and traditional lifestyle? Is it the bronze color of your skin? Or is it because they walk almost naked but freely and proud trough life? I hear people joking about the nakedness of Himbas, giggeling about bare breasts. I sense how people are unnaturally ashamed about the shameless nature of the Himba tribe. So were my parents rather shy in beginning of our visit in this Himba village. The locals acted completely natural, looked self confident in my camera and went on with their daily work. Of course, i went with my parents to a village open for tourists. The people are used on curious visitors, showed us how the live and what is important in their life and culture. Their proud and serious look turned into a big smile when i showed them the photos on display or tried to imitate their language. Kids played on the ground, made fun of me when i try to catch them with my Nikon and just stick some sweets in my mouth. Meat hung in front of houses, which are circled around an inner fence for the cattle. In centre is always a holy fire too. Everyone takes care it burns eternal, but the chief of the village takes highest responsibility of it. A big income are the little handicraft market, displayed on the ground. I couldn’t resist to take a souvenir myself, but the nicest remembering are the feeling how strange but natural in same time it felt to be amongst those peaceful people.
San people used to be hunters and gatherers. The movie „the gods must be crazy“ gave a strong impression about their life in the Kalahari bush. However, i got aware of the ‚Ombili Project‘ nearby, which was founded to help the San people, who suffer from losing they’re natural habits. On the way to this ‚cultural village‘ i explained my parents what i know about the life of this tribe. Contrary to my expectations and explanations after arrival we’ve seen neither their nomadic huts, nor hunters with poisoned arrows. Instead we got introduced in the huge garden behind solid brick buildings and explained about their success with cattle. The Ombili project turns out to be rather an agriculture school in purpose to give the upcoming generations of San people a new future. Nevertheless there is still a corner in the village to satisfy the visitors with their images of old traditional huts, fire making with a stick and a group who sings wonderful old, traditional songs.
I agree, the rock formations looks strange, but to see the „organ pipes“ needs good will and some fantasy. However, impressive are those vertical piles anyway. That black hill nearby called „burnt mountain“. Some minerals let it appears much darker as the surroundings rocks.
Highlight of the day was undoubtedly the rock engravings of Twyfelfontein. Over a big area are amazing witnesses of ancient culture engraved in rocks. The early San people probably used the rocks as a school board to teach the youngsters about nature and hunting, or some guys were just bored without TV and became artist accidentally …who knows for certain the truth. My parents, however, found the heat and the stony paths more challenging. Lucky there wasn’t much other people around who wanted the rare shade too. The newly bought hats, which my parents wore proudly, helped too. Myself was proud they made it trough all the rocky obstacles to follow me to the different sites and my explanations.
The area called „moon landscape“ and especially the Welwitschia plains are not to miss if you travel towards Spitzkoppe. The oldest plants on earth, welwitschia mirabilis, is odd to see and can reach an age of 2000 years.
Much younger were the kids who sells art crafts next to the streets. My mom shouted „stop, i wanna buy something from those cute children“. It gave me the opportunity for a brief photoshooting. The little ones already knows to look and enjoyed to get pictures in funny poses.
Just right to catch nice evening lights we arrived our camp at Spitzkoppe. A few rocks further, a group of young travelers on adventure tour, were busy to pitch their tents. before they start to roam around, i got few nice shots from the natural rock arch.
rene bauer photography 