portraits – Seite 7 – rene bauer photography

Ombili Project For San 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.

Mai 15, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, gastronomy, HOPE, humansofplanetearth, Nambia, nature, portrait, reportage, travel, Uncategorized, urbanlifeTags: adventure, Africa, agriculture, children, culture, daily life, firemaking, garden, kids, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, nomads, overland, people, portraits, reportage, san, Travel, tribe, urbanlife, Village Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Petrified Forest

I talked about the desert elephants and how rare they’re to see, as i noticed a car parking next to the gravel road. And yes, the couple in that car spotted two elephant bulls roaming in nearby bush. Along the road we’ve been lucky with more attractions as a black cobra, once alive since there are many dead snakes on the road, more of the unique welwitschia plants or huge termite hills.

A guide explained the origin of the wood and how it came many thousands years ago down to Nambia, covered by mud and clay and turned slowly to minerals and stone. The colors, the structure of the bark and even the year rings look still like the wood, but if you touch it you feel cold, hard stone.

Mai 12, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, animal, flower, landscape, Nambia, nature, reportage, travel, Uncategorized, wildlifeTags: adventure, Africa, elephant, forest, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, Offroad, ontheroad, overland, people, petrifiedforest, portraits, reportage, safari, snake, Travel, wildlife Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

A Rocky Day

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.

Mai 10, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, landscape, Nambia, nature, portrait, reportage, tradition, UncategorizedTags: adventure, Africa, ancient, burntmountain, culture, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, organpipes, overland, people, portraits, reportage, rockart, san, Travel, twyfelfontein Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

On The Way To Spitzkoppe

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.

Mai 7, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, HOPE, humansofplanetearth, landscape, Nambia, nature, portrait, reportage, travel, UncategorizedTags: adventure, Africa, landscape, moonlandscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, overland, people, plant, portraits, reportage, spitzkoppe, Travel, welwitschia Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

A Stroll In Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a pleasant town for many activities around, but even more for a day off. Doing some shopping, having a coffee in a nice cafe or just stroll around the streets with plenty of well-maintanand colonial buildings.

Mai 7, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, landscape, Nambia, nature, portrait, reportage, travel, Uncategorized, urbanlifeTags: adventure, Africa, culture, daily life, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, ocean, overland, people, pier, portraits, reportage, sunset, swakopmund, Travel Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Sun, Wind and Sand on Sossusvlei

Not much to tell about the magnificent landscape around Sossusvlei area. It’s a Must for every Namibia newbie, so certainly i brought my parents here too. Take a bit time to feel sun, wind and sand on your skin.

Mai 5, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, landscape, Nambia, nature, portrait, reportage, travel, UncategorizedTags: Africa, deadvlei, Desert, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, overland, people, portraits, reportage, sand, sky, sossusvlei, Travel, tree Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

home of good hope

Guiding my mom and her husband trough Namibia, i didn’t only want show the touristic spots of the country, but also bring them closer to real life. A soup kitchen project in Katatura/Windhoek supported by my friend Barbara, was a good start.

In the „Home Of Good Hope“ approx. 600 children daily get food, explains Monica, the founder of project. When we arrived groups of children, some in school uniforms, waited in front of the house from corrugated iron sheets. Under the eyes of helpers the kids washed their hands in bucket filled with soapy water before entering the big gloomy room. Inside wooden banks were provided, sorted in rows like in a church. Monica and her few helpers clapped in their hands and started to sind church songs with the kids, doing little daces with them, cheering them up to praise the lord, although there is no differences made by religions of the kids coming in. The only difference is made by school kids, who gets served first because the have to be in school on time. Four Swedish girls came in to help serving the simple, but nourishing meal. They’re in Windhoek as exchange from nursing school and volunteering the soup kitchen today. In front of the building was a table with watery juice and apples cut in small pieces.

We brought from children clothes from home. Immediately they were sorted and given to kids attending this morning the soup kitchen. Some wear it with proud when the left the building. Amongst other things i discovered boxes for first aids, and indeed, a boy came with a wound on his leg. One of the helper cleaned the wound, put desinfection fluid on it and covered it. All in completely routine. Still all the laughter in our ears we left that place with good impressions.

Mai 2, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, HOPE, Nambia, portrait, reportage, travel, Uncategorized, urbanlifeTags: adventure, Africa, children, daily life, food, katatura, kids, namibdummies, namibia, ngo, people, portraits, reportage, soupkitchen, Travel, volunteering, windhoek Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Marangu’s village life

Marangu. There’s not much to say, but only to enjoy that calm, tranquil village on foot of Mt.Kilimanjaro. For a long weekend i could enjoy the hospitality of these friendly people and had a little inside of their daily village life.