Namibia 2022

In June 2022 I journeyed to Africa, the one continent I had not previously visited. Despite some uncertainty leading up to the trip, it turned out to be a wonderful experience — itinerary, logistics, photography guide, tour guide, accommodations, fellow travelers and no covid issues.

Namibia

Namibia is located in southwest Africa sharing a southern border with South Africa, a northern border with Angola, and an eastern border with Botswana. The Atlantic Ocean is to the west The country is bookended by the Namib desert in the west and the Kalahari desert in the east. It is the driest country is sub-Saharan Africa.

Namibia is large — half the size of Alaska — with a relatively small population, 2.5 million. Windhoek , the capital has a population of about 370,000. Outside of the capital, the population is dispersed in areas proximate to the country’s 13 cities, 26 towns and a few tourist destinations.

Namibia was a German colony until the end of WWI after which it became a territory of South Africa. It secured its independence in 1990. It is a democracy and has a progressive constitution. English is the official language, but given the country’s history, most people speak Afrikaans and a substantial number speak German.

Namibia has a high literacy rate with 91% of the population over age 15 knowing how to read and write.

Over ninety percent of Namibians identify as Christian. Seventy five percent of the total population identify as Protestant and fifty percent identify as Lutheran. Christianity and particularly the Lutheran identity reflect the early work of missionaries from London, Finland, Sweden and Germany.

The economy is based on mining — uranium, other minerals and diamonds. Tourism is a fast growing segment of the economy. Unemployment is high, exacerbated by the shut down of tourism as a result of covid.

Our Photographic Journey Through Namibia

The trip was planned by Mirjam Evers one of the founders of PhotoQuest. We were privileged to have Clement Lawrence of Wilderness Safaris as our local guide. Clement got us to the right places at the right times — always with grace and humor. He was a constant source of information and insight. I was joined by three fellow photographers each of whom contributed to making the trip enjoyable. One of the very nice features of this trip was that three legs of the trip were completed via charter flight which avoided long days of traveling over the desert in a safari vehicle.

Four highlights of the trip were the sand dunes at Sossusvlei, the wildlife in Etosha National Park, the Quiver Tree forest in Keetmanshoop and time with a few women of the Himba Tribe. Follow the link at the end of this post to see the Namibia portfolios.

The sand dunes at Sussusvlei, some of which rise to a height of 1000 feet, are mesmerizing at sunset. In the light of the setting sun, the dunes natural orange color becomes almost luminous. The dark side of the dunes, become almost black, creating silhouette images that are often like an abstract painting.

Etosha National Park is Namibia’s largest game preserve encompassing 23,000 sq. kilometers. Waterholes provide the primary opportunities to view wildlife. Prominent wildlife include elephants, giraffe, lions and other cats, zebra, impala, springbok, antelope, jackal and black rhinoceros. There is also a wide variety of birds. The morning of our final day, we came upon lions hanging out at a watering hole. The rising sun provided wonderful photographic light.

Quivertrees were once pervasive in the arid regions of Africa. They are uniquely adapted to survive in very arid climates. They are present in many regions but there are only a few areas where clusters of trees exist. One of those areas is Keetmanshoop. We visited the “forest” at both sunrise and sunset. The profile of the trees against the sky provided great photo opportunities.

On our last day we visited a remote Himba tribe settlement. The Himba are one of the ancient tribes in Namibia. Many of them live in remote locations, perpetuating the traditions of their ancestors while selectively engaging with contemporary society. Tourism has become a critical source of cash income for some settlements as guides shepherd tourists, such as our group, to the remote locations. Many of the children go to school with upper level grades staying in villages with a school during the school year.

We were welcomed by a small group of Himba women to their settlement. During the day the men are off tending the goats. Communicating through our guides, we were able to engage with the women. They were very open and obviously used to being photographed. They were both gracious and in many respects playful. They derive cash income by selling a wide assortment of handicrafts. It was a delightful concluding day to our adventure in Namibia.

On the first leg of my flight back, Windhoek to Frankfurt, I sat next to a German woman who had immigrated to Namibia. She indicated that Namibia is sometimes referred to as “Africa for beginners.” I think there is more than a little truth in that observation. Except for the long distances between primary photographic sites, Namibia is a very easy place to visit. Language is not an issue and the people in our experience are engaging and gracious. And, there are some wonderful photographic opportunities.

Reflections on 2018 Photography Trip to Myanmar

In November 2017 I participated in a photo workshop trip to Myanmar, led by Les Picker.  There were four other participants in the workshop.  All were very experienced photographers and world travelers. We were extremely fortunate to be guided by A. P. Soe, a native of Myanmar, very talented photographer and experienced guide.

The trip to Myanmar was very special.  I had no idea what to expect and was surprised in many ways.  As the trip commenced I was very concerned about the conflict involving the Rohingya people in Rakhine State, western Myanmar.  I continue to be very distressed about that situation, but fortunately, it did not affect our trip.  Indeed, if we did not know about the crisis prior to arriving in the country, we would have been totally unaware of it during our stay.

We visited five cities – Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, Kengtung and Inle Lake. We spent time in the cities and in the country side. 

The people were the most striking experience of the trip.  They were friendly, quick with a smile, not only to us but with each other.  They are busy and industrious.  Rarely, did you see anyone standing around.  They seem to be always working, playing or on the go.  Motorbikes are everywhere, and they transport just about anything on them including whole families. 

The people clearly take pride in who they are and their appearance.  Even in the fish markets, people were dressed in colorful, clean clothes.  There were clothes hanging out to dry everywhere.  Most people had well attended hair.  As you will see in my photos, (link embedded below), many of the people cover part of their face with a yellow colored paste, Thanaka.  It is made from the root of the Limonia acidissima tree and is reputed to provide protection from the sun and be a skin conditioner.

We visited a three Buddhist schools: an orphanage for young boys, a nunnery for young girls, and the Kat Tat Kong Monastery school in Mandalay. The Kat Tat Kong school was impressive in its size and organization.  It is a school for future monks and also has many students, both boys and girls, from the local population.  The attention the students displayed in class was impressive.  We entered a large classroom with perhaps a hundred students.  Every student was focused on the teacher and they did not flinch as we moved around the classroom and took photos.  Once outside the classroom they interacted like regular students on a playground – talking and fooling around.  The monk who heads the school indicated what they need most is native English-speaking teachers.  They are looking for anyone willing to come spend some time teaching.   They teach English, but their locally trained teachers are not as proficient as they need to be.  If anyone knows of any possibilities, I have the contact information.

The markets were quite amazing.  The quantity and variety of fresh produce and fish that moves through the markets is very impressive. Goods arrive and are carried in all manner of vehicles and on peoples’ backs and heads.

Cars are an anomaly.  They drive on the right side, and almost all the cars have steering wheels on the right.  This creates many dangerous situations.  This unusual circumstance exists because most of the cars are used cars imported from Japan.

Except for the hotel in Kengtung we had great hotel accommodations and we had good food throughout the trip.  No one in our party got food related sickness. 

There were lots of tourists in many areas, but it is not yet overrun with tourists.  In a few of the rural areas we visited, we, as tourists, were somewhat unusual.  The people, particularly kids, were a bit fascinated by us and of course our cameras.

All the above said, it is a desperately poor country.  Their dwellings contain only the absolute bare basics – pots and pans and pads for sleeping.  The one anomaly is that satellite dishes are everywhere in the cities. 

We saw virtually no one begging.  In the rural areas there were people trying to sell small trinkets they made to sell to tourists. 

Overall the trip was a great experience; yet the political situation and the problem in Rakhine State is deeply troubling.  Hopefully the international pressure will have some impact over time.