The road was rough. The land rover bounced around a corner and there he was, a South African White Rhinoceros, standing guard in the middle of the rutted road. I lurched forward as the guide stopped the vehicle abruptly. The Rhino’s ears twitched. He watched from immovable feet. I held my breath. I could hear a huffing snort and the buzzing of insects.
The guide spoke, “Perhaps we will find another way.”
The land rover jerked in reverse. The Rhino stared at us, unblinking.
The Range Rover bounced through the trees like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, then, mercifully, stopped. Our guide shut off the engine. I could hear the ticking of hot stressed metal. My body was just as stressed. I may have developed a tick.
Over there.
I could see him, hiding, a giant bull elephant, trying, it seemed to me, to be inconspicuous.
I began taking photographs. Through the lens, the elephant looked annoyed. With crunching footsteps, he lumbered out of the trees into the open, staring at us. We stared back at him. He came closer. Closer. CLOSER. I reached for a wider lens.
Hold very still, our guide whispered. He reached for his rifle.
The giant elephant stopped, three feet away. I could hear him panting. Snorting. I could SMELL him. VERY BAD BREATH.
From my open seat in the Range Rover, he was massive. His tusks were stained red near the sharpened points. He looked down at me with huge, tired eyes.
What are you doing here?
I came to see you.
He sniffed, his snake-like trunk sampling the air around me. His giant eyes blinked. I could see myself reflected in their rich, deep brown. He looked…sad, maybe. Resignedly tolerant, perhaps. Proud, certainly.
He moved on.
I realized that the pounding I could hear was my heart, not his footsteps.
Our guide put down his gun and started the Range Rover. The roar of the engine shattered the quiet surrounding us and we moved on.
A thirsty African elephant takes a healthy drink from his own personal well.
I thought, since it is New Years Eve, I would post a photo gallery of shots from some of the places I’ve been around the world. Sort of a “Best of” gallery from previous posts. I’ve been only blogging since August, so I have yet to post shots from everywhere I’ve been. And, I have yet to even start posting video from all of these places. That is what 2014 is for. Resolution 🙂
The world is a big, beautiful place, filled with interesting people, amazing sights, random coincidences and occasional tender mercies. I have been blessed to travel. I have been blessed to make friends on every continent. I hope to keep the friends I have made and make more as time goes by. However, my greatest blessings are found at home, with a warm fire, a good meal and my family, who love me.
I hope you enjoy the photographs. Happy New Year.
Soweto Towers could be one of the coolest places in the world to bungee and base jump.
Corregated metal, cardboard, canvas and the ever-present barbed wire makeup the materials of most houses in the township.
Without education, children growing up in the township face limited opportunities.
The Village Elder gave us permission to take a picture, but, the women of the village, the mothers wouldn’t come out of their huts to be in the shot.
A child can find pure joy amidst the most challenging of circumstances.
The secret to such smooth, smooth skin could be found in the mud of Lubumbashi River.
Working with root fibers in Yamoransah village, Ghana.
When I tried to take her picture, she would hide her face and then laugh. When I showed her pictures of her friends, she opened up enough to let take this photo.
Jacaranda trees bloom in spectacular beauty on a residential street in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The legendary tree of life thrives in Africa.
A thirsty African elephant takes a healthy drink from his own personal well.
Leopard finishing a meal of Impala at the Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa.
One of the greatest achievements of Roman Engineering and Architecture, the Roman Colosseum is still the largest amphitheater in the world.
Kneeling in the attitude of penitent prayer, this woman remains still for hours, hoping her prayers will be answered with coins in her cup.
Late afternoon light illuminates a common staircase adjacent to the Scala Sancta (Holy Steps) said to be the steps Jesus stood upon before Pontius Pilate.
A vintage rainy day in Paris.
KIngs and Courtiers still bask in the lavish extravagance of the Château de Versailles.
Evergreen soldiers await the command to march on the Palace.
One of the islands on the Seine, near the birthplace of Paris.
A woman rests from her burdens.
Can you say Da Vinci Code?
The heart of the ancient Inca Empire
Scones and Smiles, she’ll warm your heart with both.
Shape, pattern, line and light emerge through a high-dynamic-range look into the meadow.
Early morning sun shines on Lone Peak, Wasatch Mountains, Utah.
Temple Square in Salt Lake City is the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Construction of the Salt Lake Temple began in 1847 and took nearly 40 years to complete. The Temple, surrounded by thousands of twinkling Christmas lights, stands as a symbol of faith and hope to more than 15 million Latter-day Saints (Mormons) across the world.
Corregated metal, cardboard, canvas and the ever-present barbed wire makeup the materials of most houses in the township.
“What was it like,” I asked him, “apartheid?”
Joseph. Our driver. He was a large, jolly man in his fifties. He had dark chocolate skin with curly, salt and pepper hair. He looked at me and the smile lines around his eyes wrinkled.
He laughed.
Without education, children growing up in the township face limited opportunities.
Not just a chuckle. Joseph burst into a full belly laugh. He had lived through it. He was 33 when Apartheid ended.
“You would not believe me if I told you,” Joseph said. “My children do not believe me when I tell them.”
At first, I didn’t understand why he was laughing. I didn’t understand how he could laugh. It wasn’t funny.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
I pressed him.
“It was horrible. No freedom. No jobs. We had no hope.”
In the Township, 3000 people share three water taps.
He drove us to a township just outside of Johannesburg.
“Three-thousand people live here,” he said. “They have no running water. They have no electricity. They share three water taps. They share 20 portable toilets.”
He introduced me to the people. They were quick to smile, but their eyes were guarded, skeptical. I couldn’t understand their words. Joseph translated.
Who is this white face with a camera?
With no running water or sanitation, 3000 people share 20 portapotties throughout the township.
Why does he take our picture?
Joseph told them I was there to tell their story. I was. They were glad. They were friendly. They wanted me to understand. They wanted others to know of their struggle. For them, Apartheid was not over.
I was stunned. They had so little.
“Why?”
Child rearing falls to the women. The traditional wrap makes an excellent baby backpack.
“Get in the car.” Joseph said it was time to go. It was no longer safe.
I got in the car.
Joseph did not laugh.
“Apartheid ended in 1994. Those were difficult times. I lost my best friend to a gunshot. I cannot describe…I will not describe those days. We did not know if we would live or die. We had no hope.”
“But, Apartheid has been over for 27 years.”
“These people believe the government will take care of them. They think the government will educate them.”
“Will they?”
Joseph laughed. “They say apartheid is over. It is not. But at least now we have hope.”
Having recently visited South Africa, I was reflecting on my experiences there in light of Nelson Mandela’s passing. A courageous, inspiring leader, he had an influence on a people, a country and a world. As I met the people, talked with them, broke bread with them, photographed them, Nelson Mandela had an influence on me. I came to admire his commitment to moral principles which elevate the human condition. I found, in Johannesburg, a complex and complicated city with contrasts not entirely in keeping with Nelson Mandela’s vision for how things ought to be. In other parts of the country these contrasts were even more apparent. Things are not how they should be. Yet, I also saw hope, commitment, energy and progress. I’m sure Nelson Mandela didn’t accomplish all he hoped to accomplish in his long and influential life. Yet, his vision took root. His commitment and perseverance inspired others. Nelson Mandela made a difference. South Africa made a significant impression on me well beyond the images I took.
Completed in 2003 at a price of 38 million rand, the Nelson Mandela Bridge was conceived as a means of bridging two disparate parts of Johannesburg in the hopes of revitalizing the inner city.
Jacaranda trees bloom in spectacular beauty on a residential street in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Johannesburg, South Africa is a colorful and diverse city. We stopped for a moment to capture the sunset over this neighborhood.
Powerlines traverse the horizon as a Soweto resident walks home along the dirt path leading to the Township.
Life in the township has improved, but can still be difficult. Growing crops provides an income supplement and food for a family.
Bungee jumpers and base jumpers get their adrenalin rush by leaping from the platform bridge between the Two Towers.
Johannesburg is a beautiful city. From a distance and height, the views are stunning.
Afternoon and evening storms, sometimes violent, roll in over Johannesburg, relieving the city of heat and humidity.
Johannesburg downtown business district is clean, modern and growing.
With seating for 37,500, Johannesburg stadium is home to the Orlando Pirates Football Club and the Golden Lions Rugby Union.
Johannesburg has a modern well developed infrastructure.
Alexandra Township, or Alex, is part of Johannesburg, South Africa, and is one of the poorest urban areas in the country.
As this woman crossed the bridge, I asked if I could take her picture. When I showed her the picture, she laughed and laughed. She couldn’t understand why I wanted her picture.
While economic opportunities abound in Johannesburg, the unemployment rate among blacks is astronomically high, somewhere near 32%.
They seemed like bars, the wooden frames. To keep me out or hold him in, I did not know which was more damning.
Ever present and visible on nearly every home, regardless of class, barbed wire speaks to the underlying crime and lack of security every resident of Joburg faces.
In Alex, unemployment, drugs, gangs and violence are part of the landscape of daily life. Barbed wire is one small means of protecting the children.
Water is a scarce commodity in many parts of the world. Clean water is even more precious. In Alex, dirty water is plentiful.
This building was abandoned. Now squatters take up residence as the building slowly decays.
Storm brewing over the Valley of 1,000 Hills.
The legendary tree of life thrives in Africa.
A thirsty African elephant takes a healthy drink from his own personal well.
Friendly rhinoceros grazing on the Mala Mala Game Reserve.
Leopard finishing a meal of Impala at the Mala Mala Game Reserve, South Africa.
From a distance, Alex looks interesting. The closer you get, the harder it is to see. It can be beautiful, in a flowering African Thorn Bush kind of way. The flowers are pretty–sort of. The thorns can do some real damage. Among the thorns in Alex, there is an energy, growing, changing. In spite of the harshness of conditions, there was a softness in the faces of people. Not all were willing to let me take their picture. Some approached with angry words. Others turned away or hid. But, for those who stood their ground or gave permission, I could see a light, hard light perhaps, in their eyes. The noon-day sun did not make for the best photographs. However, in the hard light of the noon-day sun, when I put on my sunglasses, I could see hope.
You can meet elderly fashionistas in the most unlikely places.
I wish I knew what they were thinking.
In Alex, as in many parts of the world, the children are resilient–joyful and resilient.
She let me take her picture. She said I could. But I felt a sadness in her cloudy eyes.
She stood her ground. Our worlds were alien, mine to hers and hers to mine. I could feel her questioning, challenging–who are you? What do you want? I had no tools to bridge the gulf between us. When I took her photo and she ran away.
His curiosity got the better of him as he peeked around the corner of a wall. I smiled and he smiled back.
This little baby modestly hides from the camera as his Mother gives him an outdoor bath.
In Alex, unemployment, drugs, gangs and violence are part of the landscape of daily life. Barbed wire is one small means of protecting the children.
When you live in the dirt and the dust fills the air, everyday is wash day in Alex.
When you have to haul your own water and boil your laundry, it takes creativity to stir your laundry.
Children and Mothers hold hands for guidance, protection and hope throughout the world.
Amidst the rubble of decay, a fresh coat of paint and a little tar for the roof go along way.
A woman selects delicious fresh fruit at the Alexendra Market.
He knew I wasn’t buying. He made no move to draw me in. The wooden frame kept me from approaching. Yet, his gaze was penetrating.
They seemed like bars, the wooden frames. To keep me out or hold him in, I did not know which was more damning.
Two boys were playing in the remains of old construction. When they saw my camera, they stopped and stared, uncertain. Go away, we’re playing. They didn’t say it, but I got the message.
A child can find pure joy amidst the most challenging of circumstances.
I showed him the picture I took. Harmless. On to the adventure.
As this woman crossed the bridge, I asked if I could take her picture. When I showed her the picture, she laughed and laughed. She couldn’t understand why I wanted her picture.
It takes skill, practice and great strength to balance the challenges of life in Alex.
A young man listens to his MP3 player from an elevated place in Alex.
Rarely enough, a snack may be be the only food for that day in Alex.
Dirt and rubble are the playground for this young princess.
Amidst the dirt on the ground and the dust in the air, laundry may dry in the sunshine but it won’t be clean.
As long as a child can smile, there is hope.
Mothers in Alex carry their babies, sometimes on their backs, sometimes in front, the weight of better times for future generations.
This little boy seems to know sorrow beyond his young age.
Red and green, blue and yellow, opposites and contrasts, the story of life in Alex for two sisters.
Official unemployment figures hover around 37%. In Alex, the real figures are much higher as many men have simply given up looking for a job.
A young mother carries her baby to and from the market in Alex.
With a cloth wrap, most women carry their babies on their backs. When the get too big, or it gets too hot, the loose the wrap.
This little boy plays in the dirt while his Mom sells fruit at a stand in the market.
To make a living, many women conduct entrepreneurial street trading enterprises, selling produce and other goods.
Two employed mechanics enjoy their idle time waiting for work.
The barren landscape of Alex Market is both playground and refuge for children of resourceful mothers.
In Alex market, children watch and wait as parents, mostly mothers buy and sell.
It was noon and the sun was directly overhead. Hot. And Humid. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The hard light cast hard shadows. Appropriate–in Alex, life is hard. One of the poorest urban areas in South Africa, Alexandra Township is part of Johannesburg and is home to nearly 200,000 souls. Many do not have running water, or proper sanitation. Many live in informal shacks made of corrugated metal or cinderblock brick. Unemployment is high. Drugs are rampant and gangs compete with law for control. When I entered Alex to take pictures, I stood out dramatically–white on black, with hard shadows. The harsh light was not what I would have chosen for good pictures. Nevertheless, the time of day was a metaphor for life in Alex–harsh and hard. In this post I wanted to show some of the conditions inside. Partial understanding comes through knowing. Tomorrow I’ll show their faces.
Alexandra Township, or Alex, is part of Johannesburg, South Africa, and is one of the poorest urban areas in the country.
Water is a scarce commodity in many parts of the world. Clean water is even more precious. In Alex, dirty water is plentiful.
Livestock co-exist with people among the trash of a struggling human population.
Goats will eat just about anything, including trash. In Alex, they have plenty to choose from.
Alexandra township is located on the banks of the Jukskei River.
Among the discards of a declining industrial population, art will still find expression.
Harsh light heightens the contrast of color as clothing dries in a heavy breeze.
In Alex, dirt, dust and heat are oppressive. Clean laundry is never really clean. But, it is always drying.
This building was abandoned. Now squatters take up residence as the building slowly decays.
Drying laundry reflects the inner life of this former tenement building, now the home to countless squatters.
In Alex, even newer buildings are breaking down.
A dominant feature of home construction in Alex, corrugated metal is used for roofs and walls.
Broken, or baking, bricks are plentiful in the neighborhoods of Alex.
In Alex, if your truck won’t run, it may still work for yard decoration.
Red dust coats everything in Alex, including the cars. However, in spite of the arrow, I could never find the actual location of the car wash.
No matter how much or how little one might possess, entertainment is no longer a want, but a need, as illustrated in this upscale home in Alex.
Built in 1951 as part of the Orland Power Station serving Johannesburg, South Africa from the South West Township of Soweto, the Soweto Towers have become one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The power plant was decommissioned in 1998 after 56 years of service. Now, the towers are used for art, and advertising. One tower serves as a giant billboard. The other tower contains the largest mural painting in South Africa. But, even cooler than the art, is the action. You can bungee jump or base jump from a platform bridge between the Two Towers.
Soweto Towers could be one of the coolest places in the world to bungee and base jump.
Lions, Leopards, Water Buffalo, Wart Hogs, Rhinos, Elephants and Zebras–they all drink from this river. The Mala Mala Game Reserve in South Africa was established in 1964 and is a protected wildlife sanctuary. Situated in the midst of a much larger protected area, Mala Mala is an unfenced reserve where wildlife roam free. In spite of the location, poachers still manage to kill a significant number of animals each year. Mala Mala Rangers are working tirelessly to prevent and eliminate the senseless killing of protected species such as the Rhinoceros as well as preserve an environment where wildlife may enjoy living waters. And, it really is this cool 🙂
On the Mala Mala Game Reserve, this river gives life to a myriad of species.
There are numerous cross-cultural references to the Tree of Life. I don’t know the actual name for this tree, but the symmetrical shape reminded me of drawings I’ve seen from many parts of the world. In a land teeming with such diversity of life, the symbolism was not hard to find. Africa is an amazing place, bursting with life, much of it tenuous. This tree, thriving amongst the harshness, was an inspiring reminder of my own mortality.
The road was rough. The land rover bounced around a corner and there he was, a South African White Rhinoceros, standing guard in the middle of the rutted road. I lurched forward as the guide stopped the vehicle abruptly. The Rhino’s ears twitched. He watched from immovable feet. I held my breath. I could hear a huffing snort and the buzzing of insects.
They're Calling To Me 