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Chamavara Cave, Masvingo, Zimbabwe May 30, 2016 The San are the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. They were hunter-gatherers who had territories that span present-day Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa. In most places they lived, they left behind legacies in the shape of paintings and carvings on rock faces and caves. … More The Tales that Rock Arts Tell
Mutirikwi River, Glenlivet May 29, 2016 What was meant to be a two-day stay has turned into a week-long stay. I had arrived at Muunze Forest Lodge entirely by chance and had met Amy, Jared and their lively eight-month old baby Lea. The days have vanished in chilling and sharing stories and laughter, a craft-making … More Hippos, Crocs and Other Animals
Muunze Forest Lodge at Glenlivet, Masvingo, Zimbabwe May 26, 2016 I had been dropped off at some arbitrary street in Masvingo from the bus headed to Harare. As usual, I was at my organized best. Armed with no book, no map, no phone, I had to resort to asking a random people on the street … More Where Baboons Come to Call
Beit Bridge, South Africa – Zimbabwe May 24, 2016 Rumour has it that crossing the border from South Africa to Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge takes ages, typically three to four hours. And the bus companies understandably do not want to wait on the passengers, so they insist on passengers having a visa before they board … More Don’t Read the Fine Print
May 22, 2016 Johannesburg, South Africa Recent history going back at least a couple of decades and possibly longer has always painted Johannesburg in shades of danger. I remember conversations with other travelers from more than a decade ago of how nobody stops at traffic lights because they would be shot at. Of how muggings … More Hackles at Half Mast
Johannesburg or Jo’burg or Jozi as it is called affectionately wears many faces. There is the affluent areas that reek of wealth, there are slums where people live in tin shacks, there are downtown areas getting recent facelifts, there are street markets and art on the street and in galleries and there is the sound … More The Many Faces of Jo’burg
Kyoto is a city brimming with temples and shrines. They dot the cityscape, sometimes standing alone in stately grandeur, sometimes in between modern concrete buildings, sandwiched between apartment blocks, around the corner from a busy street teeming with traffic. They are scattered around the outskirts as well, just a short hop out of town. Some have … More Temples and Shrines
Hamamatsu, Japan March 25th, 2016 Fronting a beautiful Japanese garden stands a traditional house with carved stone pedestals bordering the path lined with stepping stones. It is a large house, much larger than I had imagined a traditional house to be. Stepping inside is like stepping through the pages of a history book. Scrolls hang … More At a Japanese Tea Ceremony
Hamamatsu, Japan March 25th 2016 I met her my first day in Kyoto. Reiko and her daughter Naoko were in Kyoto for only a couple of days and I had literally just arrived from the airport in Osaka. We were staying at the same guesthouse. I was in that strange state that usually accompanies jet-lag … More An Invitation
Imagine dusk settling over an old neighbourhood in the backstreets of Kyoto. The black tiled rooftops and tree branches are silhouetted against the deepening indigo sky. The sagging telephone lines with their mess of cables stand out like strands of spaghetti. An old man, bucket and washrag under his arm, makes his way down the … More Where Traditions Live On
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 