Natural splendour, real musics, wines, wordpower
This post’s photo was not taken in a national park, nor on a “game drive”.
In northwestern Namibia – in fact, just about anywhere in Namibia – an interesting wildlife encounter is never a certainty, but is almost always a less-than-remote possibility.
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At least during the festive season, Australian human behaviour is sometimes surprisingly similar to certain fleeter-footed – but also well-fed – Namibian cats’…
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The Namib is generally considered the world’s oldest desert; certainly, it is many millions of years older than the Sahara.
Some of the Namib’s dunes are uncommonly stable, exquisitely coloured, remarkably tall.
Contrary to common belief – and to claims made by promoters of various African and Eurasian deserts – the world tallest dunes are not in Africa, nor Arabia, nor China; by a considerable margin, they are in South America.
The Namib’s “sand sea” is, however, singularly beautiful, most especially around Sossusvlei.
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Sick of strange, odd, eccentric or exceptional persons, things and phenomena?
You believe signs/believe in signs?
if your answer to both questions is “yes”, a town/region you have never heard of has “just the place” for you!
It is conveniently located in the world’s second least densely populated nation, not far from its border with Angola…
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…at least in portrait view, Pelecanus onocrotalus – the Great White Pelican – is much more colourful than any version of Santa Claus.
No Santa – whether “bad” or “good”, repackaged by Coca-Cola or not – could even begin to match the pictured individual’s élan…almost-dishevelled, post-punk meets psychedeliia.
S/he (“she”, I think) and Pelican Yoga wish you a joyous festive season!
(to meet our hero/ine in person, Australians would need to use their passports)
Much as I would love to have taken this photo…
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Many of Africa’s “acacias” – particularly those commonly known as thorn trees/bushes – have a great many very fierce thorns, designed to deter browsing animals.
Nesting birds – usually, one of the weavers – are undeterred, and the feathered home-builders also often get a “free kick” from those thorns.
Birds who nest in the thick of thorns are deploying the tree’s weapons to defend themselves (and their young) from bird-eating predators.
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A Wikipedia list of 182 counties, ranked by average annual precipitation, has Colombia allegedly wettest and Egypt driest – respectively, 3,240 mm and 18 mm.
155 nations are allegedly “wetter” than Namibia; its reported annual average of 285 mm is a little more than half of the figure given for nation #141 – Australia.
Yet Namibian-harvested hardwood is the basis for an industry which currently yields more than 70 million Australian dollars worth of annual export income…and that figure is set to soar.
It has nothing to do with construction timbers or wooden furniture.
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Southern Africa’s oryx – Oryx gazella, aka “gemsbok” – is the largest of the world’s four oryx species.
This handsome antelope is prominent on Namibia’s coat of arms.
Oryx is also a firm favourite of Namibian diners; if Namibia had a “Paul Hogan”, he’d surely entice tourists by offering to “throw some gemsbok on the braai”.
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Arguably, this particular oxymoron nicely describes Phacochoerus africanus – the common warthog.
Ugly Beauty is also the title of an unequivocally beautiful composition by one of jazz’s greatest composers.
This post’s kneeling hero was neither injured, nor pious, and although the fire in this image was part of a lovely dinner experience, warthog was not on the menu.
