#namibia is amazing

[england-would-fall]

hello my darlings

i was on a 3+ week roadtrip and immediately began a fast and furious relocation back to the U.S. (family back home needs us). please keep tagging me in things! i’ll get back on track at some point, promise!

Enjoy this photo of seals I saw chillin’ on the Namibian Skeleton Coast

[elinerlina2]

Namibian dreams

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

📸 Richard Bernabe

[snazzymolasses]

na

June 21, 2024 - Namibia's high court has declared the "sodomy law" that criminalised gay sex unconstitutional!

Namibia inherited the apartheid-era law banning “sodomy” and “unnatural offences” when it gained independence from South Africa in 1990. [link]

[mysticalblizzardcolor]

Amazing Fluorite & Quartz From Erongo Region, Namibia - 4.2cm.

[timotheecontent]

lorenzhideyoshi: #duneparttwo Simply a crazy unforgettable ride over 8 months with an amazing #stunt team across Budapest, Jordan, the UAE and Namibia

[theemporium]

i wanna second that anon about your amazing fics! but it’s not just that, all your posts make my day - i literally check on your blog like it’s the daily newspaper 😂 tumblr might be a wild place but i’m so grateful that it’s brought this wee community together (look you even have me saying wee and i’m literally from namibia 😭). so so grateful for you cece! 💜

YOUS ARE ALL TRYING TO MAKE ME CRY ON A MONDAY🥹🫶🏽🫶🏽

I’m grateful for this wee corner of the internet too🥲we all share one insane brain cell but I do love her!!

[ghminerals]

Beryl var. Aquamarine. Amazing blue. 63 grams. Flat top termination with a terminated side car. Erongo Mts., Namibia. C. Cecil collection https://etsy.me/3omZosY

[agentfascinateur]

Another amazing contribution by Africa, offering the ICJ the example of German genocide in Namibia:

Minister Yvonne Dasaub & Dr Phoebe Okawa 👏🏼👏🏼💜💜

[mikucountries]

Updated list of Mikus! Thank you again to all of the amazing artists around the world.

Europe

Turkey

Netherlands

Romani

Hungary

Iceland

Moldova

Germany

Finland

Greece

France

Denmark

Poland

Romania

Ukraine

Hungary

Lithuania

Ireland

Wales

Belarus

Scotland

Slovakia

Italy

United Kingdom

Norway

Portugal

Kosovo

Latvia

Russia

Estonia

Slovenia

Serbia

Spain

Austria

San Marino

Mari

Czechia

Bosnia

Catalán

Croatia

Switzerland

Vatican City

Montenegro

Malta

Sweden

Belgium

Cyprus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Albania

Asia

Jordan

Syria

Armenia

Ingush

China

Palestine

Taiwan

Tajikistan

India

Bhutan

Malaysia

Philippines

Pakistan

Thailand

Burma

Indonesia

Bangladesh

Vietnam

Nepal

Korea

Kazakhstan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Kurdistan

Uzbekistan

Iran

Iraq

Laos

Georgia

North Korea

South Korea

Cambodia

Azerbaijan

Kerala

Mongolia

Sri Lanka

Kyrgyzstan

Japan

Yemen

Tibet

Indonesia

UAE

Bahrain

Singapore

Brunei

Maldives

Oceania/Pacific Islands

Samoa

Fiji

Tuvalu

Maori

Aboriginal Australian

Papua New Guinea

New Zealand

Tonga

Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Togo

Nigeria

South Africa

Algeria

Djibouti

Egypt

Ethiopia

Namibia

Ghana

Cameroon

Tunisia

Kenya

Morocco

Mozambique

Angola

Madagascar

Congo

Kamba

Ivory Coast

Mauritius

Benin

Tanzania

The Gambia

Burkina Faso

Senegal

Gabon

Botswana

Mauritania

Zimbabwe

Uganda

Oromo

Habesha

Equatorial Guinea

Sierra Leone

Seychelles

Chad

Libya

North America

Cherokee

Guatemala

Panama

El Salvador

Mexico

Cuba

Honduras

Chumash

Chicana

Trinidad and Tobago

Anishinaabe

Canada

Muskogee

Belize

African American

Barbados

Yupik

Bahamas

Mi’kmaw

St. Kitts and Nevis

Jamaica

Costa Rica

Métis

Navajo

Potowatomi

Dominica

Apache

Nicaragua

St. Lucia

Lakota

Inuk

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Antigua and Barbuda

Creole

Haiti

Dominican Republic

South America

Ecuador

Peru

Argentina

Chile

Venezuela

Brazil

Colombia

Suriname

Guyana

Bolivia

Mapuche

Paraguay

Uruguay

Grenada

Antarctica

[sumiandwaynetozimzamza]

5/30/2024 - Crossing into Zambia was a breeze thanks to our amazing Zim host and her fabulous taxi driver! We got showered (literally!) seeing Victoria Falls from the Zambia side. Although you only see 25% of the falls on this side, you get 125% more wet! Totally worth it though. Our Zam host suggested a stroll through resort grounds near the falls, where we saw zebras and other animals roaming freely. Alongside this menagerie, there are 5 presidents (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola) attending a summit at the resort. We saw several zebra but no heads of state! Now we're poolside at our hostel drying out our shoes in the afternoon sun. Early night for us as we catch a 8:30am flight to Lusaka tomorrow to meet up with our friends Martin and Lia!

[bobbinacrossafricatake2]

Namibia - On the Move

May 19, 2024

Seb got up at 5:00 AM to visit Bruce again at the solar observatory. He was perched on a bench (asleep?) but seemingly happy to have company. His most powerful telescope was misbehaving, so we first looked through the other two. He tried to convince Sarah that she could simply look at his insta site, but it’s not the same, so he kept at it until the good one found Saturn and focused. Pretty dang cool to see the ring(s), and also a glimpse of an unfocused red Mars. Bruce muttered on about galaxies and nebulas and a bunch of stuff that Sarah frankly didn’t understand,but without the moon, she enjoyed the spectacular sky, complete with two shooting stars, the Milky Way, Sagittarius and a few other things she could marginally appreciate! Back at the room, Jill’s alarm had just gone off, so Sarah convinced her to turn off all the lights and look at the sky out by the pool. The Milky Way visible to the naked eye.

We finished packing and headed to breakfast in the lounge. Yum - a seemingly wholesome bowl, kombucha concoction (for gut health, as if that’s a priority here), cappuccino, coffee, and other treats. As usual, different light on the horizon for a new and wonderful look at the same view. We saw Ty and Idea one last time, said farewell to our hosts and jumped into a vehicle with Lance and Rebecca. The airports in Namibia are basically a few tents for shelter while waiting, a loo, and an area to keep fuel for the planes - not fancy! Our ginormous plane (ha - seats twelve, plus pilot and co-pilot, which is not part of the team) was there; we waited for a few other passengers and headed northwest. The views were amazing. First, the red dunes as far as one could see. Then a river bed that delineated where the dunes changed from red sand to white (well, tan). The textures and subtle color changes were only outdone by the change from dunes to flat(ish) sand to rough, sandy areas to mountains that were almost black. Our first pilot had made a comment that Namibia has many “table mountains” and true to her word, we passed over an area that was all about flat-topped mountains.

Our first flight had a stopover in Swalopmund where we swapped out a few passengers and refueled, then onto Doro Nawas. It was totally fun, when we landed to see our first Namibia pilot who remembered our names. (Ah, it’s the little things that make an impression). Most passengers boarded vehicles, but we had our third flight of the day to the camp’s airstrip. This flight was on a miniature (4-6 seater) Cessna. Max, our guide for the three days we’re at the Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, met us as we got off the flight, collected our bags, and drove us the 25 min or so to our new home. The terrain here is still desert, but oh so different from Soussusvlei. It’s scruffier, rougher, with small, rocky hills dotting the landscape.

We arrived at camp to the staff singing a welcome song. They greeted us with the traditional cold, wet towels and fresh drink (lemonade in this case). We went in, met a bunch of staff, and got the overview of the lodge. It’s seriously hot here, reportedly 97 degrees today. But in WDC, it would be unbearable, here it’s simply hot. It’s a tented camp, not even close to the opulence of the &Beyond lodge, but really charming. We are admittedly a bit concerned that there’s no A/C - will see how that works out. We’re told that the winds usually come from the west (Atlantic) but for the last five days and at least the next few, they’re from the east, bringing hot air. Oh well, Mother Nature (and maybe climate change?) at work. We opted for lunch before going to our room. Yummy.

Our room/tent here is the closest one on one side of the lodge. It’s super nice, albeit more simple than the last place. But it’s well designed, with a nice view toward the watering hole for local creatures, good storage for two, plugs and WiFi (again only in the room, not in the common areas), a patio with lounge chairs and table, and a good bathroom with double sinks. Can’t really ask for more! We settled in quickly and then each took naps, it having been a short night. Tea at 4:30 PM (or “sweet and savory” as they dubbed it) was nice with more lemonade and we met our vehicle companions for the next few days, Robert and Jo. They’re super nice, which bodes well for a good time with Max. Off we went for our first game ride. Driving out of camp each of us admitted later that we had the lowest expectations ever for a game drive. We’re in the desert, with almost nothing green, loads of sand and rock, and not a creature in sight (except the flies and moths at lunch). Hurrah for being wrong!! Our first sighting was a baby giraffe. Sooooooooooo adorable. He was alone, very much blended into the background with very pale markings, and well, we all swooned. On we went and saw oryxes and springboks (hanging together), a few interesting birds, another large giraffe, and some baboons. The highlight was when we found Charlie leading Obi back toward camp. There are four lions on this private concession,3 sisters (Alpha, Beta and Charlie) and Obi, a male who was causing trouble in another area and re-located before locals took matters into their own hands, which would not be a good outcome for Obi. Now, he now has the choice of three girls. Not bad. Charlie is his favorite - for now. Charlie in the lead, we tracked them for a while. Stunning creatures, both; they’re hungry and on the hunt (watch out baby giraffe!). Such majestic presence. Max was great tracking, explaining, finding us good photo and viewing opportunities, and generally making sure our experience was fab. Indeed it was.

Back at camp, we were greated with our drink of choice (called in by Max as we approached camp) and enjoyed it at the firepit. There are only eight guests in camp today, and the staff moved the tables to the lounge area patio. It had cooled just enough to make dining al fresco very comfortable. Dinner, of course, was delicious: broccoli tempura as appetizer and a pork dish for the main course. The staff is quite attentive to Jill’s dairy limitation, and offered alternatives as needed. Mango sorbet was a perfect replacement on this warm night.

[tylerwitkin]

A Ferrari Safari Through Namibia

Walking on the moon (on Earth), risking life along the way.

When presented with the idea of a roadtrip adventure across Namibia, one might think Namiba-what?

Well, let me tell you, Namibia and it’s insanely varied and unique African terrain harbors some of the most awe-inspiring sights I’ve ever seen. From a red moon so full and low to the earth it was almost incomprehensible, to Fish River Canyon and its cratered ravine to the skeleton coast and it’s eerie barrenness, Namibia transports you as far away from the every day as you could travel. Himba tribal women covered in red soil, Sossusvlei’s “Big Daddy” dune reaching high into the clear blue sky … Namibia amazed me at every turn.

[ingek73]

Harry and Meghan are right about racist Britain in their Netflix series

Readers on the uncomfortable truths exposed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series and media reactions to it

Tue 13 Dec 2022 17.41 GMT

A still from Harry & Meghan on Netflix.

I couldn’t agree more with Prince Harry’s comment in the Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan that unlearning racism is a lifelong journey. As a 50-year-old provincial white man, I only hope I live long enough. Nels Abbey (A white lens sees Harry and Meghan as villains – through a Black one, they’ve done Britain a favour, 9 December) is right that Britain needs the catharsis of a serious discussion about racism and our colonial history.

Just as the US has yet to come to terms with the horrors of native American genocide and slavery, the UK has never addressed its role as a builder of the slave trade and brutal conqueror of a hundred or more nations. I love my country, but that love is tainted with the myth of a noble imperial history taught with equal enthusiasm by family, school and jingoistic media that reflect society only too well.

After the second world war, imperial Japan and Nazi Germany were all but erased from their nations’ iconography. It was expected that past atrocities were acknowledged, and a new identity of self-aware nationalism forged.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that Germany is the only European country to pay reparations to a former colony (though it insisted its €1.1bn agreement with Namibia was a gesture of reconciliation rather than reparations). They tore down the statues of their historical monsters. There will be no sensible discussion on race and colonialism as long as we still venerate ours.

Alex Brown

Muscat, Oman

• Nels Abbey is on point when he says that “as Britons of different ethnicities, we are often viewing the same events very differently”. Living as a black woman in Britain is like living in a parallel world to my white counterparts, who are oblivious to my experience. Watching the bigotry and racism towards Harry and Meghan play out in the media has been soul-destroying. The false narrative constructed by the media, and the relentless attacks on the couple to avoid the elephant in the room of media racism being the main factor in their departure from this country, are particularly vexing.

Harry and Meghan were wise to leave. For many people of colour silently enduring this country, leaving is an unrealised dream.

Name and address supplied

• I have been amazed by the vitriol directed at Harry and Meghan after the release of their Netflix series (TV review, 8 December). It is only when one looks under the surface that it starts to make sense. They have poked at the identity of Britain.

Traditionally, British people saw their country as a robust white democracy, with global influence and a beloved queen at the apex of society. But this myth unravelled for many people in 2022. Our democracy was exposed as flaky and, at the moment of greatest political instability, our queen of 70 years died. Underlying all this is that many people in Britain, including the royal family, don’t seem to have got their heads round the fact that we lost our empire long ago.

Britain has been changing for decades, and those in the establishment who have had most to lose attack the changes and cling to the past. For many, though, change is welcome. I believe most white British people now see black Britons as “us” not “them”, Brexit as a chauvinistic disaster, and doing something about climate change as more important than looking at yet more photos of the Sussexes.

Cath Potter

London

• I was saddened but not surprised when Harry and Meghan fled the UK. Vast swathes of our society follow our tabloid press in blind ignorance. They turned Meghan into a villain and the public, like sheep, followed. My family is multicultural, and I have seen my son tread warily around countless subtle racist comments, as well as overt abuse from strangers. In some areas, the UK’s multiculturalism is a source of great pride to me. But we still have a long way to go.

Michaela Harte

Bromley, London

• The backlash from rightwing politicians and media against Harry and Meghan’s documentary amply proves their point.

Kit Jackson

London

[xtruss]

A Spotless Giraffe, Pictured in Namibia 🇳🇦, was seen and photographed for the first time in the wild just weeks after another animal with this type of coloring was born at a U.S. 🇺🇸 Zoo. Photograph By Eckart Demasius and Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Another Rare Spotless Giraffe Found—the First Ever Seen in the Wild

The sighting occurred just weeks after the unusual condition was seen in a newborn giraffe at a Tennessee zoo. Is it more common than scientists thought?

— By Dina Fine Maron | September 12, 2023

Just weeks after a giraffe at a U.S. Zoo was born missing its characteristic spots, another spotless giraffe calf has now been seen and photographed in the wild for the first time.

The unprecedented sighting occurred at Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, a private game reserve in central Namibia. Tour guide Eckart Demasius saw and photographed the solid-brown calf during a game drive on the roughly 90,000-acre reserve, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Demasius, who was not immediately available for comment, shared his photos with the giraffe nonprofit.

Sara Ferguson, a wildlife veterinarian and conservation health coordinator at the foundation, says the two recent spotless sightings are pure coincidence and that there’s no data to suggest this coloring is occurring more frequently than it had in the past.

This finding is just another example of “the weird way the world works” she says, adding that she’s “so amazed and pleased there is so much more to learn and discover about giraffe.”

Genetic Anomalies

The spotless reticulated giraffe born at Brights Zoo in Limestone, Tennessee, earlier this summer was recently named Kipekee, which means “Unique” in Swahili. The recent wild sighting occurred in another giraffe subspecies found in southern Africa, the Angolan giraffe.

Before these recent births, a giraffe with all-brown coloring was last seen at a Tokyo Zoo in 1972.

The spotless giraffe and its mother were photographed on a reserve with around 800 giraffes in central Namibia 🇳🇦. Photograph By Eckart Demasius and Giraffe Conservation Foundation

Scientists, including Ferguson, believe the solid coloring is likely due to one or more genetic mutations that haven’t yet been identified.

Some aspects of giraffe spots are passed down from mother to calf, according to a 2018 study in the Journal Peer J, and larger, rounder spots appear to be linked to higher survival rates for younger giraffes, but the reasons for that remain unclear.

Derek Lee, a Biology Professor at Penn State University and a co-author on the PeerJ Study, says that technically these two recent examples are not spotless animals, but instead —"one-spot-all-over giraffes."

It’s impossible to say what this genetic anomaly means for the animal’s health, he says, but there’s no evidence the color difference puts the animal at a disadvantage.

“We have a sample size here of one, so time will tell what happens.”

[doomedandstoned]

EMMALEEN: ‘The Sun Will Still Shine When You Die’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

As regulars know, we feature a lot of heavy music in these pages. Sometimes heaviness shows up in the least expected places. Would you believe in a banjo? EMMALEEN will make a believer out of you.

Her new album 'The Sun Will Still Shine When You Die' (2023) is beautifully bluesy music with notes of melancholy and sorrow, but also hope and peace. Music for a cloudy day, if you will, and we're getting right into them now. Emmaleen's haunting, oaken voice is warm, hearty, and strangely soothing, even while singing sad songs about sad situations. It is, after all, witchy blues and Gothic folk. I call it downright enchanting.

There's a macabre air to songs like the swampy "Timesickness." I envision long, lonely days and nights spent on 19th century prairies waiting for loved ones, waiting for the weather to change, and plenty of time to stew on the grim reality of things.

The eleventh hour is here The world is over run and underpaid

The smart instrumentation makes each song captivating, whether brisk and up-tempo or slow and unhurried (those bass drum drops on the opening "Wailing Trees"). The recording captures the experience with great clarity and presence. I felt as if she could have been playing my piano across the room during the dark, dreamy "Ballad in Blues."

I really appreciated the "Interlude," with its spontaneous singing and spontaneous noises from the band. When "Forever and Ever" started immediately following, I was all ears. Story time! Emmaleen convinces you of every verse, painting a word picture that is vivid and easy to sympathize with. In the most amazing and unexpected way, the mood changes to a bluesy country folk that transports us to a time before all the sound and fury of this present age.

"Sun and Moon" follows and it's a bouncy, pleasant number, with the bass drum rejoining us for moments. You can feel your cares starting to lift. By the final song, "Lullaby For Lonely Nights," you can really float away. True to its name, it is gentle and reassuring, starting with banjo and voice and then appropriately timed appearances by the harmonica, bass, bass drum, piano, and guitar.

The Sun Will Still Shine When You Die is recommended for fans of Tom Waits, Jim White, Odetta, Karen Dalton, Son House, Diamanda Galas, 16 Horsepower, and Billie Holiday. And if some of those names are new to you (as they were to me), it presents an opportunity to explore a genre that still finds power and relevance in our busy, sick, and haggard world. Emmaleen has tapped into one of the powers innate in all of us, and that is the outlet of song, giving release to our burdens and expression to our joys. Out in digital format on October 20th (pre-order here).

Give ear...

LISTEN: Emmaleen - 'The Sun Will Still Shine When You Die'

SOME BUZZ

Born in 1991 in Namibia, Emmaleen Tomalin is a force to be reckoned with in the world of independent music. As a solo artist, she has crafted a unique and enchanting niche in the realm of witchy blues and gothic folk. Following the success of her debut album 'Songs from the Unseen, the Unsaid and the Unborn' in 2022, Tomalin has continued to captivate audiences with her evocative storytelling and haunting melodies.

In February 2023, Tomalin unveiled 'The Other Side,' a mesmerizing recording from 2015 that showcases the artist's early mastery of her craft. This release served as a tantalizing prelude to her upcoming full-length album, 'The Sun will Still Shine When You Die,' scheduled to be released on October 20, 2023.

The journey into the shadows continues with the release of the first three singles from the upcoming album. 'Wailing Trees,' 'Sister Sister,' and 'Timesickness' were unveiled in August and September 2023, giving fans a taste of the ethereal landscapes and mystical narratives that await them. These singles set the stage for an immersive experience that transcends conventional musical boundaries.

'The Sun will Still Shine When You Die' promises to be an inner journey into the realms of magic realism and spiritual introspection. Emmaleen's time-traveling witchy blues and gothic folk songs transport listeners into another dimension, where bone-chilling moments coexist with raw vulnerability. The album's slow pace, haunting vocals, resonator guitar, banjo, and sparse percussion create a sonic tapestry that is as unique as it is bewitching.

Recorded and engineered by Ruan Vos (Sonic Nursery) the recording process took four days - nine hours a day of live recording and overdubbing. All songs were recorded live with guitar, banjo or piano and vocals in two to four takes. Emmaleen wrote the bass lines during the recording process on acoustic bass. The percussion was improvised with handmade instruments and a kick drum.

Being the only guest musician, Lliezel Ellick performed cello on 'Wailing Trees'. It was Emmaleen’s intention to keep the music as clean and natural sounding as possible with an analogue 'hands on' approach. The process still allowed room for spontaneous creativity in the moment.

Emmaleen chose to record very quickly to capture a small window in time of focused energy. “If I became too self-aware my performance would suffer - having a tight deadline gave me no time to think and forced me to feel my way through. We purposely left in certain sounds we liked such as; clearing my throat or the sound of my shoes shuffling. This being part of the music and the nature of live recording.” She comments.

The album serves as the next chapter in Tomalin's artistic evolution, an amalgamation of old styles giving birth to something both timeless and fresh. In a deliberate departure from instant consumer culture, 'The Sun Will Still Shine When You Die' invites audiences to embrace the deliberate and savor the nuances of a musical journey that defies the ordinary.

Brace yourselves for a musical experience that transcends the ordinary and takes you on a spellbinding adventure.

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