TravelAwaits
May.9.2021
It’s easy to visit Africa and yet see nothing of the local customs and cultures. Safaris tend to focus on wildlife, and many travelers don’t get close enough to see a local village or its people, let alone experience some of their cultures or customs.
The African continent has 54 countries and around 1.3 billion people. There are an estimated 3,000 tribes, speaking more than 2,000 different languages, each with its own style, look, and culture. From shaven heads to intricate braids, brightly colored clothing to intricate beaded jewelry, these are just some of the features of diverse African tribes. And just as they look different, they have different traditions, too. To come to Africa without meeting its people is to miss out on a big part of what makes this continent unique.
Louis Herman, University of Hawaii at West Oahu professor
Herman said he has known the producer and star of the documentary Craig Foster for over 20 years.
Foster consulted with Herman and even interviewed him for the movie about the power of immersive wilderness and more. But the interviews from Herman and others were not included to keep the narrative on Foster’s relationship with the octopus.
Credit University of Hawaii West Oahu
“I think the main star is the octopus and the ocean,” Herman said. “What I do as a philosopher and a teacher, a political activist is explain things and make connections between the small story and the big story and the larger situation. But that doesn’t necessarily belong in the film.”
4 Feb 2021, 08:22 GMT
A Ju/’hoansi (San Bushman) cultural guides demonstrates the traditional way to make fire, Nyae Nyae Conservancy, near Tsumkwe.
Photograph by Emma Gregg
How do you keep lions at bay when you’re sleeping in the Kalahari without a tent? With lion repellent, of course. The trick is to keep your fires burning and spike them with roots that produce the type of pungent smoke that big cats can’t abide.
The roots of the nondescript-looking shrub I’m peering at are ideal, apparently. “Put those on the flames, and the lions will run away in disgust”, says Tsamkgao !I/ae, my Ju/’hoan interpreter. This is exactly the kind of wisdom I’ve travelled more than 450 miles northeast from Windhoek to Otjozondjupa to hear.
A new show reflects upon some of the epic adventures Simon has had to date
When early cartographers attempted to make sense of our planet, their illustrations of scale and distance ultimately defined much more than the lay of the land. From explorers conquering new territories to pilgrims seeking heavenly salvation, travel lies at the core of human existence; shaping human evolution is in our DNA.
Clocking up much more than the number of miles covered, epic journeys can result in a significant shift of mindset – questioning values, bestowing knowledge and generally reminding us what it feels like to be alive. Stepping out of a familiar context provides a fresh perspective, something we’re desperately lacking right now.