Sumwe Journal

there is something so utterly special about experiences with elephants. finding a herd close to the road to just sit with is what i eagerly search for when in the bush. spotting some of the grey beasts in the distance, i usually park the car and wait for them to amble up a little closer. as they approach, i close my eyes and you can hear and smell them distinctly. my ears prick up at the sound of the soft padding of their feet on the sandy road and the squeak of grass being pulled out of the ground. the smell is so earthly and intense, mixed with the sweetness from the grass.  each member of the heard has a distinct character, and sitting there observing them, it feels as though you become one with them. their eyes, wow, if close enough you get to see the amber glow below long eyelashes. so much ancient wisdom and spirit shines through as you stare into their eyes.  my heart definitely starts beating faster the closer they get. a wall of grey wrinkles surrounds the car once th...

kosi bay 4:30 a.m. and the coffee pot is already on the coals. the boys are baiting up and  getting ready for a long morning of fishing. jackets on, we head out to launch the boat. there is no movement in the air so the water is a reflection of the sky, light pastel colours. we glide slowly over the crystal clear water, passing the traditional fish kraals that stand  out of the water. cows stare with blank faces as we drift pass, and still the sound of thousands of birds in the reeds fill your ears.   The channels can get pretty narrow and we watch warily as we pass hippo paths made in between the reeds. eventually we make it out of the channels and into the wide open lakes where we hope to catch grunter, mullet or kingfish.   Elegant pink flamingos dance across the water, sending ripples into their reflections as they go. This place is wild and fill of untouched land. after a few hours of fishing, nothing is taking the bait and our tummies a...

the sun ducked behind the silhouettes of the acacia trees and she turned  crimson. the air was so still  and nothing dared make a sound except for the low hum of the bees in the  aloe flowers and the distant lonely call of the night-jar. as the sun rapidly made her way to hide behind the mountains she kissed the sky goodbye for the day. the sky blushed an orange-pink glow  for she knew it wouldn't be long before the silver slither of the moon would come into view.  the moon is dazzled with tiny but irresistibly beautiful diamonds that hang around her in the lonely  midnight blue sky. the air slowly cools and my skin tingles. just as the sun did, the moon glides across the sky bringing  trails of stars along with her. different constellations come to greet me  as the hours go by.

Mozambique, what a raw, undiscovered beautiful place.  Where the dust is stained red and the palm tree forests line white sandy beaches.    Massive palm trees which line the roads high five us as we drive on along the dusty roads. . We pass small villages along the way, each bustling with dogs, cows, goats and happy barefoot children  playing in the sand. We stopped at some of the villages to top up on supplies of the local beer, dois M, pou and their famous peri-peri sauces. Windows are open with the warm air rushing in while slow reggae songs play in the background, you tend to loose yourself to the feeling of mozambique. Out of the car and into the sea. The water is warm and glows an iridescent blue. The salty air tickles your skin as you walk across the sand and the sun gives you warm kisses. The markets are filled with wooden curious, beautiful paintings and sarongs waving in the breeze. The locals carry fish to be filleted and sold to you soon ...

today i walked with the giraffes  their heads seemed  to tickle the azure sky and together they seemed to perform a slow waltz  across the plains  crunching dry grass as they went by