South Africa

One of my most anticipated trips was to South Africa. I grew an affinity for the country, its history, and the change that had come. I wanted to see the place for myself having read so much about it when I was younger.

Drakensberg Trail

Into Drakensberg — The trail to Blind Man's Corner in the Monk's Cowl section of the Drakensberg.

A trail in the Drakensberg, the mountains in the center of the country. Beyond those peaks is Lesotho, the enclaved country surrounded by South Africa.

Animals

We visited many national parks, where the animals roam free across huge swaths of land. We saw many elephants, kudu, penguins, zebras, hogs, rhinos, and buffalo.

Elephant Passing — This hulking mammal was about six feet away as it passed us. Close enough to see his long eyelashes, and feel simultaneously unnerved and awestruck.

Basking Kudu — A pair of kudu basking in the bush.

Zebra — Spotted these zebras in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the east coast of the country. Over that hill is the Indian Ocean.

Hairy Pig — There are warthogs a-plenty in Addo, and they always travel and graze in groups. It appears as though this one was recently crying.

Penguin Portrait — African penguins, also known as the Jackass Penguin for its bray, reside in about two-dozen colonies along the southwest coast of Africa. Mostly on islands, there are two colonies on the mainland. This one is near Betty's Bay, about 100 kilometers east of Cape Town.

Pensive Dassie — The Dassie, or Rock Hyrax, is one of four species in the Hyracoidea order. They live in Africa and parts of the Middle East. This one has fine nails and a frown on its face.

Friend or Foe? — Is this aggression, or are they playing?

Rhino in the Sun — A rhino eats supper in the late afternoon. The black spots on its side are flies.

An Elephant Approaches — After the elephant's snack, he decided to walk toward us.

Ostrich — A female ostrich roams the bush in Addo Elephant Park.

Family incoming — An incoming family of elephants ended up parading right beside us.

Zebra at Sundown — A zebra feeding in the dwindling light of day.

Farewell — Having dined and drank, this parade of elephants was off for a walk.

Showdown — Two elephants in the tall grass stare at one another. Is it a duel or a friendly reunion?

Wildebeest Quorum — An important meeting of wildebeest by the watering hole.

Landscapes & People

The South African landscape is incredibly diverse. It’s arid on the western, Atlantic coast and humid on the eastern, Indian coast. Between are deserts, rainforests, and tropical climates to the north.

Falling Water — Jackie sits among a small waterfall in the Ndumeni River.

Drakensberg Light — Sunlight pours over the Drakensberg Mountains in the Champagne Valley area and onto Jackie and our home in Drakensberg.

Portrait under the stars — Jackie and I tried to remain still for these two-minute shots, but it was hard. Here's our third try.

Starry Champagne Valley — Stars over the Champagne Valley area of the Drakensberg Mountains. The Large Magellanic Cloud is visible in center frame, Canis Major is in the upper-right, Alpha Centauri is the bright star in the upper-lefthand corner.

The 3,500-foot (1000-m) Table Mountain shot from the road to Signal Hill. A nearly vertical cablecar runs from the building at center to the top.

Hovering Clouds — Clouds hover over the coastal mountains at the Cape of Good Hope.

Outeniqua Pass — One of the most beatiful passes in South Africa is the Outeniqua, which takes one from the arid Karoo (on the other side of these mountains) to the Garden Route on South Africa's southern coast.

Jackie on the Precipice — Jackie, who is troubled by heights, sits on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Valley of Desolation in Camdeboo National Park.

Blood Sky — The blood-red sun sets on another hot, steamy day in iMfolozi.

Spoons and Brooms — Spoons and brooms for sale along the road to the Cape of Good Hope.

The Overberg — The hills of the Overberg are wheat-covered and dry. This is South Africa's breadbasket.

Stars Over Thatch — The night sky, including the southern cross, over the thatched roofs at Graceland.

The Front — Sunset along a weather front, captured perfectly as we waited on the highway for the construction to clear.

Table Mountain and the Lion's Head. Cape Town to the left, Sea Point and the Atlantic Ocean to the right.

Oribi Gorge Cliffs — The cliffs of the Oribi Gorge are 365-million-year-old sandstone, under which is 1-billion-year-old rock at the bottom of the gorge.

Bringing Home the Bacon — I passed this woman carrying groceries from the supermarket on her head.

The Lion's Head — One cannot walk too far in Cape Town without spotting the Lion's Head, one of the three peaks that encircle the city.

An adult boutique beside the Blue Cut hair salon in Sea Point. These Adult Boutiques are a nationwide chain.

Seascapes

South Africa is surrounded by seas on three sides. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean, to the east the Indian Ocean, and these two oceans meet along the country’s southern coast.

Hout Bay is due south of Cape Town along the Atlantic coast. The road hugs the coastal mountains and descends into the towns, providing spectacular views at each turn.

Cape Peninsula — Looking north from the Cape of Good Hope

Hermanus Harbor — The harbor in Hermanus near sunset. Hermanus is known as the best whale-sighting city in the world. During mating season (June through December) you can sit on the cliffs overlooking the bay and see the whales breach.

Indian Ocean — The east coast of Africa, about 80 miles south of Mozambique.

Sunset and the Cyclist — A man on a bicycle enjoys the sunset.

Groovy Shore — The rugged shoreline in western Cape Town is not suitable for lying on. Luckily, I'm not partial to lying on beaches.

Beach at Wilderness — The beach in Wilderness, a tiny village along the South Africa's Garden Route.

A happy accident

Serendipity — The ghost of Jackie appears in this accidental shot. We were out on a dirt road taking shots of the sky when we heard an ominous groan from a nearby animal. Not knowing what it could be, we picked up our cameras and ran about 20 feet. My camera's shutter was open and taking a long exposure, which accounts for the starry background. But once I picked it up, and Jackie fired her flash to see if there was something stalking us in the road, she appeared in the exposure.

This shot stemmed from a scary experience. We were out shooting under a dark, starry sky. We’d walked away from where we were staying, into the darkness. It was pitch black—I could not even see my held-out hand in front of my face. After a few minutes of taking shots, something suddenly made a noise—a strange animal noise—right beside us. I was low-pitched and rumbly.

We took off running. I picked up my camera and tripod mid exposure, and this photo is what the camera saw in that moment.