nature allied journeys
DAMARALAND
- namibia
"it is not the people who decide what sort of day it will be, it is the day who decided how the people shall be... and today we are gentle, like small clouds spread across the early African sky"
-the bushman winter has come
paul john myburgh
In the heart of Namibia lies a place of rugged beauty which offers us still wild spaces to wander.
Here, through yellowing grass plains, granite koppies and deep gorges we walk, sharing the pathways of elephant, desert rhino and zebra who know the ways to secret springs of water. We adapt to the rhythms of the day, finding the odd tree or rock shelter to rest in while the sun is high, following the pattern of the life that is around us.
In this place the only traces of other humans are the records of those who called this land home -the mountain Bushman - who have etched and painted their knowledge of a way of living in relation to all of life on the surrounding red-orange rocks.
Damaraland is not thought of as an area with large game, but on foot we see the tracks of desert adapted black rhino, lion, elephant and many other animals such as hyena, giraffe, and ostrich who share in the knowing of how to live here using knowledge passed down from generation to generation.
More than just a walk, this journey by foot is a fully immersive opportunity where instead of the traditional spectatorship of tourism, we return once again to being participants with Nature.
"Ecotourism is a service to people
through the medium of nature.
Wilderness trails are a service to nature, through the medium of people."
- Dr Ian Player