Africa: Post # 5... Victoria Falls...

 

 As we planned this trip we decided to take advantage of being closer to Victoria Falls than we were likely to be anytime soon in future... besides it turned out to become a Zimbabwe honeymoon & these Falls are larger than those of Niagara. Even while now running with much less than when full. The phenomenon of the Zambezi River dropping spectacularly over an edge formed by a tectonic shift in the planet's crust  into a canyon becomes a dramatic series of frothing water churned into vaporous clouds at its base. The native name for the falls means a beautifully evocative phrase "the smoke that roars"...

We were visiting when the river was running low, but still making a dramatic show.

 

It is quite wide so even at this dry season it leaves a "print" of its course when full... 

 

 

We found a good guide, if a bit soulful, particularly when I mentioned the college education he seemed to have, but Carlton explained he hadn't been able to afford that. 

 

 

 

 

The hotel where we stayed was built with lots of open-air spaces... beginning at the reception...

 

With side tables lathed from slabs, which I found particularly handsome...

We were booked with a dinner cruise on the Zambezi... very nicely done. We enjoyed our table at the front of the upper deck, giving us unimpeded sunset views...

The landscape became an exotic series of silhouetted riverine [riparine] views...
The drinks & several well made courses were served by a pleasantly efficient staff... who formed a chorus to sing us off the boat after we docked to go home! Lovely!

  

Then there was the additional offering for a redux, next morning before dawn. I was ambivalent at first, but we decided to get up at 4am & meet a driver in the dark to join. We proved to be the only people who felt called...  thus gifting us a private event with Captain Bryan... who once again demonstrated the quality & character of the guides we met in South Africa... although we were actually floating along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe... just before the river quickened to drop over Victoria Falls. 

 

 

 

The boat was set-up with breakfast for a dozen or more, so we felt totally pampered, cruising with coffee & nibbles in hand, roving 'round the boat for the best views... often which were pointed-out by Captain Bryan. As Stephen began asking questions they soon were chatting... as the Captain warmed to his capabilities, sensing our genuine interests in communication... sharing differences as well as the more usual commonalities. This is how travel feeds us...

 

 

 

 

I'm glad he offered his encouragement toward this excursion!

 

 

Another bit of knowledge toward my kitchen was to be taken to see a tree which is the source for baking powder is the Baobab tree... who knew?!?

[I will now... every time I bake a cake!]

Africa: Post #8...Cape Town... Art & Architecture After Aparthied...

 

Cape Town is Serious...  Cape Town is Fun... 

 

I could not resist noting this vehicle as Shakier was driving us to the airport. Its colorful bit of sass, even in a working rig (a painter?), seems to describe the mood we were holding in appreciation for this renewing country.

 

We were carrying back a piece of art to remind us of Cape Town's magic during the winter into which we are returning . We are continuing the celebration of color to what might be considered a symbolic mutual wedding gift to ourselves! Yes, it is odd & quirky, so we are mounting & framing it accordingly, with more color... so, of course there is a story...

 

As we were walking back to our hotel along the waterfront after dinner, we were arrested in the dim lighting by curiously fantastic line drawings, not unlike cartoons... piquing my imagination from a number of my interests. Also displayed was a QR code inviting an app revealing tastes of the the drawings evolving into animation of them evolving into bit of a larger story line, indeed part of a much larger work... & the Art At Africa gallery just above would tell & show us more. We came back to visit the next day, which was our last! 

The artist's name is David Griessel & he is working to create a major composition of which the two pieces we bought are sketches for the original drawings which are now incorporated digitally into the animations of the story... roughly like the "cels" of past animation techniques. 

 Fantasy, animation, draftsmanship, story... then there is a musical composition as soundtrack! We are pleased to be enjoying & following this artist & his project!

See more here: artatafrica.art

    

 

An overview to help understand the unique geography of the place... more than a city... developed around tall, flat Table Mountain from which one looks south at the tip of the continent with the Atlantic Ocean on the right side & the Indian Ocean on the left. To the south lies Antarctica...

We stayed at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel on the waterfront... I'm still learning about Alfred, The Queen's second son, who has an interesting history getting him to South Africa... the waterfront is the original harbor where the Dutch East Indies trade was centered, & has been recently renewed into new life... a happening spot. We especially enjoyed having fine breakfasts on the sunny front walk of the hotel.

The SILO is the new art museum... Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) you can see in the center of this image. It totally intrigued me, being an abandoned concrete grain elevator, like the ones I grew up with in Kansas... having been re-imagined with a huge saw, biting & cutting into the tall cylinders to gracefully re-sculpt them into open into new spaces, as shown in this model... brilliant! [I was heartened to re-imagine Kansas as a future art mecca!]

 

 

 

Of course, there are transparent elevators as well as a dramatically huge spiral staircase!

 

The floors of the elevators are also frosted glass... 

 

 

 The splayed-open base becomes its own dramatic

floor 

 

 This shot of Stephen exploring its terrain shows the large scale of the space.

 

 

 At the top there has been built a new multi-story event space with a coffee-shop & hotel.

 

The cylinders are capped with heavy glass with curious iconography resembling some re-invention on Chinese/Japanese characters.

 

I won't resist further celebration of the color-scheme in the men's room, as an example of the consideration given to seemingly every  detail of design!  

  

Down further in the bowels of the structure, more exhibit spaces have been created with the mechanique of chutes once opening to move the grain, exposed. We enjoyed seeing student work from the educational department of the museum.

 

 

 

ART AFTER APARTHEID...

That statement is bit of invention on my part, noting my actual ignorance about that historic social situation, even as I was rather frequently reminded that I need to keep trying to learn for myself. 

The SILO was exhibiting various such lessons...

 

I read the persistent red color on the walls speaking to the deadly regime now past... 

Some images are nearly universal... Others are more abstract propositions & explorations. This is the museum at work in a new era...

 

A carefully invented display about a group of authors exhibited books & papers in a blossom of plexiglass cases.

 

 

This statement about time can summarize much about this extraordinary country... about any country. All are constantly in states of flux & change... going forward or stumbling attempting to resist inevitable change...

Exiting through the good gift shop, there were more of such parts of equipment becoming a casual display of such stuff as I might dub "art of actuality".

 More of the gears of this large size which are such a turn-on for me!

 While Stephen enjoyed playful rock'n'roll seating!