Moving on, from Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and back to Namibia

Posted on June 18, 2008 in Impotence young men

Iguazu Falls - Argentinian side Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. This is a picture of the Iguazu Falls in Argentina - hoping to add one in a miunute of Victoria Falls on a rainy day. We went to the Victoria Falls on Saturday where it rained more than there was water coming over the Falls. We have had quite a few adventures since including joining a convoy of three pink buses, full of Swedes, listening to Dancing Queen and getting stuck in the wet sand of the Caprivi Strip, joining up with Stefan and Sissie from Germany who rescued us from the mud, meeting up with Nigel and Tuomo at the Shakawe (non-)Fishing Lodge, seeing bushmen paintings at Tsodilo Hills and making it over to Tsumeb, a very strange place where provincial Germany meets Africa. No internet and now no possibility of uploading phtos, we are negotiating with Janny, a local Namibian to take us to Kaokoland in northwest Namibia for the next few days. Still alive and kicking... and wishing everyone, belatedly, een gezellige Sinterklaas. Labels: Botswana, Trip to Middle East and Africa, Zambia

Tags: falls, namibia, victoria, day, joining

As promised.... the Herero ladies

Posted on June 14, 2008 in Impotence young men

Herero ladies in town Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. And now, a(nother) long blog..... Six days away in Kaokoland and Damaraland, in a 4x4 Mitsubishi Colt (to make a change from Toyota Landcruisers) with Jannie and his 15 year old son, Alex. We left Mousebird a little after 6 on a bright sunny morning. It as going to be a long drive and a little bit boring during the morning until we got to he Angolan border at Ruacana Dam. Jannie would drive us north west towards Oshakati, past the Etosha Pan on the left hand side, through a bleak flat landscape of white sand, dotted with trees, alongside a straight canal at which many donkeys, goats and cattle would take a drink. Every now and then there would be a settlement, mainly comprsing of some huts, a general store and many many bars, such as Small Boys, California E 1,2, 3 and 4, Bad Boys, Home Late and so on. Lots of beer and whiskey being drunk in these parts, so it seemed. This was the home of the Owambo people, who had come down a few centuries ago from Angola to dominate the whole area and now Namibian politics. Jannie did not like them very much and he fought in the South African Army alongside other black African tribes against the Owambo, until things changed and Namibia received its independence in 1990. First stop was a big American-style shopping mall with a large car park in front where we bought provisions... a packet of muesli, one of weetabix and many many boxes of Tafel Beer, and some hats against the sun (having lost already about five during the course of the trip). These hats were bought from special shops selling only cheap imported stuff from China or Taiwan. Incredible. All fake and chealy made, but incredibly cheap. Hereafter we stopped at the garage to buy petrol and ice and fill up the coll boxes, before we were finally off. Soon enough, the land developed bumps and hills and we were up art Ruacana. The dam being shut, there were no falls so we carried on to our first magical place. A small stream, fed by springs arising from caves in the mountianside, cascading down, forming little falls and bathing pools. Way out in the wilds, off road on the rockiest and bumpiest of tracks. Beautiful. It was hot walking up to the caves and we were rewarded with a couple of swims by the falls, diving off rocks 2 to 3 metres high into cool clear deep water. Only a couple of donkeys for company. From there, we were entering Himba territory. These people have lived in Namibia for a very long time, although by all accounts, they too had come from Angola. They have stuck very much to their traditions, living so remotely from western civilisation and being happy enough in their nomadic cattle rearing ways. Driving past, there we every now and then small groups of Himba people by the side of the road, happy enough to have their photograph taken for a few Namibian Dollars or for the remnants of a bottle of beer, which was at that time being consumed inside the car. The light was good and I managed to take some pretty good photos. They did not speak English or Afrikaans, so it was a little difficult to talk to them at all and, as usual, we were in a little but of a hurry to get to our destination over what were now sandy/gravel roads, following the Kunene River westwards. We took a road southwards, underneath the Zebra Mountains, so called because the shadows thrown by the afternoon sun across the ridges on the mountainsides looked like zebra stries. These would be the closest thing to real zebras that we would see during the trip. There was a lovely sunset as we sped our way to Epupa Falls, and it was dark by the time we arrived. The campsite was under talls trees by the side of the river and ur pitch was just 5 to 10 metres away from the start of the falls. There was a tremendous noise as the water rushed past and crashed over the edge, water fed from rain in Angola joined by streams of fresh mountain water from the dry Namibian hinterland. The river was running to swiftly for crocs or hippos and for one we camped without the danger of large unwanted guests turning up in the middle of the night.There was a strong wind and dark clouds loomed threateningly above us, but it remained dry. Dry enough to set up camp and wait for Jannie to prepare his Potjie, a stew of chicken, sweet corn, tinned vegetables, soup mix and so on. Delicious. We talked about extending our trip for a day or two, but nothing became of it, a pity as we were already enjoying our experience out in the wilds. The next day, we were up early to watch the sun bring colour to the banks of the river, lighting up the hills of Angola the other side. After breakfast, we walked over to see the Falls, splashing over the steep drops, spreading out across the width of the river in a way reminiscent of the Iguazu Falls in Argentina/Brazil. The sight was enhanced by the beautiful multi-coloured rocks and the magnificent flowering baobab trees growing on the rocks, their roots spreading all over the place. Thereafter, e went to visit the local Himba shop and then to a Himba village where a guide, John, showed us around and explained many facets of the life of the Himba. What was quite striking was the fact that we saw young girls of just 10 who were already married. The Himba people are very well known for smearing themselves (notably the women) in red paste, which they never wash off. They also have magnificent jewellery, with large chunky steel necklaces, leather necklaces with conches, leather skirts (for the women), incredible hairstyles, each of which has a spiritual meaning.. and so on.... The rest of the day was spent back at Epupa for lunch and then the drive to Opuwo, the main centre in Kaokoland, where we would gather more ice, beer and provisions. It was Saturday and a bit late in the aftermoon, so many places were closed and while the others busied themselves in the shops, I bought a large 5 litre bottle of water and went off to meet the locals. Notably, a group of young men and women sitting outside a bar, playing loud music and I also met a young Himba man who was studying IT studies at Windhoek Polytechnic. Sharing the bottle of water around I was told to be careful as

Tags: himba, falls, water, river, large

Charles and Fred at Epupa Falls

Posted on June 14, 2008 in Impotence young men

Charles and Fred at Epupa Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. Labels: Namibia, Trip to Middle East and Africa cheap cialis buy cilais generic cialis cialis

Tags: cialis, charles, epupa, fred, cheap

San child with grandmother

Posted on June 09, 2008 in Impotence young men

San child with grandmother Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. Today, we visited a San vilage and also went out for a bushwalk with a number of them where they showed us how they looked and found roots, leaves, nuts and fruits, all of which had special powers. They also recreated a hunt for us.. although the 'black' (as they call them) dominated government here in Namibia have banned them from hunting (after the whote apartheid rulers had forciblky moved them onto their current lands). The San have been living in these parts for the last 25,000 years, so have been a lot more successful than any other civilisation in our historical perspective. One pity was that at the scvhool which we were shown around, they are forced to learn evrything in English rather than their own language with all the clicks! But still, the school seemed quite well provided for by the governemnt. Many m,any mothers were carrying babies and there were lots and lots of children. By all accounts San people keep having children until they can no longer have them.... Tomorrow we are off to Etosha to look for and watch game for three days... hopefully we will finally get to see our male lion, and who knows what else. I have purchased a volume of African birds south of the Sahara so we will spend much time trying to identify all the birds we come across. See you again on Monday... and all is well with Fred... just a little bit too lazy to write a blog! Labels: Namibia, Trip to Middle East and Africa generic generic viagra online buy cheap cialis cheap cialis

Tags: san, lot, cialis, generic, children

Etosha

Posted on June 08, 2008 in Impotence young men

What teeth! Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. Just managed top sneak into an internet cafe (USD 10 per hour) to let you know that we are having a very successful time here in Etosha. At the gate yesterday morning in the light rain we see what look like two dogs on the road. They are black backed jackals. A little further on we meet another customer walking down the road (it is still very early). It is a young male lion, our first. Still further, we see some wt looking springbok. Then a fight between a jackal and three beautiful spotted hyenas, most going on beghind bushes so we cannot see exactly what is going on, but amazingly the jackal escapes with the meat! Then a large number of zebras, a few giraffes, some hartebeest, some wildebeest, an odd steenbok, a few kudu and so on. In the meantime I am identifying all sorts of birds (list to be published in next blog... but includes the ostrich, the secretary bird and many raptors). At the waterhole in the evening, after a beautiful sunset and night has set in we arrive ton see and hear a spoted hyena drinking water. He leaves. It is still save for a drongo catching insects in the nightlights. Then along comes a makle elephant, looking white in the light... he make a tour of the hole and sdtays with us for half an hour while he drinks and splashes around and comes very close to Fred, reaching out with his trunk. Incredible to hear everything in the silence, as opposed to just watching. Today starts off with a nervous jackal or two at the same waterghole (near our campsite), followed by springbok, hartebeest and four handsome male kudis. Fred calls me back for breakfast and we depart. Two lionesses at a waterhole. An old lion by the side of teh road, face showing many scars, his paws open with recent wounds, a massive mane and yellow teeth and pink tongue. We are thrilled! And later this afternoon..... a pride of lions.... four young babies, a number of mothers, some juveniles and a young male all together, an older male somewhat further off. Fifteen in total. We spend the rest of the afternoon with them while firsdt they rest then start to wealk around, looking and smelling the zebra and ostrioch nearby. Four young go off by themselves while the mothers are still resting... the mothers follow and eventually so do the males. Beautiful beautiful strong animals... this sort of experience really makes a three day trip like this worthwhile.. a once in a lifetime experience. Back at camp now, watched the sunset, while the others are preparing potjie. We are well satisfied. (Picture here from Zambia... Etosha pics to be uploaded Monday or Tuesday). Labels: Namibia, Trip to Middle East and Africa

Tags: male, beautiful, jackal, young, mothers

San mother with newborn child

Posted on June 08, 2008 in Impotence young men

San mother with newborn child Originally uploaded by CharlesFred. For a look at a discussion about the fate of teh San people in Namibia and Botswana, may I please refer you to the following site: http://www.ipacc.org.za/home.asp?sPage=regional.asp Labels: Namibia, Trip to Middle East and Africa generic viagra online generic cialis buy cilais cheap cialis

Tags: san, cialis, generic, namibia, asp

AFRICA-NAMIBIA: HIV puts Malaria back in spotlight

Posted on May 18, 2008 in Generic medical release

By, IRIN PlusNews, April 25, 2007 Malaria is reclaiming the world's attention after years of playing second fiddle to HIV. Experts are now convinced that the disease plays a greater role in the AIDS pandemic than was previously thought. "The disease has for too long been considered a separate health concern to HIV... it is high time that malaria was shown the same global dedication as HIV/AIDS," Malama Muleba, executive director of the Zambia Malaria Foundation (ZMF), told IRIN/PlusNews. He acknowledged that growing scientific interest in the dangers of co-infection between the two diseases had helped put Malaria back in the spotlight. Although the two infections have formed a deadly combination in most of sub-Saharan Africa for decades, earlier studies were not able to confirm the impact of malaria on HIV and vice versa. Now, the findings of a recent study by the University of Washington's Public Health Sciences (PHS) research division show that malaria fuels the spread of HIV, while HIV has also boosted malaria-infection rates. Published in the December 2006 issue of Science, a leading research journal, the study showed that because malaria increases the viral load [amount of HIV] in an HIV-positive person, it also makes HIV more transmissible to a sexual partner. "Malaria has contributed considerably to the spread of HIV by increasing HIV transmission probability per sexual act," one of the study's co-authors, Dr Laith Abu-Raddad, confirmed in the Science article. The researchers found that, conversely, HIV also plays a role in the spread of malaria, as the weakening of the immune system by the HI virus fuels a rise in adult malaria-infection rates, and may have facilitated the expansion of malaria in Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 90 percent of the one million global malaria deaths per year occur in African countries, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says malaria is the leading cause of death in many parts of Africa, with one child dying from the disease every 30 seconds. On the occasion of Africa Malaria Day, on 25 April each year, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, an initiative created in 1998 by WHO, UNICEF, the UN Development Programme and the World Bank, announced its target of securing a 50 percent success rate for malaria grant applications to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the largest international funder of malaria programmes. "Malaria control works ... if the richest nations expand their support at the [upcoming] June G8 meeting in Germany, we can dramatically reduce the one million deaths a year from malaria," said Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Fund, in a statement on Africa Malaria Day. Over 90 percent of the one million global malaria deaths per year occur in Africa. In Namibia, where the HIV prevalence rate is close to 20 percent and malaria accounts for almost nine percent of all hospital deaths, the Social Marketing Association (SMA), a non-governmental organisation, also stressed the importance of ongoing support in combating the two diseases. The SMA's regional coordinator, Mauritius Ngishindwa, told IRIN/PlusNews, "It [the malaria/HIV co-infection findings] is scary, but also very important because malaria, in a sense, had been sidelined by the AIDS pandemic ... it warrants more than an isolated annual event to really address the two diseases." Echoing these sentiments, Malama Muleba, director of the Zambia Malaria Foundation, said events such as World AIDS Day and Africa Malaria Day should be ongoing initiatives, as infections and deaths by both diseases were a daily occurrence. "The political will shown by the continent's health ministers during the recent African Union [AU] launch of the 'Africa Malaria Elimination Campaign' is a big step forward," added Muleba. During the third session of the AU conference of health ministers, held in South Africa from 9 to 13 April this year, delegates committed themselves to reducing malaria morbidity and mortality by up to 75 percent by 2015 through universal access to prevention and control interventions. hh/ks/he Source: http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=71802

Tags: malaria, hiv, africa, disease, year

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