Mahangu

I don’t think I am too out of line by saying most Americans these days are not reliant upon one staple food item.  Some Americans may say their staple food is meat, or vegetables, or even McDonald’s but even for those that harvest their own animals, grow their own vegetables, or pull their big metal machine up to the drive-up window, the level at which they depend on these items is negligible.  Things are vastly different in Africa though.  For the Owambo the staple crop is the hearty, drought tolerant, and nutritious mahangu that is cultivated across the land.  Mahangu is not something that is grown as a hobby or to supplement other parts of their diet; life revolves around mahangu. A lot has happened in the world during my two years here; war, uprisings, rebellions, natural disasters, nuclear disasters, economic collapse, coups…the list goes on.  But never was any of that the talk of the day.  The talk of the day was about when the rain was going to come, or the exhilaration of when the rain came, or the wind that knocked down the mahangu, or the tired chatter of those that had been in the field all day. We often like to accusingly say “ignorance is bliss”…maybe so.

Waterfalls

 

With only five perennial rivers in the entire country, all of which are shared with other countries, it is no wonder that rivers take on a magical, almost mystical feel.  They are providers of life in this country, and without them, many places would be too inhospitable to tolerate.  The Kunene River, which makes the northwest border of the country with Angola, was my nearest river and to become my favorite place in Namibia.  I will never forget my first time dropping into the Kunene river valley coming from the flat expanses of Owamboland.  It is such a dramatic change in landscape; as if the Kunene is an oasis in the desert.  I would later learn to appreciate all the magic of the Kunene which lies in its people and its remarkable waterfalls.  There is something special about waterfalls, something which I can’t quite put my finger on.  Waterfalls are so simple, yet their constant movement and power are humbling.  The waterfalls of the Kunene are the only places in this country that I have gone out of my way more than once to visit and I will go out of my way again just to be able to experience the magic of these places one more time.

Violent Nature

My first rainy season in Owamboland certainly caught me off guard.  The unstable weather patterns brought on by the rains along with uncomfortably hot temperatures create a perfect environment for violent storms.  These are storms that are to be taken seriously with lightning striking as ferociously as the pounding rain and wind that takes full advantage of the wide open, unobstructed spaces.  Never in my life have I seen storms of this caliber.  Sometimes fun, sometimes annoying, but always exciting.  It became a hobby for me to stand outside, sometimes until the lightning was striking the mahangu in the field in front of me, and try to capture the violence of the storms in photo.  Unfortunately, I was never able to do the storms the justice they deserve but nonetheless managed to capture some of the beauty that lies in something that is so violent.

Deserts

Namibia is defined by arid environments and desert landscapes.  It is home to the oldest desert and the tallest sand dunes.  Even though Owamboland isn’t arid desert like much of the rest of the country, the desert was always close and always a place of refuge.  Over the years I have come to appreciate deserts for their remoteness and the isolation that they provide.  I have no doubt felt lucky to have been placed in such a country with so much desert wilderness.  After walking countless miles through the arid environments of Namibia, I now have a connection with the desert and desert culture that will always keep me yearning for more.