To See the Fynbos

I went twice in 1998 and again 1999, four months total. I had the rarest thing in life: money and time and no constraints. I felt I should travel to challenging places before I got older, and I was driven by my intense fascination with evolutionary ecology of southern Africa. Particularly the Fynbos: the most intensely speciated, peculiar and flowery botanical hotspot of the world.

 And the renowned hiking experience,“Die Ottervoetslanpad “ – The Otter Trail.

The geology, geography, cultures, languages and of course animals also drove me to spend 16 weeks there. I traveled to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia

Massive Southern Africa was stocked with surprises and left me with many stories: mock charged by a lion, a psychic experience overnight trapped on Table Mountain, and surreal Namibia. 100 languages, seemingly endless types of antelopes and a rich variety of clothing and cultures.

And no Americans. Most Americans know nothing of Africa, have no news of Africa, no knowledge of its richness, except the occasional safari shows.