Thursday 27 May 2021

Namibia: TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge | Цумкве Лодж Намибия

TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge is situated in the far north-eastern side of Namibia and is part of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, home to the Ju/’hoansi San community. It requires a well-informed approach with respect for the precious - but rare - value systems of traditional hunter-gatherer societies. Indeed, the San community can no longer survive exclusively by hunting and gathering thus, they require a local perspective for education and training.

Their strong beliefs and traditional values remain core to the San`s lifestyle and upbringing of their children. Tsumkwe is one of the last bastions where the San continues a semi-cultural lifestyle. Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit designated villages that showcase the San culture and how they have integrated with the modern way of living today

In proximity to the Nyae Nyae Pans and Khaudom National Park, TUCSIN Tsumkwe lodge is an ideal adventurous starting point to reach the Zambezi (Caprivi) Region as well as Botswana via the Dobe border post to experience the famous Okavango-Delta. Tsumkwe is still a wilderness paradise, off the beaten track!

The additional, once-off Conservancy fee of N$30.00 per person. This is a mandatory fee each visitor to the Naye Nyae Conservancy must pay while visiting or staying in the area.

Aotcha village

The village is 11 Km from Tsumkwe Lodge and can be reached with a normal 2x4 vehicle, combi, or truck.

Your Guide

Ciqae Tsamgao (Smallboy) grew up in /Aotcha village and learnt all his traditional Ju/’hoansi values, skills and practices from his father. He is a field guide with extensive experience of the bush, animals, and birds of his area. He is passionate about the preservation of the San culture and always eager to share his knowledge and heritage with his guests. He speaks and understands good English as his second language. Smallboy was part of the Ju/’hoansi team of trackers from Tsumkwe who visited France to help archaeologists identify prehistoric human tracks inside caves.

Activities

Bush walk with snaring, tracking, and collecting bush food. Game tracks in the sand will put you on the spoor of Elephant, Oryx, Kudu, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Warthog, Giraffe, Porcupine and even birds such as Guineafowl and Sandgrouse.

Craft making in the village. Create your own bow and arrow and learn the technique of lighting a fire with “fire sticks”. Weave rope from plant fibres and how to set a snare. The ladies will demonstrate the art of beading and shaping ostrich eggshell for bangle and necklace jewellery.

Traditional dance & songs reverberate over the rhythmic drumming of feet in the sand and rustle of leg beads and pods around the campfire. Join in while the San woman playout their ritual games and the men mimic the movement of antelope and giraffe.

Traditional hunt for meat and other food sources. Full Day walking in the wild together with hunters, in search of warthog, springbok, spring hare, porcupine, or large birds. It is not guaranteed that you will have success but, the thrill of tracking and stalking potential prey is exhilarating.

Bushmen meal. Prepare and taste the bushfood San collect from the veld. When there is plenty, you will have meat and plants, or it might just be tea from tree leaves and a taste of the water root they dug up from the soil.

Traditional huts for your accommodation at the village. Dry grass and sticks provide shelter and shade in the form of a round hut. Bring your own ground mat and sleeping gear for the real outdoors experience. Spend a night in the village as the San do. You will have a dry toilet, bucket shower and wood to make a fire or to cook your food on. You must be self-sufficient with food and water, braai grid and utensils.

Compact - Half day activity for groups or guests with limited time. This is a combination of all the activities listed above, except for the hunting activity. Short bushwalk and tracking of spoors. Gathering of edible and medicinal foods, how to make rope and set snares. Back at the village visitors will view singing, dancing with the opportunity to participate in a game or two. See how the make jewellery out of ostrich egg and natural materials from the bush. The Conservancy fee will be applicable on all new bookings made from the 1st of July 2021 onwards.

TUCSIN (The University Centre for Studies in Namibia) is the owner of Tsumkwe Lodge and is proud to be the custodians of educating and uplifting the San community through vocational training and hospitality in tourism.

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Namibia: Rooisand Desert Ranch Gamsberg area Namib Desert | Ранчо Руйсанд Намибия

Rooisand Desert Ranch is located on the fringe of the ancient Namib Desert in Namibia’s Central Region, at the C 26 between the mountain passes of Gamsberg and Kuiseb, halfway between Windhoek (170 km) and Walvis Bay on the Atlantic coast (190 km).

GPS coordinates: -23.294542 S 16.104978 E

Altitude: 1160 m a.s.l.

The farm has a size of some 12.000 ha, a huge area – by European standards. Surrounded by the magnificent scenery of red sand dunes – deposited in distant times by winds from the Kalahari Desert – vast grasslands and rugged mountains, ROOISAND Desert Ranch close to the Gamsberg affords its guests a relaxing sojourn with every convenience.

Rooisand video:

Accommodation:

Comfort Rooms: Twin or Double Beds
Economy/Budget Twin Room
Mountain Chalet
Fully equipped two bedroom self catering chalet

Camping

Rooisand camping - video:

Rooisand Cabins
Premium Camping: Water, Electricity and Firewood included

Rooisand is ideally  situated half-way between Windhoek and Walvis Bay or Sossusvlei and are easily reachable within 2-3 hours from either destination;

Travelling along the scenic Kupferberg and Gamsberg-Passes is the perfect intro to Namibia’s gravel roads and stunning landscape changes;

Rooisand's observatory is home to the largest and most state-of-the-art telescope/astrograph combination available for public viewing in Namibia;

Our partner, Faried Abu-Salih, avails his enormous range of telescopes and equipment at Rooisand to amateur astro-enthusiasts world-wide;

Rooisand sports red sand dunes, grassy plains, rugged mountain slopes – all within reach and is home to hundreds of Mountain Zebra and breeding Lapped-Faced vultures;

Rooisand offer night drives, sundowner drives, hiking tours to mineral sites and crystal deposits, rock art sites, clay dove shooting as well as the perfect introduction to an exciting star-gazing adventure – its very own Planetary Walk;

Since Rooisand only has a few (11 +2) rooms, the ambience is at all times tranquil and quiet;

Rooisand offer fresh, home-grown and home-made cuisine, are hospitable and accommodating and families with children enjoy our wide variety of amenities (pool, tennis courts, table tennis, darts) and being part of the day to day activities of farm life - experienced first-hand (we have a small herd of friendly goats and sheep);

Rooisand's campsite is ideal for the individual as well as for bigger groups, it is situated about 1,5 km away from the main ranch and offers 10 cabins, 5 campsites and ample space in between. A pool/waterhole and beach volleyball field as well as a dining and seating area around the kitchenette make camping comfortable. Furnished tents are also available on request.

Whether honeymooners, family, best friends or just travel companions, our mountain chalet offers a spectacular view, guarantees privacy and silence, promises the best sundowner (almost) every day and is equipped and furnished with stylish and comfortable finishes.

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe the globular cluster Omega Centauri or the surface of the moon and its many craters?

We offer you the chance of a lifetime – observations through one of the world’s best amateur telescopes, a 430 mm PlaneWave Astrograph at Rooisand’s own observatory under a perfect, absolutely crystal clear, dark sky near the Gamsberg and at an altitude of more than 1280 meters!

Since the summer of 2013, Rooisand owns one of the largest and most modern telescope combinations for “public viewing” in Namibia – set up in a 3.2m dome.

We invite our guests to book a guided astronomical observation, our Astro Tour, during their stay and to explore the secrets of the Namibian Starry Sky.

Planet Hiking Trail

A quite unique activity offered by Rooisand is our planetary walk, completed in early 2018.

A model of our solar system has been set up along the path stretching between the ranch and observatory, a distance of about 2.5km.

True to scale in size and distance (about 1: 1.79 billion), the trail starts off at the ranch gate and guides the hiker along to explore Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and finally, Neptune, located at the end of the trail at the Observatory.

In this model, the speed of light is around 16.74 cm/s, or, in other words, hikers walk through the solar system at about 8 times the speed of light!

This activity is offered free of charge and is the perfect introduction to raw astronomy and thus an ideal prelim to an astro-tour in the evening.

Fly Drone Safari

Drone flying is not permitted in Namibian National Parks, but at ROOISAND an unique activity has been created, which allows guests to head out into the wilderness to capture aerial footage with their own drones.

PLEASE NOTE that all drones in Namibia (commercial, hobby or recreational) must be registered with the Namibian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at least 60 days before arrival. To register a private /hobby drone and receive a formal Letter of Approval (which needs to include permission for every intended flight) costs N$ 1200.00. More about these regulations is available at NCAA (Namibian Civil Aviation Authority)

Experience this unique sporting activity discover the fascination with clay pigeon shooting!

If you have always wanted to try clay pigeon shooting, Rooisand finally offers you this unique opportunity! Watch the “flying saucers” burst in the air and scatter to dust when you hit them with a shotgun.

No prior knowledge is required, but clay pigeon shooting can, unfortunately, only be offered to adults.

This activity can be booked on site, a pre-booking is not necessary.

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Wednesday 26 May 2021

South Africa: Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum in Western Cape | Музей кораблекрушений Бредасдорп Южная Африка

Video of one of the most comprehensive and interesting museums in Western Cape - Shipwreck Museum in small historical town Bredasdorp, South Africa.

#BredasdorpShipwreckMuseum #WesternCapeSights #SouthAfricaTourism
Shipwreck Museum is located at 6 Independent Street, Bredasdorp, Western Cape. The Bredasdorp Museum is primarily a maritime Museum whose exposition's main theme is "Shipwrecks along the dangerous Southern Cape coast".
South African coastline is known as the "Graveyard of Ships" with well known ships like the 'Arniston', 'Birkenhead' and 'Queen of the Thames' coming to grief in these waters.
One of these lost ships is remembered in such a particular way as the American sailing ship Gentoo. She went down in Struys Bay. Among the survivors were a number of young servant-girls who had been engaged by wealthy people in the Cape Town suburbs.
The girls soon drifted out of respectable employment into New Street and Keerom Street, which had bad reputations. They set up places which became known as "Gentoo houses ", with Malay orchestras to provide dance music. To this day a loose girl is called a "Gentoo" by the Cape Malays. Cape Agulhas, one of the great turning points of the oceans, ranks next to Table Bay as a graveyard of the sea.
Disaster on Saint Patrick's Day. In 1870 there was no regular line of shipping sailing between London and Australia via the Cape. Devitt & Moore, of England, planned a new service. The firm built their first ship, The Queen of the Thames, at a cost of £55,000.
The new ship left England in November, 1870, and made a fast run to Melbourne, where she received a big welcome, for the Australians had never before seen anything to compare with the luxury of her fittings or comforts of her cabin accommodation. More than 200 passengers booked for the return trip. Besides her crew of 120, she carried a cargo of wool.
On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1871, she was scheduled to anchor in Table Bay the next morning. The passengers got up a hilarious party to celebrate the voyage and the captain was present. Some of the passengers had not yet gone to bed before disaster overtook them for the ship ran hard ashore on a reef near Struys Point. Bredasdorp people showed the ship-wrecked Australians how hospitable South Africans can be.
The Queen of the Thames lay on the rocks with her masts still standing and her sails moving in the breeze. Six citizens of Port Elizabeth formed themselves into a syndicate and bought the ship for £15.000 and at once began to sell off the valuable contents.
The loss of The Queen of the Thames was a tragedy for the Cape because Devitt and Moore, discouraged, gave up the idea of building a fleet for the Australian run. It was not until the Orient Line began to call at Cape Town in 1878 that a regular service from England to Australia via Table Bay was established.
Queen Of The Thames 1871 Incidentally, although the wreck lies in 30 feet of water, a wooden section of the port side lies on the shore opposite the memorial. Although it is normally covered by sand it does sometimes become exposed after a strong southeast storm. Wreck of the MFV Meisho Maru No. 38
Suiderstrand, South Africa Today marks 38 years since this fascinating ship(one of the most recent ships to have ran aground) stranded along the L'Algulhas coastline.
The MFV Meisho Maru No. 38 was a small Japanese fishing vessel that ran aground in the stormy waters around L'Agulhas in the early morning hours of 16 November 1982. The accident occurred close to shore and the crew of 17 all managed to swim to safety, leaving the ship as the only casualty. After surviving seas than, at times, can produce swells of up to 30 metres, the ship finally broke apart a few years ago.
Shipwreck Museum Bredasdorp
The haunted loop is going to be held for 10 consecutive Friday nights, with an option to expand it... depending on COVID-19 regulations too. If it is successful and there is enough interest it will definitely be expanded.

Special "Dennis" Low Load Line 50HP (Presumably 1932 Model). Ordered 13 February 1933 and delivered for use to the City of Cape Town in July 1933.
Bought on tender for use by the Local Town Council in July 1974 at R1100. Donated to the Museum when withdrawn from service.


Wafra, 28.02.1971



MUSEUM GUNS 
All guns were donated
No. 1: British Gunade
Discovered in and recovered from the DENEL coastal area lying buried on the beach below the high water mark.
This Gunade and a large anchor were found. Today both are displayed at the museum. The old Gunade is presumed to be from the wreck of the Martha that was lost at Skipskop in 1826.

No. 2: British 4-pdr Gunade by WB & Co in England. It was salvaged in Struis Bay and taken to Robertson in 1880 by W.J. van As & G.H. Wolhuter and recorded by G de Vries in Oct 2000.
The Gunade is dated as to be around 1800 and presumed to be either from the wreck of the Duke of Northumberland (1838) or the Martha (1826). A Gunade is very similar to a carronade except that it has trunnions as opposed to the ring that a carronade has underneath. It is also normally of a 4- to 9-pdr calibre and does not have a chamber smaller than the bore.
"Wat jy vir jouself doen, sterf met jou. Wat jy vir die samelewing doen, leef vir ewig." - C. R. Wolhuter

No. 3: Swedish iron cast (Dutch) cannon 2650mm long and with a bore of approximately 110mm.
The museum gratefully accepted this artifact in the 80's as a donation from some local Struis Bay divers (their names sadly unrecorded) and is today presumed to be from the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman, Schonenberg that was lost in 1722.

No. 4: Bronze Dutch cannon with dolphins missing and a bore diameter of a 12 pdr.
Reijgersdaal (1702). The wreck was discovered in the 80's by Tubby Gericke, Peter Leube & Brian Clark who donated this cannon to Bredasdorp Museum.

No. 5: A very early and rare bronze Dutch mortar.
Willem de Zwyger (1863). Many maritime donations to the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum were made by Tubby Gericke, Peter Leube and Brian Clark. This was one of their kind donations.

Anchors





Queen Of The Thames 1871 Incidentally, although the wreck lies in 30 feet of water, a wooden section of the port side lies on the shore opposite the memorial. Although it is normally covered by sand it does sometimes become exposed after a strong southeast storm.
Shipwreck Museum Hall Collection:
Baptismal font/Doopbak & Compass from the Queen of the Thames, donated by Mr Henry Villet




























Museum hours are subject to change without prior notification Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 15:00 Saturday: 10:00 - 15:00 Sunday: 11:00 - 15:00
Public holidays: Closed
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