More Sunshine than Rain

A break from incessant rain inspired a sunrise walk on the farm before work.  Memories resurfaced from the mists of time... I had forgotten how rewarding it is to be a morning person!

For the first year ever, I declined to go official with a list of NY Resolutions,  my line of thought being that life improvements will just have to progress organically. Watch this proverbial space!

Red Tent in the Forest

Last weekend we went camping - a tiny getaway to an exquisite favourite spot, just 60 km from home.

 A ray of sunlight illuminates this magical corner of indigenous riverine forest...

.... while our campsite's woodland window reveals the Chobe River floodplain.  

Golden late afternoon light - looking out over to Namibia on the other side.

 

View from tent, while receiving morning coffee in bed.  Never mind the star treatment, just waking up completely surrounded by trees and birdsong makes me extraordinarily happy!

We are privileged to have special places to ourselves at the moment, sadly due to the pandemic that has taken away tourism.. Popular and usually bustling with tourists, Muchenje Campsite and Cottages is a unique family-owned place. I just love the way this riverine forest environment has been preserved and regenerated over the years.  Still hoping,  along with our friends here and all the many affected, for the better times that we know must come.

Waiting Around

It's exactly one week into February, and my hopeful start to this year is getting slightly frayed around the edges. Perhaps there was just enough of the Unknown around in January to keep all that optimism going!

At the start of the pandemic, the sudden demise of our tourism sector at the very beginning of the busy season was a gigantic shock. In a tourism based region, we are all economically interconnected, so the effects are felt by all. The thousands of confirmed international bookings started to go through a process: firstly postponement by a few months, then as reality set in - postponement till 2021, and so on. The latest part of the process seems to have now arrived: Cancellations. Now it's down to mostly domestic tourism and the few very determined international travellers!

We are into our third alcohol ban, and also a night curfew. Both of these have just been extended for a further month - another blow for the restaurants and hospitality businesses that have been trying to stay open and get by. We have now started to notice permanent closures of a few businesses around town. Others are completely mothballed until international tourism revives. In a small town and community we are all trying to support each other's businesses where we can, and to keep our own ones going as creatively as possible!

As per New Normal life, we have been through a variety of restrictions with differing degrees of severity since this all began. The balancing act between public health and economy goes on, and so we just hang in and keep waiting for better times or signs of improvement and change!  On 1 February the Covid deaths were sitting at 168 - we are a sparsely populated nation, yet we do not have a highly developed health system that would cope with an exponential increase in serious cases, so our government is being strict and cautious. Businesses have had some help from the government with wage subsidies and various other interventions, which is something to be very grateful for, but the outlook is still rather bleak. Sometimes I wonder what happens if this is how it's going to be for a long time to come?  However, we have somehow survived thus far, and need to just keep up the momentum and the positive attitude.

We are also very fortunate that we can escape to beautiful, peaceful places very close to home for a dose of sanity and attitude resetting! After our spectacular rainy season this year, our wild places are looking incredible. Forests, rivers, floodplains and wildlife are good for the soul!

Wild Flame Lilies hiding in dense foliage

 Wishing anybody reading this, a positive and peaceful week!