Category: Ideas
-
The movement of people
I watched a debate recently about colonialism and reparations, specifically Arab colonialism in Africa. Combined with my recent brushes with the colonial history of Namibia, it got me thinking about the movement of people. Did you know, for example, that the first inhabitants of Madagascar were probably Austronesians who sailed on canoes from South East…
-
The other side of the story
Sometimes travel teaches you more about yourself than about the places you visit. A Belgian backpacker I met mentioned that he had never really studied Belgian colonial history at school but since coming to Africa, he’d discovered that everyone else seemed to be aware of Belgium’s role in the Congo and Rwanda. I’d been thinking…
-
Challenge
Since I returned from Korea, I’ve done a fair bit of travelling. I’ve travelled by bus, by car, by plane. I’ve visited the Western Cape and KZN. I’ve spent time in Somerset West and Durban and made several trips to Grahamstown. Most of the travelling has been purposeful, if not always successful. In a week…