Batch 35 — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

207 - Namibia Timeline

1488 - Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias visits.

1886-90 - Present international boundaries established by German treaties with Portugal and Britain. Germany annexes the territory as South West Africa.

1892-1905 - Suppression of uprisings against German colonial occupation by Herero and Nama peoples. Possibly 60,000, or 80% of the Herero population, are killed, leaving some 15,000 starving refugees in an act that independent Namibia has deemed an act of genocide.

South African occupation

1915 - South Africa takes over territory during First World War.

1920 - League of Nations grants South Africa mandate to govern South West Africa (SWA)…

Batch 35, Namibiaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacSeptember 5, 2023Namibia

206 - Great “Whites” & Cow Shit Campsite (Gansbaai to Hermanus, South Africa)

After Gansbaai, we drove north to Hermanus, a city by the sea and premiere whale-watching hub. Tourists invade the town every year to get their fix. Luckily, ’twas not the season, so all was quiet. We spent an evening at Zoete Inval Travellers Lodge run by a quirky fella, if by “quirky” I mean unapologetically racist. He’d have to be to open up with strangers about the decay of Hermanus after being overrun by “them.” According to Mr. Purebred, “They think they own the place.” Wowie.

Why patronize such an establishment and not stomp off in protest? Well, let me tell you. It was all part of the experience, and in many ways, reflected South Africa’s enormous cultural challenges. And, frankly, I was intrigued….

Batch 35, South Africaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacSeptember 5, 2023GANSBAAI, Hermanus, South Africa

205 - Dinner with Madiba (Cape Town, South Africa)

Lesser men may have succumbed to the thirst for revenge or the perceived imperative for karmic “justice.” Mandela was a different breed, the rarest of rare. He was sure of one thing—the only way for South Africa to recover and move toward prosperity was through forgiveness and reconciliation. And he knew the eyes of the world were on him. It was up to him to lead the way. And that’s exactly what he did from the moment he became a free man.

I could point to any number of actions, not the least of which was Mandela’s establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after becoming president, to underscore his commitment to forgiveness and the progress he believed would result therefrom, but I think the following anecdote says it all…

Batch 35, South Africaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacSeptember 1, 2023Nelson Mandela, Cape Town, South Africa

204 - Good Hope On The Table (Cape Town, South Africa)

The next morning, we drove to the Cape of Good Hope with a breakfast picnic on a spectacular beach along the way. Even the three lumps of sand in our coffee, courtesy of the wind, weren’t enough to spoil that scene. If I had to recommend a “must do,” it would be renting a car and driving out to the Cape with plenty of stops. Take it slow. Take it in. Stand upon the cliffs near Cape Point and let the breeze envelop you, the shimmering azure sea mesmerize you, and try to imagine being the first human to lay eyes upon it. Yessir, ma’am.

Your only problem will be tearing yourself away. Get there as early as possible, and do your best to beat the crowds.…

Batch 35, South Africaby Mr. Nos T. O'maniacAugust 30, 2023Cape Town, South Africa, Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point

A Place to Be…

Just beneath a calming sea

Churns a dark uncertainty

A war against life’s entropy

A soul without a place to be

‘To be or not to be’ you see

Propels our raw humanity

An existential shopping spree

To find that perfect place to be

Universal Truth Decree:

I’m like you and you’re like me…

misc, Batch 35by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacAugust 25, 2023

203 - “Wild” Encounters And Storms River Mouth (Eastern/Western Cape, South Africa)

I’d read you could frolic with cheetahs, tigers, lions, and even cage dive with crocs. I knew the potential for cheesiness was high, but I couldn’t resist the urge to touch those majestic furballs. So, when I read about Cango, I thought it might be worth a shot. They created a Cheetah Preservation Foundation in 1988 and seemed to have their shit together. Most of the big cats on hand were all rescues and unable to survive in the wild, though a select number of cheetahs were eligible for rehabilitation and release. I knew it was a glorified zoo, but still thought spending a few moments up close would make the setting tolerable. Wish in one hand, shit in the other… plop.

Though hesitant, we signed up for a guided tour of Cango