In 2008 I only made one trip, to South Africa and Namibia. It was my first visit to Namibia. I visited a communal conservancy in northwest Namibia called ≠Khoadi-//Hôas, which means “elephant corner” in the Damara language. Then I went to Kwa Zulu Natal for a meeting marking the 10th anniversary of WWF’s African Rhino Program. Here are some pics highlighting those travels.
This should have been my first post. Belatedly, let me explain the name of this blog.
In 1845, Henry David Thoreau quit his job and built a small house in the woods. It was essentially just a shack. But it was an upscale shack, not just some thrown-together lean to. It was small, even by the standards of the day, measuring only 10 feet by 15 feet, containing a single room with a bed, a table and a writing desk. A fireplace kept him warm throughout the winter. He lived comfortably in his upscale shack for a bit over two years, and documented his simple lifestyle in Walden. Thoreau’s most salient advice, which defines the spirit of this blog, was “simplify, simplify.” Continue reading “What is an upscale shack?”
We jumped in an Indian-made version of a Jeep with a forest ranger whose services we had borrowed for the day from the government of India. Our destination was a tea estate that faces regular raids from elephants living in the adjacent forest reserve. Continue reading “Waiter, there’s an elephant in my tea!”
Upscale Shack 