i had a van in africa

She was baby blue with a matching canopy. What made her extraordinary was a Rover V8 engine that took her from nought to VWTF in no time. I bought it from my uncle. ʻItʼs not the car for you,ʼ he warned. Hell, I was a mixed-up hippy with no perception of carbon footprint – it was just the car for me. Despite the exorbitant fuel costs, she took my friends and I from Joburg to the Drakensberg, Magalies-berg and beyond at great speed. Weʼd pour out of the cab having laughed all the way, and she became our baby blue base for mountain hikes and summer swims. She was also my daily commute. On my junior advertising salary I was living off two-minute noodles just so I could afford the petrol,…

contributors

Dale Morris ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK (P70) Utterly bewitched by ecology, Dale has spent his entire adult life working with, and for, the worldʼs wildlife. From Costa Rica to Nigeria, Ecuador to Scotland, heʼs lived on all seven continents and names chimpanzees, raccoons and sea turtles as some of his nicest neighbours and very best friends. For the past 15 years though, he has been a conservation writer, resident of the Garden Route, and happy to be surrounded by trees, lakes and mountains. Addo is one of his favourite places to explore and, luckily for him and his family, itʼs just a stoneʼs throw from where he lives. Marion Whitehead MANDELA BAY ART ROUTE (P96) Since deserting Cape Town in 2017 for her home province of the Eastern Cape, travelbook author and former Getaway photojournalist…

the midnight sun

About 190km inside the polar circle on Norway’s Lofoten Islands, the sun doesn’t set for almost two months during summer. Locals are very active during these endless days, often, hiking, cycling and kayaking after dinner-sometimes well into the morning. For visitors it can be rather peculiar. 19th century Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun wrote. ‘Night was coming on again; the sun just dipped into the sea and rose again, red, refreshed, as if it had been down to drink. I could feel more strangely on those nights than anyone would believe.’…

wow factors

In the Roman calendar, Quintilis was the fifth month until January and February were added around 700BC. LATER, THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO JULIUS, IN HONOUR OF JULIUS CAESAR, BORN ON JULY 12TH. The July birthstone is a RUBY One of the four precious stones along with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires, rubies are incredibly hard, registering 9 on the Mohs scale (diamonds register 10). Around the world, many countries celebrate INDEPENDENCE DAY In July, including Canada, Burundi, Rwanda, the USA, Cape Verde, Algeria, Venezuela, Comoros, Solomon Islands, Argentina, Bahamas, Slovakia, Laos, France, Colombia, Liberia, Maldives, Puerto Rico and Peru.…

what’s on this month

THE DURBAN JULY 3 July The theme this year is ‘Birds of a feather’, and whether or not you’re betting, it’s a chance to get out and dress up in your most fashionable mask. vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za KNYSNA OYSTER FESTIVAL 9–18th July Knysna is happening, businesses are running and wide-open spaces mean people can attend the popular festival with a good degree of safety. knysnaoysterfestival.co.za NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL (Dates TBA) The National Arts Festival will be anchored, as usual, in Makhanda (Grahamstown) but will have online events and shows for people all over South Africa to enjoy. nationalartsfestival.co.za TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES 23 July–8 August At the time of publishing the Olympic Games were set to go ahead a year late, after the 2020 games were postponed due to Covid-19. If all goes to plan, a record number of South African athletes will be…

july was known as heu-mond

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY 14 July 1789 STORMING OF THE BASTILLE A Parisian mob stormed the prison where political prisoners were kept, a key moment that kick-started the French Revolution. 20 July 1969 MAN WALKS ON THE MOON Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong took the first ever steps on the moon, as 650 million people watched from Earth. 23 July 1999 FIRST WOMAN COMMANDS A SPACE SHUTTLE Air force Colonel Eileen Collins went on her third spaceflight, this time as commander. 25 July 1978 THE WORLD’S FIRST TEST-TUBE BABY IS BORN Louise Joy Brown arrived at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester. 27 July 1953 KOREAN WAR ENDS The Korean armistice agreement was signed after three years of war between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South…