Getaway

Those of us with the good fortune to write about travel for a living occasionally need to take stock. For us, going places is often deeply in-grained, virtually in the DNA. So much so that we take it for granted; we travel because we must – it’s what we do, how we earn our keep. But to what end? This is something I grappled with constantly during the pandemic’s pause on travel. Cornered into an existential tussle, I was forced to probe the meaning of it all, reexamine why I do what I do. That kind of thing will drive you crazy, make you question your existence. Sometimes, though, you need to get out of your head and get out there, connect with the world, and find your purpose. Which is what I…

Melanie van Zyl HOME ON THE RANGE (P 86) Born, bred and based in Johannesburg, Mel never grew up on a typical farm, but both her grandfathers did. They knew the value of a cow and what it took to peddle tomatoes (her favourite childhood memory is drinking farm-fresh milk mixed with granadilla pulp and sweetened with sugar). After a move to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands last year, Mel relished the rolling farmsteads of this country and felt a familial pull to till the land. Fortunately, a crop of fancy new farm stays has emerged to scratch that agricultural itch so she could reap the rewards without breaking a sweat (or the bank balance). Jay Caboz RAMBO’S REDFIN MISSION (P 47) As a photojournalist and landscape photographer, Jayʼs work has taken him to some of the…

On 24 June, the Sun God takes centre stage in Peru’s most vital Incan celebration. Established in 1430 by the empire builder Pachacútec, Inti Raymi historically honoured the god Inti during the winter solstice as he rose between the mountains after the year’s longest night. In 1572, Spain’s viceroy banned it as pagan but today some 700 costumed actors, dancers and musicians put on an immense theatrical evocation of those ancient proceedings. In the Andean city of Cusco, once the Incan capital, daylong festivities culminate at Sacsayhuamán fortress, where the king and his retinue pay respect to the Sun. There’s a prayer in Quechua and a simulated sacrifice enabling a shaman to foretell of a prosperous year ahead.…

1 June 1938 Superman appears for the first time in DC Comics. 2 June 1910 Charles Rolls completes the first successful non-stop return flight over the English Channel. 2 June 1953 Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is formally crowned Queen Elizabeth II of England. 6 June 1944 D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history, takes place as Allied forces land in Normandy during World War II. 9 June 1898 China leases Hong Kong to the United Kingdom for 99 years after the Opium Wars. 16 June 1963 Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space. She circles Earth 49 times over three days. 17 June 1994 OJ Simpson hops into his white Ford Bronco and starts a police car chase following the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. 26 June 1955 The Freedom Charter is officially adopted…

MISS TRANS-GENDER SOUTH AFRICA 4 June Now in its third instalment, the crowning of Miss Transgender South Africa 2022 is a glam affair, with a drag-queen pageant, too. In Newlands East, Durban. Tickets from R30. quicket.co.za THE PHILOCALY TRAIL 12 June Join a one-day walk from uMhlanga to eMd-loti (and back) to raise funds for marine conservation. This year, the organisers hope to set a world record for mass participation in marine conservation. Tickets are R200. facebook.com/PhilocalyTrail FYNART HERMANUS 10–19 June The fine arts festival includes a range of activities from orchestral performances and workshops, to readings, among others. Tickets start from R85 per event. hermanusfynarts.co.za DULLSTROOM COUNTRY FEST 25 June If you like the look of hay bales, the sound of country music, or you just need an excuse to slap on your cowboy hat, look no further. Tucked against the backdrop of…

In Ghana, Krobo girls undergo a two-day “dipo” ceremony when young virgins are ritually bathed, eat sugar cane, drink a cocktail and have their feet “washed” with goat blood. Then they’re confined for a week while they are taught to cook, keep house and be “good wives”. In Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, Hamar boys aged 12–16 must ritually run over the backs of up to 10 bulls in order to marry. Before leaping, the boy – naked, head partially shaved – is rubbed with sand to remove sins and bad luck, and smeared with dung to bestow strength. If he completes the task four times without falling, he may marry a woman selected by his father. In the US, the Amish rite of passage known as RUMSPRINGA is when 16-year-olds leave their communities…