more from the weekend

While in Joburg, we also went back to the Market on Main on Sunday. It's really nice to see that it's been growing a lot ever since we first went there last year.  Having left the house without breakfast, I was very hungry by the time we got there, and so I was really happy that there was a lot of food options to choose from: empanadas, sandwiches, Ethiopian food, cupcakes, brownies and much more. 

The only sad thing is that they removed the lawn in the courtyard, but you can still sit under the wild olive trees and have a picknick with a doggie watching you...

summer nights

We spent a fantastic weekend in Pretoria and Joburg, and had a great time at the Jozifest on Saturday. It took place in Newtown, in an old industrial area, and there were bands, DJs, dancing and a great atmosphere with an interesting crowd.

Okay, I must admit that I didn't know any of the acts, but hey -
a party's a party, right!?!
Somehow, my favorite spot was that large, dark hall with DJs playing what I thought to be quite demanding drum'n'base and other beats.

And if this wasn't enough, we went to Kitcheners afterwards, and I just absolutely loved that place, the vibe and the incredibly sophisticated, cool music...
There is a bar, a dancing room and a Bismark painting on the wall above the DJ.
It kinda felt like a party at someone's home and I was soo glad I was invited, too ;)
It was so much fun to go out in a real city!
Thanks Lea and Terence for having us!
See a whole lot more Jozifest pics here...

Sunset Saturday XXXXIX

I took this picture during our trip to Mozambique and KZN in March last year. We were on our way back to the lodge through endless pineapple fields under this beautifully colored evening sky, and could almost see all the way down to the coast.

the final nights

After an informal dinner with lots of last-minute strategizing, I returned to the ICC on Friday on what was supposed to be the last day of negotiations. Througout the morning, we camped out in front of the meeting room where Ministers from major countries tried to come up with a deal.

It was a day spent waiting, with rumours flying up and down the corridors, interrupted by the occupy COP17 that happened in the afternoon.
I was watching from the gallery when it started and the amount of cameras present was just incredible.
After about two hours, the group of protesters were removed, leaving us with more hours waiting, trying to find out what's happening in the Indaba.
The plenaries were short and without much news, indicating how difficult the negotiations were at this stage.
Around midnight the news were that the stock-taking plenary would not happen until the next morning, so I went back to the hotel eventually after saying goodbye to the amazing Germanwatch team, and leaving for the airport in the morning.
Turns out, I didn't miss out on the news while traveling, but was able to follow the final night via twitter and the livestream, before finally, finally, a decision was made.
I guess this is as close as you can get to political power play and international climate diplomacy in the 21st century...

Sunset Saturday XXXXI

Here's a picture of the sun setting over that bridge at the ICC in Durban. COP17 didn't end on Friday night as discussions were still ongoing, and I left way after sunset on what was supposed to be the last evening. In the end, a solution was agreed upon in the early hours of Sunday morning, making this the longest COP ever. For full coverage, see here (in German) and here.
(Apologies for the late post, but I had to fix my laptop that had died somewhere on the way in Durban.)

a week in Durban

This past week has been quite hectic and I don't know how many times I have walked over that dreaded bridge to get into the COP17. Below are a few pictures of where I am spending my days.

1, inside the plenary
2, the bridge
3, SADC exhibition booth
4, ICC cafeteria
5, in front of the Africa Pavilion

camping with friends

This past weekend, we went to Botsalano with a group of friends. It was a sort of farewell for dear friends who are leaving Botswana soon, and so everyone joined in for some time in the bush. After setting up the tents,

there was some frisbee action,

a game drive with a tiny little mini giraffe,

and then a rainy Sunday morning breakfast.

With all the heat we had in the past weeks, the rain actually felt really nice, and I am kind of looking forward to some more!

Sunset Saturday XXXIV

While I'm camping in the Kalahari, here's another beautiful sunset from a trip to Madikwe earlier this year. The combination of rich colors was fantastic: lush green bush, red-glowing sun and bright golden sketches on the blue sky. Africa's colors never cease to amaze....

Sunset Saturday XXVIII

Another beautiful sunset at the beach in Cape Town during my first visit there in July last year. It was quite windy and the sky had been full of clouds earlier, but in the evening it cleared and so we got a great view of the sunset.
Enjoy the weekend!

Sunset Saturday XXIV

Evening atmosphere in Durban. While I was there last week, I caught the sunset from the pier at Ushaka. The view of the skyline and the ocean was beautiful, and at some point, the sun came right through a little space between the buildings, making the ocean and the air sparkle from the sun rays.

a warm place to be

I was lucky and got to see the beach again when I flew to Durban for a couple of days to attend some meetings. The temperature forecast shocked me with lows of -5°, but while I was there it was actually quite nice and warm. From my hotel room on the 19th floor I could see the harbour, and I even managed to get down to the beachfront for a little stroll.

I didn't have time to visit the Moses Mabhida stadium and go on top of the arch, and I also didn't manage to have a sundowner on the beach, but it was nice anyway to be in a city by the sea.Maybe next time I will have some more time and get to do a few of the fun things Durban has to offer...

roadside scenes

Some pictures from the way home to Gabs, taken from the car. Vast grassland and wide, open skies. Next to the road, some cattle and spread-out villages. Rising hills in the distance, empty land. Just across the border, but a different country indeed.

Beauties and Beests

As mentioned previously, we woke up to this view and spent a couple of nights in the bush here. We had breakfast on the terrace overlooking the waterhole, took naps in the sunshine and went for some walks through the bush. In the evening, we lit a big campfire and made up some pretty awesome stories, listening to the hyenas howling around us. During the day, they were nowhere to be seen. Instead, we watched the graceful antelopes coming to the water and moving through the bush.

On the game drive we stopped and watched the Black Wildebeests, that look like punks with their big manes and the fluffy hair on the nose.The best thing about this trip?
It was only a 2.5 hour journey!

bedside view

During the weekend, we woke up to this view.

Despite the cold, it was a great trip and we saw lots and lots of animals. More pictures to come soon.