Men bathing in the Ganges at sunrise, Varanasi India

Morning Ablutions
Every morning, devout Hindus descend the stairs of the Varanasi ghats to wash their sins away in the holy waters of the Mother Ganges.
(Astute readers will recognise this re-processed photo as a copy of one that is in my masthead slideshow.)

Sunrise is the beginning of something … 

The pilgrims on the Varanasi ghats along the Ganges are absolutely absorbed in their preparations of offerings to the Mother Ganga, in their ritual ablutions in the sacred waters, or in their pre-dawn meditations. Time loses all meaning.

Pilgrims have been travelling here to bathe in the Ganges River since time immemorial, and many of the ritual practices – with their roots in Hindu mythology – have changed little in the last 4000 years. Varanasi is the holiest of the seven Sapta Puri – holy pilgrimage sites in Hinduism. Naturally endowed with spiritual powers since the site was reputedly founded by Shiva, Varanasi can bless you with moksha – liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

While the spectacular evening Ganga Aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat attracts both pilgrims and tourists in great numbers (see: Life and Death on the Varanasi Ghats), the devotional rituals along the river start before dawn.

So, long before sunrise – with the benefit of a  headlamp – I made my way through the dark and quiet streets to Assi Ghat, where shrines were already being tended, lamps were being lit, and homages were being paid.

Women in saris outside a Shiva shrine, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Tending the Shrine
It is early, and the streets are dark just off Assi Ghat in Varanasi. But, already women have risen to tend to the holy shrines in honour of Shiva.

Hindu priest performing an aarti pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Morning Aarti
In the absence of the kind of audience I saw the evening before at Dashaswamedh Ghat, Hindu priests perform their morning aarti.

Candelabra and garlanded picture frame in the pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Candelabra
An aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering – in this case, to the Goddess Ganga, or Mother Ganga.

Garlands in the pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Garlands
Years after my visit, the State Government expanded and formalised the morning aarti, founding the Subah-e-Banaras program in 2014. The patience and care that was taken to prepare the rituals I watched had nothing to do with audience – and everything to do with ones own relationship with the Gods.

Boy lighting a diya candle, pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Lighting Offerings
Young children sell diyas – small lamps with a candle surrounded by flowers.

Women in the shallows at the edge of the Ganges, pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Ritual to the Mother
Facing the river, the lit lamps are circled clockwise, to chants or prayers, …

A diya candle floating in the Ganges, pre-dawn, Assi Ghat, Varanasi India

Offering to Maa Ganga
… before being set off into the river. Diyas symbolise goodness and purity; lighting them dispels the darkness.

Old woman in the Ganges with her kumbh, pre-dawn, Varanasi India

Old Woman and her Kumbh
Pilgrims to the Ganges all have water vessels with them so they can carry a bit of the precious river away for further rituals.

Purple morning sky on a wooden river boat, Varanasi, India

Wooden Boats on the Ganges
Finally! The sky is taking on new colours as the sun slowly makes its way around the horizon and through the haze.

Copper kumbh with a cloth in it, Ganges River , pre-dawn, Varanasi India

Copper Kumbh

Old sadhu and his kumbh on the banks of the Ganges, Varanasi India

Old Man and his Kumbh
It always amazes me how different the sadhus all are!

Old man in the Ganges with a sacred stick, Varanasi India

Old Man and a Sacred Stick
The stick this man carries is not substantial enough to be a staff, but is clearly important.

Brass kumbh with a carnation in it, Ganges River , pre-dawn, Varanasi India

Stilllife Found: Brass Kumbh

Seated figure meditation on a wooden river boat, Varanasi, India

Morning Meditation
Seated, draped, and still, this figure was finally touched by light as the sun rose.

Woman in a pink sari making an offering, Ganges River Varanasi, India

Woman Making an Offering
The women making offerings all have baskets full of bits and pieces …

Clay pot and brass kumbhs, Ganges River Varanasi, India

Paraphernalia
… and assorted utensils, all of which have a special role.

Man

Morning Prayers
The sun (surya) is the visible God in Hinduism.

Man

Sacred Waters
So, combined with the waters of the Mother, this is an auspicious time and place.

Brass kumbh on a rock, Ganges River , pre-dawn, Varanasi India

Water Pot

Even as a non-Hindu outsider, I felt something in the air, and wandered the ghats in a dream-like state.

Whenever I revisit the ghats – whether through my photos or simply in my memories – I return to that sense of stillness, outside of time’s march. As we all struggle through these challenging times, this can only be a good thing!

So, as one day slips into the next, and one year drifts into another, I wish you a beautiful sunrise – and a healthy Happy New Year.

Pictures: 10April2010

Bundaberg Rum Limited Edition Blends in the distillery museum, Queensland Australia

Limited Edition Blends
Special edition rum blends in the retired ‘Bondstore’ that has been up-cycled into the Bundaberg Rum Museum.

They say that if you have too many lemons: make lemonade.

So, it follows that if you have too much sugar by-product, you should make rum.

That’s what happened in Bundaberg, a small city in coastal Queensland. Originally reliant on timber and maize, from the 1870s, sugar cane became the mainstay. With its humid subtropical climate and ready access to blackbirded indentured labour from the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides, plantations thrived and owners grew wealthy. Until importing South Sea Islander labour was made illegal in 1904, the biggest problem growers had was what to do with the heavy molasses waste byproduct.

In 1885 all the big sugar mill owners in the region met to discuss distilling. By 1888, the Bundaberg Distilling Company was up and running, producing its first bottles of rum in 1889. While the brand and the distillery have been owned by the British company Diageo since 2000, the name ‘Bundaberg’ is still synonymous with Australian rum.

After missing out on Bundaberg the last time I was in Queensland’s cane country (see: Maryborough Story Trails), I was determined to visit the eponymous rum factory on my most recent trip. So, I made a point of stopping in the city and taking a tour of the premises – including the ambitiously-named ‘Museum’ – and left town with a few precious bottles from the outlet store tucked safely in my car.

I didn’t have a long stay in the little city, so I didn’t get to visit their almost-equally famous gin distilleries. I did, however, enjoy the charming town centre, and the extensive botanic gardens. I was lucky to dodge most of the seasonal squalls.

Bring a sturdy umbrella, and join me for a walk.

A row of sugar cane, Bruce Highway, Queensland Australia.

In the Cane Fields
This is sugar cane country – and rainy season. The perennial grasses are tall and the skies are ominous. (iPhone12Pro)

Approaching the Burnett Bridge, Bundaberg Qld Australia

Approaching the Burnett Bridge
Built in 1900, the Burnett Bridge is a heritage-listed metal truss road bridge crossing the Burnett River, north of Bundaberg city centre.

Afternoon sun flare in the trusses of Burnett Bridge, Bundaberg Qld Australia

On Burnett Bridge
Designed by British-born Queensland engineer A.B. Brady, the metal trusses catch the late afternoon light.

Paperbarks on the waterway, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Paperbarks on the Waterway
Water makes all the difference in a city, and it was a real pleasure entering the 27 hectare (27 acre) Botanic Gardens and walking along the river. It is, however, a double-edged sword! Cyclones whip this coastline regularly, and in January 2013, Bundaberg was inundated by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald.

Closeup: peeling trunk of a paperbark, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Paperbark Trunks
Melaleuca quinquenervia, commonly known as broad-leaved paperbarks, are one of my favourite trees.

Chinese pavilion and a sculptured standing stone, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Chinese Gardens
The winding pathways through the different areas of the gardens reveal little surprises at every turn.

Bird of Paradise flowers, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia Reginae

Fairymead House Sugar Museum, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Fairymead House Sugar Museum
This heritage-listed homestead was built in 1890. It now houses a museum showcasing the history of some of Bundaberg’s sugar pioneers. 

Landscaped Pond in the Japanese Gardens, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Landscaped Pond
The beautiful water-features in the Japanese Gardens are thanks to the generosity of a former exchange student to the city (see: Bundaberg Lions Club).

Sculpted Waterfalls
The movement of the water as it cascades over rocks, and the lushness of the surrounding plants, make the Japanese Gardens feel cooler on a hot afternoon.

Fountain and island in the lake, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

An Island of Ibis in the Lake
Another body of water in the gardens embodies an island that is inaccessible to visitors; … 

Birds on fallen branches in the lake, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Ibis and Cormorants in the Lake
… it reputedly attracts 114 species of birds.

Australian White Ibis against a blue sky, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Australian White Ibis – Threskiornis Moluccus
Maligned as “tip turkeys” or “bin chickens”, Australian White Ibis are amazingly adaptable birds.

Two Australian white ibis in a tree, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Ibis in a Tree
They watched me, …

Egret against a blue sky, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Egret in Flight
… as I watched egrets soaring in and out of their safe island.

Egrets in the trees, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Egrets in the Trees

Pacific Black Duck, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Pacific Black Duck – Anas Superciliosa
I didn’t see all the 114 species the gardens boast, …

Purple Swamphen, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Purple Swamphen – Porphyrio Porphyrio
… but there were a few on and around the waters.

Lizard on a log, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Lizard on a Log
A lizard in a dark patch was so still, I though it was a statue.

Queensland bottle tree, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Queensland Bottle Tree – Brachychiton Rupestris

Gray goose, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Gray Goose

Australian Pelican, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Australian Pelican – Pelecanus Conspicillatus

Chinese bridge, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Chinese Bridge

Selfie in a convex mirror, Bundaberg Botanic Gardens, Queensland Australia.

Selfie in the Mirror
Walking back to my room, I couldn’t resist a selfie in the mirror on the railway crossing.

Bundaberg Rum Distillery
The next morning at the appointed time I made my way to the old distillery. The iconic “Bundy Bottles” were originally recycled coffee and chicory essence bottles that the locals collected and sold to the distillery for one penny each.

Label making stamps, Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia

Label-Making Stamps
The old bonded warehouse now houses museum pieces illustrating the 125-year history.

Selfie in old phones, Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia

Selfie in the Old Phones

The Bundy Bear, Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia

The Bundy Bear
The mascot bear was introduced in 1961 to imply that rum can ward off the coldest chills – chills one doesn’t usually associate with sub-tropical Queensland!

Bottles on display, Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia

Bottles on Display
I made the most out of all the bottles on display, …

Portrait: Young woman, guide at the Bundaberg Rum Distillery, Queensland, Australia

Spruiking the Product
… because our cameras and phones get locked up before we enter the factory.

Time for tasting follows the tour, and naturally I was tempted by a few products …

More than suitable for a Christmas eggnog or spiced rum toddy.

Happy Holidays! 
Bundaberg rum bottles with Happy Holidays message text.

Pictures: 13-15February2021

Portrait: Nyangatom Beauty-scarred woman in braids, beads, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Scars, Beads, and Braids
The Nyangatom are one of the many unique ethnic groups living in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. Both men and women practice scarification for decoration. A woman’s age and status can be determined by the weight and quality of her beads: she gets her first strand from her father, and adds more every year.

Some trips produce such a maelstrom of impressions and images that, when reviewing the photos, it makes sense to start at the end.

So it was with Ethiopia!

The first photo-stories I posted about this landlocked country, split by the Great Rift Valley, were from the last tribe I visited, the Mursi people, whose villages are deep in the wild territory between the Mago and Omo Rivers (see: Mursi Portraits).

This current post, the last of the sets from the Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, takes place further south: on the western side of the Omo River, bordering South Sudan. This is now the domain of the Nyangatom, a Nilo-Saharan group thought to have migrated there from northern Uganda in the mid-late 19th century.

Being a visitor to these remoter areas of the world always raises dilemmas. I’ve seen photographers ask subjects to remove their shirts, remove their shoes, and hide their mobile phones: some people expect ‘traditional’ culture to be ‘static’.

Which, of course, it isn’t.

Even without the the encroachment of the modern world, culture changes. As an outsider, it is impossible to know how to balance the social benefits of traditional tribal life against the hardships, the regimented structures, the lack of education and choice, and the low life expectancy inherent in these subsistence-lifestyle communities.

In this region, the building and expansion of the Gibe III Dam on the Lower Omo has had – and continues to have – life changing consequences for all the ethnic groups along the river (q.v.: Mongabay Series; The Conversation; and Survival International). The dam is a hydro-electric boon to the whole country, and an irrigation gift to local sugar producers. But, it is all but destroying the flood-retreat agriculture that traditional ethnic groups depend on and have been practicing for generations.

I was travelling with a small group of photography enthusiasts on a Piper Mackay tour lead by photographer Ben McRae. From Addis Ababa we had flown into Arba Minch, the second largest town in the rather-clumsily named Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. From there, days of bumping along in four-wheel drives along highways, dirt roads, and jungle tracks, gave us access to a number of the unique ethnic groups along the Omo River (see: Omo Valley).

Somehow, it seems appropriate, that on our last day in the country, while we drove to the Jinka Airport – little more than a stretch of runway and an over-sized tin shed in a grassy field – to return to Addis Ababa, baboons showed us their bottoms with contempt as they retreated to the scrub.

And, the last image I took along the road was of a truck full of soldiers with their rifles pointed willy-nilly, off to protect – not people – but the sugar from the local factories.

Certainly, a kaleidoscope of mixed impressions!

The Nyangatom were the penultimate group we spent time with. I’ve described some of their customs previously (see: Dark Eyes and Layers of Beads). Let’s revisit them before their ways disappear – along with the receding river.

Woman walking, Nyangatom village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

High, Hot, and Dry
The Nyangatom side of the Omo River sits on a high plateau over the running waters below.

Goat in a Nyangatom kraal, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Goat in the Kraal
The homes in the settlement are surrounded by a thorn-bush fence – which includes areas for the cattle and other animals, and which is opened up in the daytime.

Portrait: Nyangatom man, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Young Nyangatom Man
These small ethnic groups in the Omo Valley have very little to sell, but they have learned that their appearance is marketable to tourists. In most places, we had to barter on the ‘Pay per Click’ model. This includes paying for pictures of people’s homes and livestock. In this instance, however, we paid a fixed price for the whole village. This gave me much more freedom to wander, and my interactions with people felt more natural.

Portrait: Nyangatom Woman in brown and white beads, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Nyangatom Woman in Brown Beads
I’ve shared pictures of this lovely Nyangatom woman before. Women wear up to 8 kg (17 lb) of beads, which they don’t take off.

Portrait: Nyangatom Woman in red, blue and white beads, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Woman in Red, White, and Blue
The material used in the small lip plugs worn by both men and women can be determined by status. Elder women wear copper, and elder men wear ivory.

Portrait: Nyangatom man sitting, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

A Calabash and a Mobile
All across the Omo Valley, calabash gourds are hollowed out and dried, and used as drinking utensils or for carrying water.

Portrait: Nyangatom man sitting, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Man in Green
Men all carry their wooden stools, so unlike the women, they don’t sit directly on the ground.

Portrait: Woman in a Nyangatom village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Colourful Beads and a Headdress
The keys on this woman’s necklaces look too clean to be purely decorative; I don’t know what they lock/unlock.

Woman and small children outside a Nyangatom home, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

In a Nyangatom Courtyard
Nyangatom men are polygamous, and their wives all have their own woven beehive huts within the village compound.

Nyangatom children in a courtyard, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Kids in the Courtyard
Children are everywhere.

Portrait: Young Nyangatom man in a colourful blanket, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Young Man in Colourful Blanket
Mornings are cool – even here in the Tropic of Capricorn – and people wrap themselves in whatever they have.

Decorative arm scarring on a Nyangatom man, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Arm Decorations
Both men and women practice scarification for decoration. Thorns or razors are used to cut the skin, and ash is rubbed into the wounds to create the raised scars.

Portrait: Nyangatom man smiling, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Smiling Lad

Portrait: Nyangatom man in a green t-shirt and hat, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Nyangatom Elder in Green
These faces could tell some stories …

Portrait: Nyangatom man in a green t-shirt and hat, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Smiles of an Elder
… and the smiles are infectious – even without a shared language.

Can you Read his T-Shirt?
Men all carry their walking sticks and stools with them. I have no idea what the Ethiopian text on this t-shirt says; chances are, this elder doesn’t either!

Back view of a Nyangatom woman with scarred shoulder and beads, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Beads and Beauty-Scars

Portrait: Nyangatom woman with an infant suckling, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Beauty-Scars, Beads, and a Baby

Two Nyangatom men with guns, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Men with Automatics
Territorial warfare and cattle theft are very real problems in this region: young men here are expected to be well armed, and most have AK-47s left over from the civil war in neighbouring (South) Sudan.

Portrait: Nyangatom old man with ritual scars, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Elder in Tattoos
When men kill an enemy, they cut patterns into their shoulders and chest to release any bad spirits.

Women and children in a Nyangatom kraal, Omo Valley Ethiopia

Village Tableau
Nyangatom bee-hive huts are dark inside, with low doorways and no windows.

Portrait: Young Man in a Nyangatom village, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Young Man

Donkeys on a dusty horizon, Omo Vally Ethiopia

Donkeys on the Horizon
Nyangatom are semi-nomadic, and keep donkeys to help with transport when they move their settlement to follow their cattle and goat herds.

Zebu cattle herds on the Omo River, Ethiopia

Omo River Waterfront
The river is the lifeblood for these people. As we were leaving the village in our outboard boat, we watched herds of zebu cattle being guided down to the water’s edge to drink.

Animals in a dusty road to Jinka, Omo Vally Ethiopia

Goats in the Road
Livestock are how many Africans measure their wealth. The next day, on our drive out the National Parks towards Jinka, we had to wait for a herd of goats crossing the dusty main road.

Ethiopia is hot, and dusty, and dirty, and – like the rest of Africa – it gets into your blood; as soon as I had landed home after transiting what has to be one of the world’s worst international terminals, I was trying to figure out how I could go back.

Text: Happy TravelsOne day …

Happy travels!

 

Photos: 22October2018

Rocky outcrops and blue and white waters from the Bermagui Coast Walk, NSW Australlia

Rocky Outcrop
The views over the Sapphire Coast from the Bermagui Coast Walk in the far south of New South Wales on a sunny spring day are breathtaking.

If you are going to be locked in your own region because of Covid-19 border controls, it helps to have a magnificent back yard!

For most of the past almost-two years, those of us in Australia – like people in much of the rest of the world – have been under some level of travel restriction. Part of this period, I couldn’t venture further than five kilometres from home, and even then only for ‘essential purposes’. 

Fortunately, I live in a beautiful area, and unlike last year, this year we weren’t hampered by raging bush fires. There were windows of opportunity when the boundaries expanded slightly, and I took advantage of those when I could.

Back in July, the walking group of my regional branch of the National Parks Association was able to meet up – in a Socially-Distanced manner, of course – for a short walk in Ben Boyd National Park, which is literally on my doorstep. 

I’ve done this walk before (see: In the Aussie Bush), but what amazes me when I looked back over the pictures from both visits, is how many differences there were in what caught my attention. Both times I’ve done this undulating 6 kilometre (return) walk, we started at Haycock Point picnic area, had our picnic lunches on Barmouth Beach, and then returned.

Two eastern grey kangaroos, Haycock Point, NSW Australia.

Roos in the Grass
On a flat area just north of our starting spot at the Haycock Point picnic area, a couple of eastern grey kangaroos (macropus giganteus) are resting in the grass.

Haystack Rock off Haycock Point, NSW Australia.

Haystack Rock
Haycock Point gives us views over the rock platform to the dome-shaped Haystack Rock. The iron-oxide that colours these red, riverine rocks is a relic of the atmospheric oxygen from the Devonian Age.

Rocky coast north of Haycock Point, NSW Australia.

Colours of the Sapphire Coast
The variations of the blues in the waters are impressive against the layers of colour in the rocky coast.

Colourful lichens on a large boulder, Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

Colourful Lichens and Tumbled Rock
The fungus on the boulders, and the shrubs on cliff face, are a veritable patchwork of hues and textures.

New Holland honeyeater, Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

New Holland Honeyeater – Phylidonyris Novaehollandiae

Haystack Rock and coast from north of Haycock Point, NSW Australia.

The Jagged Shore
From the cliff tops, a break in the heath, banksia, and gum trees, allows us views back over the coast to Haystack Rock. The SS Empire Gladstone survived World War II only to ground – without loss of life, fortunately – on the rocks on the south side of this spit in 1950. The sunken ship is now a popular dive site.

Arched rock, Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

Arched Rock Lookout
Shortly, we come to another break in the overgrowth, where we have views over an unnamed arch of rock.

Arched rock, Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

The Unnamed Arch
This unusual rock arch is just one of the many craggy sculptures created by the eroding forces of the ocean.

The mouth of the Pambula River, Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

Pambula Beyond
Around the next bend, the colours of the water deepen at the mouth of the Pambula River, and parts of the small town of the same name come into view.

View down over the red rocks on Barmouth Beach from Haycock Point walking track, NSW Australia.

Red Rocks on Barmouth Beach Below

Silver Gull on Barmouth Beach, NSW Australia.

Silver Gull – Chroicocephalus Novaehollandiae
A hopeful gull watches us as we lunch.

After lunch on the beach, we walked back the way we had come … 

Some months later, in spring – and after another lockdown spell – I had the opportunity to do a walk that I had always promised myself: overlooking the Horse Head Rock near Wallaga Lake.

My walking companion and I started with a late lunch in Bermagui before driving a short way north and parking the car at Hayward Point. From there, we picked up the walking track that follows the old Tilba Road. In spite of being unpaved until 1963, this was the main road into Bermagui from the north-south Princes Highway. It threaded its way between the Long Swamp Nature Reserve and the Pacific Ocean. Sections of the road washed away in the 1970s, before it finally became a cycle- and waking-track.

View of Bermagui from Hayward Point, Old Tilba Road, NSW Australia

Bermagui to the South
We start our walk at Hayward Point, where we can look south over the beach to the little coastal town of Bermagui

View north from Hayward Point, Old Tilba Road, NSW Australia

North from Hayward Point
… and north along the empty sandy coastline.

Landscape: Waters west of Horseshoe Bay, Bermagui NSW Australia

Long Swamp Flora and Fauna Reserve
After walking a short way, we are on a slight ridge with water on both sides: Hayward Beach drops down to Horseshoe Bay and the Pacific Ocean on the right, and Long Swamp stretches out along the left.

Coastal Banksia, Bermagui, NSW Australia

Coastal Banksia – Banksia Integrifolia

Yellow Pig Face flower, Tilba Road, Bermagui NSW Australia

Pig Face Yellow – Lampranthus Glaucus
When we come back into the open, pig face – or ice flowers – are defending the sands from erosion.

Branching trees over a walking track, Bermagui, NSW Australia

Branching Trees
The path leads us under the trees, …

Camel Rock, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

Camel Rock
… and back to the cliffs overlooking the aptly-named Camel Rock.

Rocks on the Sapphire Coast, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

Rocks on the Sapphire Coast
Even the unnamed rocks are pretty impressive!

Daisies on the path, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

Daisies on the Path

Horsehead Rock, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

Horse Head Rock
The next feature is the one I have been waiting for: Horse Head Rock, which is believed to be approximately 500 million years old!

Landscape: View over the sandbar between the ocean and Wallaga Lake, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

Sandbar and Wallaga Lake
Our walking path ends near Murunna Point, where we admire the sand bar that keeps Wallaga Lake separated from the Pacific Ocean

Sea eagle in a blue sky, Bermagui Coastal Walk, NSW Australia

White-Bellied Sea Eagle – Haliaeetus Leucogaster
… and a white-bellied sea-eagle circles overhead. Raptors always get my attention, and although I never get ‘the shot’ I want, I love watching them soar.

Landscape: pastoral land, Cobargo-Bermagui Road, NSW Australia

Cobargo-Bermagui Road
As stunning as the coastal walks are, driving home through the verdant fields is just as beautiful! (iPhone12Pro)

 

Wherever you have found yourself in this strange andText: Safe Travels! Ursulalocked-down world, I hope you have some natural beauty to comfort you, and blue skies overhead.

Until next time –

Stay Safe!

Photos: 18July2021 and 22October2021

Tiled roofs and cobbled streets, Bryggen, Bergen Norway

Looking into Bryggen Laneways
The old streets of Bergen’s Hanseatic Wharf district are narrow, cobbled, and winding – and busy with visitors exploring Bryggen‘s history and shops.

It was raining.

But that didn’t stop the residents of Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, from coming out into the streets and public spaces to celebrate their cultural heritage. I was very lucky with the Sunday I had by myself exploring the delightful city: a local troupe was performing traditional folk dances under the protective roof of the central railway station, and the Buekorps – the Bow Corps or Archery Brigade – were marching through the city.

The Buekorps is a peculiarly Norwegian concept that was once active across other cities, but is now unique to Bergen. The tradition dates back to the 18th century when local boys would imitate the adult militia soldiers performing close-order drills. By the 1850s, the boys had organised themselves into bataljoner (battalions) and built their own “fortresses” from which to engage in “warfare” against children from other neighbourhoods. Today, members range in age from about 7 to 20, with the first girls being admitted in 1991. On special days during spring – especially on May 17th, Norwegian Constitution Day – the children march through the streets with wooden guns, swords, and drums.

Even away from the dancers and the marching children, the streets of this UNESCO World Heritage City and European City of Culture were a delight to explore. I had gained an overview of some of the surrounding hills the day before (see: Overlooking Bergen), so I was looking forward to wandering the steep cobbled streets at my own pace.

Do join me!

Two small blond Norwegian girls in folk costume, Bergen

Little Girls in Costume
I was lucky: my hotel was near the train station, and when I went in to check it out (and to escape the rain), some delightful Norwegian children in their plaits and embroidered reindeer boots were waiting to dance.

Small Norwegian girls and a female teacher in folk costume, Bergen

Enthusiasm!
The enthusiasm of these little girls, as they performed their traditional folk dances with their teacher, was infectious!

Folk Dancing Circle, Bergen train station Norway

Children’s Folk Dancing Circle

Portrait of a female Norwegian folk dancer, Bergen train station

Portrait of a Folk Dancer
The next group to perform were women, with flower wreaths on their heads, …

Female Norwegian folk dancers, Bergen train station

Swirling Skirts
… and with plaited hair and long skirts flying.

Two female Norwegian folk dancers, Bergen train station

Folk Dancers
High kicks featured, …

A female Norwegian folk dancer, Bergen train station

Dancer in a Red Bodice
… as did a joyful attitude.

A male Norwegian folk dancer, Bergen train station

The Dancing Suitor
This was a couple’s dance, but the woman and man did a solo turn …

A Norwegian couple folk dancing, Bergen train station

Joyful Couple
… before joining together in a cheerful and lively pantomime.

Street art of a troll and a wolf, Danckert Krohn Seniorsenter, Kong Oscars gate, Bergen Norway

Street Art
I left the shelter of the station to climb a hill through the old city – where I came upon my first fearsome troll of the day. Trolls are a feature of Scandinavian folklore and Old Norse mythology. They live in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves… and on the sides of some Bergen buildings.

Molløesmauet Street, Bergen Norway

Steep Streets
The cobbled streets are steep and narrow as they wind and zig-zag up the hillside.

View over St. John

Johanneskirken Standing Tall
The views back down over the city make the climb worth it. The red brick Gothic-revival St. John’s Church, built in 1894, stands out below.

View over St. Paul

St. Paul’s Church and Bergen Harbour
Colourful walls and rooftops lift any gloom from the lowering sky …

Knitted skirts around tree trunks, Bergen Norway

Knitted Trees
… and knitted skirts around some of the trees are positively cheerful.

View over Christi Krybbe Skoler and Bergen, Norway

Over Bergen Rooftops
From another vantage point, we can see Christi Krybbe Skoler, the oldest existing elementary school in Scandinavia, and the two towers of the oldest existing building in Bergen: Mariakirken (St Mary’s Church), built in the 12th century.

The old Skansen fire station, Bergen Norway

Skansen Brannstasjon
Inspired by 17th- and 18th-century panel architecture, the old Skansen fire station was actually opened in late 1903.

Bergen Harbour from Øvre Blekeveien, Norway

Bergen Harbour from Above

Cobbled Pathways
I work my way back down the hill using cobbled pathways between tall buildings.

Øvre Blekeveien and Ole Eides Gate, Bergen Norway

Øvre Blekeveien and Ole Eides Gate

Magnolia blooms in the narrow streets of Bergen, Norway

Spring Magnolias
Magnolia blooms signal spring.

Bust of Audun Hetland, Bergen Norway

Audun Hetland (1920 – 1998)
A bust in a street near Bryggen celebrates a Bergen-born Norwegian illustrator.

Woman in red in the rainy courtyard outside St. Marys Church, Bergen Norway

Rainy Courtyard
When I get back down to the courtyard outside St. Marys Church, light rains have settled in again.

St. Mary

Mariakirken
The Romanesque-style St. Mary’s Church is a basilica-shaped stone church with two towers. The oldest remaining building in Bergen, it was started in the 1130s and finished some time before 1250.

The wooden door of St. Mary

St. Mary’s Church Door
The German merchants during the Hanseatic era (1356 – 1862) used this church, leading it to be called the “the German church” (Tyskekirken).

Black metal door latch, St. Mary

St. Mary’s Church Door Latch

Wooden walkways through Bryggen, Bergen Norway

Tyskebryggen – “German Bryggen”
Narrow old wooden walkways wind through the UNESCO heritage-listed Hanseatic commercial buildings in Bryggen. They are slippery when wet – and a fire-hazard when dry.

Customers outside the 3 Kroneren Pølsebu sausage stand, Kong Oscar gate Bergen Norway

3 Kroneren Pølsebu
It was well past lunch time when I got back to the centre of the old town, but this historic sausage shop was still doing a brisk trade. In operation since 1948, the ‘three kroner’ sausages have gone up since then. There is a huge selection of international treats to chose from, but when in Norway... I had the reindeer sausage with loganberry – and it was delicious!

Youths of the Buekorps, Bergen Norway

Youths of the Buekorps
By early afternoon, groups of uniformed and ‘armed’ youths were walking into the city centre to form their battalions.

Portrait: Boy of the Buekorps, Bergen Norway

Portrait of Young Buekorps Boys
Each troupe has their own colours and insignia. Some of the children look very young!

A child

Back Lanes
It’s the everyday sites that attract my eye: like this child’s bicycle in a graffitied laneway.

Museum Lepramuseet St. Jorgens Hospital, Bergen Norway

St. Jorgens Hospital
St. Jørgen’s Hospital, one of Scandinavia’s oldest hospital complexes, was established in the early 1400’s. This well-preserved building was built in the 18th-century and was a residential treatment facility for people with leprosy from the 1870’s until the death of the last two residents in 1946.

Museum Lepramuseet
The Leprosy Museum was established in 1970 in this hospital complex. The museum recognises the thousands of people who suffered from the illness in Norway. Bergen-born Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen (1841 – 1912) discovered the bacterial cause of leprosy, the Mycobacterium leprae, in 1873. This lead to better treatments and ultimately a vaccine and a cure.

Youths of the Buekorps drumming in a street, Bergen Norway

Buekorps in the Street
Back in my room in the late afternoon, I can see the drummers, still marching in the wet street below.

Glassware on a small candlelit table, Bergen Norway

Koselig or Hygge
Downstairs in the dim dining room, I am met with shining glassware on tables set with candles and flowers, and chairs draped in comforting sheepskins: the kind of scene that invites the warm cozy feeling that the Norwegians call koselig, and the Danish introduced to the world as hygge. (iPhone6)

The Danish word hygge comes from a sixteenth-century Norwegian term, hugga, meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” and is related to the English word “hug.”

That dining room – and a wonderful meal – chased away any chill remaining from being out in the wet streets, and was a fitting end to a lovely couple of days exploring Bergen.

Like a warm hug.

Until next time,

Happy Wandering!

Photos: 28April2018