Mozambique, a still life.

When on holiday, there are often long moments when I have absolutely nothing to do.

 Here in Mozambique on our 'safari' these moments occurred between activities...after breakfast and before lunch, or after lunch and before our sunset game drive...After I have been at a new destination for a day or so, I am acutely aware of these long moments in time when I have nothing to do...I get very bored and then I start wandering around with my camera looking for something to photograph..








Our trip to Mozambique was no different to any other holiday. I got itchy feet from all the 'doing nothing' and wandered over to the workers camp. This is were they sleep and socialise and cook and work. It is a little bit removed from the main visitors camp and things aren't quite as grand  here....

There is no 'front' to put up for the visitors, no designer 'safari' tents and lounges, just the reality of poor people living with their meagre possessions.

But there is a beauty in these plain and austere places were the poor work and live outside the view of the 'rich tourists'. Things look different. Utensils are few, old and worn. There is an economy of movement and activity. Cooking is a simple process, with a only a few logs to cook porridge with. The meal is a simple affair....'pap' and a vegetable sauce...

It makes me wonder if we need all our 'stuff', our designer homes with our designer chairs and utensils eating our designer food watching people live designer lives on reality tv...do we really need all of that to be able to live, to eat, to exist. Is the goal of all our endeavours just to be able to have more stuff....these workers don't have much, actually almost nothing....and yet we accumulate far far more 'stuff' and resources than we can ever consume or use....I wonder why we do that....?

click on images to enlarge...

regards, Ivan