WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: REGRET

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          Extra regret – I’m late with this theme! So sue me.

          The first and most obvious regret relating to this picture of Mukurob, the ‘Finger of God’, near Asab, between Keetmanshoop and Mariental in South West Africa*, is that it is such a poor one. It is reproduced from a badly deteriorated slide we took in January, 1975. 

        The other regret is that this amazing sight may no longer be seen. The upper section of the sandstone formation fell in December 1988. Interestingly, a legend had grown among the Namaqua (a Khoi race now known as Nama) that its fall would signal the end of ‘white’ domination. The process for that was, indeed, well under way within weeks of the fall, although it took until 1990 for actual independence to be granted to what became Namibia.

        There is no regret about that adventurous trip, though. It was wonderful, and introduced us to a truly remarkable cat – the links may be found in the sidebar under ‘Ginger William of Orange’ in my ‘Settler’s Perspective‘ blog. 

*In Namibia, it no longer existed.

Colonialist February 2012 (Letterdash/WordPress)