They are mostly seen along the coast line or at the wetlands, but by a stroke of luck I managed to get close to this one grazing on the grass at a shopping centre. Its partner made a fast get away when I sneaked up to take the photo, but somehow this one waited until after the shutter clicked before taking to the sky.
Sacred Ibis
And today in the southern hemisphere we are having our shortest day of the year, so enjoy and don’t forget it is midweek, half way to the weekend.
Souk translated into English says market place. I differ as I have seen in Africa many market places and those places were stalls or ground space, open under blue skies. The “souks” I have seen in Syria and Turkey were all a millennium of small shops under cover and in a maze of walk ways where one can get totally lost in concept of direction or where you are.
In a Damas souk
When in a Middle East souk one cannot but notice there are in fact very few, if any, stalls. Every sales center is a shop varying from small to large, very seldom big. The Middle East souk advantage is one can kibble, negotiate or argue about the price and eventually leave with what one thinks is a bargain until you get home and then what ever bought is nothing other than a boast item filled with nostalgic memories. But then are we not all suckers on a holiday trip?
In the Istanbul souk
In short these souks in my mind is nothing other than shopping malls where the free market rules in price asked and price offered and
negotiation rules supreme.
In contrast to the Middle East we have the Cape Town Souk commonly known as the Canal Walk – one massive shopping mall or modern souk. Superlatively organized with the dictates of regulated co-existence in mind. Everything absolutely organized and disciplined. The price you see is the price you pay. OK, OK I exclude Saturdays from that statement when you won’t find me there to be trampled by the crowds. So here a few pics from Cape town’s own “souk”.
Then to write about Cape Town this time of the year will be an injustice if one ignores the Southeaster, our most popular wind.
The Southeaster on Table mountain as seen from the N1
Have a fabulous weekend.
