Welcome To Pearston - Karoo Travels

Welcome to Pearston. Somewhere between Graaff Reinet and Somerset East in the Karoo.

It appears to the foreign visitor, that Pearston is just one road in the middle of nowhere. But nothing is what it seems in rural Africa.

Welcome To Pearston in the Karoo

General Dealer in Pearston

Welcome and Thanks!

Street Life in Pearston

The tail of a windmill in Pearston

A tine roof house in Pearston with a beautiful old "Stoep" (verandah)

Something cold on a hot day

My yellow ride....

An old Karroo house in Pearston

Afrika Hair Salon in Pearston

The Sentrum Kafee in Pearston

What does one do in Pearston?

Rommel Trommel in Pearston.......

The Karoo sun makes everything white.....

Street signs in Pearston remebering those who came here long before us

old age in Pearston

Farmers buying their supplies

Pack it up...

On The Streets Of King Williams Town

Some Simple Street Photography

 A street hawker preparing her vegetable bags for the day

Under the eyes of Jesus Christ and Mary

Following the fashion..

Observing the streets of King Williams Town

Street( Car) Life in King Williams Town

A Street Vendor with Ostrich feather dusters and his cell phone - products from two different eras

A post Apartheid generation

And the middle aged and the old ones

Four Little Red Riding Hoods At Work

I hope you do enjoy this picture as much as I do. The grey cement wall was the perfect canvas for the men at work and for the shadow of the street light. It is beautiful the way the scaffolding is put together in a truly African style. The men are connected to each other in a nearly poetic way. Yes, I am absolutely serious. And, no you do not have to understand always what I say.

But again it is relieving to live in Africa. Not everything has to be straight. And it does still work instead of contradicting the laws of physics and technique!

Not everybody uses a manual. Ok, you can argue with me over that if you like but I am not talking about good or bad! I am just talking about the many ways in which a thing can be done. Bringing makind desperately needed diversity!

My grandmother and me would have done it exactly the same way.

Seen at corner of Old Transkeo Road and  Devereux Avenue in Nahoon, East London.

Welcome To Slummies

East London has lately been called Slummies.
The inventor of this name was an un-known graffiti artist who had left his mark in form of a welcome greeting " Welcome To Slummies " on a wall at the entry to East London. This comparison with a slum has upset many residents who love their town dearly. 

The welcome greeting has been removed meanwhile but one can still see where the artist had received his inspiration from.

On a Tuesday at one o' clock in the suburb of Quigney the waste is still out on the streets waiting for the collection trucks to come.

It's not only out but it's all over. Waste removal management poses a big challenge to Buffalo City Municipality. And all suburbs face the same problem that the waste is either too much, collected to late or sometimes not collected at all.

It's business as usual for the hair saloon up the street

Trash piles up on the streets everywhere. Attempts to keep it in plastic bags are scarce. And it does not help much either because dogs ravage through the bags and tear them open in search for something edible before the trucks come.

The residents of Quigney have meanwhile a rat problem. I have seen three of them in half an hour in broad daylight while taking these pictures.
What to do ?

The municipality has problems in solving this situation alone. Residents attempts to do their part are rather scarce as well. Once the trash is out of the house, it's definitely out - it is not an individual responsibility anymore.  But without personal commitment to a waste removal and waste separation system it's going to be a " Warm Welcome to Slummies ".

The Grand House - Home Affairs

When you come to what is generally called  " the circle ' at the end of Oxford Street in East London you will find the GRAND HOUSE to your right hand side.

 

The GRAND HOUSE can indeed determine your fate when you are in South Africa as a person of foreign nationality. It hosts the Department of Home Affairs. And Home Affaris issues visas, permanent residences and a whole lot of other useful documents for which one has to apply in this beautiful old building.

The whole area, beeing part of the city center, is like a humming bee hive.

And of course, depending on the matter you have to pursue, you have to be early at the GRAND HOUSE to be the first or one of the first people in queue. A good breakfast comes in handy. But being early does not mean you will finish early

David is one of the car guards taking care of the parking lot in front of the entrance of Home Affairs.

In case that more time will have to be spent in the parking lot it is advisable to take a chair out and may be have something to drink

Medical and Dental services, as well as wholesalers are available close by

and more or less discouraged street vendors with a variety of things that nobody needs.

And if lunch times has arrived and you still do not have what you came for KFC is prepared. Always !

In The Summertime

In the summertime when the weather is right.....

get the swimsuits out

get your little sister or your friend

and let's go to the beach to get some recreation.