Kevin Cook's Photo Blog

i’ll start using this blog for my recent photo work (as well as my future trips to Africa) so stay tuned!!!!

10 hours before I am about to leave Johannesburg, South Africa for Atlanta before finally landing in Philadelphia. If there are no delays I will spend a few minutes under 24 hours traveling back home. Right now (as I write this in my notepad) my heart hurts so much. I do not want to leave South Africa, but I understand I must go back to my “life” in the US – back to school, and the “real world.”

I do consider the past 6 weeks my “life” – until I get back to my other one. There is something I will miss and these feelings – no one – except myself will ever understand.

I have gone to Durban, a few miles from sea level in which tiny houses painted with pastel colors overlooked mountains – and as someone pointed their hand out to the sky I followed it – their fingers showing me how beautiful this place is. The scenery, the golden sunset, those cute kids sitting on the mountaintops, and they never knew I shot that picture. I want them to look back at me and I want to show them that picture. Please, look back, I think. Maybe some other time.

I went to Cape Town and spent days with Viwe and Solomon walking the streets, even though some weren’t paved they knew which way to travel. Viwe showed me his house – his flat screen TV – he laughed. It was actually a cut out of a box that did have a flat screen TV inside. His bed is like my bed and the posters on his wall – music, art and a polaroid photo – the two of us – reminded that I affected him as much as he affected me. I could walk out for a second and see the exterior, cracked wooden shack, but he is no different then me. We drank beers, smoked cigarettes at the Waterfront Pub and tossing the ashes on the ground. He knew how excited I was to spend time in the township and he said, with Solomon by his side, “well, this is our home, but for right now it’s your home too.” I did not notice a sense of regret in the last statement – whether or not his accent, his skin color, or his country is different then mine. Are we really that different? Or is this what we read, see or are told?

It is here I came, not to travel to some game reserves or sit on the beach, but to experience culture – life – reality. Why everyone asks me why I am still not sure I can answer that question.

I have spent time in Nelspruit – BBQ’s with the local’s, every time they asked “make me a picture.” So I did. I shot it – on my digital camera and they looked at the LCD screen, satisfied, even though they probably will never see the picture again.

And of course I was in Joburg – where I “lived,” more than everyone else – where so many African myths were debunked time and time again.

Next year I will be back. I would like to start in Northern or Central Africa before coming back here, for now, unfortunately it is time to leave.

I regret too much on my trip. Not going to every single city and township and shooting every frame before my camera would have to be repaired. Of course I regret the impossible.

And then, right now, here, I am miles away from my “life,” or my other “life,” but it seems so hard to figure out that question “Why?” Why? I’ve given answers, but more will come in time. When I come back, or when I am somewhere else – thinking, dreaming.

These are my thoughts.

But for now,

Bye Africa.

My Africa.

My friend Brittany asked me, “So do you just travel to different places, hang out with people and shoot their pictures?” (Britt — I know this wasn’t exactly what you said, but something like that).

Basically, to answer that question — yes. Joburg, more specifically Lenasia is headquarters where Dr. Bhayroo has been kind enough to set me up with family and friends, but for the most part I traveled to and from Cape Town, Durban and, now, Nelspruit by myself.

For each destination I have endured long bus rides (18 hours Joburg to Cape Town, 20 hours Cape Town to Windhoek, Namibia) still unsure of where I’d sleep until I got off the bus. I would look for B&B’s or some type of accommodation in the nearby township and spend time there.

When you are staying in a township — there really is only one reason you’d do so — to spend time in the township. Most likely if you are going to Kruger National Park you aren’t going to sleep in a township. Therefore the hosts, or friends, do their best to show you around, so, I can hang out with the people of S. Africa and shoot some photos.

For most of my trip, I have been somewhat of a vagabond, sleeping in 8 different beds, spending over 4 days traveling by the time my flight comes back to the US. I am writing this down in my notepad, in my last bed, in Kanayazmane, Nelspruit.

I have spent time with the “real” Africa — the beautiful people that inhabit the country. It makes me sad to think that on Sunday, August 16^th I will be traveling back home, but I know my experience has been extremely worthwhile. I hope to travel back here next year.

Yesterday, I traveled into several different townships in Cape Town. One of stops was Khayelitsha, roughly 20 minutes from the city center. We made a stop at Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast, aptly titled “South Africa’s smallest hotel” as it has room for only 12 visitors. Realizing It was located in the middle of a township, I immediately thought It would be a great idea to stay. I was able to spend 2 days in the township, which, without a doubt, was the best time during my trip. I bought a bus ticket to Windhoek, Namibia a day before I arrived at Vicky’s and would have stayed longer if I never made the purchase.

I could have traveled to Cape Town, spent a few days at the waterfront, by the pretty beaches with gorgeous weather — especially for winter. But what will I learn about myself or about S. Africa without living like a “local” (I hate the word, but I’m not sure what else would take it’s place). The next two days I spent roaming the streets with Viwe and Solomon, whom I was put into contact with by Vicky, spending R2 eating the biggest oranges I have ever seen, buying lamb and liver and having it cooked on the street inside of deteriorated buildings lit by one flickering bulb, and walking — with so real destination, just to met new people and examine the area.

These two days broke so many stereotypes that most Americans succumb to. I never felt out of place even though I saw zero whites and despite the fact I was just dropped into a different environment I never felt more in place. I didn’t feel nervous or uneasy.

I have spent time reading stories in papers like the NY Times, which is one of few US media organizations that covers news in S. Africa — but time and time again it’s always about crime and poverty. Unfortunately when people become so inundated with such coverage they forget that crime and poverty effects every nation.

Africans are much more educated on American then we are on Africa. We are spoiled, naïve, and ignorant (I won’t go back to the whole animal thing again). There are 6 or 7 billion people in the world and it is very important that we are informed about more than just the 275 million people that live in the US.

It’s not, that by any means I am “anti-US,” but why, like most of the tourists I met in Cape Town would I travel to the beach. What do I get out of that? How do I grow? How do I change?

Being in Khayelitsha impacted me more than anything else ever had. I met some beautiful, amazing people and hopefully it will be the first of many trips back to Cape Town (and S. Africa).

I have so many photos from Khayelitsha that it wouldn’t be effective to just drop them all together.

Below are some photos from when Viwe, Solomon and I went out to eat lamb, followed by some photos during the time I spent with David, and finally photos from all around Khayelitsha.

Eating with Viwe and Solomon:

David:

I have been shooting a lot of polaroids, but because of a lack of access to a scanner it won’t be easy to upload my photos.

Here are two of my favorite photos so far. I just took a picture of them from my digital camera body.

The first photo is something I took in Durban and the second photo were some camels I saw at a rest stop on the way back to Joburg.

I am back in Joburg today after spending the last few days in Durban.

I would have stayed longer, but I left most of my money and my card back here (I came back with only 20 Rand).

I am looking forward to the next several weeks. Hopefully I will be heading to Cape Town and maybe even out of the country.

Below are some shots from Durban that haven’t been posted already.

Marcelle, Shiva and I traveled to Durban late last night — roughly a 6 hour drive from Joburg.

Durban is a gorgeous town. The weather is beautiful here (even though July is the middle of winter, it is 70 degrees) and the town is located on the beach. The scenery, the goldened green grass trees and the hilly mountains offer beautiful landscapes.

After screwing up with the GPS a few times we headed to the Valley of a Thousand Hills about 45 minutes outside of city center Durban. I read about it prior to my trip and much to my surprise neither Marcelle or Shiva have heard of the location (in fact most of the S. African’s I mentioned the Valley to never heard bout it).

There we met Bongiwe, a beautiful woman, who showed us around her house. It still — and always will shock me of African’s hospitality. It’s like “why are you being so nice to me?”

I am writing this for every American, or non-African for that matter, who has never traveled to Africa.

I don’t think Africa is a country of just poor slums. I know because I live, for now at least, in Africa. I live in a third world country and a first world country in the same country. The gap between the upper and lower class is astonishingly wide. There are poor and there are rich. But those that are poor do not want to be rich — they want to be happy. People call in radio shows who live in shacks say they just want running water and electricity. They just want to live “better.“ And judging from the time I spent I definitely think Bongiwe’s hospitality is a sign of her happiness.

I am thankful I met Bongiwe.

Photos from the Valley of a Thousand Hills taken inside and around Bongiwe’s residence are below.

I decided to spend my day in Lenasia today (the township where I am living) partially because the plans I had got nixed.

It was one of the first days I got to explore by myself. This has seldom happened for two reasons: 1) it is not safe, especially for a foreigner who is unaware of the area and 2) because the public transportation system is virtually nonexistent/bad. Luckily, I have been busy most of the days since I have been here and have been lucky enough to get rides with others.

Lens (is it Lens or Lenz?) is a culturally diverse area and reminds me of a small Joburg. It is busy during most of the day, especially now because students are on holiday (students go to school year round and are given time off four times out of the year — now is one of those times). People sell food on the street and everyday there are mini flea markets set up throughout with people selling any single item you can imagine.

When I walk around people look at me funny. Someone said “What’s up” to me today — the first time I have heard that since I have been here and said “American!” Not sure how he had any idea I was from the States, but sometimes I forget. Some people I have met thought I was from the UK, or Australia — a few people actually thought I was South African.  I stick out in areas like Lens and Joburg … and pretty much all of the areas I have spent time in because I am one of the few whites in the area. This does not make me feel uncomfortable because I am used to such diversity, but it always makes me question: are they looking at me differently because I am white or because they can tell I am a foreigner?

Anyway….I decided to grab an orange (seriously THE BEST orange ever) and a lolipop from one lady and some chicken from another. It is things like this that make my trip fun, it is different than what I am used to.

I spoke to someone today who told me they take S. Africa for granted. As someone who is not from the area I cannot afford to do that.

The photos below are of some tasty chicken I bought for lunch.