culture – Michael Reid Books

Camps Bay, January 2026 — Camps Bay, Cape Town

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January 22, 2026 Framed by the vast Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the towering Seven Apostles mountain range on the other, we are now in an entirely different ecosystem – Camps Bay, Cape Town. No fires, floods, nor ticks. Theatre on the Bay is just a few doors away from our balcony at the…

Sabi Sand, January 2026 — Rivers

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January 12, 2026 We are having “significant” rainfall today. The experts predict well over 1 inch – which, when added to the accumulation from yesterday, and the projections for more rain tomorrow; it’s suddenly quite wet here. This morning, Bill and I were surprised to find large puddles on the floor of our unit – leaks in what before had seemed like an impenetrable bubble. Bath towels…

Taksim, March 2025 — Bosphorus Part II

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March 14, 2025 Even places of worship were shrouded, or hidden behind walls. Historically targets of terrorism, they were often marked by the presence of police, especially churches and synagogues. An ancient Catholic Church was found through the arches pictured below, behind gates and down steep steps. You could easily walk past; carried along by…

Taksim, March 2025 — On the Other Side of the Bosphorus

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March 14, 2025 Unlike the wide open spaces of the Namibian desert, or the endless rolling hills of the South African countryside; Taksim called us to its’ interior landscapes. This side of Istanbul seemed to be about the discovery of what remains hidden and out of sight – small spaces that lay behind or underneath.…

Taksim, March 2025 — International Women’s Day

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March 9, 2025 We’re back in Istanbul. This time in Taksim (pictured below from our balcony). It may not look it, but Taksim is a more modern district on the other side of the Bosporus. We decided to stay here as a contrast to the even older neighborhood, Sultanahmet, where we stayed last month. We…

Serra Cafema, February 2025 — The Season of Milk

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February 28, 2025 On our last day at Serra Cafema, I asked Michael E (one of the staff who happened to also have my name) why there seemed to be less flies around at night. He laughed and said, “It’s dark at night! They can’t see!” We continued on with an interesting discussion about flies.…

Serra Cafema, February 2025 — Himba

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February 22, 2025 We’ve lucked out again with an awesome guide. Athonosius (called Athon) has been assigned to us for our 5 days at Serra Cafema, and we are absolutely thrilled. He reveals an impressive trove of knowledge about so many different things; while being able to drive a Land Rover without GPS nor street signs on challenging terrain,…

Bodrum, February 2025 — Discovery

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February 11, 2025 Who knew? I hadn’t heard of Bodrum until thumbing through a hotel brochure a few months ago, and there it was. Bill had actually heard of it but knew very little. Ancient history, coastal town, Aegean Sea, out of the Schengen zone, a short 50 minute flight from Istanbul, diverse natural beauty.…

Istanbul, February 2025 — Resilience & Restoration

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February 5, 2025 I had no idea that Istanbul was considered by many to be the hair transplant capital of the world. Over here, “Turkish Airlines” is also know as “Hairkish Airlines”. It’s disturbing to encounter men walking around with raw patches of scalp, post-surgery. Especially at the airport where you see them in large…

Lisbon, February 2025 — Reality or Illusion

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February 1, 2025 I woke up this morning at 2:00am, overwhelmed by a delicious aroma of fresh croissants. The scent dissipated when I remembered I was in a 5th floor hotel room in Lisbon. Not a bakery in sight. Ever since the Convento dreamscape, I have struggled to keep track of events while attempting to…