Driving Sani Pass: South Africa’s Legendary 4x4 Route to Lesotho Driving Sani Pass: South Africa’s Legendary 4x4 Route to Lesotho Adventure meets history on Africa’s most famous mountain road — climbing nearly two miles into the sky from South Africa’s Drakensberg to Lesotho’s highlands. Sani Pass in summer — a steep gravel climb into the clouds. The Sani Pass is a rugged 5.6-mile (9 km) gravel mountain pass reaching an altitude of 2,876 m (9,429 ft). It connects Himeville in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal with Mokhotlong in Lesotho. Originally a trade route only accessible by pack animals, a rough road was built in the 1950s — today a bucket-list drive for adventurers and 4×4 enthusiasts. Geology and History of Sani Pass This dramatic gap in the Drakensberg Mountains was carved by glaciers, rivers, and relentless wind and rain. Its name comes from nearby Sani Mountain — the second-highest in Lesotho. Traders and herders long used the route to move...

Anthony Johnson's journey from an Angolan indentured servant to a Virginia planter-class tobacco farmer is a complex and intricate tale of events. Anthony Johnson, a Black man who lived in colonial Virginia from 1621 to 1675, accomplished a remarkable feat by attaining his freedom and joining the planter class in Virginia. This ascent brought him wealth, power, and social status, but it came at the cost of another Black man, John Casor, whom the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in 1655 would be a slave for life. The relationship between Anthony Johnson, a Black man, and slavery in colonial Virginia was complex, as Johnson saw it as a means of gaining wealth and social status within society. Johnson was born in Angola in the early 17th century and was sold into slavery at the age of 21. The Portuguese established a colony in Angola in the early 17th century, which increased their access to slaves from the region. It is likely that Anthony Johnson was one of many captives from Ango...

The Reputation Management of King Leopold II and how it distorted the truth about his actions in Africa. The Reputation Management of King Leopold II distorted the truth about his actions in Africa. While he presented himself as a philanthropist and abolitionist, his true intentions were to rape, pillage and profit from the Congo Free State. He established organizations such as the International African Association to create a facade of scientific research and anti-slavery campaigns, while in reality, he forced the Congolese people into labor and subjected them to torture, mutilation, and death. The efforts of his reputation management team, particularly from 1885 - 1908, to maintain a positive image of King Leopold II have perpetuated the erasure of the atrocities committed against the Congolese people. False reputation management involves intentionally manipulating information or presenting a false image to improve its public perception, this is exactly the technique King Leopold II...

Dry skin is commonly referred to as ashy. Have you ever been told your feet are so dry, it looks like you've been walking in talcum powder; then you understand the definition of ashy and we have a cure for ashiness. The term ashy is used to describe dry, dull, flaky skin is a common skincare issue in the winter and summer months. Ashiness occurs when the skin becomes dry and dehydrated, causing dead skin cells to accumulate on the surface, which can give the skin a grayish or ashy appearance. Dry ashy skin Ashy Skin Jokes. There are too many jokes that are laughed out loud when skin is ashy such as: Pills and potions, your ass needs lotion. Skin so dry it looks like cracked earth. Skin so dry it looks like the sand in the Sahara desert. Your knees are so dry you have to ask God to give the lotion strength. Skin so dry it looks like a chalkboard. Your feet are so dry, it looks like you've been hiking through the Sahara. Skin so dry it looks like a crumpled piece of paper. Your ...

The Seven Plagues We Opened Ourselves The Seven Plagues We Opened Ourselves An African cautionary tale for the children born after the ships left The box was never cursed. We were simply told never to open it again. Grandmother says the story happened exactly like this. Long after the last slaver ship had sailed, long after the missionaries had built their stone churches and left, a young man named Kofi — proud, educated in the white man’s school, ashamed of “backward” village ways — walked the forest path and found an iron box half-buried under a silk-cotton tree. The elders saw it and grew quiet. “Bury it deeper,” they said. “That box has already been opened once. Seven terrible spirits flew out the first time. Never again.” But Kofi laughed. “Old people fear everything. These are modern times.” That night, while the village slept, he pried the box open with a crowbar. A cold wind blew from the coast. Seven spirits — older than t...

Country music is popular in Kenya because it resonates with the country's love of rural life, hard work, and family values. Country music tells stories in a unique way that connects with people from all walks of life including Africans. Country music originates in the Southern United States, and it is often seen as a genre that is uniquely American. The music is characterized by its use of acoustic instruments, its focus on rural life, and its themes of love, loss, and hard work. So, it may be surprising to some that country music is popular in Kenya, a country in East Africa but not really. Country music and Kenyan African Folklore are both forms of storytelling that have been passed down for generations. They both use simple language and melodies to tell stories about everyday people and their experiences. They also both often deal with themes of love, loss, hardship, and triumph.  The most popular country music song in Kenya is Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis. It was rele...

The Primary Composition of the Sahara Desert: It's Not Just Sand Quick Answer: While famous for its sand, the Sahara Desert is primarily a hamada, or rocky desert . The iconic sand dunes, which cover only about 25% of the Sahara, are primarily composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica . Quartz, feldspar, and mica are three common minerals found in the Earth's crust. Quartz is a mineral composed of silicon and oxygen atoms. Feldspar is a group of minerals that are mainly composed of aluminum, silica, and potassium, sodium, or calcium and is the most abundant mineral group in the Earth's crust. Mica is a mineral that is composed of aluminum, potassium, and other elements. The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area of over 9 million square kilometers. It is home to some of the most extreme weather conditions on Earth, with temperatures reaching up to 58 degrees Celsius or 136 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite its harsh climate, the Sahara Desert...

The French government's exploitation of Algeria through the use of the Delamarche map. Maps were created to justify French colonial rule in Algeria. The French colonization of Africa began with the invasion and annexation of Algeria by the French government in 1830. The French saw Algeria as a strategic location due to its proximity to France and the Mediterranean Sea, and its natural resources, including wheat, minerals, agriculture, and oil. Maps were created then used to justify French colonial rule in Algeria by falsely claiming large portions of Algeria were uninhabited. The French used surveying techniques similar to those used in the Great Trigonometric Survey of India to map and define their territories in Algeria, which helped in the exploitation of its resources and development of infrastructure.  The survey, known as the Triangulation of Algeria, was completed in 1860 and produced highly accurate and detailed maps known as the Carte topographique de l'Algérie.  The...

The disappearance of wetlands is a significant concern for the world's drinking water, flood control, carbon storage and ultimately human health. The Okavango Delta in Botswana and the Florida Everglades in the United States are two of the world's most unique and important wetland ecosystems. While they are located on opposite sides of the world, they share many similarities in terms of their ecological and cultural significance. The Okavango Delta is located in southern Africa, while the Florida Everglades are located in the southeastern United States. The climate in both regions is characterized by warm temperatures and abundant rainfall, which is critical to the functioning of the wetlands. Both wetlands are home to a diverse array of flora and fauna, including many species that are endemic to their respective regions. The Okavango Delta is known for its large populations of elephants, lions, hippos, and other large mammals, as well as its rich birdlife.  The Everglades, o...

This African folktale is an inspiring story of a mother and unborn son reunion. It tells the story of a mother's unwavering love for her child, and her determination to connect with him even after he has passed away. The story will inspire you to believe in the power of love and the possibility of connecting with loved ones beyond this physical world. Esi's story is a powerful reminder of the strength of ancestral wisdom and infinite spiritual connections in the face of unborn loss. As the elders say, there was once a woman named Esi who lost her unborn son. She never had the chance to meet him or hold him, and the pain of her loss haunted her every day.  Esi had heard of irugbin ilera from her great-grandmother. It is the threshold between wakefulness and sleep, where it was said that the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds was thinnest.  Desperate to connect with her son in some way, she decided to try to reach him in this state. Every night before going to slee...

Before you bite, check to see if the label right by supporting the future of cocoa farmers and workers who are working in the chocolate industry in a socially and environmentally responsible way. Chocolate manufacturers often source cocoa from multiple countries, including Africa, and blend it together to create their products. However, it is important to note that not all chocolate sold at convenience stores or supermarkets is made from sustainably sourced cocoa. There are concerns about child labor and other human rights abuses in some cocoa-producing regions. That a chocolate bar you just grabbed at the convenience store contains cocoa that was grown in Africa, so before you eat that piece of chocolate check the label to insure the chocolate was sustainably sourced. You can tell if the chocolate was sustainably sourced by the Fairtrade and Rainfo...