chasing light and xhosa clicks in gqeberha’s wind machine
gqeberha hit me with a gust of wind the second i stepped out of the taxi-like the city was yelling hello in all caps. i just checked my phone and it’s 22°C with enough humidity to make my camera lens fog up if i’m not careful. hope you like frizzy hair and sticky film rolls.
i’ve been chasing golden hour along the Baakens River, but half the crossings were flooded from last night’s rain. someone at the hostel told me Fort Frederick’s stone walls have this gnarly way of soaking up golden hour light-check out the reviews on TripAdvisor if you don’t believe me. ended up shooting the Donkin Reserve pyramid instead, which looks like a geometry project gone rogue.
if the wind blows you sideways, Uitenhage and Despatch are close enough to duck into for a breather. i heard the Coega SEZ port is where all the industrial geeks hang out-local tourism site says it’s a trade hub, but honestly, it just looks like cranes playing tag.
pro tip: don’t drink the lake water. not that you’d want to-North End Lake’s got a vibe that screams industrial regret. found a diner near St. George’s Park serving cheap coffee that tastes like asphalt, but it’s strong enough to keep me awake while i edit shots of the harbor.
the name’s still tripping me up. Gqeberha. tried to say it with the Xhosa clicks and got a side-eye from a bartender. at least the ‘Friendly City’ nickname holds up-some dude at a bus stop showed me his favorite graffiti mural. now if only the wind would quit stealing my lens caps.
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