Throwback Thursday

Published: 2026-05-21

A photo looking across the dry planes of the Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. A thin path leads away from the camera. Further along the path a line of hikers carry their packs up the mountain. The mountainside shows clear layers of rock in the otherwise grassy surface. The grass has been turned yellow by the dry heat of the summer sun. — The Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa

Back in 2000 I took a trip to South Africa with some school friends. We carried everything we needed on our backs and left technology behind. No watches, no music, no phones. I took a film camera with me. I remember how it took several days for us to forget all sense of artificial rhythm and embrace the world around us. We moved by daylight, rested during the midday heat, camped when the ground allowed, and washed when we came across water.

As we head off camping for the weekend the conversation turned to power, WiFi, hot showers and the nearest supermarket. I look back on the Drakensberg with fondness. Many of us could do with disconnecting for a bit.