Cape Coast, Ghana

The Divine Purification Festival


The Big Chief
Tribal chief Meny V Kaya extols his power during the Cape Coast Fetu Afahye Festival.
Andean trio
Acrobats on stilts above Kotokuraba Rd. which hosts the big parade of the Fetu Afahye festival.
cloth duo
Masked in traditional cloth masks, in a tender pose, during the Fetu Afahye festival parade.
asafo whale
Participants of the 7th Asafo military company parade a symbolic whale of their battalion
Nana Kweku Ennu III
Nana Kweku Ennu III, Ghanaian regional chief welcomes the crowd from the top of his yellow palanquin.
freedom generation
Young Ghanaians pose next to an anti-slavery and liberation mural in a crumbling Cape Coast building.
78e4260e-1c5e-4e19-ab15-b03396664517
easy conversation
Ancião talks with a young participant in the procession of the Fetu Afahye festival.
The Cape Coast Fishing Fleet
Artisanal fishing boats near Cape Coast Fort, Ghana
Casa Dª Rosa
Participants in the Fetu Afahye Festival parade pass in front of a lush pink building on the way.
Colonial Legacy
Cape Coast fort, built by the Swedes during the XNUMXth century to support their slave trade and trade in what is now Ghana. Later adapted and used by the British.
the Emissaries
Regional representatives line up Kotokuraba Rd in colorful Ghanaian robes.
Online stop
Fetu Afahye festival parade participants entertained with smartphones and related devices.
pair
Dancer in bold costumes and motifs is challenged to a dance for two by a parade spectator.
Afahye 4G
An announcement by a Ghanaian telecommunications company appears to be part of the Fetu Afahye festival parade.
Above the Festival
Fetu Afahye Festival participant, high above the crowd.
The story goes that, once, a plague devastated the population of Cape Coast of today Ghana. Only the prayers of the survivors and the cleansing of evil carried out by the gods will have put an end to the scourge. Since then, the natives have returned the blessing of the 77 deities of the traditional Oguaa region with the frenzied Fetu Afahye festival.

Without knowing exactly how, we find ourselves in a mess of those very African ones.

Frank, driver of the Tourism Authority of the Ghana, he had been instructed to drop us off at a strategic place on the parade but, at party time, the Cape Coast coastline was all over the place.

Despite the driver's desperate pleas, head out of the window or unceremoniously blowing the horn, ambushed by the crowd following the procession, the tinted-glass sedan barely moved.

Frank looks back in despair. I knew that it was anything but normal to leave us, there, without the guidance of our hosts, that day, to our own celebration.

We contemplate it for a moment. We do what we had to do. we were in Ghana for the first time. We had no idea what it would mean to get involved, with cameras around our necks, in such a euphoric mob.

Even so, we left the car refrigerated and dived into the river of people going down Kotokuraba Rd.

Fetu Afahye Festival Participants, Accra, Ghana

Participants in the Fetu Afahye Festival parade pass in front of a lush pink building on the way.

Delivered to the Frenzy of Fetu Afahye

During a first stretch, we progressed in a damp and sweaty grip. Soon, we approached the area of ​​the course where many of the spectators had lined up on the side of the road. Many of the actors in the parade were already behind.

The vision of a bench shared by elders in gaudy traditional robes suggested it was a privileged place to stop. We catch our breath.

Elder chief and subject, Fetu Afahye festival, Accra, Ghana

Ancião talks with a young participant in the procession of the Fetu Afahye festival.

We soaked in the tropical sweat that drenched us. We looked for a harmless space and we were left to enjoy the frenzy, sometimes protocol, sometimes popular and gentile that flowed through that congested artery of the city, located 150km to the west of Accra capital.

Reclined on plastic chairs, protected from the cruel sun by a large scarlet sun hat with drooping brims, the elders of the Oguaa region (Cape Coast) enjoy successive shows with subdued enthusiasm.

Ecstatic Subjects Praising Tribal Chiefs

Character clans arise from upstream of the procession. Arriving in front of the stand, they exhibit their dances, rhythms, costumes, their traditional visuals and arts. They twirl the standard-bearing dancers of their regions.

Masked in traditional cloth masks, Fetu Afahye festival, Cape Coast, Ghana

Masked in traditional cloth masks, in a tender pose, during the Fetu Afahye festival parade.

And warriors are presented with tribal strings and necklaces dangling from muscled and bulging naked torsos over fringed vernacular skirts.

These massive warriors, with the air befitting of few friends, hold spears in both hands. They seem to support austerity and its excessive military weight.

Musicians also parade, players of large drums raised above the crowd by sacrificed chargers.

Street dancing during Fetu Afahye festival, Accra, Ghana

Dancer in bold costumes and motifs is challenged to a dance for two by a spectator of the Fetu Afahye festival.

And duos or trios of trumpets and trombones that metalize the atmosphere with strange hypnotic melodies. Among the extras and performers, the casual popular participants continued, many of them equally or more motivated to shine.

Some danced for us in a deep trance, enraptured by the rhythm of the drums and the supernatural appeal of the gods. Others responded to the promptings of the unexpected duo of machine-at-arms outsiders.

They stopped. They stared at us, surprised and hesitant. Then, moved by the alcohol and the communal adrenaline of the event, they would rehearse the stylish poses of the stars of the occasion.

A Mystic and Ceremonial Festival

The Fetu Afahye festival has much more to say than the ostentation we found there. It starts, in fact, in a very contrasting way.

Its ceremonial opens weeks earlier, when Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, the Supreme Chief of the Oguua region, indulges in a week of confinement and conferences with the gods. During this period, dancing, drumming, noise and general festivity are prohibited in Cape Coast municipality.

Fetu Afahye festival audience, Accra, Ghana

Fetu Afahye festival parade participants entertained with smartphones and related devices.

The Fosu Lagoon, which tucks inland as a providential extension of the Gulf of Guinea and secures the natives with easy food, has fishing banned.

Your guardians (friendlies) carry out a purification ritual with the aim of scaring away evil spirits, praying for an abundance of fish and favorable harvests.

A particular date, Amuntumadeze, is set aside for the community to clean up its environment: collect garbage, unclog gutters, paint building facades and anything else that can contribute to the sanitation and beautification of the streets.

This concern comes from the trauma that the population of Oguua will have suffered even before the colonial period, when a withering plague decimated a good part of its inhabitants and they, in despair, prayed to the gods as never before.

The Religious Reaction to a Serious Disaster

The name of the event gained its origin there. “Fetu” is an adaptation of “finally you” which translates in the Fante dialect as “getting rid of dirt” or “getting rid of evil”.

A few days after the Amuntumadeze, the people flock to the lagoon where, at night, the priests and priestesses invoke the gods, accompanied by popular dances to the sound of drums.

Other rituals take place at a local shrine. Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II offers a drink to the gods and officially reopens the pond, casting a net three times himself. If the net catches a lot of fish, this is a sign of plentiful fishing and harvests in the coming year.

As the week draws to a close, more natives arrive from the Cape Coast area but also from far-flung parts of the country. Ghana.

The chiefs of Oguua welcome them, after which they meet in a diplomatic durbar with the purpose of resolving disputes that have been dragging on.

This is followed by a ceremony of summoning the ancestral spirits, the Bakatue ritual which involves solemn musket firing.

Finally, the sacrifice of a bull by Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II himself in honor of Nana Paprata – one of the pivotal Earth gods – validates the festive celebrations and the semi-crazy Saturday parade we continued to immerse ourselves in.

Back to the Restless Mob of Kotokuraba Road

We advanced and retreated on Kotokuraba Rd. in breathless pursuit of the procession's most eccentric motifs.

A huge open-mouthed black whale puppet is pushed by participants from one of the asafos, the military organizations of the Ghanaian fante ethnic subgroup that contribute to the security and peace of the traditional area of ​​Oguua: the Bentsir, the Anaafo, the Ntsin, the Nkum, Abrofomba, Akrampa and Amanful.

7th Asafo Military Company, Fetu Afahye, Accra, Ghana

Participants of the 7th Asafo military company parade a symbolic whale of their battalion

The migration on wheels of that replica of a cetacean down the street exposed to the Cape Coast community, the strength of the military company that adopted it as a symbol and the historical concept that, no matter how much technological evolution man reaches, the natural world will always be more powerful than the human.

The procession is also animated by the gaudy passages of chiefs from different Ghanaian regions. They appear wrapped in exuberant noble costumes: crowns, bracelets, huge gold rings, lustrous fabrics and other equally or more showy adornments.

Ghanaian regional chefs, Fetu Afahye festival, Accra, Ghana

Regional representatives line up Kotokuraba Rd in colorful Ghanaian robes.

They greet the people from the top of their sovereignty, lying on shaped palanquins somewhere between sofas and bathtubs, which dozens of subjects hold in the air.

The populace exalts with the proximity of the leaders. They call out the diminutives of their long dynastic names and wave handkerchiefs or t-shirts rolled back in gratitude.

All this commotion reaches a very audible peak with the arrival on stage of the current Omanhen Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, as it is supposed, sumptuous and majestic in double, and, for parading at home and being the supreme, much more praised than his peers.

Cape Coast chiefs have not always been able to expose their power in this way, control their destiny and that of their people, or provide them with the beloved Fetu Afahye.

portfolio, Got2Globe, Travel photography, images, best photographs, travel photos, world, Earth

Tribal chief Meny V Kaya extols his power during the Cape Coast Fetu Afahye Festival.

Missionaries vs Local Beliefs, A Lasting Confrontation

From the end of the XNUMXth century, the European colonial powers succeeded in controlling this part of the African coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in the gold trade and, soon, in slaves that they rushed to exploit.

In 1482, the Portuguese founded the fort of Saint George of Mina, just over 10 km from where we were and, at the same time, its profitable colony of the Gold Coast.

Over the centuries, other forts and entrepots followed, some from less-expected and notorious occupying nations in Africa, such as Sweden and Denmark.

During this period of intense European rivalry, Cape Coast colonial authorities began to regard Fetu Afahye as something of a Black Christmas, an evil traditional celebration that compromised Christian values ​​brought over from the Old World. They banned him for a long time.

The festival would only resume after the contestation of several leaders and priests of the Traditional Region of Oguua. In 1948, just nine years before the Ghanaian declaration of independence from British rule.

Towards the other end of Kotokuraba Rd.

The Fetu Afahye's sabbatical procession proceeded without pause or leniency.

At one point, with the sensation of vertigo given by a troupe of acrobats on stilts, who walked above the passers-by and stopped to chat with the spectators on the highest balconies along the route.

Acrobats on stilts, above Kotokuraba Rd, Fetu Afahye festival, Accra, Ghana

Acrobats on stilts above Kotokuraba Rd. which hosts the big parade of the Fetu Afahye festival.

We were approaching the southern end of the road, Chapel Square and the Chief's Palace where the parade was supposed to end. Before that, he even crossed a square that became an ephemeral street party animated by a stall that played loud music and seduced casual dancers to stardom.

There we were amazed by a fishmonger who writhed with incredible African grace without ever dropping the tray balanced on her head.

The procession reaches the ultimate intricacies. We wind down Royal Lane and arrive at Victoria Park, the pre-determined site for the new Durbar, the official closing celebration that brings the chiefs together again.

The End of the Festival gives way to the Celebration of the Night

The action gives way to a thorough protocol full of diplomacy and voiceover. Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II circulates with pomp, receiving greetings and greetings from visitors. Then he sits down and welcomes the guest speaker.

Omanhen and his chiefs return the guest speaker's congratulations, and then the supreme chief of Ouguua inaugurates what is the most highly regarded of speeches.

The verbal battle still has a final response from the guest speaker. Finally – much to the relief of many of those present – ​​the Asafo companies take the lead and, with their acrobatics, close the Durbar.

Cape Coast Fort, Ghana

Cape Coast fort, built by the Swedes during the XNUMXth century to support their slave trade and trade in what is now Ghana. Later adapted and used by the British.

The crowd flocks to the different nighttime party spots scattered around. A more patient nucleus precedes the bohemian pilgrimage to Cape Coast Castle, another of the strong slavers erected by Europeans on the coast of the Ghana, this one by the Swedish opportunists. We join this pilgrimage.

After we have already visited the de Saint George of Mina, we learned, there, how dramatic the period of the slave trade that devastated the Ghanaian nation proved to be. From the top of its walls, we are dazzled by the color and vigor of the traditional fishing fleet that fills much of the sand of the adjoining inlet.

Fishing boats, Cape Coast, Ghana

Artisanal fishing boats near Cape Coast Fort, Ghana

Inland, from the city's coastline to its core, Cape Coast rejoiced in spirituality and freedom. And he got inebriated at the time of the closing of his Fetu Afahye.

More information about the Fetu Afahye Festival, on the respective page of Wikipedia.

Nzulezu, Ghana

A Village Afloat in Ghana

We depart from the seaside resort of Busua, to the far west of the Atlantic coast of Ghana. At Beyin, we veered north towards Lake Amansuri. There we find Nzulezu, one of the oldest and most genuine lake settlements in West Africa.
Jaisalmer, India

There's a Feast in the Thar Desert

As soon as the short winter breaks, Jaisalmer indulges in parades, camel races, and turban and mustache competitions. Its walls, alleys and surrounding dunes take on more color than ever. During the three days of the event, natives and outsiders watch, dazzled, as the vast and inhospitable Thar finally shines through.
Bacolod, Philippines

A Festival to Laugh at Tragedy

Around 1980, the value of sugar, an important source of wealth on the Philippine island of Negros, plummeted and the ferry “Don Juan” that served it sank and took the lives of more than 176 passengers, most of them from Negrès. The local community decided to react to the depression generated by these dramas. That's how MassKara arose, a party committed to recovering the smiles of the population.
Accra, Ghana

The Capital in the Cradle of the Gold Coast

Do From the landing of Portuguese navigators to the independence in 1957 several the powers dominated the Gulf of Guinea region. After the XNUMXth century, Accra, the present capital of Ghana, settled around three colonial forts built by Great Britain, Holland and Denmark. In that time, it grew from a mere suburb to one of the most vibrant megalopolises in Africa.
Elmina, Ghana

The First Jackpot of the Portuguese Discoveries

In the century. XVI, Mina generated to the Crown more than 310 kg of gold annually. This profit aroused the greed of the The Netherlands and from England, which succeeded one another in the place of the Portuguese and promoted the slave trade to the Americas. The surrounding village is still known as Elmina, but today fish is its most obvious wealth.
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

The Pueblos del Sur Locainas, Their Dances and Co.

From the beginning of the XNUMXth century, with Hispanic settlers and, more recently, with Portuguese emigrants, customs and traditions well known in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, in northern Portugal, were consolidated in the Pueblos del Sur.
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

Behind the Venezuela Andes. Fiesta Time.

In 1619, the authorities of Mérida dictated the settlement of the surrounding territory. The order resulted in 19 remote villages that we found dedicated to commemorations with caretos and local pauliteiros.
Suzdal, Russia

The Suzdal Cucumber Celebrations

With summer and warm weather, the Russian city of Suzdal relaxes from its ancient religious orthodoxy. The old town is also famous for having the best cucumbers in the nation. When July arrives, it turns the newly harvested into a real festival.
Pirenópolis, Brazil

Brazilian Crusades

Christian armies expelled Muslim forces from the Iberian Peninsula in the XNUMXth century. XV but, in Pirenópolis, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, the South American subjects of Carlos Magno continue to triumph.
Pirenópolis, Brazil

A Ride of Faith

Introduced in 1819 by Portuguese priests, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo de Pirenópolis it aggregates a complex web of religious and pagan celebrations. It lasts more than 20 days, spent mostly on the saddle.
San Francisco, USA

with the head on the moon

September comes and Chinese people around the world celebrate harvests, abundance and unity. San Francisco's enormous Sino-Community gives itself body and soul to California's biggest Moon Festival.
Albuquerque, USA

When the Drums Sound, the Indians Resist

With more than 500 tribes present, the pow wow "Gathering of the Nations" celebrates the sacred remnants of Native American cultures. But it also reveals the damage inflicted by colonizing civilization.
Volta, Ghana

A Tour around Volta

In colonial times, the great African region of the Volta was German, British and French. Today, the area east of this majestic West African river and the lake on which it spreads forms a province of the same name. It is a mountainous, lush and breathtaking corner of Ghana.
Kumasi to Kpetoe, Ghana

A Celebration-Trip of the Ghanian Fashion

After some time in the great Ghanaian capital ashanti we crossed the country to the border with Togo. The reasons for this long journey were the kente, a fabric so revered in Ghana that several tribal chiefs dedicate a sumptuous festival to it every year.
Residents walk along the trail that runs through plantations above the UP4
City
Gurué, Mozambique, Part 1

Through the Mozambican Lands of Tea

The Portuguese founded Gurué in the 1930th century and, from XNUMX onwards, flooded it with camellia sinensis the foothills of the Namuli Mountains. Later, they renamed it Vila Junqueiro, in honor of its main promoter. With the independence of Mozambique and the civil war, the town regressed. It continues to stand out for the lush green imposing mountains and teak landscapes.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beach
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Esteros del Iberá, Pantanal Argentina, Alligator
safari
Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

The Pantanal of the Pampas

On the world map, south of the famous brazilian wetland, a little-known flooded region appears, but almost as vast and rich in biodiversity. the Guarani expression Y bera defines it as “shining waters”. The adjective fits more than its strong luminance.
Young people walk the main street in Chame, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 1th - Pokhara a ChameNepal

Finally, on the way

After several days of preparation in Pokhara, we left towards the Himalayas. The walking route only starts in Chame, at 2670 meters of altitude, with the snowy peaks of the Annapurna mountain range already in sight. Until then, we complete a painful but necessary road preamble to its subtropical base.
holy plain, Bagan, Myanmar
Architecture & Design
Bagan, Myanmar

The Plain of Pagodas, Temples and other Heavenly Redemptions

Burmese religiosity has always been based on a commitment to redemption. In Bagan, wealthy and fearful believers continue to erect pagodas in hopes of winning the benevolence of the gods.
Full Dog Mushing
Aventura
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.
Military Religious, Wailing Wall, IDF Flag Oath, Jerusalem, Israel
Ceremonies and Festivities
Jerusalem, Israel

A Festive Wailing Wall

The holiest place in Judaism is not only attended by prayers and prayers. Its ancient stones have witnessed the oath of new IDF recruits for decades and echo the euphoric screams that follow.
Oranjestad city, Aruba, Dutch architecture building
Cities
Oranjestad, Aruba

The Dutch Soul of Aruba

On the other side of the Atlantic, in the depths of the Caribbean, Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, displays much of the legacy left in the ABC islands by settlers from the Netherlands. The natives call it “Playa”. The city comes alive with exuberant bathing parties.
Lunch time
World Food

Gastronomy Without Borders or Prejudice

Each people, their recipes and delicacies. In certain cases, the same ones that delight entire nations repel many others. For those who travel the world, the most important ingredient is a very open mind.
Karanga ethnic musicians join the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Culture
Great ZimbabweZimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe, Little Bira Dance

Karanga natives of the KwaNemamwa village display traditional Bira dances to privileged visitors to the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. the most iconic place in Zimbabwe, the one who, after the decree of colonial Rhodesia's independence, inspired the name of the new and problematic nation.  
combat arbiter, cockfighting, philippines
Sport
Philippines

When Only Cock Fights Wake Up the Philippines

Banned in much of the First World, cockfighting thrives in the Philippines where they move millions of people and pesos. Despite its eternal problems, it is the sabong that most stimulates the nation.
Creel, Chihuahua, Carlos Venzor, collector, museum
Traveling
Chihuahua a Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico

On Creel's Way

With Chihuahua behind, we point to the southwest and to even higher lands in the north of Mexico. Next to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, we visited a Mennonite elder. Around Creel, we lived for the first time with the Rarámuri indigenous community of the Serra de Tarahumara.
amazing
Ethnic

Amberris Caye, Belize

Belize's Playground

Madonna sang it as La Isla Bonita and reinforced the motto. Today, neither hurricanes nor political strife discourage VIP and wealthy vacationers from enjoying this tropical getaway.

sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Islamic silhouettes
History

Istanbul, Turkey

Where East meets West, Turkey Seeks its Way

An emblematic and grandiose metropolis, Istanbul lives at a crossroads. As Turkey in general, divided between secularism and Islam, tradition and modernity, it still doesn't know which way to go

Seeding, Lombok, Sea Bali, Sonda Island, Indonesia
Islands
Lombok, Indonesia

Lombok. The Bali Sea Deserves such a Sonda

Long overshadowed by the neighboring island's fame, Lombok's exotic settings remain unrevealed, under the sacred protection of guardian Gunung Rinjani, Indonesia's second-largest volcano.
Horses under a snow, Iceland Never Ending Snow Island Fire
Winter White
Husavik a Myvatn, Iceland

Endless Snow on the Island of Fire

When, in mid-May, Iceland already enjoys some sun warmth but the cold and snow persist, the inhabitants give in to an intriguing summer anxiety.
Cove, Big Sur, California, United States
Literature
Big Sur, USA

The Coast of All Refuges

Over 150km, the Californian coast is subjected to a vastness of mountains, ocean and fog. In this epic setting, hundreds of tormented souls follow in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and Henri Miller.
Graciosa, Azores, Monte da Ajuda
Nature
Graciosa, Azores

Her Grace the Graciosa

Finally, we will disembark in Graciosa, our ninth island in the Azores. Even if less dramatic and verdant than its neighbors, Graciosa preserves an Atlantic charm that is its own. Those who have the privilege of living it, take from this island of the central group an esteem that remains forever.
Girl plays with leaves on the shore of the Great Lake at Catherine Palace
Autumn
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Golden Days Before the Storm

Aside from the political and military events precipitated by Russia, from mid-September onwards, autumn takes over the country. In previous years, when visiting Saint Petersburg, we witnessed how the cultural and northern capital was covered in a resplendent yellow-orange. A dazzling light that hardly matches the political and military gloom that had spread in the meantime.
Hikers on the Ice Lake Trail, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Natural Parks
Annapurna Circuit: 7th - Braga - Ice Lake, Nepal

Annapurna Circuit – The Painful Acclimatization of the Ice Lake

On the way up to the Ghyaru village, we had a first and unexpected show of how ecstatic the Annapurna Circuit can be tasted. Nine kilometers later, in Braga, due to the need to acclimatize, we climbed from 3.470m from Braga to 4.600m from Lake Kicho Tal. We only felt some expected tiredness and the increase in the wonder of the Annapurna Mountains.
On hold, Mauna Kea volcano in space, Big Island, Hawaii
UNESCO World Heritage
Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Mauna Kea: the Volcano with an Eye out in Space

The roof of Hawaii was off-limits to natives because it housed benevolent deities. But since 1968, several nations sacrificed the peace of the gods and built the greatest astronomical station on the face of the Earth.
Characters
Look-alikes, Actors and Extras

Make-believe stars

They are the protagonists of events or are street entrepreneurs. They embody unavoidable characters, represent social classes or epochs. Even miles from Hollywood, without them, the world would be more dull.
El Nido, Palawan the Last Philippine Border
Beaches
El Nido, Philippines

El Nido, Palawan: The Last Philippine Frontier

One of the most fascinating seascapes in the world, the vastness of the rugged islets of Bacuit hides gaudy coral reefs, small beaches and idyllic lagoons. To discover it, just one fart.
Religion
Lhasa, Tibet

When Buddhism Tires of Meditation

It is not only with silence and spiritual retreat that one seeks Nirvana. At the Sera Monastery, the young monks perfect their Buddhist knowledge with lively dialectical confrontations and crackling clapping of hands.
Train Fianarantsoa to Manakara, Malagasy TGV, locomotive
On Rails
Fianarantsoa-Manakara, Madagascar

On board the Malagasy TGV

We depart Fianarantsoa at 7a.m. It wasn't until 3am the following morning that we completed the 170km to Manakara. The natives call this almost secular train Train Great Vibrations. During the long journey, we felt, very strongly, those of the heart of Madagascar.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Society
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Young twin women, weavers
Daily life

Margilan, Uzbequistan

A Tour of Uzbekistan's Handicraft Fabrics

Located in the far east of Uzbekistan, in the Fergana Valley, Margilan was one of the essential stops on the Silk Road. Since the 10th century, the silk products produced there have made it stand out on maps; today, haute couture brands compete for its fabrics. More than just a prodigious center of artisanal creation, Margilan values ​​and cherishes an ancient Uzbek way of life.
Bather rescue in Boucan Canot, Reunion Island
Wildlife
Reunion Island

The Bathing Melodrama of Reunion

Not all tropical coastlines are pleasurable and refreshing retreats. Beaten by violent surf, undermined by treacherous currents and, worse, the scene of the most frequent shark attacks on the face of the Earth, that of the Reunion Island he fails to grant his bathers the peace and delight they crave from him.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.