How do I like to tell a story?
You make up your own mind as you read this post. As far as I am concerned, there is really no point in following a linear path that has a beginning, middle and an ending.
It is much more fun for me to change tack, go off script or even change the narrative.
But that is the way I roll…
Let us look at some corny opening lines to accompany each image…
The most quoted opening line of any book EVER has to be “It was a dark and stormy night”.
So it was with that in mind that I produced some random corny lines of my own.
“As the sun peeked over the mountains, birds sang, flowers bloomed, and clichés blossomed across the countryside”.
This is the first post of a 2-part series that features sunrises and sunsets..
Is a sunrise just a sunrise?
Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not.
Each sunrise or sunset holds a particular memory for me of a time and place that was special for more than a moment.
I remember some of them with clarity, while others are mere memories that have been replaced many times over.
As dawn painted the sky with shades of peach and promise, little did anyone know that destiny was already brewing its first cup of coffee.
Most are of either bush or beach, but now and again, an urban image creeps in.
The sun descended with theatrical flair, clearly aware that it was the star of the show.
Evenings at the beach. The light here is totally different to that of the Lowveld, and the figures on the beach at The Strand accentuate how tiny we are as a species when compared to what is happening in the sky above our heads.
The sun rose over the sleepy valley like a golden yolk escaping from nature’s breakfast pan.
The trees in a Lowveld game reserve caught in silhouette against the dying light.
The setting sun draped the landscape in a velvet cloak of amber and nostalgia.
The seat of a Land Cruiser in the foreground gives context to this image.
The sun is but a pinprick of light, moments before it vanishes.
The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon like a shy teenager arriving late to a school dance.
A perfect storm of colour.
The dawn broke with all the subtlety of a motivational speaker at a wellness retreat.
Early morning from the deck of my accommodation, while I wait for the kettle to boil.
The sun stretched its golden fingers across the earth, tickling the dew from the grass and hope into the hearts of men.
The moon is still up in the morning before the sun makes an appearance.
Morning arrived wrapped in ribbons of pink and gold, as if the universe had hired a particularly enthusiastic interior decorator.
A variety of vegetation for the frame for this sunrise.
The dawn arrived wearing a sequined gown of light, determined to outshine every sunrise that had come before it.
Very early morning in the middle of the Karoo.
As the sky blushed crimson and gold, the day sighed its final breath and handed the evening the keys.
Reflections in the evening light.
The sun sank slowly into the horizon like a giant tangerine being lowered into a bath of molten honey.
Good night from The Strand…
Travel & Things is the proud winner of these prestigious awards from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife.
The awards are in the categories:
Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa
Best African Game Reserves & Lodges Travel Review Site 2025.
Best African Resorts and Retreats Award 2025.
And the most recent accolade… Most engaging Travel & Lifestyle Blog 2026.
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Edgar Bergen
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