acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

dreaming

twin calderas mark the view


This morning I woke up from an incredible dream. I dreamt I ran away from the troubles of the world. I packed a small bag with a change of clothes and a toothbrush (and a few things besides). The bag was so small there was no room for a book - or even an extra mosquito.







Then I climbed into a metal bird, and flew high into the hazy blue sky, looking down on some of Africa's best places as we flew by.  Big powerful rivers like the Limpopo and Zambezi meandered off into the distant haze;  lake malawi shone with cloud reflections; mountains, plains, salt lakes, craters, all finally obscured by giant billowing clouds.





We climbed down from our metal bird in a smoky city filled with the noise of industrialisation.  We pushed through some crowds of people; passed through a couple of check points and then climbed into a smaller metal bird escaping once more to look down on the world man has made.






We landed at last in a sea of yellow grasslands where the light was so bright and crisp it pinched the eyes. 360 degrees of wide open horizon brimming with possibilities and discoveries  all presided over by a giant mountain capped with snow.





I rode on a white horse whose name was 'elephant' - and whose ancestors had been knights chargers in the times of the crusades. Giraffe stopped browsing to watch us pass and strange stunted thorn trees tugged at our clothing, but the singing sunwashed grasslands would not be denied and we rode out into the endless plains kicking up puffs of volcanic dust.







The Chyulu hills were our home for this dream time.  By day we climbed up to the crumbling edges of ancient volcanic craters, and explored mystical caves formed by tendrills of lava flows.  Here the molten lava had turned to stone forming ceramic walls moulding shapes of faces and fantastic creatures, all overgrown with creepers and lichens. The lava tube flowed downhill like a waterfall of caves sliding in and out of bright sunlight and cool damp darkness crunching dust and bones underfoot.





At night the star scapes obliterated the daytime scenes of wonder.  Sunrise and the big mountain taught us humility and awe - putting us firmly back in our tiny place on the planet. A giant landscape that felt somehow strangely familiar - as if I had always known it.



All too soon the iron bird droned into view. It lifted us up and away from the kind faces and new friends, the singing grass and the purple hills. We landed home with a bump last night. Today I am picking up the pieces as reality nudges its way back in, but I am hanging onto my dream pictures and tonight i will ride away on my white horse again.




19 comments:

Grizz………… said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Grizz………… said...

Landscape…dreamscape…escape—would that I, too, might go there for a visit. A wonderful, beautiful, magical post.

The Solitary Walker said...

I loved sharing your dream pictures, Val.

Amanda Summer said...

such an evocative post, dear val -- reminds me of st. exupery with its lyrical, dreamlike quality.

you are so talented in expressing the beauty which surrounds you and we're so lucky you share it with us.

xxx

a

Angela said...

I am now heading for bed - wishing for that same dream to visit me! Especially riding on that white elephant horse will be heaven!

Lori ann said...

Did you take the photo of giraffe while riding elephant?

Gorgeous post Val.

Val said...

Grizz - you would be so welcome - there are lots more horses :)

SW - i loved sharing them too - it was a great dream

Amanda - had to look up st Exupery - fascinating - thanks so much x

Geli - sweet dreams :)

Lori - of course - i love giraffes - hehe

thanks for stopping by and your kind words xxxV

Lori ann said...

I had to come look again, it's been almost exactly 2 years since I've been back. For me it's always dreaming of Africa... Such a lovely post Val, is the giraffe a baby? Well done on the horse back riding photos!

Val said...

hi Lori - that photo is a gerenuk (sp?) those extraordinary east african antelope with the long necks who stand on their hind feet to browse. it does look a bit like a giraffe though. thanks for coming back xxx

Friko said...

This is not a dream, this is your reality dressed up as a dream.
Yes?

Pooch Purple Reign said...

it all sounds beautiful to me !!
~laura

Lori ann said...

I see it now, I thought the ears looked different, it's such a cool antelope. I haven't seen one before.

you have the coolest life.

Anonymous said...

** SIGH ** reality into dreaming into reality into dreaming . . . .

Glad the zebras there can read
:-)

Val said...

haha Friko - you caught me! but it felt so much like a dream when i woke up at home again

Lauri - indeed it was a beautiful dream

Lori - they are strange eh? and your life is pretty cool too i reckon x

Janet - yup. that little zebra was so smart, and cute

happy dreaming weekend to you all xxxV

karen said...

wow, a gerenuk!! What a great post, and how sad that you had to 'wake up' again. I feel a bit the same way myself! Val, I have only now read your last post, as I have not had time for blogging. I can honestly say I was feeling exactly the same way, at that same time... sometimes I just do not know where to put my thoughts in order to keep on going in this dreadful world.. hope you are having a peaceful weekend x

Val said...

hi Karen - yip' all good things must come to an end' - I hate that too :) guess we must tighten up our boundaries and stay focussed on the upside of it all otherwise the sadness just gets too much. Hope you guys had a happy weekend? xx

mermaid gallery said...

such great photos....that and your dreamy writing and I feel rather ethereal....floating my self over the wonderful, African landscape....

Reya Mellicker said...

Wow!! What a beautiful post.

It really is like that when travelling, eh? Transported to another reality for awhile, oh yeah.

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