The Call of the Wild: Travel Stories from Africa

Description

Two women, two adventures, one continent: Kirsten Balbig travels with a light backpack and no fixed plans through southern Africa – through the Namib Desert, the Okavango Delta to Zimbabwe. Rebecca Gehrig dives deep into Madagascar's rainforest, encounters lemurs, smugglers, and people fighting for conservation despite all odds. Both journeys are different than planned – and exactly for that reason unforgettable. Kirsten Balbig: "South Winter in Africa"
With curiosity, a light backpack – but without fixed plans and a return ticket, Kirsten Balbig travels by public transport through southern Africa. To get a feel for the soul of each country, she listens intently: to nature, animals, but above all to the people she meets. The journey takes her through endless expanses of the Namib Desert to the legendary Skeleton Coast, to Namibia's peaceful towns, and deep into the German colonial past around 1900. At the Cape of Good Hope, she experiences heaven and hell in rapid succession. She sails through the mystical Okavango Delta, looks lions and crocodiles in the eyes. On the Zambezi, she spontaneously gets into a car with two strangers, experiences an odyssey through Zambia, and finds surprising answers to the most pressing questions of her life in a Zimbabwean village.
Kirsten Balbig studied languages, cultural and music sciences in Dresden and Nashville/USA. As a musician and presenter, she enchants on large and small stages, tours with multimedia slide shows about her travels, and always enjoys returning to her hometown Dresden. Rebecca Gehrig: "The Call of the Lemurs"
Finally seeing lemurs in the wild and immersing herself deep into Madagascar's rainforest – that is Rebecca Gehrig's plan. But what she experiences on the island exceeds all expectations: encounters with smugglers and corrupt police, adventurous train and boat rides, and the breathtaking nature of Madagascar. She reports on this in her book about Madagascar. Rebecca meets people who, despite all adversities, are committed to conservation in Madagascar. They share their knowledge and show her their everyday life. Rebecca increasingly questions her own privileges. She is confronted with deep, often uncomfortable truths about herself and the world.
Rebecca Gehrig prefers to be far away and outdoors, usually with a notebook and camera, happy to camp and never without a sleeping bag and cocoa powder. She studied photography, biology, and German, and worked as a teacher in Stuttgart. She used sabbaticals for extended travels, especially in rainforests. On the road, she loves the unexpected, encounters, and the chance to renew her perspective on the world repeatedly.

Highlights

• Reading by Kirsten Balbig and Rebecca Gehrig
• Adventurous travel stories from Africa
• Insights into conservation and culture

General Information

The event "The Call of the Wild: Travel Stories from Africa" takes place at Reservix GmbH in Weinheim. Kirsten Balbig and Rebecca Gehrig share their unique experiences from South Africa and Madagascar, characterized by unforeseen adventures and encounters.

Location

Marktplatz, 69469 Weinheim, Germany

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