New in Design & Layout: Discover Ethiopia

Fresh off the print, a brochure I've conceptualised and designed for Adimasu Tours, a tour operator company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The usual triptych: front (R), back (C) and inner page (L)

Map of Piazza — historic Addis Ababa — scanned, hand-made collage and hand-writing 

New in Design & Layout: A Thousand Gardens In Africa

I'm working on the design and layout of a handbook written by Tichafa 'Green Warrior' Makovere, a permaculture expert and the Ethiopia country coordinator for Slow Food.

On the cover: permaculture veggie garden at Taitu Hotel, Addis Ababa. 

A Thousand Gardens in Africa is a Slow Food initiative that promotes the creation of a thousand food gardens in schools, villages and cities of 25 African countries.

See the full set on my Flickr. The work is still very much in progress, but images of the first few pages can give an idea of what it'll look like.

Stay tuned.

Muizenberg Postcard Project

An exciting live exhibition is in process as I write this in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa. Brought to you by the peeps at Communitree.

The exhibition will run between Thursday, November 10 and Saturday, November 12, featuring a selection of postcards created by local artists and designers inspired by all that's Muizenberg: beach, white sand, surf, community, arts, good food and genuine, sun-kissed fun.

Below are the ones I have designed.

Africa in my mind, Muizenberg in my heart  

On the walkway

The beach - photo courtesy of Joy-Anne Goodenough

On the walkway 2

Make sure to swing past if you happen to be in the area today or tomorrow.

and Stay Tuned.

Varie / Random Shots

A couple of images I took in the last weeks when I travelled south and ventured in parts of the Omo Valley.

Note "Obama" written in Amharic characters 

German minstrel

My early morning sini (coffee cup)

School children

Siblings under a leaf

More images on my Flickr here.


Stay Tuned

Briefly, Somaliland

I've gotten back to Addis Ababa early this morning, around 8am, after a six-day-long roundtrip to Somaliland. Visa run mission: accomplished.

52,000 Somaliland shillings = 10 US dollars

It took me 24 harrowing hours to get back from Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a journey that involved an array of means of transport: 1 Coaster, 1 (highly) shared taxi, 2 minibuses and 2 buses ... I'm knackered but it was worth it.

Street scene. night. Berbera.

Shipwrecks in Berbera's port 

Shared taxi. prayer break. 

Somaliland coast. deserted beach.  

Early one morning. 

More images on my Flickr here.  

Also, I wasn't on my own this time, having found an awesome travelling companion in a young Polish/German free spirit named Magdalena. Check her own blog and pictures here. 

Stay Tuned. 

ps: in other, breaking, news, Muammar Gaddafi is reported to be dead. 

http://english.aljazeera.net/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2011/oct/20/syria-libya-middle-east-unrest-live

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8838611/Libya-Gaddafi-dies-from-wounds-suffered-in-Sirte-capture.html

Dani hits the road again

By the time you'll read this post I'll be on my way to Harar in eastern Ethiopia, and from there I'll cross into Somaliland.

Somaliland visa (15 mins to get one) and last available page on my passport

In the end I could not get hold of an Ethiopian work permit as per planned, so now I have to leave the country, get a tourist visa in Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital, and then come back to Addis Abeba as a "tourist".

Plans may have changed, but my time in Ethiopia is not over yet. I have a couple of projects I want to follow, both personal work and other bits and pieces for different clients. And the first engagement after my re-entry will be a trip to the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. Finally.

More updates soon. Stay Tuned. 

Food photography - new in portfolio

My new fad. Images commissioned by the Itegue Taitu Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Penne with tomato sauce 

Risotto carbonara

Green tagliatelle

Vegetable pizza

Veggie shish kebab

Club sandwich

More images on my Flickr here. 

Stay Tuned. 

Permaculture display @ Taitu

Featuring images of the Taitu Hotel's very own, organic, permaculture, veggie garden.

Sustainable food production in the heart of a big African capital city. A unique project as far as I know.

Part of Slow Food's A Thousand Gardens for Africa initiative.

Meskel_Addis Ababa

Today Ethiopian orthodox christians were celebrating Meskel, or the discovery of the true cross by Saint Helena.

I was in aptly-named Meskel Square in central Addis last night with friends. Here are a few pictures.

Design + Layout: new in Portfolio

Herbal teas menu designed for the Itegue Taitu Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

See the complete set of images from the menu on my Flickr.

And Stay Tuned for more.