About Me

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Troy Nahumko is an award-winning author based in Caceres, Spain. His recent work focuses on travels around the Mediterranean, from Tangier to Istanbul. As a writer and photographer he has contributed to newspapers and media such as Lonely Planet, The Globe and Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Toronto Star, Couterpunch,The Irish World, The Straits Times, The Calgary Herald, Khaleej Times, DW-World, Rabble and El Pais. He also writes a bi-weekly op-ed column 'Camino a Ítaca' for the Spanish newspaper HOY. His book, Stories Left in Stone, Trails and Traces in Cáceres, Spain is published by the University of Alberta Press. As an ESL materials writer he has worked with publishers such as Macmillan and CUP.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

The Smoke that Thunders



It was a hangover of African proportions, the size and depth of the continent itself. Vague images of the night before included: urban elephants attacking faulty taxis, a woman who loved WWF wrestling, baboons, townships, dance-offs, Afrikaans and Africa itself.

Chibuku was a new word I'd rather forget.

The sun shone brightly as I awoke, mangled in a hammock.

The night before...

No coffee in the hostel...the instant had run out.

Man, is that sky bright...the deep blue above reaching out to the endless horizon, trudging into town. I couldn't remember the last time or even the last thing that I had eaten.

Out of sight but the Smoke that Thunders lets you know it's not far off.

Call centres and moped scooters making more noise than normal.

Zim style meat pies and nuclear orange soda pop.

Forget the coffee.

There's only one way out of this.

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