27.04.2014 / Sutherland, South Africa

SUNDAY
It’s Sunday in the Karoo, and even the wind seems to take a day off today. Part of the weekend – Friday and Saturday – is very busy in this otherwise quiet town. On Friday afternoon tourists from all over the country start coming here to visit the observatory and to experience a stargazing session at night. The hotels and guesthouses are usually fully booked then, and the few restaurants and bars in town are crowded – making “astronomy tourism” the second biggest economic factor for Sutherland after sheep farming. On Sunday, though, things calm down quickly; with the shops closed, and the streets deserted. Even the dogs don’t seem to mind a foreign photographer.