{habits & happenings}

For the last few days the city has been engulfed in rain; its surfaces glistening and splashing with rain drops; everything dripping; pouring; leaking. And before that, came hot, windy days of air congested with dust, smudging up everything. So when you wake at 6am on a Saturday, and you hear in the early-morning silence the conspicuous absence of rain on the other side of the bedroom window, you feel the urge to walk, to be outside and that's when you end up at the beach.

There's just something about Durban's beaches early on an overcast morning. Clouds amass low and thick over the ocean, as if gathering breath for more rain. All around, colours pop like things that are fresh and new and everything is crisp and washed clean by the preceding days of rain. You walk, you breathe the calm, clean air and you are tickled by the diversity of this beautiful city: Shembe followers gathered for a baptism, surfers, anglers on the pier, joggers and rollerbladers, early-morning coffee seekers and dog-walkers. The light just perfect for photos and so you can't help but try and capture some of it.