93. Vlei

Kyle and Emily trek around the world, and through the wetlands, as they wade into the history of the word vlei.

Our hosts begin with this word’s journey through valleys in the Netherlands and swamps in South Africa. They talk about some of the impacts of Dutch colonialism, and the formation of the South African language Afrikaans.

Kyle spins beautiful tales about places where there’s a lake for half the year and a desert the other half. But his stories don’t only cover the geography of Africa. Kyle also takes Emily across the sea to New York, discussing some Dutch influence in the Hudson Valley and beyond.