A Day of Relaxation in Swapokmund

We arrived in Swapokmund yesterday and are staying at a really nice accommodation with eclectic colors. Our bathroom is purple and the room is dark blue. As strange as it may sound, it works. The bar is on the second floor of a lodge type building and the downstairs is reception and the dining room. It is rustic looking, but very well built, cheery and comfortable.

We were meeting Omo and Jean for breakfast at 9:00 and as is usual, I was up early to read and write. The four of us had breakfast at the lodge and then went walking

through the town looking in stores. This is the first time on the trip that we have had time to get off on our own. Most other times and places, we have been in a group only.

Omo and Jean wanted to check e-mail, Ron and I wanted coffee. We met at the café and then continued shopping until lunch at 1:00. We found a restaurant called The Blue Onion and had a great lunch. The ladies took off so Jean could go quad biking and Ron and I walked to the ocean. The city is so European, the German influence is inescapable. After a short nap later in the afternoon, we then met up with everyone else in the bar at the accommodation. Our group took over the bar, leaving little room for the other guests, but we were having a jolly time. They had a huge wide screen television, but they did not have any service for those of us that were desperate for some news. Adrian, Doris, Inike, and Wilfred had gone skydiving that morning and Inike and Wilfred had wanted to show us their DVD of their experience. We could not get the equipment to work on the TV, so we finally crowded around a laptop and watched it there. As exciting as it was to see, the rest of us could not imagine doing it ourselves. The four of them were held in high esteem for having the guts to do it.

We had dinner as a group in the accommodation’s dining room; Bruce fixed a chicken pasta dish in their kitchen. The Rasmusson family is staying behind tomorrow and going off on their own. We were all going to be feeling the loss of their spirit and energy when they are gone. Anna and Omo had done a little presentation of hand slapping a few nights ago and Anna found the theater bug from the applause. She wanted to do some other presentation for their last night with us. Ron and Rikard got involved too, so Ron rewrote the words to a children’s tune to fit our group experience. After dinner, Anna, Rikard, Alma, and Ron did their little presentation It was so heartwarming.

The words to the song are:

The wheels on the truck go round and round (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

The tires on the truck go flat, flat, flat (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

The tires on the truck get fixed, fixed, fixed (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

Bruce on the truck says “All on board” (Repeat 3 times)

Driver John on the truck says “Time for a smoke” (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

Thomas on the truck says “Alles gutt” (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

The people on the truck say “Are we there yet” (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

The people on the truck say “Nomad rocks!” (Repeat 3 times)

All over Africa!!!

Everyone was duly impressed. Anna and Rikard, being so young, are warm, polite, and intelligent children who gave a great deal of enjoyment to the rest of us.

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Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day, a holiday that is lost on Americans, since we do not have such a holiday. This is retrospective, since this is being written after the fact; it was a day of pleasure, ambiance, and the making new friendships suddenly shattered by tragedy. I am usually an early riser so I was sitting on the bench outside our room. Sissy the cheetah, found me as source of her entertainment. She acted like a house cat, wanting to be petted and extremely affectionate. However, an hour later, when I went to return the keys to the reception, she was in the way as I was walking there. She snarled and growled, so I walked around the other way, avoiding her path. The fickleness of it all, first loving affection and then she treats me like a used toy that has lost all of its flavoring. Well turn your back on me Miss Sissy!

We were on the road by 8:00 am. We are getting spoiled with these late starts. Leaving this lovely place is difficult for all of us. It has been so pleasant. Today, we had a number of stops planned, but one not planned or wished for.

Our first rest stop was a village called Solitaire with a population of 21 people and a little general store. Bruce had told us they had the best apple strudel in the southern hemisphere, so we were all ready to sample it. The portions were overly generous, delectable, but more than one person could eat alone. We shared our portions. It was a cultural incongruity to be eating apple strudel in the middle of the Namibian desert.

The Tropic of Capricorn on the Guab Pass was the next stop, where we had to get out and get our photos taken with the sign marking the spot. Capricorn is my zodiac sign too, so it was especially appropriate. Bruce had giving us an explanation of the significance of the Tropic of Capricorn and Cancer. It was a playful stop and our spirits were soaring.

We then stopped at yet another gorge, but being done with gorges, it did not grab my attention. I am not sure of its significance. I called it gorge 1 as there were more to come. This area is known as the moon landscapes. Three quarters of an hour later, we stopped at gorge 2 or Kuiseb Pass, which goes through Namibia. It was interesting to see what looked like a perfect line of trees growing along the pass in the distance.

Traveling down a two lane ‘highway’ of gravel, we spotted a problem ahead, but those of us in the truck were not able to really see exactly what had happened. We were between nothing and nowhere and we came upon an accident on the road. At first, Bruce had not opened the door and dropped the ladder on the truck for us to get out. Then he came back to see if any of us were up on our first aid. Inike is an X-Ray technician, so is current and she went to help as did Lena followed by her husband Klas. They came back to the truck saying they needed towels, lots of towels. We got into our luggage and found ours as did all of the others.

There on the side of the road was a one car accident. The car had a trailer behind it and must have flipped the car going around the bend. The car was totaled. Initially, the only person we saw was a young woman walking the pavement crying hysterically. They got her into the truck and stopped her bleeding. Then a second girl followed and was also put into the truck. It was then that many of us became aware that there was a young man’s body on the side of the road and another man hanging out of the driver’s side of the car. From the condition the car was in, it would have taken experts to remove the driver, but it seemed to be too late to try to save him by the time we arrived. We had no idea how long they had been there before we arrived.

Both sides of the road were strewn with their belongings, some things far flung into the desert. Dirk and Harm started collecting everything scattered and then a group of us joined in. We collected anything that was worth anything at all and piled it along side the road. It kept us busy for about forty-five minutes reassembling people’s lives; various shoes spread within a hundred feet of each other, fishing rods mangled, coolers with cans of tuna, packages of gravy mix, and liters of soda, littering the desert landscape when they were meant for a celebration of life. There were cards from a game called “30 Seconds” blowing in the breeze. In my mind, I saw this group of five, playing this game as they were driving to their holiday destination, laughing and enjoying each other’s company only to have it end in tragedy so suddenly. As we collected their things, I tried to imagine all of the losses they had experienced in a matter of moments and was devastated by the thoughts. We were all in shock.

There were papers flying down the road and Ron retrieved them. They had the names of the people and were their reservations at a fancy resort for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. The mother appeared from somewhere I had not witnessed. The young man on the ground was presumably her son and the young women, her daughters with the father driving. The mother was unscathed physically, but obviously in shock. Bruce had tried giving the boy air, but his chest was not able to sustain compressions. Some of the guys from our group stopped the few cars that were traveling this road. The next person to stop was a medical doctor, but he agreed the boy was beyond medical treatment and the father was gone already. He did clean and bandage the two daughters.

With the next cars that stopped, Bruce checked to see who had cell phones with them. There was no cell signal where we were so calling for an ambulance was impossible. He asked more than one driver to keep their cell phone on and to call the emergency number as soon as they received a signal.

We stayed until the ambulance came to take the three women to the hospital. After packing their suitcases into our truck, we were to meet them at the hospital. The doctor and his family agreed to stay behind until the police came with another ambulance for the father and son. It was unconceivable to think what could have happened if no cars had gone by on this desolate road.

With great sobriety in the truck, we drove to the hospital to leave the luggage. Sadly, we made it there before the ambulance did.

Scheduled was a stop at Walvis Bay to see the flamingos if they were there. All of us were silent on the way, absorbed in our own thoughts and emotions.

Bruce explained that there are two types of flamingoes here, the greater and lesser flamingoes. The greater are taller and swing their heads along the bottom of the water dredging for food. The lesser flamingoes are shorter, so they feed 20 centimeters from the waters bottom by filling their mouths with water and sieving it out again, collecting the remaining food. Due to the differences in their feeding patterns, they are perfectly able to co-habitat without interfering with each others feeding patterns.

Arriving in Swakopmund, the activity center was the next stop, where we were given a presentation on the adrenalin rush sports we could partake from. Four of our group signed up for skydiving, others for quad biking on the dunes. The rest of us passed up the options.

We checked into our rooms, which were funky colors of dark blue with lavender. It was not unattractive, but different. Our room was in this color scheme, but it was comfortable with four twin beds separated by a partial wall. The bathroom was large with a comfortable shower, and the room had teas and coffee self-serve.

Here we are saying good-bye to the Rasmusson family. They are going on their own from this town forward tomorrow. They have been such a rich part of our experiences, everyone is going to miss them dearly. Anna and Rikard have been delightful diversions on the long truck rides and pleasant company and conversationalists at other times. None of us are looking forward to their leaving the group. We do pick up an new member here, Germine from The Netherlands joins us. This now ends our Swedish majority and for a short time, makes it a Dutch majority.

Swakopmund is a German settlement and has all of the appearances as such. If you did not know better, you would think you were somewhere in Germany.

We gathered at 7:30 pm to go to dinner in the city center at a jumping Italian restaurant. They did not seem to be prepared to receive us with our being spread out at three different tables in various parts of the restaurant. The last group had to wait twenty minutes to be seated. When we were finally seated, Inger announced that she just heard from her daughter and she was now the proud grandmother of a baby boy. She said it is customary for a new grandparent to buy champagne, so she did and we toasted her new addition. As she said, we experienced death and now new life; the circle of life continues.

Making menu selections was difficult, but I finally chose a feta, spinach, and olive pizza, while Ron had fish. Some at our table ordered the meat lovers special, which when served looked like a whole animal had been put on the plate. Our portions were equally generous, but it was too delicious not to finish it then.

Some of the group decided to continue the evening by going to a nightclub, but a smaller group of us walked back to the accommodation to hit the bed.

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Merry Christmas

It was Christmas morning and we had to leave at 5:00 am. What a horrid time to have to be up and moving about. We drove to the Namib-Haukluft National Park to Dune 45. The Namib dune fields stretch from the Gariep (Orange) River to the Kuiseb River known as Dune Sea. Dunes are composed of quartz sand with hues from cream to orange to red to violet. Unlike the Kalahari dunes, these are dynamic, shifted by the winds into distinctive shapes. Dune 45 is the most accessible of the red dunes rising to 150 meters. The whole sand sea is 300 kilometers long and 150 kilometers wide.

Bruce warned us to remove our shoes before climbing to keep sand from filling them and dragging us down. However, we were warned to keep our socks on as the sand can get so hot, it will burn your feet. We were told to climb up the ridge to the top if we chose to. Walking in sand is difficult at best, but at a 90 degree angle, it is arduous to say the least.

Notwithstanding, Ron worked his way to the top. This was my intention too, but multiple factors kept me at half mast. My leg was still bothering me and getting progressively worse day by day, smoker’s lungs are not conditioned for heavy exertion, but what really dissolved my determination to succeed was my fear of heights. As you climb the ridge, it is like walking a tightrope with nothing but space and air between you and way down. My vertigo was the killer of ambitions and I had to let go ¾ of the way up to the top and return to the truck. There were others who only made it as far as I, so we commiserated.

It may seem unusual to think of sand as incredibly beautiful, but these dunes had such grace and purity that they deserved all of the attention they received. The pristine nature was and sleek lines were breathtakingly attractive.

We broke our fast at the truck, a boxed up style supplied by the accommodation we had left. It felt like late afternoon, but it was barely half past morning. We drove for a long time, time becoming blurred with so much of it on the truck.

We met our local guide Boseman, a white Namibian, who for 120 Rand each did a desert walk with us. This was an optional adventure, but all joined in. Boseman, not all that tall, walks as fast as a cheetah runs and it was difficult keeping up with him. Boseman was an academic professional who studied the desert life as a hobby, later turning it into a full time profession. His knowledge was extensive. He explained how the dunes formed and how you could tell the seasons and directions from the shifts in the dune. The dunes either shift to one side or the other depending on whether the winds are coming from the mountains or the ocean.

He showed us scorpion tracks, mice, and beetle larvae as well as beetles themselves. He explained how the animals live under the sand only coming out at night when it is cooler. He showed us how to catch a lizard by scooping it out of the sand and plants that can die completely, but retain their seeds for the first rain. They then burst open and release their seeds to the ground. Within three days, new plants are growing. Africans used to believe that the sky rained seeds. He explained the life of the Bushman who were continuously nomadic. They left the elderly and even children behind who could not keep up in order to keep the community alive. Bushmen used poisonous darts with a ten meter range. They killed many whites from fear. It was legal to hunt and kill Bushmen until 1919 and then until 1929 with a hunting license. There are no longer any Bushmen due to this heinous act.

Boseman explained that one should never climb a dune on the ridge. Where was he earlier when we needed this information on Dune 45? He said if you watch an animal, they never climb the ridge, but zigzag along the side.

After having us climb yet another dune, he took us to the edge. Again, being so far up, made me dizzy. Boseman explained how soft the sand was and how safe it was to fall down, regardless of how high up one was. He shared that we could slide, roll, or walk down without any danger at all. The only problem was the sand may discolor our clothes and it may not come out in the wash. With this knowledge, I felt powerful enough to leap down the side of the dune at a 90 degree angle with giant steps, feeling the fear, but pleasuring in the sensation. I really wanted to regress to boyhood and roll down, but my mother’s voice whispered in my ear about staining my clothes, so I refrained. This was a highlight for me and if I had know earlier, I would have felt more confident with Dune 45.

On the way back to our truck, Anna, Rikard, and Klas sat on the front of Boseman’s 4x4 while the rest of us were herded like cattle in the back. It takes a special type of vehicle to drive in this sand. The ride was like a tumultuous roller coaster and we were jarred around praying the truck would not flip over.

When we returned to the Six Pack, we drove to another part of the park for lunch. There was supposed to be a swimming pool there, but when we arrived, they were draining the pool. Bruce created a delicious pasta salad, then after we ate it was back on the truck for our lodge once again.

Ron gave out Hungarian Christmas candy we brought with us and and explained the significance in Hungary. They seem to have been enjoyed and appreciated by all.

Before returning to the lodge, we went to another gorge at Sesriem Canyon. The sunblock was bleeding into my eyes and I asked Ron for a tissue. He went back to the truck to get it from his bag, but in the meanwhile, we were separated from the group, who were descending into the gorge. I had tried to follow to keep track of the direction they were going, but Ron did not immediately follow. At one point, the way forked and I waited for Ron to catch up so he would not take the wrong turn. When he did not show, I went back to find him still at the top at the truck taking pictures. By this time, it was too late to try to find the group’s direction and I too stayed at the top and watched them from above.

Back at the lodge, I was ready for a swim, a shower, and a nap in that order. Later, we congregated outside on the lawn for a drink and socialization until dinner. Bruce prepared pork chops with sausage, potatoes, and mixed vegetables. It is astonishing what he can create on a couple of propane burners. He also made a special dessert with chocolate and bananas. All in all, it was a great Christmas, though with 30 degrees Celsius temperatures, it did not feel like Christmas.

At the lodge, I bought a Hammerstein Namibia t-shirt to remind myself of this beautiful lodge and lovely Christmas with great people. Within an hour of wearing it the embroidery started to unravel. Santa, help me!

Tomorrow, we leave at 8:00 am for Walvis Bay via the arid Namib-Naukbift route on our way to the seaside town of Swakopmund.

Today was only 200 km bringing us to 1990 km.

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Christmas Eve

I woke this morning earlier than the rest. Jean and Omo are sharing our cottage. There are two bedrooms and a small kitchen/living room combo. When I stared out the window to see if anyone else in the group was stirring, I spotted little creatures on the grass. There were two dark rock hyraxes on the grass and four brown ones sunning themselves on the wall ledge. I snapped pictures through the window; each time I tried going out to take their picture, they disappeared. The hyrax, or dassie, is an odd mammal that superficially resembles a guinea pig and is about the size of a rabbit. It is neither, however, but is more closely related to elephants, manatees, and the aardvark. They can be traced through fossils to the Eocene epoch about 50,000,000 years ago.

We packed up and took our things to breakfast at Bruce’s cottage. Bruce had made a special scrambled eggs and ham dish for Christmas Eve breakfast. Then it was time to hit the road again. Bruce has naysayed the Bushman walk, so none of us signed on for it. We came across this bird's nest or rather a whole community . This breed builds a nest as a community and continues to add to it until either it falls off from the weight or it breaks the limb of the tree.

Our first stop was at the dam for a vista view and photos. Then we headed west to the Sossusvlei-Namib region. We had driven forever it seems when we finally had a stop at a Wimpy’s service station, the same on we came to when the truck needed servicing. Snack stock-up time once again.

We drove through a wildlife park on our way and saw ostrich, springbok, and oryx.

The original plan was to stay in tents tonight, but the lodge did not have enough to accommodate all of us, so we were afforded lovely rooms instead. The resort Hammerstein’s is beautiful. The lobby of the main building is richly decorated with leather chairs amongst African art décor. Our room is yet the best we have had thus far.

We had the option of going for a catwalk on the premises. They have two cheetahs, one leopard, and on lynx. We were able to walk in and up close to the cheetahs who are names Caesar and Cleopatra. There is a baby cheetah named Sissy who has the run of the grounds. She is about three months away from being sent back to the wild.

Sissy grabbed Inger’s sandal, while Inger was swimming in the pool. Sissy thought it was a chew toy and a group of us tried getting it away

from here, but finally we called for the staff for assistance. Later, I was sitting on the bench on our porch and called Sissy over. She headed right toward me and then bee lined into the Rasmusson family’s bedroom. Their door had been left open after returning from a swim, and Klas was dressing in the bathroom, I yelled into Klaus and Lena to warn. Lena came flying out of the room. Sissy jumped onto one of the beds and made herself comfortable. No coaxing could get Sissy to move, so again we had to get staff to aid us.

Most of the group celebrates Christmas Eve as the main event day with Christmas being more of a day to relax. Dinner was a festive affair in the main dining room of the lodge. It was decorated for Christmas and candles on the tables. We had four tables reserved fro one group. The starter was cold pumpkin soup that was exquisite. The salad bar had a number of choices, while the entrees included Oryx, beef or chicken. We had a choice of three desserts. We shared the table with the Rasmusson family of four adding to our holiday spirit to share with such a wonderfully family.

The chandeliers were carved ostrich eggs. Later we congregated outside on the grounds for beer, chats, and then to bed for another early morning.

Today's mileage was 350 km. 1790 km as a running total.

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Kookerboom Forest

Today was an early wakeup day for everyone at 6:00 am. We have communal showers here, men on one side and women on the other. I showered last night, though the only people I would have had to share with would be Ron and Hans, but I avoided the rush. I appreciate my private time with a hot shower. We need to be on the road by 7:00.

After traveling through the Kalahari, our first stop is the Kokerboom forest of strange trees, called the quiver trees ( http://www.encounter.co.za/article/88.html). The bushmen would cut through their hard bark and use the spongy inside for quivers for their arrows. For the trees to survive, they have to grow tall enough that animals cannot eat their leaves. If their leaves are eaten, the tree dies. Contradictorily, the tree is very slow growing, so it is almost impossible for the trees to survive, but some do. The trees we are walking amongst are 150 to 200 years old. It took us four hours to reach this forest, but it was pretty amazing.

Within this forest, there was one bush that was delectable to butterflies. It was loaded with them, making the bush look like a Christmas tree with twinkle lights on it as the butterflies flapped their wings open and closed. They were white with a black streak on each wing. Interspersed were a couple of orange ones, but different from Monarch butterflies.

John and Bruce found a slow leak on yet another tire and they tried getting the other spare off to replace it. We all stood by the bathrooms in the Quiver tree forest in the shade while they slaved away, but to no avail. The spare was rusted on and would not budge with all of their yanking, pulling, and banging. They even tried pouring a can of Coca-Cola on it since rumors have always said it will remove rust. It did not in our allotted time period, so either we are too impatient or it is indeed a myth.

When the consensus was that the tire was not going to get fixed at this afternoon stop, we drove the next three hours at a slower speed, finally causing the tire to actually go flat. We pulled up to the side of the road and Bruce put up an overhang on the side of the truck giving some shade and he fixed lunch. When life gives you lemons, make lunch with them. We ate, the crew worked on the truck’s tire yet again. Regardless of their stamina, patience and ideas, the tire was not about to be removed after their constant struggles for an hour’s time.

While this was happening, Doris started to develop some reactions to the Malaria medications and needed some medical attention. Bruce told us we would have to make a diversion to get her medical care, but none of us care about that, we were more concerned about Doris. We were forced to drive with one bad tire, but it sounded like John was having a difficult time getting the truck into first gear. We thought it would be about an hour to get to a clinic, but it was more like two with our impeded mobility due to the tire. We finally pulled up to a Wimpy’s service center, where we were dropped off. Bruce called the hospital and arranged a ride for Doris. While we were snacking and relaxing in air conditioning, the garage was able to fix the tire and Doris was driven back to meet us. It is now close to 5:00 and the overcast sky that we have had all day is getting darker, threatening an impending storm is nearby. There was a photo on the wall of Wimpy’s that showed the flood they had one year ago. Half of Wimpy’s was under water. We are supposedly only 20 km from our resting place for this evening.

An hour and a half later, we were on the road again; we stopped in a small Namibian town with a Spar supermarket. This really surprised me that here in Africa, in this small village of 2,000 people, they would have a Spar with scanners at the check outs like in Budapest and other European cities. What was even more shocking was to see a restaurant with “Belaton Hungarian Take Away Food”.

Our schedule has gone askew from the itinerary a bit due to the different circumstances that had not been planned for. We are at our accommodation near the dam, where we are again four to a cottage and we are sharing with Jean and Omo. We work well together and this is a good arrangement, hopefully for all of us, if we have to share at all. This cottage is really basic, though it has two bedrooms and each has two beds, the kitchen has no supplies at all. The bathroom is without toilet paper and none of us have any, so we had to yell for Bruce to come to our rescue. We seemed to be the unlucky ones; all the other cabins are supplied with it.

Dinner was at Bruce’s cabin, where we sat around and talked for some time after dinner. When we walked back to our cabin, it was black out. It was difficult to see each other walking side by side. We had forgotten our flashlights in the suitcases, like forgetting an umbrella when rain is predicted. We minced our way back, taking small steps, not to trip and fall. As we were approaching our cabin, we heard rustling sounds followed by clomping. Our hearts beat faster, and Ron yelled “Hello”, but nothing responded back. The sounds continued and we forced our steps faster and faster to our door. As we put the key in the lock and were about to turn it, we heard “Have a good night” from the security guard who was walking by.

Today’s mileage was 450 km totaling 1440 km thus far.

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Namibia - Fish River Canyon

We were surprised last night being the longest day of the year that it was dark by 8:30 pm. The morning sun made up for it shining through at 5:00 am and heating the air significantly.

I literally rolled out of bed at 6:00 am since my hip was hurting and rolling was the only way to get up. My back had started to bother me before we left Hungary, but with all of the last minute university duties, I never had time to do anything about it. I held tightly to the belief that it was stress related and once vacationing, this would resolve on its own. I was mistaken in this assumption as it is getting worse rather than better.

Outside, it sounded like a bird convention on the river with every one of them vying for the right to be the leader of the group. There is apparently no Robert’s Rules of Order for sure amongst this bird group. It did sound more like the British Parliamentary proceedings in a heavily debated session.

With the sun shimmering on the river’s currents, the joyful noise of the feathered occupants was ultimately relaxing. Breakfast was not until 8:00, so we slowly meandered to the lodge, the same as where we had dinner last night. Our offerings included three different cold cereals, three choices of breads, and a wide variety of toppings: margarine, jellies, marmalades, honey, cheese spread, peanut butter, and Marmite. Bread is toasted in a hot cast iron skillet, a clever idea. Today, breakfast will be available until 10:00, later than what will be the custom for the duration of the trip, we were told. There is an optional river trip for 120 Rand for those who wish to go, so those who are will need to eat earlier than the rest of us.

Ron decided he would like to do this trip. Bruce said it was not too energetic, a low energy relaxing trip, as the currents were mild. They would be gone for about three hours. Having concerns about my hip and the ability to sit in a canoe for this length of time, I begged off. Since there are two to a canoe, Ron was teamed up with Thomas, the student intern.

My alternative choice was to sit on our patio outside the cottage and write, watch the birds, and just relax with the voices of the river’s currents. After a short time, I felt as if someone showered me with relaxation dust. I had not been this mellow in ages. I believe this was the best choice for me and hoped Ron was having as enjoyable a time.

At the start of the river’s edge, there is a patch of vegetation directly in front of my view. Every once in a while, a bright red winged black bird flew into it. Each attempt to get a picture of it was fruitless, as the bird hid amongst the plants as soon as the camera is focused. Many of the other birds look similar to sparrows or starlings. A heron was sitting on a tree branch stuck into the bottom of the river and poking up to the sky. The heron was there for so long, I thought perhaps it was part of the tree, until it decided to fly off, leaving no doubts.

By half past noon, the canoes still were not appearing in the water for their return to the dock. It was a little concerning, but they finally did start to show close to 1:00. Ron and Thomas were the last ones, which I had expected. I knew Ron would stop the canoe to take pictures along the way. When they did return, their canoe became stuck in some reeds and the guide had to go back to push them out. Everyone had complaints that the guide was not effectively guiding, but trying to rush them along and was way ahead of the group. The Swedish family of four, in the next cottage, were all back, showered, and dressed before Ron and Thomas returned.

Again, we had lunch in the lodge and then packed up for our next long drive of four hours before reaching our next nights accommodations. On the way, we had our first flat tire just as we passed the Ai Ais sign to tell us where we were at. It took about 30 minutes for Bruce and John, just the driver, to fix. The tires are huge and it is a multi-person task. All of us stood around and watched for some minutes, then decided we should be huddling in the shade of the truck. It was getting toasty in the sun. Once were on our way again, within minutes, we passed a car with a flat tire also. None of the ‘highways’ are paved, but only gravel or dirt covered.

We arrived at the Fish River Canyon National Park camp grounds run by the Namibia National Park system (www.namibia-travel.net). The cottages were certainly not as luxurious as last nights, but clean and sufficient. Each cottage sleeps four people in two bedrooms with a small kitchen area in between and a bathroom with shower to one side. We shared the cottage with Omo and Jean.

We only had time to drop our things in the room, then we drove to Big Fish Canyon. This is the 2^nd oldest canyon in the world, the oldest being in South Africa. It is the second largest in the world, with the Grand Canyon in the US as number one. The Fish and Orange rivers meet here. It developed predominantly during the pluvial times - a rainy climatic epoch - many millions of years ago, making it 180 km long, up to 27 km wide in some areas, and up to 550 meters deep. The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However, the gorge was not only created by water erosion, but also through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth's crust.

Because the Fish River is being dammed in Hardap near Mariental, it only contains a small amount of running water. In winter, during the dry season, the river bed is often completely dry or reduced to only the occasional puddle. However, after rainfalls in summer the river can become a raging torrent.

The early San people’s legend was that the canyon was gouged by a frantic snake, Koutein Kooru, as it was being chased by hunters. The Fish River is, at 650 kilometres, the longest river in Namibia. Its source lies in the eastern Naukluft Mountains and flows south-west of Ai-Ais into the Oranje.

We hiked part of the perimeter. It was amazing to see and since I have not been to the Grand Canyon, it was a treat besides. We waited in the parking lot until sunset where the vista point did not disappoint us with a splendid scene, then had dinner by the truck.

Omo and Anna the nine year old spent a lot of the truck driving time playing hand games. This keeps all of us entertained with their rhymes as they play. After dinner, they did a “presentation” to show their advanced skills of hand coordination. The children are exceptionally intelligent and having lived in multiple foreign countries, they are well advanced for their ages. Yet, they still have the most endearing childhood qualities that immediately steal your heart.

We stayed at the vista until 9:00 pm, then headed back to the camp. A group of the crowd went to the pool for a dip, Ron included. I was tempted, but it is so difficult getting pants on and off with my hip, I decided not to bother for such a short time. My other concern was losing my contacts at the start of the trip and it took too much hip locomotion to go back to the cottage to take them out and then back to the pool.

The cottage was basic and the bedrooms had twin beds attached to each of two walls. The sheets were clean and they were comfortable, all that we could wish for.

We have traveled 260 km today for a total of 990 so far.

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Snack Stops

The first day, we stopped at a rest area that
had a store. Bruce came onto the truck and told us to 'stock up' here.


Everyone scrambled off of the truck and into the store like a swarm on locusts descending on a field of wheat. Ron and I were in the mix as well, but once inside the store I realized I did not know what 'stock up' meant.


Besides beer and bottled water, this is what 'stock up' referred to. After seeing these flavors, you did not have to tell us twice what to stock up on!

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Namibia Some Facts About the Country

Officially called the Republic of Namibia, this country is located in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast. It shares borders with Angola, and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south. It gained independence from South Africa in 1990 and its capital city is Windhoek. It is the thirty-fourth largest country in the world making it about half the size of the US state of Alaska. After Mongolia, Namibia is the least densely populated country in the world with only 2.5 persons per km². A remarkable strip of land in the northeast, known as the Caprivi Strip is the vestige of a narrow corridor demarcated for the German Empire to access the Zambezi River.

Half of all Namibians speak Oshiwambo (Ovambo) as their first language, whereas the most widely understood language is Afrikaans. Among the younger generation, the most widely understood language is English. Both Afrikaans and English are used primarily as a second language reserved for public sphere communication, but small first language groups exist throughout the country. While the official language is English, most of the white population speaks either Afrikaans or German, both official languages until 1990 when Namibia became independent. Portuguese is spoken by blacks and whites from Angola.

Christianity is the major religion, with the Lutheran Church being the largest then followed by the Roman Catholic.

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Onward to Namibia

It is the summer equinox here in the southern hemisphere. This is their longest day of the year while at home it is the shortest. For us, this will be the longest day of the year with the drive we have ahead of us. Our replacement tour is left Cape Town yesterday, the day we arrived. Gellé at Go2Africa, arranged for Backpackers Bus to drive us to meet up with them today.

Ron went to the Checkers grocery store, a block away from our guesthouse to get some breakfast things and brought them back to the main Ashanti house to eat with some tea.

Promptly at 8:50 am, our driver was there to pick us up, early by ten minutes. His name was very unusual and neither of us can remember it. He was very pleasant and as we were putting our things in the compact car, he apologized for the size of the car and as he was stating we would be driving for 10 hours today. Under normal circumstances, this would have put me into a catatonic state. I despise long car rides. The excitement made it less horrendous.

As small as the car was, it was duly comfortable sitting in the back seat. I could stretch my legs across the back and Ron seemed to have adequate legroom in front. Three hours into the drive, we stopped for gas and a lunch break. The convenience store is well equipped with hot and cold drinks and food items. We chuckled to see there was also a Wimpy’s fast food chain attached.

I love looking at foods in other countries in places like this. I chose a chicken breast encrusted in filo dough with cheesy pepper sauce. It was only 3.60 Rand, about 55 cents (7.2 Rand to the dollar) and worth twice the amount in deliciousness. Ron hungered for Wimpy’s and had a burger and fries. After eating, we changed seating arrangements in the car, with Ron in the back.

I suffer from highway hypnosis. Put me in a moving vehicle and I am sleeping like I have been drugged. From what I remember seeing between coma naps were hills that varied in size from smaller to a bit higher, but nothing close to a mountain in size. There were lots of shrub brush, but there was an absence of trees. The earth was a palette of browns that were only intermittently interrupted by spots of green to breaking the monotony. This sight seeing soon wore thin, so there was a guiltless pleasure in napping some more. At some points, the heat made it seem like sleeping in a tanning bed with all clothes on. The car did not have air conditioning, but with the windows partially opened, it was almost bearable. The driver said the temperature was around 40 C with little fluctuation throughout the year, this being one of the hottest spots in South Africa. He is from this area, but when he was a child, his father could not take the heat any longer and moved the family to the Cape Town area.

The people in this part of the country are primarily goat herders and miners in this area. Copper is the most commonly mined metal. We had it explained to us by the driver that the goat farmers would find semi-precious stones, polish them, and sell them at markets for extra money.

During the second 3 hour stint of our drive, we suddenly went from 110 k/m to a complete stop for goats crossing the road. The tail end was the shepherd and his three dogs making sure all had crossed over. Our driver said it is not unusual for the shepherd to spend a week at a time with the goats in the fields and then return home for a couple of days, then return to the goats again. I cannot imagine those two days are enough to cleanse the smell of goat from his body. Pity his family!

By the 6^th hour of driving, we made it to Springbok with an hour to go, we were told. Our driver asked if he could stop to buy a CD of music if he could find the right store. He added he would need the music to keep himself awake on the ride home. My goodness, man, you have to do this drive again today, without a sleep over somewhere. Someone would just have to shoot me if I had to do that.

When we finally made it to our destination, the South African/Namibian border, the driver tried calling our tour guide to let him know we had arrived. He had tried calling before this, but there was no cell service in the area. As it were, we had to backtrack a half mile to find the right location for cell service to kick in.

Our group had already crossed the South Africa-Namibian border. Our driver did not have his passport with him, so he could not take us through. I think he did some smart planning there. Our truck and group had to return to pick us up.

The truck returned to our side, where Bruce the guide, John the driver, and Thomas, a student intern all hopped out of the cab to greet and welcome us. John introduced himself as “I’m just the driver.”

Bruce opened up the truck for us to climb in and I was pleasantly surprised to see the wide age range of fellow travelers. Bruce announced “Everyone, give a warm welcome to Ron and Ryan, who will be joining us.” If silence was truly golden, we would all have been rich. No one in the group barely looked at us, let alone welcomed us. We skulked to the two empty seats and sat as quietly as the rest. I was not sure if it was hostility I was feeling around me or just highway weariness, but this was not the time to try bonding.

They drove us to the South African Border control and Bruce had Thomas walk us through the exit visa procedure. Then the truck crossed over Namibia again. They left us there with Thomas while Bruce took everyone else to get settled in the camp. They would return for us, but from the looks of all of the faces, doubt was playing in my mind. Do border controls come equipped with tents for abandoned tourists? I really was hoping not to have to find out.

With Thomas’s help, we made it through the Namibian side after filling out the documentation. There was a short line, but the two agents were very professional and we were passed through in under 3o minutes.

John, just the driver came back for us and delivered us to the campsite where the rest were already relaxing in their cabins. We were staying on the Orange River at Felixunite (www.felixunite.com) in rustic, but attractive cottages, en suite, right at the river’s edge. After we settled in, Bruce gave us a private orientation as to what we missed on the workings of the truck and shared duties. He was reassuring, competent, and said he would advise us when we will have opportunities to have needs met along the way: ATMs, batteries, etc.

After a shower and change of clothes, we went to dinner. Bruce will cook most of the meals and where we will be eating them will depend on our location. For tonight’s dinner, there is an open air lodge for us with tables and benches. Everyone has an assigned day to help with the cleanup so the chores are divided.

Impressively, once at the lodge, each member of the group came up to us and introduced him or herself. They had done a name game the night before, so knew each other’s names already. Many of them apologized for the quietness on the truck, but explained it was highway weariness. That was a great relief. We had thought they found out we were the U.S. Americans and were holding a grudge.

Our group multicultural is:

Sweden

The Rasmusson family from Sweden, but living in Uganda. Klas works for the Swedish Embassy. His wife Lena, son Rikard (13 yo), and daughter Anna (9 yo).

Also from Sweden are Anders and Inger.

Germany

Thomas the student intern

Hans and Suzi – They are retired and travel for three months of every year

The Netherlands

Dirk and Harm – Friends from early childhood

Inike and Wilfred – a young couple

Canada

Jean and Omo (pronounced Alma) – Jean is originally from England and Omo is from Nigeria, but both are Canadian citizens.

The UK

Rob and Vicky – a young married couple

Switzerland

Doris and Adrian – Friends traveling together

We bonded especially quickly with Omo and Jean since we had similar partnerships, though many people did not ‘get it’ about them for some time. For the two of us, they must have read it on our forehead, since we were never questioned about how we were related.

I learned that Omo is an attorney for the city of Toronto. She went to Canada for her university studies and stayed there. Jean is a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Service. At this point, I had not had an opportunity to speak with Jean, but Omo was delightful and knew we were going to enjoy their company.

Bruce had made tasty hamburgers for dinner. Everyone blended especially well considering the short time we all knew each other. The kids were entertaining with their acrobatics and they succeeded in getting the adults to join in. After dinner, a group of the adults went to the bar, but we headed to the terrace outside our cottage for a final beer of the evening and a the thoughts of a pleasant rest.

The Gariep River is right at our door. The river was known to the Bushmen as the Nu Gariep (great river). It was formerly known as the Orange River named for William Prince of Orange in 1779. Other references to the orange name come from the Barbel fish that grow to 6 feet and dwell in the mud of the river. Their flesh turns orange when dried. The river is the border between South Africa and Namibia. The Gariep carries 23 per cent of the total water run-off of South Africa to the sea. This area is a combination of sedimentary mud, volcanic lava, granite, limestone, and metamorphic rock.

As we sat sipping our beer and having our souls massaged by the rivers currents, the sky was lit up with an explosion of stars. I have never seen so many stars in a night sky before. Breaking away from Eurocentric thinking, we learned that the constellations here are very different from what we know. Orion’s belt is three zebras who Aldeberan the unluckiest warrior failed to hit with his arrows. He could not go home without any meat, but was fearful of using his last arrow for fear for the lurking lion he would surely pass on his way home, the star known as Betelguese.

The Milky Way is retold as the grey ash and hot coals that an angry girl threw into the sky when her mother forbid her roasting her roots in the hot fire. The Southern Cross pointing the way south are four giraffes whose heads are visible where they are.

Today, we traveled from Cape Town through the Cedarburg Mountains to Citrusdal, then through Springbok on to the Orange River. We roasted in the heat of some areas and are now sitting with our coats on as we star gaze on the river in the cool breeze. We covered 730 kilometers today.

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