Namibia rocks!

Is that an elephant in your hair?
Originally uploaded by camandkristin

It’s the last day of August- hard to believe we’ve been away from home for an entire summer. Sucks to miss summers at home and those rare, gorgeous days that really do prove that Vancouver is exceptional… sigh… Down here, in Africa, the sun sets at 5:30 every night and, while we do welcome the cooler temperatures the sunset brings, its kind of lame to be in the dark for the whole evening, and usually means we’re in bed around 9pm!

Anyway- I’m writing this blog entry pool side in Halali Camp in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Going back…

We arrived in Livingstone, Zambia on our Benji-replacement. Livingstone is the Zambia-side of Victoria Falls (the falls lie on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the town on the Zim side gets the name Victoria Falls). We spent a few days exploring the falls- Cam and Malin and I walked across the Zim/Zam border to get the view from both sides (well worth it, if you’re ever faced with the chance- despite the total extortionate visa fees that Canadians are subjected to). Mum and Dad splurged on a 30min helicopter ride instead which was certainly a far easier, and no more expensive, approach. But they don’t have the Zimbabwe passport stamp :) Cam and I also joined five others from our truck for a half day of rafting down the Zambezi- it was my first time rafting since our “incident” in Ecuador and I was a tiny bit nervous, but the water was high so the rapids weren’t too extreme and by the end of the day we were all wishing for a bit more fear factor in the white water! One of the highlights on that trip was when we got to jump out of the raft and float down a more mild rapid- Ali and I swirled around each other in a whirlpool for a minute, and then after we were spat out we drifted further down river until people were pointing at the crocodile on the bank! Uh… seriously…? We got hauled into another boat as our own was too far away, and then jumped back into our own before the next rapid. I couldn’t tell if there was any actual danger- not sure crocs really venture into white water- but they did pull us into the boat fairly quickly…

After we parted ways with the Overland Team we hopped a bus for Windhoek so we could pick up our rental truck. The bus journey was billed as 18 hours, but took 21.5, but it did get us there safely and our truck was ready and waiting. We took care of some details in Windhoek, and marvelled at how beautiful and cosmopolitan the city is- we hadn’t seen anything like it in Africa yet, so it came as quite a surprise. That night we camped on the outskirts of the city and had the most amazing shower we’d had since leaving home. It was clear that Namibia was a whole new ballgame…

We headed straight for the coastal town of Swakopmund where, for the first time, the humidity climbed above about 0.5%. Swakop, as they seem to call it, is pretty sweet because on one side of the road is the Atlantic Ocean (next stop, Brazil) and on the other is a vast expanse of sand dunes. We climbed to the top of some of the dunes and explored a bit- much easier coming down than going up. The next day we did a drive out to the desert to check out some crazy plants (landscape architect in the car…) that exist only in that desert- they pretty much look dead, and have no real appeal, but some of them are 1500-2000 years old, so they’re worth checking out. After returning to the misty fog of Swakop we pulled into a parking lot to make lunch. Poor choice to park 6 feet from a street market full of vendors and no customers. The palm ivory nut sellers made their way over (picture a golf ball sized nut with African scenes carved into them) and, trying to distract them from their sales pitch, Dad offered one of them a cracker. The guys said “Ya, sure, but I have a big stomach so I’ll take them all.” and proceeded to take the entire package of crackers and put them in his pocket. And to top it off, Dad bought his frigging nut.

From Swakop we headed to Spitzkoppe, which is a gorgeous set of rock formations plunked down in the middle of the Namib desert. The campsites are all interspersed around the rocks, and it’s a pretty unbeatable setting.

From Spitzkoppe we headed north, with a stop at a Cheetah Conservation Farm (we’re going with the term “conservation” and not questioning it…) where we got to see 12 cheetahs up close and personal, and then a stop in Opuwo where Himbaland starts. The following morning we headed way north, all the way to Epupa Falls and the Angolan border. It’s stunning country up there, and we really enjoyed the drive through the middle of Namibian-nowhere, dotted with Himba villages. Epupa Falls (Xander, this is for you) is beautiful, but has been… changed… by tourism so now it’s a bit cluttered with campsites and Himba craft markets. Cam and I took the opportunity to visit a Himba village which, although we were unsure and skeptical, turned out to be a great experience. We spoke with several women (via our local guide translating) and got a much better feel for these amazing people who we had only previously seen along the sides of the road. The following day we headed south again to the gates of Etosha National Park, and our campsite at Okakuejo. The three main campsites within Etosha are highlighted by their floodlit watering holes, where you can sit 24 hours a day and watch Animal Planet unfold. Because it’s the dry season right now and water is scarce, the “assisted” watering holes at the camps see a lot of action. We saw herds of 35 elephants bathing only meters from us, rare black rhinos, and the spectacle of a giraffe bending to drink, not to mention hordes of the “lesser” game that abound. In particular, as if to remind us that the watering hole is still “real life”, there was a dead baby elephant lying off to one side, surrounded at first by 5 lions. We’re not sure when the kill happened, but probably the day we arrived. When night fell, a herd of elephants came and spent some time trumpeting and attempting to drive the lions away- perhaps thinking the baby could still be saved. The next day we saw a single elephant go to the baby and tenderly touch it with her foot and trunk- tear jerking to say the least…

Anyway… other than the “what we’ve been doing” blathering, here are a few other odds and ends that seem noteworthy:

On roof tents: For anyone who might be considering renting “one of those trucks with two tents on the roof” (which is how they were described to me when I first learned about them), read this carefully. These trucks are exactly that- a four door extended cab pickup truck with two tents on the roof, accessed by ladders that fold out and reach the ground. The premise seems awesome at first, but in reality… not so much… It might seem obvious to you, but for us, with a million other details on our minds when planning the trip, we overlooked the following:

1. The two tents are, like, 6” apart. Sound waves have no qualms about travelling through canvas walls, and across those 6”. Chances are, in a group of 4, at least one person snores. (For the record, that person is not me).
2. The tents are attached to the same, movable, vehicle. Motion has no qualms about travelling from one tent, through the truck, to the other tent. Chances are, in a group of 4, that at least one person will move at some point during the night.
3. The tents are attached to your primary source of transportation. Chances are, in a period of 21 days, you will want to have your tent set up, and still be able to move the truck.
4. The tents are on top of the truck, in the “elements”. The “elements” in Africa are dusty. Every time you set up, or take down, the tent (once each per day, see point #3) you will get filthy.
5. The flatness of your sleeping surface is directly related to the position of the truck. It is not always easy to position the truck in such a way that the fridge can be plugged in, the tents can open, the ladders can flip out, the gear can be accessed etc etc etc and the sleeping surface is still flat.

We’ve survived 8 of our 21 nights, and we should (hopefully) last the remainder, but if you’re thinking of renting one of these beauties, please heed that advice…

On the African tourist: The classic “tourist” has changed since being in Namibia- the ones here seem to be older, richer, and dressed in more khaki than ones we saw north-east of here. They are also packing serious, serious camera gear. Our investigation has been in determining if there is a relationship between quantity of khaki and quantity of camera gear (results say yes), and also if there is a relationship between quantity of camera gear and quality of photos (results are inconclusive, but the working hypothesis is no). We’re not sure where the manual is, but there must be something out there that says: Travelling to Africa? Do the following:

1. Buy only khaki clothes. One shade of khaki is best.
2. Ensure that your pants can zip off in at least one place. Two zips per leg is even better.
3. Purchase a hat with a brim that goes all the way around. Ensure there is a string for hanging the hat around your neck. Khaki colour is recommended.
4. Buy heavy duty hiking boots. Do not worry that you will be walking on only paved paths, and primarily sitting in a tour bus. Heavy. Duty. Additional note: if you are Italian, ensure that everyone in the group purchases identical boots. It adds to your charm.
5. Buy more camera gear than you can carry. Ensure at least one lens is longer than your leg. Two cameras around your neck proves your worth.
6. Travel in groups.
7. Pose for pictures. Be creative. Climb trees (four men in one tree is not too many). Remember- you’re more important than the baby elephant. Claim the focus.

Perhaps I’m being harsh and cynical, but… not really.

We head off to Botswana tomorrow, with 12 days left until we return the truck, and the roof tents.

Until next time,
Kristin and Cam.

PS For anybody that might have been concerned- we heard from our old group that Benji is back up and running, and in fact we passed them on the highway today as we left Etosha and they headed in!