Namibia

Namibia: a country of only 2 million people and twice the size of California, the second least populated country on earth. The only person who had been to Namibia out of all the passengers on the MV explorer (including the crew) was the hairdresser from South Africa. I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up having a great time. Here is a recap of the five days I spend there:

MV docking in Walvis Bay

Day 1

When we were cleared to enter Namibia at around 10:30 Henry, JR, Rob (Henry’s roommate) and I got off the ship and took a walk around Walvis Bay. We stopped at a bank in the center of town to exchange US money for Namibian dollars. The exchange ratio was just under 8 USD to 1 ND. After stopping at a local bar to get an early start on beer tasting, we had to make our way back to the ship because I had an SAS trip planned at 1:00.

A group of about 25 kids got to meet with three Peace Corps volunteers and hear them talk about their work experience in Namibia. After the talk and a Q & A session, we loaded onto a bus and drove to an after school center in Walvis Bay where one of the women worked. We met some of the local kids, and I played soccer with a few of the boys. I took pictures with them; they loved to take photos and look at them.

After visiting the Peace Corps volunteers house we drove back to the ship in time for dinner. Henry, JR and I took a taxi to a restaurant and bar called The Raft, where a lot of students from the ship were headed. There were several dozen SAS kids as well as some locals at the bar. After a couple of hours we went to a local club to do dome dancing, and then by the time we got back to the ship it was already past 3:30.

Day 2

I slept in until lunchtime, and then I stayed on the ship because I had an overnight SAS trip that left at 2:00. There we about 65 kids and a few staff members on the trip, and we all split up and took vans to the campsite where we were spending the night. The drive lasted about an hour and a half, and we drove through the Kalahari on gravel and dirt roads to get to there. Often the vans were the only vehicles in sight, and when we got close the road was no more than several tire tracks running through the desert. The camp consisted of over 30 tents with two beds each, an area for campfires with chairs, bathrooms and a dining tent. It was surrounded on both sides by large rock formations several hundred feet tall. The landscape, which reminded me of the Badlands, was markedly different from the sandy, mostly flat coastline around Walvis Bay.

After we arrived and got assigned tents (I stayed with a kid named Juan from Babson) we had free time to explore the area before dinner. I climbed up the right side of the rock formation, and several of us reached the top, which provided amazing views of the surrounding landscape.

'Base Camp'

An amazing view near the camp

Anther great view

Climb at your own risk!

The tents look pretty small!

We had a buffet style dinner with salad, mixed vegetables, potatoes, rolls, rice, chicken and some dark meat that I think was beef (although it could have been another local animal). After the meal we met with two local astronomers, and they pointed out Venus and Jupiter as well as several constellations in the evening sky. Most of us then took places around the fires, but not long after that a Namibian choir group showed up and sang several local songs. We had no idea they were coming (the tour company organized it), and they just seemingly appeared out of the darkness of the desert. They preformed a few traditional Namibian dances, and then they got us involved. When they left we went back to the campfire and told stories before going to bed.

Dance party in the desert

Day 3

I woke up at 8:00 for an excellent breakfast, which consisted of cereal, eggs, juice, rolls and cold cuts. I went hiking up the other side of the rock formation and descended behind the camp down a series of large rocks and boulders, which was a good workout. We packed and left camp at 11:00, and got back to the ship at around 12:30.

After a shower and lunch, I went with a group of seven other SAS students to an ATV park in the sand dunes between the towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. We road for over an hour and a half, and everyone thought it was tons of fun. Several people then went back to the ship, but Henry, JR and I went to Swakopmund, an old German colonial town about 35 kilometers north of Walvis Bay.

From left, Henry, a Greek student named Ilke, and JR

The town (about 40,000 people) reminded me of Europe with its old German architecture and small tourist shops and restaurants. We decided to spend the night (like a lot of SAS kids did) and found a hostel for only 100 ND (about $12.50) per person. We ate dinner at a restaurant called the Lighthouse, and during our meal I talked with two middle aged men who were from Switzerland and were traveling in Namibia on vacation.

After dinner we went to a bar right next to the hostel, and the place was packed with SAS students. I had a conversation with another German speaker; this one was born in Germany (Dresden) and had lived in Namibia for over 20 years. I was so excited and surprised to be able to practice my German in the middle of the desert in southern Africa! After hanging out at the bar we headed back to the hostel and tried to get some sleep, because Henry had to be back for an SAS trip at 8:30.

Which animal was this...hmm not sure

Day 4
We got up at 7:30, which was a small miracle because none of us had an alarm clock – Henry somehow managed to wake up exactly when he needed to. We rode a taxi back to Walvis Bay, and I took a nap when I got to the ship. I woke up for a light lunch, and by that time Henry was back from his trip. We decided to find a place in Walvis Bay to do our Anthropology homework, which was to sit and observe an area in the town (sounds strange, I know). First we did a little window shopping, and I bought a nice Converse jacket, but unfortunately I couldn’t find much clothing that had Namibia on it. We did our observations at a restaurant/supermarket chain called Wimpy.

When we finished we walked back to the ship, changed, and went for a run around the port area. After a shower, six of us met up and took a taxi to The Raft, where we had dinner. I had some great mussels for an appetizer and then ordered swordfish and shared it with another girl, who in turn split her crocodile with me. They were both good, and the crocodile tasted a lot like chicken. When we were done with the meal we drank at the bar, where at least 50 if not 100 SAS students had gathered. After several hours we went back to the ship, and I got to bed as soon as I could because I had to be up at 8:00 for a trip the next morning.

Day 5

My trip was a tour of Swakopmund, which I thought might be boring because I had already been there, but it was actually very interesting. We rode in a large tour bus from Walvis Bay to Swakopmund, and then our first stop was a local weaving shop. We took a tour of the building and got to see the workers making rugs. Then we drove to the Kristall Galerie, a museum with gems and stones from around Namibia, including the world’s largest quartz crystal. We spend 45 minutes at the museum, followed by free time to explore and shop. I bought a few groceries but had no luck finding a good Namibian T-Shirt.

I can't imagine how long this would take!

After loading back onto the bus, we drove to a 100 meter tall sand dune, which I and several others climbed (it was much harder than I expected). We drove back to the ship by 1:30, and then I went to a local clothing shop with JR and Henry where we all bought a hat for only 25 ND. After a stop at convenient store we boarded the ship, which began sailing by 8 pm.

Doesn't look so hard...

...well actually yes

But well worth the hike