Munich to (almost) home

Our trip is almost over- and when I say that, I am writing from the Red Carpet Club at Ohare.
We successfully navigated from Johannesburg to Munich, spent a wonderful night and morning in the Marriott Hotel near the airport (and in a nice village). (It also is being renovated). This morning we walked around town until it was time to go to the airport and then we caught a shuttle to the nearby airport. Our flight over the ocean was very nice- a new airbus that was not only comfortable but also very nice. Then we faced the "teeming masses" (not sure how to spell teeming) of Ohare - first as we went through immigration, then baggage (Yeah- our luggage got here), then security again. We went directly to our gate- and lo and behold, no airplane. Those of you who know United Express know that even a beautiful day in July can experience delays.
So- we have located the Red Carpet Club- which is still available to us for another day. Now our flight is delayed again.
It is the middle of the night by the clock that we woke up to. We need to get home.
Soon.......

Farewell to Namibia

This morning Josea picked us up from the Elegant Guesthouse at 9 a.m. and we were treated to a tour of the city. This is Josea’s college hometown and he obviously loves it. He drove us around the various Parliament buildings and then parked the car and we walked around the town enjoying the various shopping areas. After walking for a while, he drove us to the “office” – the headquarters for the safari company – where we met Tristan, the owner with whom we had corresponded for many months but didn’t meet until today. We had a nice visit and talked about all sorts of aspects of our trip. Then Josea drove us to the airport. The airport in Windhoek is quite a distance from town and, as we drove, I imagined that we were just going to keep going back into the country with Josea. But alas, that dream ended and we were delivered to the departures door at the airport.
Windhoek is not really up to speed on security issues and we quickly passed through all security without so much as removing our “liquids” or our computers.
We then spent the better part of an hour spending out our Namibian currency before leaving for Johannesburg. I must say that British Airways treats its customers very well- In a two hour flight we were offered lunch and two separate beverage services. Unbelievable.
We quickly exited the airport and caught the shuttle to the City Lodge. It is a nice hotel close to the airport that is currently being renovated. But our room is nice.
There is no in-hotel restaurant but there are local carryouts that deliver. So we ordered pizza that was delicious.
Tomorrow morning we leave early for Munich – a long trip north. No time zones switches (maybe one hour) but 10 hours flight time.

!Uris to Windhoek

After a lovely breakfast overlooking the gardens at the lodge, we began our long trek back to Windhoek. The road is always paved- which helps, but the scenery was not as fascinating. Today I took pictures of road signs and picnic tables. Most days Josea ordered us a lunch pack and we at by the side of the road. Each site had a tree, a table/chairs and garbage cans. Our goal most days was to find a tree that shaded the table. Phil asked Jose to stop in the town of Tsumeb. When the mine closed in 1996, the town obviously was devastated. But today it seems that there are many businesses that are doing OK and the town seems to be busy. As always, I was struck by the number of young men who are standing around, seemingly with nothing to do. It is hard, according to Jose, when they have no education and no ambition. Sounds similar to the U.S.
Then we drove for an hour and a half and stopped in the “big city” of Okahandja. We went to a service station and Jose asked the young man who pumped gas to find another man who could sell us palm nuts. We were then accosted by every young person in town who wanted to sell us something. Then we went to Wimpy’s for lunch- a slow painful reacclimatization into western culture. Then we went to a grocery store so I could buy some Namibian salt – made in Swakopmund. And then we proceeded out of town. You might be
interested in the Herera ladies - very colorful women who are members of a tribe - and dress in beautiful costumes every day. Josea tells me that underneath the large costume is a regularly sized lady - hard to believe!
Gradually we reentered civilization- and got into Windhoek at about 4 p.m.
We arranged with Jose to have our last dinner together at Joe’s Beer Place – which was lots of fun. Once again, the food was excellent. And we laughed a lot about our ongoing jokes. He promised to stay in touch and we promised to be his tour guide if he ever gets to the United States. We look forward to that day.
Tomorrow morning we will have a city tour with Jose and then go to the airport for the first of many legs home- Tomorrow night we will sleep in Johannesburg.

!Uris Safari Lodge

Today we only had a short drive from the Onguma Bush Camp to !Uris Safari Lodge.
Along the way we stopped at Lake Otjikoto, a deep natural lake formed by the collapse of a limestone cave. One of the interesting aspects of this lake is that the Germans threw armaments into the lake- in order to prevent the British from using them. Today, many of those weapons are sill there.
We arrived at the lodge by 11 a.m. and drove in 14 km. to a beautiful lodge. Josea had never been there either and we had no idea what a treat we were in for. (For your information the ! in front of Uris is a “click”- the local Nama people have a language that uses clicks throughout their speech).
The lodge is only about 3.5 years old and simply beautiful. The furnishings are completely ornate for the bush – but the place is stunning. It houses up to 40 people in beautiful rooms that are converted mine worker housing. Apparently, it is owned by two couples who bought the farm from a mine manager. Tsumeb, the nearby town, was developed around a copper-lead-zinc mine that is the most famous mineral collecting locale in the world – unfortunately the mine stopped operations in 1996. This farm has several closed mines (small) on the premises and it had been arranged that Phil would be given a tour, including underground, of the historic mines. After lunch, Phil and Jose left on a 2.5 hour tour while I opted to spend an afternoon reading at the beautiful pool. It turns out that the tour guide was on her first week of work and very grateful that Phil could guide the tour and teach her. The driver of the vehicle however, was very knowledgeable. The tour included an underground trip, which definitely would not comply with U.S. liability concerns. Phil was able to extract real porcupine quills from a deceased porcupine (killed by a leopard) in the mine.
My afternoon at the pool was simply perfect. I enjoyed a novel, a dip in the pool and abundant sunshine.
When the group returned, we prepared for our anniversary dinner. Jose had gone to considerable lengths to arrange a private romantic dinner for us. After a drink at the bar and conversation with a delightful family of Danes, we were seated at a table with flowers, champagne, and a lovely note. The people at Tou Safaris had arranged the champagne (engraved with our names and date). We enjoyed the delicious dinner and then joined our friends at the bar for conversation, Jenga, and more drinks. Suffice it to say, when we left to go to our room, the day was recorded as a wonderful anniversary celebration. And we have many new friends.
Tomorrow we head back to Windhoek. It will be a long ride – and yet we are ready to rejoin the world.
(No mine pictures today - because Phil can no longer download pictures onto his computer)

Etosha Day 3

This morning after breakfast we returned the short distance to Etosha National Park in order to tour the east end of the park. There are many waterholes, some manmade, some natural. At each we saw a wide variety of animals. But alas, we were not able to see the lion- and Josea is very disappointed. It is the first time he has come to Etosha and not seen the lion.
One of the rules of Etosha is that you may not exit your vehicle. So, they have set aside small fenced areas with toilets and picnic tables where you are allowed to exit your vehicle. We drove to one of these to eat our lunch today and must say that the neither the fence nor the gate would prevent animals from having us for lunch. So, with Josea worrying all the while, we ate quickly and left the area to resume our search for the elusive lion.
We have heard the lion roar in the night but have never actually seen him. Others have told us that they are here- Josea stops every car and inquires about where the lions are.
But searching hour by hour has not led us to the lions. That is OK- we know that they are there and they are in charge. We also know that, when we come back to Africa, they will still be here.
At about 2:30 we exited the park to return to our lodge. We hoped to sit in the sun for awhile and rest. However, the gatekeepers did not want us to exit – because they claimed we had not paid enough to be there today. They wanted us to drive back to the closest resort (10km) and pay more money. Josea and the ladies argued extensively. Finally, one of the women proclaimed that Namibia did not really need our 200 dollars (about $30 US dollars) that badly and she raised the gate and allowed us to exit. Josea was very upset- and has promised to talk to the “warden” of Etosha. He feels that he did what was proper and what was asked for, and he was embarrassed that we had to sit and wait so long.
Back at Onguma, all of the other guests had taken the lawn chairs by the pool and so we found chairs and sat down to chill out for awhile. That is a good thing to do.
Tomorrow we leave this area and begin the return to Windhoek, stopping at Tsumeb to check out some mines on our way.
Our trip is drawing to a close- and I must say that Namibia is a wonderful place. We have seen many corners of this large country, and enjoyed each and every place.

Okaukuejo to Onguma

Last night, Phil and I repeatedly ran outside to look at the water hole- hoping to see the lions – but alas, we did not. Instead we were treated to a never ending parade of zebras, oryx, springbok, elephants, and wildabeast. I even ran out in my pajamas at one point. Fortunately, no one else was out – including the animals.
Then this morning, after breakfast, we sat and enjoyed as hundreds of animals paraded down to the watering hole. It was simply amazing – When I say parade, you must understand that these animals parade in single file down to the water, and then at some point, spontaneously leave in a line. We could have sat there all day.
Okaukuejo, where we stayed last night, is the south entry point to Etosha National Park. We stayed one night and then today we drove through the park. We stopped at several watering holes along the way – hoping to see more animals. Many were dry and therefore abandoned. Others had many animals, similar to the ones we saw at Okaukuejo.
There are three national park lodges in Etosha – one at the south end, one in the middle, and one at the east end. We ate at the one in the middle for lunch. And then we proceeded eastbound – and exited the park about 5 minutes before it closed for the night.
New animals for the day included a steenbok, several new birds, many impala, a dikdik (smallest antelope in Africa).
Josea is still hoping to find a lion for me to see. We hear them every night but have not seen one yet. There have been many sightings in the last week- but not for us.
Our lodging for the night, is right outside the east gate – and it is very nice.
We entered the property right outside the gate – but the road was 9 km. long. So we drove alongside the fence that divides the park. Then we arrived. Onguma Bush Camp is a simple but very nice camp that has tent sites and cabins. First we enjoyed a drink around an outdoor fire. Onguma has a watering hole but it is not as large as Okaukuejo. We just enjoyed a lovely dinner in the main restaurant – where about 20 people were eating.
When you have very little electricity (light) as is common here, we go to bed very early. Often before nine. But we also get up early. And we are on vacation! So, we enjoy long days and sleep through long nights.

Camp Xaragu to Okaukuejo

Tonight Phil and I are sitting on a bench next to a watering hole in the Etosha National Park. I must say that I cannot believe that we are sitting here. It is simply stunning. The sun just set into the west and we are watching as the animals navigate down to the watering hole.

Last night was very wonderful – at the Camp Xaragu – which had no electricity and an outdoor shower and loo. We were in bed by 8:40 and it was totally quiet under the African sky. Camp Xaragu has a beautiful setting and many animals are walking around – including a baboon – who was rescued from the wild. At one time they tried to send him back to the wild- but that did not work. So- he lives at Camp Xaragu. Because we did not want to sit next to the smokers, we sat outside and enjoyed a lovely dinner then went to bed at 8:30. Our room was wonderful- only lanterns. This morning we awoke and took a shower in our outdoor shower room. It was warm (which helped).
Then we ate our breakfast and talked with an Australian geologist for a bit. Then we left and drove to the petrified forest which was amazing. Our tour guide was very good. Phil explained to him the differences between these trees and the ones in Arizona including a computer exhibition of the Arizona petrified rocks, that are roughly the same age..
Then we drove to the Vingerklip – which is a large finger shaped rock that is a remnant of the old river terrace that was stranded in the middle of the valley.
We are dinner in the small tow of Outjo. They have a nice restaurant there where we ate our lunch. Then we watched as the high schoolers walked home. Josea says they much come back to study later in the day. He also stressed that most of these students will have a long road ahead of them – they must do very well in order to get into the university and the rest will simply get a job after finishing high school. It is very hard to excel in Namibia- but Josea did it and is proud of himself. He came from a very poor family and his father died in Angola of cholera. So he supports his entire family with money from his income as a tour guide.
Then we drove to Etosha and arrived in time to take a short trip to two watering holes. Our room is at the end of the road and overlooks the watering hole. Right now we are sitting on a bench watching the sun set – over the water hole and watching the springbok come down to the water and drink – as well as the zebra and the jackals. We were just told that the lions come at 3:30-4:00 in the morning. I might get up for that!!! Unbelievably, seven elephants just arrived at the watering hole. One is a baby. But they are amazing. Phil is taking video footage of them. There are two spotlights on the watering hole that apparently stay on all night. I am just in awe of the wonder and beauty of Africa.

Swakopmund to Camp Xaragu

This morning we left our beautiful guesthouse in Swakopmund and headed north along the coast for a few hours. It was a spectacular morning and we could see the ocean clearly as we traveled along. It was very amusing to see that there are “loos” all along the beach. Josea says that the beach is full of campers in December but today it was just the loos – miles and miles of them.
Then we turned in and drove slowly up from the coast. At first it was quite boring and then the scenery improved to more hilly areas with more trees. Then – unbelievably enough – we saw an elephant standing on the top of a nearby hill. We stopped and then realized that there were a total of seven elephants. I have never seen an elephant in the wild and nearly cried. They were so beautiful. Josea was worried that I was going too close but I didn’t feel like there was any danger. He also said that the desert adapted elephant is only rarely seen – and we saw seven! That was worth the trip to Namibia!!
On our way to our lunch resting place, Phil stopped and bought rocks from a roadside stand. I don’t think that they have ever seen a geologist with a hand lens before – but he sat there and calmly looked at the rocks with his lens, marveling at the presence of actual fluid inclusions (that are big enough to see with the naked eye) in the rocks. When it came time to pay, I tried to get him to negotiate lower- but he was so pleased with his finds that he paid what he thought he should. I think everyone (the sellers and the buyer) was happy.

We drove down to a riverbed for lunch and Josea set up a table and chairs. Soon two little children came down the path. They sat a discreet distance away and, when I had finished my lunch, I took out the Polaroid camera that my friend Robyn had recommended that I bring and went over to them. I took two pictures and gave them to them – and they were SO pleased. Josea says that their mothers will keep those pictures until they are all grown up. They probably have never seen a picture of themselves. Then they posed with me for a picture.



We drove a few more hours to the Twyfelfontein Historical Site- where there are bushmen carvings in the rocks that are dated at 2000-6000 years old. I’m not sure who was more excited, Phil or me. He thought the rocks were so cool- he has been teaching about this area all his life – and felt that he had arrived at the “holy grail”. And I was stunned by the carvings- The bushmen carved animals, footprints, sea mammals and maps that showed where the watering holes are. It was pretty amazing to see.
Next we stopped at Burnt Mountain and at the Organ Pipes – nearby rocks formations that amazed and thrilled Phil. Then we drove a short distance to Camp Xaragu, our home for the night. Tonight we are staying in a permanent tent – with an outdoor shower and toilet. Quite a change from last night. But what a beautiful spot it is – and we feel so lucky to be here in Africa – with the ancient mountains, the crystal clear skies, and a chance to spend another day seeing this marvelous country.

Walvis Bay and Swakopmund

Today began with a quick breakfast and on the road by 7:40 to go to Walvis Bay for our scheduled boat trip. The trip leaves at 8:30 and we thought we were leaving plenty of time. But we got stuck behind some very slow trucks and I thought Josea was going to lose it. We arrived at 8:29. Fortunately others were also late and so we got on the boat and departed for our morning excursion. We began with our “Namibian coffee” which was sherry. Not sure when I last drank sherry in the morning- but it was not recently.
Then Spottie, one of the two local seals, climbed on board and visited with everyone, in exchange for fish. Then we went out into the bay and began looking for the dolphins. They were all over the bay – unfortunately, our camera was never where they were and we just deleted a whole bunch of pictures of water. We also saw a seal colony and a “guano factory” (bird droppings on a large platform that some American makes $300,000/year by collecting and selling.)
The most entertaining part of the morning was the pelicans and cormorants who accompanied us. Our boat captain told us that the pelicans are often called the Namibian airforce. They are a very delicate pink color and flew alongside the boat, eating fish out of our hands.
Then we pulled into quiet water to have our lunch that consisted of champagne and oysters along with mini sandwiches. Those of you who know Phil well know that he finished off all of the oysters. He was truly a happy man when we disembarked.
Josea met us at the dock (with lower blood pressure) and we drove into Walvis Bay and Swakopmund to do a bit of shopping and looking around. Swakopmund has traditional German architecture – which sure looks out of place in Namibia. We also made reservations to eat at The Tug– reputed to be the best restaurant in the area. Along the route home, we saw Long Beach (Langerstrand) where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had their first baby. Then we returned to our beautiful villa and walked down to watch a “sundowner” on the beach.
The sun looked remarkably like our sunset in Michigan except for the rocky shore.
Tomorrow we drive north and leave the shore again. While it may have seemed odd to step out of the Tsuachab River Camp, it now will seem strange to leave the beautiful seashore at Swakopmund. We have discussed the wisdom of retiring here. We know it would be wise to invest in real estate here. Josea could maintain the house until we return. (Now you all know we drank too much champagne this morning).

Tsauchab River Camp to Swakopmund

Today was a long day’s drive. We awoke to a simply stunning African sunrise and a delicious breakfast at the lodge. Our hosts, Nicky and Johan, treated us so well- they are very nice couple who love their jobs. This morning we met the youngest of their three daughters – and enjoyed a nice visit. It sure was a wonderful place to stay.

At 8 a.m. we left for our trip to Swokopmund. Most of the day was spent driving on gravel roads; that was tiring. This morning we drove through beautiful countryside and enjoyed many animal sightings. New animals included several warthogs (very exciting) and many oryx – which are really beautiful animals. The tour company planned that Phil would enjoy seeing some amazing rocks- and they were right. We stopped regularly while he photographed rocks that not only are many millions of years old but also very unique. We picnicked for lunch alongside the road and then continued; stops included a “moonscape” and checking on the Welsitchia plant – a plant that is most unusual in that it only grows two leaves in its lifetime which may last 1000-2000 years.
Then we began the descent to the Atlantic Coast and the German city of Swakopmund.
It was quite a change – in that I’m not sure we could tell you if we are in Africa or Atlantic City. Our guesthouse is very contemporary and we can see the Atlantic from our balconies (yes there are two). We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living room. We will stay here two nights and then drive north toward Damaraland and Etosha. Tomorrow, we will go on a boat ride- to see the dolphins and whales off the coast. Tonight we will walk to a nearby seafood restaurant for dinner. That will be good.

While I can certainly tell you that the Tsauchab River Camp is far more my taste than the Atlantic Villa Guesthouse, I can also tell you that Africa has many faces – and we are seeing them. That is wonderful. Everyone does not live out in the bush- and everyone does not live in this beautiful guesthouse. We are truly enjoying our guide Josea who is both knowledgeable and fun. He is a good traveling companion and an enthusiastic teacher and learner.

Sossusvlei and Beyond

At 5:00 this morning the alarm rang – and we quickly dressed warmly – because we could hear the wind outside howling. We then stepped outside to see a most amazing sky- a million stars and galaxies and shooting stars. Josea picked us up at 5:30 and we drove to the main building to get our coffee and our breakfast bags. Believe it or not, someone had come down to our house at 4:30 to turn on the water heater and someone else had prepared our coffee by 5:30. By 5:45 we had left for the day to drive to Sossusvlei. For those of you who do not know much about Namibia, Sossusvlei i is where the red dunes are – and the contrast is best seen at sunrise. The park opens at 6:30 and we arrived by 7. That is late- but our drive from the lodge was longer than expected. None of the roads around here are paved and so it takes awhile to go anywhere.

Sossusvlei is simply stunning. The red dunes rise perfectly to the blue sky – and the morning sun casts shadows across the opposite sides. No picture can do it justice but we sure took many today. We stopped at Dune 45 (45 km from the entrance gate) and Josea challenged us to climb it. Well we gave it a great try but the wind was howling and the our steps in the sand were very deep. The angle was about 45 degrees up the ridge. What appears to be the crest is not the end and so you just keep climbing until you can’t go any further. Then you run down the slope – which is much more fun than climbing up. Both Phil and I abandoned shoes altogether – finding that bare feet were better than either my Keens or Phil’s tennis shoes. It was a lot of fun.

Then we drove to the 2x4 parking lot and got on a 4x4 shuttle to take us up to the end of the valley. The road is just sand and so jeeps work well at getting you up there. We had breakfast before walking across the mudflats to the base of Big Mama – a dune that would challenge anyone. Then we hitched a ride over to Big Daddy – the largest of the dunes at Sossusvlei (300 meters high or 1000 feet) We walked across the mudflats again and then climbed a short way. Then, not seeing the return shuttle, we began to walk the 5 km back to the parking lot. I was simply exhausted from our morning climbs and after 45 minutes I jumped on a packed shuttle bus that took me back to the car. Phil and Josea walked the rest of the way – and when Josea arrived he asked me how it is that “an old man is more fit than I am”. He loves Phil and feels challenged to keep up with him. My guess is that he is in his mid 20s – but I told him that Phil had been hiking in the big mountains out west this summer so he really is fit. I didn’t tell him that those of us who know Phil know he is always fit.

Then we drove 60 km back to the Sossusvlei Lodge and had lunch. It is a beautiful lodge- but a bit too fancy for our tastes. We had a delicious buffet lunch and then drove to the Sesriem Canyon. After looking at dunes all day, we were stunned to fine a deep canyon that had water at the bottom. It is a 100 foot deep, very narrow canyon cut by the Tsauchab River into cemented 10-15 million year old river gravels. (Can you tell who is dictating that sentence?) There are still pools of water at the bottom – which included some very distressed fish who were rapidly running out of places to swim. There were also many birds that had built nests in the walls and we enjoyed a nice cool walk along the bottom before climbing back up to the desert floor and driving home.

We saw many of the same animals today that we saw yesterday – including many oryx, ostrich, and springboks. We also saw a pair of black jackals. At the base of Dune 45 we saw a murder (right word according to Phil) of pied crows that look like our crows except that they have large white stripes on their wings.

Then we drove back to our home at Tsauhab River Camp. And began to get the sand out of every crevice of our bodies. It reminds me of our Lake Michigan summers- when we have sand everywhere- but today it is red sand. And the wind put it EVERYWHERE.

Now we will go to dinner at the main building- and then prepare to leave tomorrow for the coast. It will be a long day’s drive but we will stop at a few sites along the way.

July 12, 2008 – Phil’s Birthday

Last night we ate at Joe’s Beer house in Windhoek. It is famous throughout Namibia – and justifiably so. Phil and I each had a steak- his was springbok, mine was beef. They were excellent.
An excellent night’s sleep followed a phone conversation with Karin. Then, this morning, after a big breakfast, we left Windhoek for Soussevlei. Josea took us on a short tour of the city of Windhoek before we drove south. The first hour was on a paved highway and then we left the paved road and traveled for several hours on gravel road. Josea pointed out many fascinating trees and many birds. I took careful notes for Erik. There is very little habitation in this part of Namibia. But we saw many animals including baboons, ostrich, goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys and horses. This part of Namibia has many fences so the wild game do not navigate here any longer. One of the most interesting sites was the nest of the sociable weaver nest – which often takes up most of a tree and houses many birds. It is an awesome site.
We ate lunch at a small farm/car repair place. Josea packs a lunch box for each of us each day so we can eat on the road- But this place was lovely – a nice table in the sunshine, covered with his tablecloth and a delicious lunch.
Then we continued our drive until we reached the Tsauchab River Camp, our home for the next two nights. Nicky and Johan own this large camp – which is comprised of some little homes (where we are staying), some tent platforms, and many tent sights. Johan believes that there are 50 people sleeping here tonight – but we have not seen anyone.
The sights are very separate because they are spread over 15 km. Phil and I have a lovely suite- that is totally isolated from the rest of the campsites. It has no electricity- but they have a solar panel that allows us two light bulbs inside. When we came back from dinner tonight, someone had lit three candles outside to show us the way into our house.
After checking in, we went for a 4 km. walk up a nearby canyon- it was a lovely way to stretch our legs after a long drive. After we returned home, we went up to the main house and ate a delicious dinner. It was springbok fillets, rice, delicious vegetable soup, salad, and then birthday cake (that the folks back at the B&B gave Phil this morning). The people at this place gave us a bottle of champagne. We enjoyed talking with the owners about their operation – they opened it in 1999 and developed it from scratch. They have 3 young daughters under 4 years of age- all of whom will go to boarding school when they are 6.
They have 7 people who work for them – 5 women and 2 men. The men manage the campsites – the women cook all the food. The campers often take their food in a basket out to the campsite. That food is also prepared by these women. Last week they had 100-120 people/night here so it is a big job..
Josea is a wonderful young man – very knowledgeable about the nature and conservation. He told us tonight at dinner that we are the nicest people he has ever guided and he is very surprised by that because other Americans have been rude and unpleasant and he certainly did not expect us to be so nice. (He thought we were British). We think he is very nice too.
Tomorrow morning we will get up at 5 a.m. and leave at 5:30 to climb the dunes at sunrise. Should be simply wonderful. Josea has promised me I can have coffee before I climb. He also reassured me that many people age 75-80 have made it up the dunes- so I will get there too!! Just as log as I can have my coffee first.

Windhoek Namibia

Today we left Misty Hills at 8:30 and headed for the Johannesburg airport. The traffic was heavy and we arrived at about 10. Our flight for Windhoek was slightly delayed but we departed on British Airways about 12:45. Even though we were in coach, we were surprised to be served two drinks and a hot lunch. That doesn't happen in the US anymore!
After clearing customs in Windhoek we walked out and were met by our guide for the next week, Josea. He is a very nice enthusiastic young man who was raised in northern Namibia and came to Windhoek four years ago to study conservation - we are sure that we will be happy together. The top picture is the view from the bus as we came from the airport (not too exciting)
He drove us to the Elegant B&B which belongs to the Safari company. It has 6 rooms and is surrounded by a high wall. It is brand new.
The best news is that the temperature is back to normal, for us midwesterners. Johannesburg was very cold - rarely getting out of the 50s and we were not prepared to dress warmly (despite being warned that it was winter). Now we are in the mid 70s and sunny - and Phil is happily in his shorts. After Josea went through our trip with us - in great detail, we sat out on the lawn in the sun. And best of all- they have wireless internet (first time since we left the US) and it is free. So- here is a picture of a very happy guy - wearing his shorts, drinking a Namibian beer, and checking his internet.
We leave early tomorrow morning to head south. We may not be able to get internet access for the next few days. But we'll try. Our adventure begins!

Final post from South Africa

Last night we ate at the Carnivore Restaurant – and thoroughly enjoyed the great variety of meats offered as well as the company of friends, including a professor from Perth who was celebrating his birthday. The food arrives on skewers and included ostrich, wildabeast, kudu, crocodile, and warthog.
This morning my tour group headed for a day in Pretoria which is the administrative capital of South Africa (Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa). Our first stop was the Voortrekker Monument, a tribute to those who trekked across South Africa.
The story reminded me of the U.S. westward expansion treks in many ways. The monument was HUGE – and quite impressive. Inside were huge marble slabs depicting the story of their advancement from Cape Town. There were also 15 incredible needlepoint murals of the same events. The grounds were the most beautiful gardens we have seen since we got here. (Remember it is winter) I was very intrigued by the double poinsettias.
We then traveled into Pretoria to see the capital buildings and central city. Then, after being quite overwhelmed by the traffic and noise, we headed out of town to see the Hartbeespoort Dam/Lake. This area was artificially created to provide water and electricity to this area. It is now a thriving recreational area where the homes are very expensive. We went to a craft market there – but it all seemed to be the same stuff we have seen elsewhere.
At 5:30 I returned home. Fortunately, the power is back on at Misty Hills after failing during the night. Tonight we will eat here and then pack for our departure for Namibia in the morning.