!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)