Namibia is incredible. I am still in awe of the things I got to see and experience. The environment here is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. From the upper deck of our boat you could look out over the entire city of Walvis Bay to the point where the roads met the sand dunes. There are no tall buildings obstructing the view. I have heard that Namibia is one of the few places on earth where the desert meets the edge of the ocean.
Namibia was quite a change of pace from our last port. The city of Salvador is home to more than 2 million people, which is more than the entire population of Namibia. The most important part of Walvis Bay is the port so it’s a relatively industrial city. It will probably be the least touristy port we travel to.
On the first day in Walvis Bay I went on a guided tour through the desert. The scenery was spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it. After the tour we spent some time walking around Walvis Bay. Most stores and businesses close at 5:30 and nothing is open on the weekends. An unfortunate side effect of this problem was that everyone from Semester at Sea would be at the same places. There were about 3 restaurants/bars that were open late which meant they were flooded with SAS students. The experience of going to a local restaurant is definitely tainted when it’s packed with Americans. So, Emma and I tried to make it our goal to go to places that were not popular. Apparently it was such a big deal Semester at Sea was there that we were featured in the local newspaper and TV station.
The next day I went to a nearby city called Swakopmund. It is a lot more populated than Walvis Bay and has many more stores and restaurants. The city used to be a Germany colony so it still has a ton of German influence. I was extremely impressed with how many languages people spoke. English is the official language of Namibia, but most people speak a mix of Afrikaans and Dutch. German is also commonly spoken, and there are many different indigenous languages. Being in Swakopmund did not feel like being in Africa. The architecture looked very European and you could order bratwurst and fries. Also, people here drink Jager and beer like water. In Swakopmund Emma and I tried to find a fun place to go out at night, but all the bars were taken over by SAS students and loud American music – not exactly the Namibian experience. Finally we found this really cute place where we were the only Americans and they were playing traditional music. Ironically, the place was called El Cubano.
Definitely the coolest thing I did in Namibia was go 4-wheeling through the desert. I went with a group of 8 people and we all had our own vehicle. Not only was it ridiculously fun, but the views were incredible. You would drive up a really high dune and be able to see nothing but desert around you. I don’t know how the guides remember their way around because after about 10 minutes I had no idea how to get back. If you ever go to Namibia you have to do this!!!
On the last night I met this guy named George. He was born in Brussels, lives in London, and his parents are from Namibia (at least that’s what he told me). He said he was here filming a movie (or it might have been a BBC special) starring Vin Diesel. It’s called The Prisoner, and I’m really curious to know if he was telling the truth, so look it up on IMBD for me and let me know.
Overall impressions – The people here are extremely friendly. Everyone you walk by on the street says hello and asks how you’re doing. Their accents are very attractive. The food was pretty tasty. I had shrimp, mussels, oysters, the best calamari of my life, ostrich, oryx, and shark. The weather was pretty crazy. It would be freezing in the morning, hot in the afternoon, and cool at night. I can’t even come up with enough adjectives to describe the scenery: gorgeous, stunning, breath-taking. Literally every time we were in the desert or driving by it, my mouth would drop. I would love to spend more time traveling throughout Africa.
Only two days of boat life and then we’re in South Africa. Things are getting pretty crazy around here, trying to cram in as much work as possible and planning our trips for the next port.
Random fact – 44 of the 52 countries in the world with life expectancies under 50 are in Africa.
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2 comments:
You will have to do a slide show (yeah, yeah, I know that term dates me, but, hell, I AM dated) when you get home. I would love to see all your pictures.
I'm gonna be a dork for a second, sorry. "The Prisoner" was a British Sci-fi show from the late 60s about a secret agent who is kidnapped and made to live on this utopic island where, of course, something sinister is under way... this invovles a giant pink bubble that frequently chases him around the island village. I know that the show is being remade for British televion and will star Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel (not exactly Vin Diesel, but it kind of sounds like it). I'm sorry that that had to be my contribution to the blog... but someone had to tell you.
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