Traveling in Namibia

Sunrise in Namibia

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In June, I spent 13 days at home for my Dad’s 50^th birthday, brother’s high school graduation, family reunion/celebration that included my sister’s college graduation, 4 days in Miami for my college roommate’s wedding, and 1 brunch in DC to see friends, classmates, and former colleagues. I didn’t sleep much but it was my only visit to the States until 2012! Upon returning to Cape Town I spent the last weeks of winter break working on my thesis and organizing academic and volunteer logistics before one last ‘holiday’ to Namibia! (For more Namibia pictures click here!)

Sunrise on Dune 47

Namibia Highs: (visited Sossusveli, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, Waterberg Plateu, and Windhoek)

-         Officially learning how to drive a manual car thanks to Chris and Rachel!

-          Waking up at 4:45am to hike Dune 47 before sunrise! (Hiking sand dunes are MUCH more difficult then they look… let’s just say one of the other hikers stopped to cry half-way up!)

-         Watching every sunrise and sunset J

-           Climbing at Spitzkoppe

-          ‘Proper camping’ à cooking over a fire and setting up a tent by scratch (unlike Mozambique)

-          Eating apple strudel in Solitaire

Sunrise at Spitzkoppe

Namibia Lows:

-          Forgetting my sleeping bag but being saved by Rachel!

-          Camping at night in Namibia in winter was freezing!

-          Driving on dirt roads in a foreign country in the dark while attempting to watch out for game

-          Getting our 2x4 stuck in the sand at Spitzkoppe after it overheated (fortunately, the local Namibians were absolutely wonderful and saved the day!)

-          Having our bus from Windhoek to Cape Town break down making the return trip last almost a full 24 hours (thankfully we were WELL stocked up on snacks and made friends with the entire Intercape Bus Staff!)

Brief Perspective on Life in Namibia

In my limited travel experience in sub-Saharan Africa, I have found that majority of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and camps sites are owned by White Africans or foreigners. Although Mozambique, Swaziland, Namibia, and South Africa are majority Black, in the ‘tourist industry’ it appears most of the wealth is still held by Whites for various reasons that I won’t detail here. That being said, we had an interesting conversation with one of our Black Namibian tour guides and I wanted to share a little bit about his life in Northern Namibia:

Vincent* is from the Hararo tribe and works as a tour guide at a popular tourist location in Namibia. On the morning that we met for our hike, Vincent had learned that his grandfather passed away and that it was necessary for him to return the 125km home for traditional preparations and ceremonies. He was concerned about asking for time off because he is allotted only 2 days of leave a month to go home and visit his family which includes 8 sisters, 1 brother, 1 son, and their respective families. Being that his parents previously died in a car accident; following his grandfather’s death, Vincent became the eldest in his family and was concerned that if the Village Elders were to appoint him as head of the household (instead of his brother) then he would no longer be able to work and provide for his family.

Unemployment and poverty are high among the Harao people who were forced from their lands during colonialism and now reside in the more arid parts of Namibia which negatively impacts their access to both food and water. The people are extremely resourceful and (1) make square houses with termites and cow fat, (2) eat mice mixed with sour milk, and (3) use extremely creative methods such as ash to purify water.  Unfortunately, the literacy rates is still very low as many cannot afford the R350 per term school fees for their children; for example, Vincent’s monthly salary is roughly R650 which must provide for both himself and his family. After receiving a grade 11 education, Vincent tried to help his son and other children in the village learn to their alphabet and numbers by writing in the dirt. Although he can’t pursue his childhood dream to become a water marine scientist, Vincent is doing the best he can to one day be able to send his son to school.


*Vincent's name was changed for the purposes of this blog

Top of Waterberg Plateau 

  

Spitzkoppe

Chris on Sand Dune 47