After
months of planning and preparation, we have finally had our trip and Safari in
Namibia! The kids get two weeks off from school for Spring Break, and
this year we decided to take advantage of the strong dollar and a couple
strategic federal holidays to break up our remaining time in Angola with a trip
to Namibia, our neighbor to the South. Bri endured a long, drawn-out
headache to get our (dirt cheap) tickets through Air Namibia that involved five
trips to the Air Namibia offices and a good look at the inefficiency and
maddening bureaucracy that holds Angola back -- but he got the tickets. A
week into the kids’ spring break, we were picked up Friday morning by our
Embassy expediter and taken to the airport to start our trip! All of us
were excited to get out of Dodge and have a chance to unwind in a more relaxed
and less crowded place for eight days. We arrived in Windhoek after a
2.5 hour flight and a harrowing landing that left me motion sick for an hour. We walked off the plane and onto the
tarmac and the dry Namibian desert.
It’s been a while
since we were in a dry-heat desert, and it reminded all of us of the
Intermountain West and our Utah home. We
picked up our checked bag and rented our car, a VW minibus, and headed out for
our first surprise of the trip – a manual transmission with a right-side drive
set-up. I have never driven on the right
side of the car while at the same time being on the left side of the road, and it took some getting used to! Add to that a temperamental stick shift using my left hand (and
it’s been years since I drove a stick). I may have turned into the wrong lane right off the bat as we exited the rental car parking lot. :) I quickly got in the other lane and drove white knuckled for hours after as I acclimated to the new driving conditions.
We got loaded up and headed towards Windhoek and started on
our 5-hour drive to Swakopmund, an old beach city that retains a lot of its
Bavarian roots and charm. About ten
minutes out of Windhoek, Bri shouted and pointed to the side of the road where
a troop of about twenty baboons were sitting on the fence and playing around. These are larger monkeys than we generally
see in Angola and move together in a pack-like manner, and it was a little
surreal to see them all sitting on the fence.
We weren’t fast enough on the draw to get a picture, but were excited to
be greeted by the Namibian wildlife early on.
We repeated the experience towards dusk about a half hour past Windhoek
when we slowed down as another troop of twenty or so baboons crossed a
four-lane freeway in front of us.
Luckily the Namibian roads are far superior to the Angolan roads, and we weren’t worried about potholes (though they were fairly narrow and didn’t have reflectors/paint) as we drove through the evening in the dark to Swakopmund.
We arrived late, met the owner of the AirBnB where we were staying, headed to the Engen gas station minimart down the street for some short-order cooked fries and burgers, ate a late dinner, and turned in. Luckily it was only an hour ahead of Angola time, and that lasted only for a day before Namibia fell back one hour. Nice to travel and be in the same time zone!
It was here in Swakopmund that we felt cold for the first time. Really cold. 19 degrees Celsius. We had only packed sweatshirts, thinking that they would be enough for the week. But I think our blood has thinned while in Angola, so we had to wrap ourselves up in blankets in the house to stay warm.
Here are a few pics of our comfy rental.
Early the next morning, we started for Walvis
Bay, about thirty minutes South of Swakopmund, through the heavy fog
characteristic of this part of Namibia.
The fog and shallow shoals that extend far out into the Atlantic
contribute to the dangers of sailing in this part of Africa and its nickname
“the Skeleton Coast.”
When South Africa
ceded independence to Namibia, they kept Walvis Bay for several years given its
strategic shipping location, abundant sea life, and salt/mineral refining. After a little drama finding the right area
of the waterfront, we checked in at the harbor tour company, gave our names to
the self-appointed security guards in the parking lot (Namibians do as Angolans
do – claim public parking spots and offer to watch your car for a tip, the
implication being that if you don’t pay, something bad may happen to your
car…), grabbed some eclairs for a substitute breakfast because there was
nothing else fast enough, and loaded up.
As we walked out to the boat, we saw a large pelican sitting on a boat and got excited about it -- little did we know how many pelicans would be part of our bay tour. During the cruise, the Afrikaans skipper Olin and his mate Philip, would hold out small fish off the side of the boat and call to the pelicans, who would quickly beeline for the boat and try their luck getting the fish out of the mate’s hand (a couple of impetuous seagulls had some luck as well). At one point the skipper stopped the boat and several pelicans landed and interacted with us. They were huge and beautiful!
The pelicans even got up on top of the boat and put their beaks through the sun roof searching for fish.
The pelicans even got up on top of the boat and put their beaks through the sun roof searching for fish.
As we proceeded out in the bay and past the
oyster farms and ghost boats, we picked up a friend – a younger seal nicknamed
Peekaboo slipped in behind us and rode our wake as we got further out on the
bay. The skipper stopped and opened the
back hatch, and the little guy came right in with a little fish coaxing. It was awesome to be that close to and
interact with the wildlife, and we were all able to touch (and Savvy to feed)
the seal. 
After playing with Peekaboo,
we headed out to a sand spit, an old lighthouse, and a small seal colony and
some elusive dolphins at the mouth of Walvis Bay.
As we slowed down to try and follow the dolphins, another bigger seal literally jumped out of the water and into the boat (uninvited), almost hitting Bri who was taking pictures of a nearby oil rig. The seal layed out on the seats and hammed it up and wouldn’t leave until he got his fish. He ate and was coaxed off the boat, but jumped back in a few minutes later and made repeated attempts to get into the boat over our remaining time in the bay. As we tried to outrun the seal, the dolphins finally came in to play and surfed along under the bow of the boat for several minutes. We could see the dolphins swimming at the same speed we were going. Thomas told us that he learned that dolphins do this with boats, and then sure enough, they came and did exactly what he said. It was fun to see what he had learned come to life. The kids had a blast! We of course felt cold with the temperature and breeze so we wrapped ourselves up in the nice blankets that they luckily had on the boat.
As we slowed down to try and follow the dolphins, another bigger seal literally jumped out of the water and into the boat (uninvited), almost hitting Bri who was taking pictures of a nearby oil rig. The seal layed out on the seats and hammed it up and wouldn’t leave until he got his fish. He ate and was coaxed off the boat, but jumped back in a few minutes later and made repeated attempts to get into the boat over our remaining time in the bay. As we tried to outrun the seal, the dolphins finally came in to play and surfed along under the bow of the boat for several minutes. We could see the dolphins swimming at the same speed we were going. Thomas told us that he learned that dolphins do this with boats, and then sure enough, they came and did exactly what he said. It was fun to see what he had learned come to life. The kids had a blast! We of course felt cold with the temperature and breeze so we wrapped ourselves up in the nice blankets that they luckily had on the boat. 
The skipper fed and watered us as well with an assortment of sandwiches, meats, cheeses, eggs and wine for the alcohol drinkers (and Bri had a few oysters on the shell).
The fog began to lift as we headed into port having had a great time in the Bay. We made our way back
to the catamaran tour office to start the next half of our day – a 4X4 tour of
the Walvis delta and the big dunes South of the bay. We were greeted at the tour door by the
parking lot security guards, who had carved each of our names into the shell of
a large nut with a few Namibian animals – only $5 each. : )
Again, it was surreal to walk into the pages of National Geographic and see so many beautiful exotic birds just feet away. After a few minutes we were off again, heading to the top of a medium dune overlooking extensive salt and mineral drying/processing facilities that went for miles. We then descended through what has become a dry delta, little scrub bushes and a wet clay waste area.
We got through the
delta and out on a large open beach next to the ocean when Ben asked us if we
wanted to jump on the Namibian trampoline – we of course said yes! He pulled over walked around for a bit, then
had us all take off our shoes and stand in a circle. On his mark, we all started jumping up and
down and moving slowly in a circular motion as a group. After a few seconds, we were amazed when the
sand beneath our feet liquefied and we sank to our knees! He explained that this was a type of quick sand
where a crust has formed on top and movement brings up the water/liquefies the
top layer. We had a lot of fun jumping
up and down and playing in the quick sand.
I’m pretty sure we could have ended our tour with happy kids just from
that experience!
Soon we were out of
the dirt and onto sand, driving along the side of the ocean where the dunes
rose up steeply on one side and the ocean waves crashed on the other – it was
spectacular! We stopped and all of us
hiked the dunes next to us (Thomas did it three times!) before we loaded back
up and continued. We stopped at what
used to be an occupied freshwater lagoon (Sandwich Bay) but now has been taken
over by the desert. A few dozen
flamingos fished in the lagoon as the kids climbed some enormous dunes ringing
the lagoon and we ate a great late lunch.
While we ate, a flock of about fifty large pelicans floated South in a
twisting, mesmerizing formation, carried on the warm air currents above
us. They slowly drifted by, and as I
stared at them with Bri by my side and our kids frolicking nearby in the sand,
I had the feeling of complete peace and quiet, outdoors--a privilege that has
been lacking from our lives for awhile now.
It was lovely.
We wrapped up lunch
and loaded up, and Ben took us up into the big dunes. It’s hard to describe how incredible it was
to be so high up, riding the rollercoaster and slingshot effects of summiting
one dune and plunging down another, with the pink dunes juxtaposed against a
crystal blue sea and sky. The guide
commented that it was about as clear as he had ever seen it, and we could see
for miles and miles. He took us to
several outlooks where we snapped pictures and the kids got out their energy
hiking and running around – Ben called them these lookout points “his
secretary’s office” and “his office.” :
) The dunes went on and on, and Ben put
a lot of time and patience into our tour, for which we will forever be
grateful.
Eventually, it was
time to head back. As we made our way
towards Walvis, we saw a couple of wild ostriches roaming in the delta and
chased an elusive jackal, both of which were very exotic (especially the
ostrich!). Ben kept telling us that
before we got back, we were going to meet his friend Tommy. At one point, Ben stopped the car, walked around
for a bit, started digging in the sand, and called us over to where he was. He dug some more and pulled out a lovely
gecko -- “Tommy.” We all took turns
holding and playing with what was a remarkably mellow and tame lizard. Ben took the time to explain to us about the
lizard’s environment and lifestyle before he carefully dug a new starter hole
and set the lizard down, who immediately started tunneling into the sand. After meeting Tommy, we raced back through
the Delta and by the flamingos and made it back to the waterfront before Rhea
peed her pants (she didn’t want to “use a dune” earlier).
The whole afternoon, we were stunned by the magnificence of the dunes, the sunlight and shadows on the dunes, the bright blue sky, etc.
Wind blowing on the dunes.
The sun starting to set.
We said goodbye to Ben after 6 hours with him and a spectacular day in Walvis Bay. We stopped at the slowest KFC ever in Swakopmund, and headed home. After a few chapters of Anne of Green Gables that we are reading as a family, we put three exhausted kids (and their parents) to bed.
The fog began to lift as we headed into port having had a great time in the Bay. We made our way back
to the catamaran tour office to start the next half of our day – a 4X4 tour of
the Walvis delta and the big dunes South of the bay. We were greeted at the tour door by the
parking lot security guards, who had carved each of our names into the shell of
a large nut with a few Namibian animals – only $5 each. : )
Before
we went any further, we stopped off for a bathroom break and ran into several
naked Namib women selling jewelry and carved wood and soap stone. Bri had seen the naked African women when he went on his trip
South with Nick and Casey but this was the first time we had all been up close
and personal with them. It’s a little surreal to
barter for bracelets for Savvy and Rhea with the Namib women, but we managed to
close the deal and picked up some African blackwood carvings as well. It's always awkward to be around these women, especially for
the kids when we've taught them not to look at immodest or naked people.
So they shopped quickly. :)
We hooked up with
Ben, the owner of one of the tour companies that came highly recommended by
another embassy family who had made the trip South. Ben took us first to a shallow estuary where
a couple of thousand pink flamingos were flocking.
Again, it was surreal to walk into the pages of National Geographic and see so many beautiful exotic birds just feet away. After a few minutes we were off again, heading to the top of a medium dune overlooking extensive salt and mineral drying/processing facilities that went for miles. We then descended through what has become a dry delta, little scrub bushes and a wet clay waste area.
We got through the
delta and out on a large open beach next to the ocean when Ben asked us if we
wanted to jump on the Namibian trampoline – we of course said yes! He pulled over walked around for a bit, then
had us all take off our shoes and stand in a circle. On his mark, we all started jumping up and
down and moving slowly in a circular motion as a group. After a few seconds, we were amazed when the
sand beneath our feet liquefied and we sank to our knees! He explained that this was a type of quick sand
where a crust has formed on top and movement brings up the water/liquefies the
top layer. We had a lot of fun jumping
up and down and playing in the quick sand.
I’m pretty sure we could have ended our tour with happy kids just from
that experience!
We wrapped up lunch
and loaded up, and Ben took us up into the big dunes. It’s hard to describe how incredible it was
to be so high up, riding the rollercoaster and slingshot effects of summiting
one dune and plunging down another, with the pink dunes juxtaposed against a
crystal blue sea and sky. The guide
commented that it was about as clear as he had ever seen it, and we could see
for miles and miles. He took us to
several outlooks where we snapped pictures and the kids got out their energy
hiking and running around – Ben called them these lookout points “his
secretary’s office” and “his office.” :
) The dunes went on and on, and Ben put
a lot of time and patience into our tour, for which we will forever be
grateful.
Eventually, it was
time to head back. As we made our way
towards Walvis, we saw a couple of wild ostriches roaming in the delta and
chased an elusive jackal, both of which were very exotic (especially the
ostrich!). Ben kept telling us that
before we got back, we were going to meet his friend Tommy. At one point, Ben stopped the car, walked around
for a bit, started digging in the sand, and called us over to where he was. He dug some more and pulled out a lovely
gecko -- “Tommy.” We all took turns
holding and playing with what was a remarkably mellow and tame lizard. Ben took the time to explain to us about the
lizard’s environment and lifestyle before he carefully dug a new starter hole
and set the lizard down, who immediately started tunneling into the sand. After meeting Tommy, we raced back through
the Delta and by the flamingos and made it back to the waterfront before Rhea
peed her pants (she didn’t want to “use a dune” earlier).
The whole afternoon, we were stunned by the magnificence of the dunes, the sunlight and shadows on the dunes, the bright blue sky, etc.
Wind blowing on the dunes.
The sun starting to set.
We said goodbye to Ben after 6 hours with him and a spectacular day in Walvis Bay. We stopped at the slowest KFC ever in Swakopmund, and headed home. After a few chapters of Anne of Green Gables that we are reading as a family, we put three exhausted kids (and their parents) to bed.
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