We get up at seven this morning-a real luxury after having got up at five these past few days. After a quick breakfast, we leave to tour Swakopmund-the idea is to see as much of the town as possible. The town is shrouded in a thick fog and it is difficult to make out much of the buildings.
Our first stop is the museum, which is right next to the red and white lighthouse. The museum has interesting displays on the local history. The display on the people of Namibia is very interesting as it details the culture, tradition, language, customs, their contribution to the Namibian society and the impact of modernization on their lives.
For lunch we head to the Lighthouse Café with superb views across the Atlantic Ocean. Adi and I manage to get vegetarian lasagna and a vegetable grilled sandwich. But the seafood platter of our friend looks really delicious-one of the rare moments when I am tempted to give into my ma-in-law’s requests and start eating “at least fish”.
We then visit the Kristal Gallery to see the largest quartz crystal on display and wander into a world of colours, hues and formations. There is the amethyst, ruby, aquamarine and a host of other minerals that have been forced into beautiful colours and textures by unimaginable heat and pressure. I fall in love with the Pietersite stone and buy a pair of earrings made from Pietersite at the jewelry outlet at the Kristal Gallery. Pietersite is golden brown in colour and found only in China and Namibia. It has been named after the guy who discovered it.
Shopping Time! We check out an antique store in the centre of town-lovely stuff from all over the world. All that shopping has tired us and we decide to grab coffee at Anton Café. This café has been around for a long time and sells some authentic German goodies. The Black Forest Cake is heavenly and the freshly ground coffee refreshing. The area in front of the Anton Café is the site, where local crafts are available for sale. The “Big Five” carved in wood, in varying sizes form a significant portion of the items on display. We go closer to examine the handicrafts and are soon surrounded by the stall owners trying to peddle their wares. We beat a hasty retreat-even before we have had a chance to admire the stuff on display.
We then walk to a bookshop that we had seen earlier. I cant remember the name now but it had a decent display of books concerning Africa and more particularly Namibia. I bought Namibia Space by Chris Marias and Julienne de Toit-an excellent read and great photographs too!
We return to our hotel to freshen up and decide to go to “Cairo to Cape Town” for dinner. We have to look for it a bit since it has changed its name and we almost walk past it! True to its name, it has the Arabic hummus, tagine and the labneh dip as well as game meat on its menu. And the service is unobtrusive and friendly. Over a bottle of wine, we make promises to our friend to always stay in touch. What a wonderful end to a beautiful trip!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
ONE DAY IN SWAKOPMUND
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Preparing for the trip to South Africa and Namibia
Preparation for our desert adventure trip to Namibia was a challenge because of a number of reasons. Firstly, we were traveling to Africa; secondly we were going on an “almost camping” tour (I say almost because the only difference was that most of the time, we stayed in lodges rather than tents) and thirdly, we were preparing for our trip from Cairo, Egypt. Some tips and an update on some experiences:-
BAGGAGE
Baggage- No Samsonite style luggage for this trip. Backpacks and daypacks are the recommended kind of luggage to carry. Check out our hunt for backpacks in Cairo on my other blog at www.egyptiansanks.blogspot.com
VISAS
Namibian visa-Namibia has a High commission in Cairo and the address is as follows:-
41, Nada Square
18 Street, Ist Floor,
Flat No 51
Tel:23590151
Tel: Fax : 23598170
We applied for the Namibian visa on a Monday morning and it was done in a couple of days-we got our visas on Wednesday morning. They are extremely courteous and helpful at the Namibian High Commission. Along with the application form, you will have to submit an invite letter and show proof of flight bookings. The hotel or the tour company that you are booked with can help you with the invite letter. Also you will need to submit four passport-sized photographs.
For a visa for South Africa, allow for at least 6 working days for the visa to be processed. They do not accept any applications on a Sunday-so effectively you need to plan your submission from Monday to Thursday-since the embassy is closed on Friday and Saturday. In this case too, your application has to be accompanied by an invite letter and proof of flight bookings.
BECOME INTERNATIONALLY MOBILE
Activate international roaming on your mobile-in case you do not already have it. This will make you feel more secure, knowing that you are always reachable. Since I am a Vodafone subscriber, I have the relevant information:-
Vodafone recommends Vodacom to be your network during your trip o South Africa, if you use Vodacom, your outgoing calls will be charged at 10LE / minute as compared to LE 28 for any other network. In all cases, your incoming calls will be charged at LE 4/ minute, you can send SMSes at LE 2 and receive SMSes for free.
For Namibia Vodafone recommends MTC. Outgoing calls are charged at LE 28/minute, incoming calls at LE 4/minute, outgoing SMSes at LE 2 and incoming SMSes are free.
Vaccinations-Traveling to the African means the red alert for health related precautions. To err on the safe side, every possible vaccination is recommended and the malarial prophylaxis are a must-take. Read all about it on my other blog on www.egyptiansanks.blogspot.com
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance-Get a travel health insurance in place for those unforeseen emergencies and exigencies. And look out for that airlift clause which will pay for your air-dash to a hospital in the event of an emergency since the medical facilities in the African continent are not the best and not easily available. We approached a number of insurance companies but none of them were offering the airlift option. So, finally we decided to go ahead with the travel insurance from Egyptian Saudi Insurance House. For a premium of LE 150, we were provided an insurance cover worldwide (excluding USA and Canada) for 15 days
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Nama traditions
The Namas are an African ethnic group spread over Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Frances also spoke to us about certain aspects of the culture and traditions of the Nama people. One very interesting aspect relates to their marriage. If a Nama sees a girl whom he likes and wants to marry, the right thing for him to do is to inform his parents about it and they in turn approach the girl’s father. If the girl has more than one suitor, then the father will decide the matter by asking the suitors to kill an oryx. Oryx is the national animal of Namibia and with very pointed horns and even the lion is wary of attacking this animal.
The suitor who is the first to hunt down an oryx and return with its tail becomes eligible to win the girl’s hand. Here Frances stresses that it is important that as soon as the oryx is killed, its tail must be cut, if it cannot be carried away by the hunter. Else, it is possible for any other person to claim the dead oryx as his own. This tradition ensures that the girl marries a person who is a good hunter and will be able to provide food for the family.
Frances also had an interesting piece of advice for the women to keep the peace in the family-“SWEET TONGUE…..KEEP SMILING”
China in Namibia
China is said to be the next superpower of the world. Entirely believable after you see the evidence in Namibia. Every town in Namibia has a shop that reads “The China Shop”. When we queried JoJo, our tour leader on this, he told us that the proprietors of these shops are Chinese and hence the shops are called “China shop”.
The Chinese have arrived in Namibia in more ways than one. Not only are “made in China” products flooding the Namibian markets, Chinese construction companies are doing brisk business. These companies are owned by Chinese and staffed predominantly by the Chinese and are at the forefront of “Building Namibia”. China has been very generous with giving aid to Africa and in return, Jojo informs us that the African nations have agreed to allow China to send its prisoners who have been sentenced to exile to live and work in these countries. Many of them work on the various infrastructure projects being funded by the Chinese government. In fact, China has had the foresight to invest heavily in the oilfields and minefields across the African continent which will ensure an uninterrupted supply of raw materials for its economic growth.
The locals have recognized the fact that China and the Chinese are here to stay and the Chinese language courses are very popular in Namibia. Not too far away, the Chinese will probably be the new “white” people of the African continent.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
DAY 7
It is a cold, bitterly cold morning. Wrapped in coats, mufflers and wearing thick socks and gloves, we try to warm ourselves by wrapping our hands around our steaming mugs of coffee. With our teeth chattering, none of us are able to get much breakfast in. Winter nights and early mornings in the desert can be very cold-hard to imagine that as the sun comes up, we will be pulling off our layers of clothes as the day becomes hotter. Soon, only a T-shirt is bearable. The extremes of weather as can be experienced only in the desert.
We stop at the town of Solitaire-the smallest town in Namibia. At the only café in this town, we have the most divine apple crumble. The generous portion is welcome to make up for going without breakfast that morning.
The Tropic of Capricorn passes through Namibia and we cross this imaginary line on our way to the Walvis Bay.
On our way to the town of Swakopmund, we pass what is known as the moon landscape. The landscape is made up of eroded hills and valleys and is called the moon landscape because of its resemblance to the surface of the moon.
We drive into Walvis Bay and we could be forgiven to think that we are not in Namibia. Beautiful houses line both sides of the street-the style and colour very appealing to the eyes. The idea is to catch sight of some flamingoes that frequent the Walvis Bay but the thick mist that shrouds the town has probably driven the flamingoes away. It is difficult to see much further than 10 metres across the Atlantic Ocean.
Our destination for the day is Swakopmund, a town in western Namibia. When our truck enters the town, I get a feeling of déjà vu as if I were in Munich, Germany. The town has a very German feel to it with brightly painted houses and bakeries with names like Konditorei- a relic of its German colonizers. The name Swakopmund is German for “mouth of the Swakop”. The Swakop is a major river in the western part of Namibia and it reaches the sea at the southern edge of the town of Swakopmund.
We stay at Villa Weise-not a very comfortable place. But we are focused on planning our itinerary so as to make the best use of the time that we have left on the trip. Tomorrow is our last day in Swakopmund and in Namibia. After depositing our luggage in our rooms, we head out to explore the town. The fog that we had encountered in Walvis Bay follows us here. We decide to grab a cup of coffee at the Swakopmund café as much to really have coffee as to get out of the cold. The spinach quiche at the café is very delicious and so are the scones.
That night, while going out for dinner, we walk in a group; Jojo tells us that it is advisable to not walk about alone at night. Our group is the only people that we see for most of the way to the restaurant. What a marked contrast to Mumbai in India or even Cairo in Egypt, where I am presently living-there are always so many people around.
My fellow diners sample the oryx and the springbok meat for dinner; Adi and I stick to a pasta and pizza fare. Being vegetarian in Namibia is proving to be quite a challenge!
DAY 6
On the way, the rising sun plays peek-a-boo from behind the hills. Parts of the desert landscape are bathed in the wintry morning sunlight and the desert hosts – the springbok, the oryx etc are out grazing the grass and getting their water fix from the dew drops still clinging to the grass.
We reach the gates leading to the Sossussvlei Park before they are open but a couple of cars are already there. We sit in the truck impatiently waiting for the gates to open. Once inside, we speed towards Dune 45 which is 150 m high. It is hard work going up the dune but the promise of a fantastic view from the top keeps us going. By the time, I am two-thirds of the way up, I am completely out of breath. The ascent is not only tough but also slow since I kept admiring the changing landscape. The red colour of the sand is due to the rusting iron present in the sand grains.
As compared to going up, the descent is a cake-walk as we take the short-cut and slide down the wind-swept side of the dune. I have so much fun doing it that I want to do it all over again but the difficult ascent deters me.
The desert may appear barren but it supports a unique ecosystem as we learn later from Frances, our guide, who takes us for a walk in the desert and the dunes. He is a Nama and totally at home in the desert. He explains to us how the moisture carried by the fog and the bits of plant matter deposited by the wind nurture life in the desert. Though the surface temperatures may exceed 50 degrees centigrade but below, the sand particles allow air to circulate freely and provide a cool shelter. Beetles are aplenty in the dunes and the beetles known locally as toktokkie have an interesting way of deriving moisture for drinking-by condensing the fog on its body. What was particularly fascinating was the tunnel house of the large dancing spider. Frances found one such tunnel house and opened its door with a stick and started funneling sand into the tunnel. Within seconds the spider was there to shut the door!
We then pass the Crazy Dune-so called because it is an extremely tough dune to climb. At 388 metres, it is the highest dune in the Namib desert and hence the highest in the world. But there is no dearth of people attempting the ascent of the Crazy Dune.
The Dead Vlei with its cream floor and dead trees provides ample photographic opportunities.
After a very enriching session with Francis, our last stop for this eventful day is the Sesriem canyon, which is the smallest canyon in Namibia. After having seen the second largest canyon in the world, this is obviously not that breathtaking but the excitement and the danger factor comes in when Jojo our guide almost steps on a poisonous snake. But Jojo being seasoned with the ways of the desert hears the hissing sound just in time. We overnight at the Hammerstein.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tourism infrastructure in Namibia
Namibia is a country in Africa and Africa is the Dark Continent -debt-ridden, strife-torn, disease-prone and with high mortality rates. But the infrastructure in Namibia came as a complete surprise. To begin with, Namibia has an excellent network of roads and highways. The tarred roads connecting the major towns are kept in excellent condition and while you are cruising on them, it is difficult to remember that you are in Africa. Even the gravel roads are regularly visited by the road crews. In fact “overlanding” in Namibia is a joy.
The towns en route are well equipped to handle tourists and have all that may be required by travelers. The gas stations in the towns are the focal points where you can fill gas, use the toilets, stock up on snacks and beverages at the supermarket and also grab a coffee and a quick bite at the café on the premises. Travel light and you can stock up on all you need as you go along.
The toilets are clean and come with toilet paper and flushing toilets. No wet floors and no need to screw your noses and hold your breath.
The lodges that we stayed in were all aesthetically done up with hot water in the showers. Even the one star and the two star lodges are well appointed.
Along the roads and highways, benches have been provided under the shade of trees for the travelers to catch a quick lunch. Pamphlets and booklets that are well written and well illustrated with a wealth of information on all that is to see and do in Namibia are available at airports, cafes, lodges, restaurants, hotels and shops.
Truly first class infrastructure in a third-world country.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
DAY 5-BUSHMEN AND AN INTERESTING PIT STOP
The Stampriet guesthouse is aesthetically built with the one storey rooms being named after the famous towns of Namibia. The lobby has a number of interesting books on the African continent and is very tastefully done up, with clippings from old newspapers laminated and used as table mats to keep you occupied while you wait for your made-to-order eggs to be brought to your table.
After a hearty breakfast, we leave for the “Bushman walk”. I am very excited at finally meeting “THE” bushmen about whom I had read a story while in school. Unfortunately, the Bushman walk is a disappointment in more ways than one-more on that later, but yet it is fascinating to hear them in speak in their “click” language.
Lunch in the town of Mariental. With a huge tree providing the shade and a chilled Diet coke for company from the freezer in “Peter Torche”, we enjoy a quick “working lunch”. On our way to the town of Hammerstein, where we are to stay for the next couple of days, we stop at the town of Maltahohe for a “pit stop”. Hotel Maltahohe had an interesting sign put up –“No Pee for Free”. But the sweet lady at the front desk allowed us to go ahead and use the toilets without a charge.
Our home for the next two days-the Hammerstein Lodge is situated close to the Sesriem Canyon and the gateway to the Soussusvlei Dunes . We reach there around 4.30 p.m and after depositing our luggage, we have a steaming mug of coffee while watching a spectacular sunset. Once the sun had set, the temperature quickly drops and we know the biting cold of a desert. At dinner that night, everyone sits with their chairs very close to the bonfire to get away from the chilling desert cold. With the delicious pasta inside us, we are sufficiently warmed to try our hand at roasting marshmallows. I had wanted to do this for a long time – roast the marshmallows, then sandwich then between chocolate bars and bite into a slice of heaven. A childhood desire fulfilled.
Though we were having a lot of fun, we do not linger long since we have an early start the next day. We are to visit the Sossusvlei dunes, the world’s most picturesque dunes. The Sossusvlei Dunes are on protected land and we want to reach the gates before they open at 6.30 a.m. and hence the need for an early start.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Books and Sites for a trip to the African continent
The “State of Africa” by Martin Meredith is the most complete work on the African continent that I have read-it traces Africa’s history right from the time when the colonial powers divided it among themselves, then the African people’s struggle for independence and the corruption, ineptitude and greed of the African rulers which pushed the continent further into the depths of misery.
“Tropic Of Capricorn” by Simon Reeve is an account of a journey tracking the Tropic Of Capricorn around the globe. Capricorn cuts across Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar in the African continent. While tracking the Capricorn, the author has ventured into very remote areas in these countries and has talked about the social, political, conservation and humanitarian issues plaguing the region.
The “Sheltering Desert” by Henno Martin is an account by two German geologists of the two and a half years that they spent in the Namib desert during the World War II and their fight for survival in the desert landscape.
Of course, having a detailed map of the region that you are traveling to is indispensable. You feel more involved and it is more fun if you can trace your route on a map, especially if you are going on an overland tour. Bartholomew’s ‘Africa World Travel Map’ – covers the entire African continent on one map.
The internet is of course a minefield of information and must definitely be tapped for information right from the necessary vaccinations (www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica.htm ) to the tips, travelogues, must-sees and must-dos.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
DAY 4-QUIVER TREES AND THE DESERT LANDSCAPE
To fill up on gas and buy some other essentials, we stopped at the town of Keetmanshoop. It seems to be an important town for travelers, having many gas stations and gambling seems to be a favorite pastime of the people here. We passed many buildings in the town that read “gambling house”! Check out the photo!
Today is the first time that we also passed through the Kalahari Desert which covers Namibia, Botswana and South Africa and is home to the San people or the Bushmen.
DAY 3-CANOEING AND A NATURAL WONDER
Shorts and flip-flops, our attire for the canoe ride. We sign that dreaded indemnity form again! Spend an enjoyable three hours on the River Orange. The fiber glass boats have three buckets that are to be used to throw out water if your boat overturns and fills up with water. We use them to store our camera, camcorders, sunscreens and drinking water, hoping that we don’t have to use them to throw out water.
Rowing is an awful lot of hard work. Most of the time you row on both sides; however if you want the boat to turn in one particular direction, then you need to row only on the opposite side. A couple of times Adi and I ran into weeds and then had to “reverse row” to get out of the weeds. At times, we let our fibre-glass boats idle to observe some unique flora and fauna of the River Orange The last stretch before we hit “home” had very fast flowing water with a huge rock right in the middle of it. One of the boats carrying our group members overturned, discharging the occupants. But luckily, the water was only waist deep and they were soon “rescued”. But it was definitely a moment of panic for the group.
After a quick lunch, we leave for the Fish River Canyon to reach it before sunset. The Fish River Canyon is the oldest canyon in the world and also the second largest after the Grand Canyon in the United States.
En route, we stop to admire the beauty of the desert-the silence in the desert can be “deafening”. We sit in the middle of the never ending desert road to enjoy the solitude but we soon have to get up at the sound of an approaching car. Even the desert is not untouched from the effects of modernization. The Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world and home to a large variety of wildlife-Kudus, which are deer-like creatures, springbok and the oryx which is the national animal of Namibia.
The entire road to the Canyon is gravel road-not easy on our joints and bones but some excellent driving by JoJo gets us through without much damage.
The first view of the Fish River Canyon is awe inspiring. We do not bother taking pictures for the first 15 minutes-my eyes are trying to take in every topographical detail of the canyon. Since it is winter and the dry season, the river bed is almost dry; there are some puddles of water. A place still untouched by the effects of commercialization. We walk along the rim of the canyon, stopping every couple of meters to see the play of the setting sun on the canyon and admire its beauty from a new angle. Nature at its powerful best!
Darkness falls and we have to tear ourselves from this natural wonder-we have miles to go before we sleep and all on a gravel road too! Our lodge for the night is Seeheim Hotel. It resembles a castle out of a fairy tale. We lose our way in the dark and cannot find our room situated at the top of a steep flight of steps. Conservation of energy is important in this place in the middle of nowhere. They use solar energy and the guests are advised to take showers in the evenings when the water is nice and hot.
Monday, July 28, 2008
DAY 2-BORDER CROSSING AND A SPECTACULAR SUNSET
Had to go without breakfast today. Were up early but Adi and I had yet to get used to the pace. When Jojo came knocking at our door, we were still grappling with our packing.
We leave Citrus Creek at 7.00 a.m and ride the next 30 minutes in complete darkness. Pass the Olifants river, harnessed by the ClanWilliams dam. Drive through Namaqualand and stop for a lunch of sausages-no, Adi and I have not turned given up vegetarianism. Liz, our cook for the tour, assures us that they are vegetarian sausages. I am still not convinced but she shows me the packet and on reading the finer print, I realized that the ingredients are indeed vegetarian like wheat protein, wheat flour etc. The brand is Fry’s, a home-grown South African company run by a husband-wife duo. Hey, I could get addicted to these sausages-they are delicious!
Today is the day that we crossed into Namibia from South Africa. This is the first time that Adi and I are doing an overland tour and it is very exciting.At the South African border post, things go smoothly and quickly -except when we are directed to a cubicle to get our fingerprints done. Apparently, this is a new requirement that has been introduced-but the official only takes down my passport serial number. I later learn that from our group that Marie was the only one to have her fingerprints taken-when she put her finger on the fingerprint machine, it just conked off. She was the butt of merciless teasing afterwards as to how she was a “wanted” terrorist and once her fingerprints matched there was no need to take anyone else’s.
At the Namibian border, it takes us much longer- JoJo tell us to be extremely respectful towards the officials and always keep a smiling face…? My jaws are aching by the time my passport is stamped-trying to fake the smile.
Before we reach the border, we stop for some final shopping at “Springbok”, the last major town before the South African border and for hundreds of kilometers into Namibia as well. I buy a small tube of Nivea face cream for R 62 (approx INR 350)-have to compare the price in Cairo and Mumbai for the same tube. Feel right at home when we see a Tata Motors in Springbok-a slice of India in South Africa!
That night, we stay at Felix Unite -each of us are shown into independent “huts” overlooking the Orange River. An extremely cozy place but initially, there is a moment of anxiety for me when we spot a huge lizard on the wall in our hut but thankfully after some gentle prodding by Adi, it goes away on its own.
The sunset over the River Orange is nothing short of spectacular.
Dinner that night is special with Liz serving pap, a staple food of southern Africa, made from maize. The delicious dinner is conducive to some interesting conversation- “What are the number of continents in the world? Are islands a part of continents? New Zealand is part of which continent? Israel is in Asia or Europe?” –These questions maybe part of a geography lesson in school and they are now part of our dinner talk. No definitive answers that night.
DAY 1-PETER TORCHE, MALARIA AND COLD ROOMS
We get up early – my excitement and apprehension wakes me up much before the alarm goes off. I lie in bed thinking of all the things that can go wrong-lizards in my room, no hot showers, being bitten by a desert scorpion or snake, malarial mosquitoes etc. But then I think of the possibility of seeing the most wonderful landscapes, experiencing the silence of the vast desert and the starry desert night and I quickly jump out of bed.
After a quick breakfast at the hotel that we have been staying in, we walk over to the tour operator’s office-with our knapsacks on our backs and the daypacks in our hands. We are asked to sign an indemnity form-basically signing away our right to any action against the tour operator in case of any adverse eventuality! Gulp!
We head out to the “truck” in which we are to spend much time in the coming days-no luxury bus for us. Our truck had been modified to make it comfortable for traveling long distances and is lovingly called “Peter Torche”. Check it out!
Our tour leader JoJo briefs us about what to expect in the coming days and then drops the bombshell (or so it seemed to me!!!)-MALARIA! He hoped that we had taken the recommended malarial prophylaxis. I was glad to hear some negative responses apart from ours; safety in numbers. When we looked worried, he tried to assure us that in the last three years, none of his clients had got malaria. But there is always a first time!!!!….
Since it was the first day, we had only a visit to an organic wine farm scheduled-the only one of its kind in South Africa. Got an insight into the wine making process and the right way to taste wine; a “heady” start to our trip, indeed.
Reached Citrus Del at 3.30 p.m., where we were to stay for the night. A small town, less than two hours from Cape Town, it is situated on the banks of Olifants river. The town boasts of a nine-hole golf course. The town is very small-the coffee shop here closes at 5.00 p.m. because it opens at 8.00 a.m.!!
Stayed at Citrus Creek- has independent units with well-equipped kitchens. We closed all the windows and kept the door closed so that the mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies could not get in-my phobia at work again! But inexplicably, it was cold inside the rooms but outside it was much warmer.
Around a bonfire, we got to know our fellow travelers better - the teacher for children with special needs - Joyce, the enthusiastic and entirely loveable Swedish -Marie, the retired teacher who divided her time between two continents-Suzy, Renata who had visited Africa before was there with her partner Gerard, Virgini from Luxembourg in whom I found a “friend for life”, the wine teacher Yihun and the sisters from Germany. Our extremely efficient crew - Jojo, the energetic tour leader, Lizelle-the “happy-go-lucky” cook and Anjia –the practical translator.
Had dinner in a million-star restaurant; our first look at the star studded desert sky.