The Namib! And Friday! And Saturday! And Sunday! And Monday!

Tuesday morning Bianca and I left with Wild Dog & Crazy Kudu for the Namib and Sossusvlei, and we returend home yesterday afternoon.

Some Background Information:
In the Nama language, Namib means vast. The Namib is considered the oldest desert in the world, and has some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, some reaching over 300 meters tall.


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There were 15 people on our trip. Bennie was the trip guide again, and Alfeus was the assistant again as well. Every seat on the bus was full. Bianca and I were in the back seats. We had opened the window, as others were doing as well, and this 50 year old fat German lady freaked out about the wind blowing on her, and asked everyone to close the windows. And then of course she complained about the heat.

We stopped in Rehoboth to pick up groceries for lunch. Then we continued driving until we reached a place called Solitaire. It is called Solitaire because there is a lone dead camel thorn acacia tree, after which the place is named. Bianca and I, along with an Italian woman named Silvia and a German man named Thomas, helped prepare lunch. We had sandwiches with cheese, cold cuts, and vegetables. Apparently Solitaire is know for serving the best apple pie in the world. I had a taste of someones, and it wasn't nearly as good as mom's :)

We left Solitaire after lunch and continued driving until we reaches our campsite. The road from after Rehoboth on was all dirt and gravel, and quite hilly. Because it's the rainy season it's been raining (can you believe that?) and the dips in the road fill with water. Bennie is a good driver, but sometimes doesn't realize how bumpy those bumps actually are.

While we were driving we came across baboons crossing the road, a bunch of oryx, and lots of sociable weaver nests. Bennie gave us some more information abut these birds. The biggest of their nests can house 300 birds, the smallest can hold 6 birds. Each woven channel or room holds one male and one female weaver. The channels open at the bottom of the nest to prevent tree snakes from being able to slither inside. The birds are named sociable weavers not only because of their chatty nature, but also because they allow other birds to live in their nests with them.

When we arrived at camp we set up our tents and then left for the Elim sand dune. We hiked up the dune to see the sun set. It was drizzling and so the sand was pretty firm and easier to climb than it would have been if it were dry, soft sand. The sand dipped and rose in big hills, and every time I got over one hill, thinking it would be the top, there was another one in front of me. It took about 30 minutes to get to the top. Once there it started pouring rain! Strange for a desert...But anyway, the rain was coming down hard and cold. Then we started to worry because there was some pretty intense thunder and lightning, and considering we were at the highest point anywhere around us we definitely questioned leaving. Two guys did leave, but the rest of us stayed. There was still and hour and a half or so until the sun would set, and we weren't about to run back down after climbing so high without seeing what we set out to see. Some of us, including me, ran around on the dune in the rain. It was the freest and happiest I have ever felt. It sounds cheesy, probably, but I don't think I can put into words the scenery and sort of magic of the place. Joe Bear had come for the hike with me, and we took some pictures together at the top. Boy oh boy, Joe Bear certainly is a worldly bear.

Eventually the rain stopped, and we walked a little further on the dune to a spot that seemed even higher than where we had first stopped. There was a magnificent double rainbow after the rain had slowed down. The rainbow, combined with the mountains around us and the color of the clouds, probably qualifies as THE most beautiful thing I have ever seen. There were eight of us at the top of the dune at this point. Bianca and I took some pictures of our shadows and each other going crazy. She and I had a moment of total cheesiness and made a heart shadow with our bodies on the wall of the dune. It was hilarious. Then, the others came up with an ever stranger idea. Thomas took a picture of us as we stood at the top of the dune, our silhouettes spelling "LOVE" against the blue sky. I made a "V" with Silvia. Bianca was the "O" with Angela.

We watched the sun set, which was completely amazing. I have some super pictures. Then we walked down he dune in the moonlight and went back to camp for dinner. Bennie and Alfeus made beef stew and rice for dinner. Afterwards, Bianca, Angela, Thomas, Gordian, and I went to the pool for a swim. We didn't stay very long because the next day we had to get up at 5am.

BUT. Bennie woke up late. Gosh, I was sure we wouldn't make it in time to see the sunrise from Dune 45 (it's called Dune 45 because it is exactly 45 kilometers from the entrance into the Namib). Luckily, we did get there in time. It took about an hour to drive there from camp.

We hiked up the dune. I was the second at the top from our group, but there were probably 30 other people from another group already sitting at the top. I got some magnificent pictures of the sunrise. Afterwards we got to run/slide down the dune. It was so fun! At the bottom, Bianca and I emptied our sneakers, which each held a cup or two of sand!

Bennie and Alfius had prepared bacon and eggs, and so we at breakfast right there at the base of the dune. Then we packed everything back up in the truck and drove a little further to a parking lot. We walked 2,5 kilometers into the desert. It was really really hot, but beautiful. We walked down a sandy path lined by camel thorn acacia trees. Bennie pulled us over to look at some foot prints. There were lizard foot prints, which have a line down the middle because of their tail dragging along, beetle prints, and GERBIL PRINTS! YES! WILD GERBILS!!! oh man I was going crazyyy.

Anyway, we finally got to Deadvlei. Its this vast basin of land surrounded by the Cray Dunes, which are crazy high (Silvia wanted to climb them so badly, so Alfeus and two others from the group went along with her, but they didn't even make it to the top!). We spent 40 or so minutes walking around camel thorn trees that have been dead from 700-900 years. It used to be an area where water collected, but a new series of dunes formed in front of the path of the water and so the trees died. It's amazing.

After hanging around Deadvlei, we went to Sossusvlei via an open safari truck. Sossusvlei means "place where water gathers". Every decade or so Sossusvlei actually floods, creating a reflection pool for the dunes. .That would be awesome to see in person! Anyway, then we drove back to the parking lot and drove back to camp. Then we took a bit of a rest and then at 5:30 went to see the Sessrium Canyon. That was very pretty.

There was an Italian woman on our trip from Florence named Silvia. She is very short; 1 meter 50cm, and is like...borderline midget. Only not. She is SO funny, SO loud, and SO afraid of snakes. I went on a walk to collect camel thorn seed pods (so that I could take the seeds out and make jewelry with them) and I ended up finding a dead snake. So what did I do with it? I brought it back to camp and I left it at the entrance to Silvia's tent. She was taking a shower at the bathrooms across camp. A bunch of people from our trip were sitting around chatting and reading, and Bennie and Alfius were preparing dinner. I told them that this whole situation was called "Operation Freak-out" and that the code word for seeing Silvia walking back to camp was "Bravo" (because she used bravo ALL the time). So I set up in a chair with my camera, and we waited for her to come by. She finally did, and I caught the whole thing on video. IT IS SO FUNNY. She screamed her head off and she would say "is it dead?" and I said "yes, it's dead" and she said "so it's dead, it's not alive?" and I would say "no, it's alive!" and oh gosh it was so funny. Finally she told Bennie to movie it and she walked away from the tent. Later on that night, I took the snake and put it at the foot of the tent of the two German guys, Thomas and Gordian. They were out on a hike, and when they came back, Gordian found the snake. We called it "Operation Freak-out part two: Wussy man". It was so funny. We started talking about how some snakes are so poisonous that doctors just cut off the part that was bitten, and if you don't get treatment early enough you just die. Gordian took a few pictures, and I asked him if he was going to move it. He said no, and I gave him a hard time. Finally I just said to him "am I going to have to do it then?" and I walked over to it, picked it up, and motioned to throw it at him, and he went bananas. Funny. Really hilarious.

Speaking of Bennie and Silvia, this running joke developed that they were going to get married. We all kid around and talked about the wedding, the kids, and all that stuff. Bennie said he wanted two kids, and all named Bennie (he already has a real kid named Bennie Jr.), and Silvia put up a fight that she was too old for kids (she's 35, as is Bennie). The zipper on her tent was proken, and she was worried about snakes getting in at night, and Bennie (kidding) offered her to sleep in his tent, and this guy from Australia said "well then you've got another snake to worry about" and Bennie said "more than one, actually". It was HILARIOUS. Basically the people on our trip were amazing.

Except for this older German couple (the woman who always wanted the windows on the bus closed). This night they had been at the bar drinking, and when they came back, the woman was really loosey goosey. She asked me what German words I know, and I told her I could say "my name ist einhorn" (my name is unicorn) and "gesundheit" (god bless you) and "mushy" (not appropriate to say here). And so she told me to say wixxer (which is also too inappropriate to say here, look it up). Basically this old German woman who normally had a stick up her you know what was teaching me the most offensive German words that exist.

We had a braai for dinner, chicken and garlic bread and veggies. The chicken was really good. After dinner a couple of us sat around the campfire and roasted marshmallows, and then later on Bianca and I went to the pool just to hang out. It was a really lovely night. Oh, and the stars were amazing.

Thursday morning, Valentine's day, we woke up at eight and broke camp. We got on the road to head home. At our first stop some people got out to pee and I opened the cooler and took some ice out, and started throwing it at people. It's called having fun. And don't try and tell me that it was a childish idea, because let me tell you, the game caught on fast with nearly everyone else, except that stubborn German couple.

Anyway, we stopped for roadside lunch a little while later, and the ground was totally covered in biting ants, and it was practically impossible to make our sandwiches at the table.

Bennie then dropped all of us at our places of residence. Bianca and I were second. When we got home we were both so exhausted and skipped out on an invitation to Joe's Beer House. Not many people from our trip ended up going anyway, so it wasn't a huge deal.

SO much to catch up on! Sorry!

FRIDAY
Friday morning Ilga, Mark and I went for a walk into town. We stopped on our way at a book shop and browsed around. It was really expensive, but I found some cool gifts for people. Then we tried to find our way to the Botanical Gardens, but unfortunately we couldn't find them, and no one we talked to had any clear idea of where they were. So instead we went to the Parliament Gardens. It is a really beautiful garden with a fountain and canopies of leaves and colorful flowers. We chilled there for a while, and then walked to the church across the street. It is a German Lutheran church. Mark talked outside with a man selling machalani seeds, and ended up buy two. Ilga and I meanwhile were inside the church. It is small but really beautiful inside. There is a prayer wall with paper hands, and you can take one and write down a prayer request, and they read it at the next mass and everyone prays for what you write down. I wrote a prayer request down and left it on the board.

Afterwards we headed home, came back for lunch, and then left with everyone for the center. When we got there, a bunch of girls ran up to me. Meroldi, Rozein, Wendy, all jumped into my arms. I guess they had really missed me all those days I was gone. It felt really good to know that they waited outside the gate of the center for me, and then gave me such big hugs for all the days I missed. Wendy made me a bracelet with yellow and green threat and a yellow heart bead.

It was basically a regular day at the center. I played a lot of Halli Galli and then drew pictures with the kids. Around 4pm we started to hear a lot of thunder and it started to pour! The kids were going nuts. There was a lot of lightning, and the thunder starting getting really loud. Kids were standing in the narrow alley down to the computer room and underneath the overhang next to the New Start office. Some of the kids, even the older ones, were really frightened of the lightning. Eventually the rain let up and we told the kids to run home. Many of them took off their school shoes and even their school clothes so that they would not get ruined.

Once the kids ran home, MB took Morris and Gerome inside the big room to talk to them. She had just spent over $1500 between the two of them on school fees and uniforms, and apparently they were dodging classes, and Morris had stolen one of Sister's dresses, and had been wearing it around the center. MB was really mad, and told them that they wouldn't get backpacks or have the school fundraiser fees paid unless the dress was returned. It seemed like they were truly sorry and understood.

Then a few minutes later the rain started again, and all the kids ran back! e had to wait another 20 minutes or so until the rain stopped again, and we closed the center. Ilga, Bianca, Kirsten, and I caught a taxi and went home.

That night Mark, Mark, and Ilga went out to El Cubano. Afterwards they went to NICE, and met Gazza there. Gazza bought them drinks and then after a while, took the three of them in his entourage van and brought everyone to another club, La Dee Da, and got everyone inside and payed for more drinks. HOW COOL IS THAT? That would be the equivalent of like...50 cent taking you out and and getting you into clubs and buying you drinks.

SATURDAY
Saturday most of us skipped out on soccer. Ilga was totally hung over. MB has some other volunteers there usually, and doesn't always need our help. So Saturday morning Bianca, Mark and I went back to the book store and went to some other places for shopping. I got a few things at the really expensive book store, and we stopped at a used book store and two stores in the mall. Then we went to pick and pay and picked up some things for dinner, because we had a braai for Kirsten's birthday.

After shopping the three of us got a taxi and went to the center for the reading program. e were there until 5pm reading and doing academic activities with the kids. I was reading a book with Chantal called Don't Tease A Weasel. It's a rhyming book about doing certain things for animals, like giving a horse lemonade under the shade...etc. She kept reading the line "don't tease a weasel" as "don't tase a weasel". I almost died laughing every time she said it.

Later on back at home, we began preparing for the braai. I made garlic bread and a tomato and mozzarella salad, Ilga made chocolate muffins and oatmeal raisin muffins for desert, and Kirsten made a bowl of fruit cocktail in champagne, fruit juice, and wine. Everyone made their won meat. I had a cheese burger (DUH). It was just me, Kirsten, Ilga, Bianca, Mark, and Ajay, until Thomas and Gordian from the Sossusvlei trip showed up. They made their meat, and then we all sat outside celebrating.

We were about to go inside when a drunk man started talking to us through the gate. Everyone when inside, but Mark and I went to the gate to talk to the man. His name is Desmond, and apparently he is from Katutura. He showed us his ID and his hand-written resume. He dropped out of ninth grade. He kept saying "I lose school, I lose school". He cried a lot. Mark was strumming the guitar. It was very dramatic. Desmond was singing about god, and Mark and I just listened. Eventually we got into a conversation about his family, his kids, his whole life. He wanted a job from us, but we told him we didn't have anything for him to do. Mark asked him for his number, I think just to make him feel better. After about an hour, Mark and I finally left him and went inside. We chilled with everyone for a while, and then the party moved across the street to NICE. I was already exhausted, but it was fun to hang out with everyone. Ilga's friend Tommy was also with us at this point. I started showing everyone some sign language. It made for an interesting conversation. There was a deaf man working at NICE, and he signed to me if I was deaf, and I told him no, I am hearing. And then I told him I study sign language in school. It was awesome to communicate with him. Anyway, we stayed at NICE until they closed and kicked us out, which was at about 2am. I just totally crashed in bed when we got home.

SUNDAY
Sunday was Kirsten's real birthday. I was going to go to church with Ilga, but I couldn't pull myself out of bed on time. At 9:30 MB came to pick us up (she is staying at a house she is house sitting) and brought Mark, Bianca, Kirsten, and I to this beautiful house in Pioneer's Park (which is a relatively wealthy neighborhood; Gazza lives there). We stayed there all day, lounging by the pool, swimming, and listening to music. I fell asleep and got a sunburn, but when I got home I soaked my stomach in cold milk towels, and by this morning the sunburn was gone.

MONDAY
This morning I woke up at 6am, had some toast, and then realized I was still tired. I went back to sleep and woke up again at 11:30. I had some peanut butter and read some of my book.

We got to the center around 2pm. There were SO many kids there! It's the middle of the month and most of them aren't getting food at home, so they all come for soup and then some stay for games and such afterwards. Lynn from Rotary was also there with the knitting. She comes every Monday and Thursday.

Apparently, one of the kids who stole from Ilga and had been kicked out of the center was in the center today. MB was really mad about that. And to top that off, she had let Morris and Gerome go to Pep for new backpacks (even though Morris still hasn't returned the dress) and they came back with only half the change. They told MB that they had bought some food, but she knew they hadn't because it was $45, and they couldn't have spent that much on food only. Long story short they insulted MB and Sister in front of all the kids, and MB kicked them out until they bring back the money. And she is never paying for anything for them again (even though she said that last time too).

Tete and her friend pulled me aside today and told me that they wanted to talk to me in private. They take me to take them home with me back to the US. They told me about their home situations. Tete has two alcoholic parents who beat up on her two sisters, Meroldi and Sha, and her little two year old brother. Tete claims they only yell at her. But she hates it, she says. And the other little girl was telling me that she lives with her Grandmother and her Uncle. Her uncle is also an alcoholic and beats her up sometimes. They told me they want to see the whole world. Tete told me she wants to "see every country". And they begged me to take them home with me. I told them that if they graduate from grade 12 and get a job, that they could make enough money to travel. But Tete said, "No, Katrina. You don't understand. We are Namibians. Please take me, or I will never leave here". I am no exaggerating. 9 year old Tete spoke those exact words. At the end of our long conversation, Tete's friend said to me, "if you won't take us home, at least please, Katrina, please pray for me and Tete". Swear on my life I almost broke down in tears right there. I promised them I would, and gave them huge hugs.

When we got home today I made chicken and roasted potatoes for dinner. At 8:30 Mark and I walked over to One Africa Television. Tommy does the sports coverage Monday-Wednesday nights at 9pm live, so he invited us to come watch an interview he was going to be doing.

The inside of the studios are really modern, colorful, and surprisingly high tech. Turns out the two women he was interviewing were from the Namibian National Womens soccer team. One was a coach, and the other a player. We got to talk to them a little but beforehand, and then watched the interview and show from the control room. It was really cool, and I've never before been inside any kind of media studio.

Turns out the women's team has a game against Nigeria on Friday at 6pm in the Komasdal stadium. It's free for everyone, so Mark and I had this great idea to take the Little Pumpkins girls team from the BNC to watch the game Friday. Maybe they can even meet the team! The women on the team would be such good role models for them. I really hope it works out.

Thats the past 5 days. Sorry about the delay! I've been crazy busy! Only two more weeks, I can't believe it! Time flies here.

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