Black-listed from the Bus and Feeding Chameleons in the Namib Desert

This past weekend (Saturday - Sunday) Luke and I made our way to a coastal town called Swakopmund (or Swakop as the locals call it). Since I do not yet have a car, we got bus tickets. The tickets said we needed to be there 30 minutes prior to our 6:30am bus. So, we arrived at 5:45am. The bus ended up leaving a little after 7am. While waiting for the bus we met a guy from Frankfurt, Germany who was headed to Swakop to volunteer for the next month tracking elephants. The bus ride itself was pretty uneventful, we passed through various towns along the way. The landscape slowly transforms from central Namibia in Windhoek to Swakop. The scrubby trees and dusty bushes give way to golden grassy valleys which in turn seem to dry into flat sandy plains. Then its the Indiana Dunes x 1,000,000.

On the bus

We arrived early afternoon, and upon disembarking from the bus the cold temperature struck us. I figured Windhoek is hot, why wouldn't the desert beach be hot? Clearly I was mistaken. We walked around town for awhile; Luke bought a long-sleeve t-shirt due to the temperature mishap. We walked through plaza where artisans peddled their crafts, and along the Namib coast of the Atlantic Ocean on our way to the aquarium. There was a shark/turtle/fish feeding at the area aquarium so we made sure to check that out. There was a group of children watching the feeding, so it was fun to see them in awe of the diver and fish.

Pretty plant

At the aquarium. I loved the turtle!

Atlantic Beach

After the aquarium feeding we went to a little beach bar. We got tipsy there in the beach chairs with the ocean waves crashing beyond our sandy feet until dinner. Later we went to a little German restaurant that had about 12 spots for diners. It was a fantastic meal.

We got up early Sunday morning to go on a "living" desert tour. Our guide picked us up from the hotel and we headed to the Namib Desert. We saw spiders, snakes, geckos, lizards, chameleons, and of course, sand dunes. It was incredible to be looking at a sand dune, and suddenly have our guide pluck a snake right out of the sand - the way these creatures are adapted to their environment is a complete marvel.

The Namib Desert

Gecko (Translucent White Spots are Vertebrae)

A side-winder snake - see the pattern in the sand and the color of the snake. The snake can move uphill on the sand dunes.

Holding and feeding a chameleon. Yes, those are my hands. It was awesome!

(They turn black when they are anxious)

The tour was supposed to run from 8am - 1pm, just enough time to catch our 1:45 bus home. While we were on a roller coaster ride of sand dunes, we realized it was almost 2pm. We had the driver rush us back to the bus stop, where we pulled up saw the bus waiting. Locals we have met have assured us that the pace of life is different in Namibia. People take it easy and enjoy life at a bit of a slower pace. So far, I'd say this has been accurate. Apparently Namibian bus companies have their training in New York City.

We jumped out of the car and proceeded to have the bus driver yell at us about the time, keeping everyone waiting, etc. I was profusely apologizing while Luke ran back to the hotel to grab our backpacks. After we boarded the bus the driver informed everyone that since people were late, and kept everyone waiting, we would not be stopping for refreshments on the way back to Windhoek. We kept out heads down waited for the awkward moment to pass. It is unclear what was being said about us in Afrikaans by our fellow passengers.

When we arrived back in Windhoek, we re-boarded the bus after the main drop off to go to the bus depot because it was by our hotel. When the same bus driver saw us sitting back in side, he about lost it. We explained our plan and were permitted to proceed. This time it was pretty clear what was being said about us in Afrikaans.

One interesting fact about the bus. During our departure and arrival, one of the bus employees would get on the intercom and thank God for our safe travels. She would pray somewhat of a modified Lord's Prayer, changing the words we know from the new testament to cater to our trip and the passengers aboard. It is one example of the evident role Christianity has in every day life in Namibia.

So, even with the bus mishap, it was a great weekend. Swakopmund is a fun, relaxing, and interesting town, that isn't too far away.

Other news, I am officially moving into my new flat November 18th. We test drive 2 cars tomorrow, so will hopefully be driving soon. Luke is headed back to Chicago on Sunday. On Saturday we are going to a Halloween party, and I think we are going to be nerds. We figured it wasn't a far stretch since I grew up with a bug collection, and Luke packed a ruler and graph paper in his carry on. Work continues to go well. Tomorrow I am headed to an ART (antiretroviral therapy) clinic to work on some data extraction for a pilot program. I'm also going to work on writing some HIV/AIDS prevention documents for the Government of Namibia country plan.

That's all our news for now. Hoping by the next update I will have a car! Happy Halloween!!!