Turns out that it wasn’t Oktoberfest. It was actually the following weekend, but that’s ok. I did enjoy some of the local Camelthorn beers. I tasted a few different wheat beers (a regular weizen and a dark wheat) Both of which were delicious and SO not available in Botswana. We arrived in Windhoek first, but I enjoyed Swakopmund most because it was a small and walkable city on the coast. We didn’t stay in Windhoek long and I hope to go back there sometime to see what it’s all about. Upon arriving in Windhoek we were all marveling at how very different it looked in comparison to Botswana. Architecture, street organization, scenery…everything. It was a beautiful taste of something different. In between Windhoek and Swakopmund there is literally nothing. We drove for km and km in the nothingness to witness the savannah change to distant mountains for a brief while to open up to flat desert as we approached the coast.
The boat ride was canceled due to the difficulty of coordinating plans in a large group and the untimeliness of our planning. That’s ok though because I did enjoy a few beachside sunsets with the sound of the ocean, which I just couldn’t get enough of. We even found CELERY, at which point we decided to treat ourselves to some bloody marys. And yea, Tabasco has made it here! While relaxing on the beach we met another American that works for the US Embassy in Namibia. She invited us to her house for a braai (BBQ) for the evening where she was also hosting a few of her local friends. It was a nice impromptu meeting and her welcome and hospitality were greatly appreciated.
During that time there we even met up with some of the Peace Corps Volunteers placed in Namibia. That was a refreshing group of people to hang out with. It was just nice to connect with some new faces and have somewhat of an insider’s perspective on life there. There were also plenty of stories empathizing on the highs and lows of the whole Peace Corps experience, but also just celebrating and laughing in light of new company.
In the daytime there we wandered the city to see the restaurants, stores, the coast, and a lighthouse! Doesn’t sound all that exciting, but I promise you it was visually stimulating. In perusing some of the little “stalls” selling all the Namibian crafts and other African souvenirs, I met a group of Namibians just outside of the aquarium at the beach. I ended up buying just a simple wooden bracelet (my love for knick-knack jewelry continues), but I went back the next day to say hello and see how they were doing, being that the stall seemed to be a façade for socializing and served as a meeting place for all their friends. The main guy, Angola, did most of the selling but he and his buddies also spend a good bit of time making music on the beach and DJ-ing at night at a local club. One of his friends, fittingly named Bongo Man, was the most vibrant of the group. “One love” was interjected after every 5 words, but somewhere in there we had a great time visiting, talking about all that is Swakopmund.
We stayed with the grandparents to our friend, Werner. They live about 15 km outside of Swakopmund. His grandfather is a fisherman and we got to see the whole process after a good day’s fish. He even cooked the Shnook (sp?) fish for us over an open fire. It was quite possibly the most delicious fish I’ve ever had. His grandmother also greeted us with chocolate cake and poppy seed bread and tea. There’s nothing better than the comfort of a real home with a cooked meal. One of the days Dinah and I had the genius idea to try walking to town and progressed maybe 4km in and hour and a half walking on sand and having nothing really to gauge our distance. We were picked up along the way by Werner and crew who got a good laugh at our attempt to stroll to town. I don’t feel like the trip was a most exciting excursion, but as you see I genuinely enjoyed the social side of the trip. I feel like a lot of time was spent in the car, which is not my preferred way to spend my vacations, but at least we had the comfort and convenience of a private car to scoot around Namibia and Botswana. It was also nice to change my scenery and meet a few new people, and it was vacation enough to feel a little disoriented coming back to Botswana.
For now, I’m back in Moshupa and quickly slipping back into my routine. Some of my projects are on the verge of being realized and that feels really nice. I’m still nervous and hesitant with some projects just because they seem like such a big feat to take on. There are some times where I feel like the people I am working with have such high hopes and aspirations for the work that I want to do with them. For some reason I feel overwhelmed by their hopes combined with my own resignation that I don’t really have much to offer. I know just a few fresh ideas and organizational skills can go a long way, but for some reason I still feel like they would be disappointed if they only knew how “unqualified” I am. Even still, it seems that just to give my blessing and encouragement to a few people is enough to up their spirits and qualify their worth. In working with some high school students, you can tell that just a few kind and supporting words really means the world to them, particularly coming from the outsider. In the same way that I can encourage them with little understanding of my own sway, they too can affirm my worth with their eager participation and investment in my projects. All things considered, it’s really a beautiful dynamic of mutual support.
Upcoming events to anticipate:
* a few of my plants have germinated!!! it looks like i might at least have some tomatoes, zucchini, and some carrots. Fingers crossed for the rest.
* 50th Anniversary Celebration of Peace Corps with current and former volunteers in Botswana. SO excited.
* Potential camping trip to the Rhino Sanctuary
* Harvest Celebration (Kgafela) in Moshupa also the same weekend as Halloween
* World AIDS Day Celebration with my office in Moshupa (December 1) Mark your calendars.
I'm really missing the Fall...changing leaves, crispy cool mornings, and driving the stretch of N Parkway in Memphis just in front of Rhodes where the yellow and red leaves canopy the road. It's getting hot here and the mosquitoes are multiplying by the second. Cheers to the next fews months, bathing in sunscreen and mosquito repellant.
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