Holiday
on Marika VSO-ing in Namibia (Namibia), 27/May/2010 19:17, 34 days ago
The journey:Katima→Divundu→Oshakati→Ruacana Falls→Opuwo→Epupa Falls→Oshakati→Etosha NP→Oshakati→Waterberg Plateau→Windhoek→Fish River Canyon→Sossusvlei→Windhoek→Swakopmund→Spitzkoppe→Erongo Mountains→Penduka→Rundu→KatimaModes of transport:Combi’s – Generally rickety little minibuses towing a cart of luggage crammed with people to the full, at least two of them with overheating engines. Usually a standard charge and they generally leave from petrol stations and only go if they’re filled up which makes leaving times quite unpredictable. In more remote areas, regular stopping occurs for picking up and dropping off ad even searching for passengers or other random personal jobs. Generally do distances in quite good time, once you actually get away.Hitching - a common form of transport practiced in Namibia only, usually with standard rate although more people likely to try to bump up the price (especially in the North) and for this and other reasons require making careful judgements.Lifts from various kind people. Usually German tourists or South Africans or local Afrikaners.Matt’s car, ‘Dave’, the Toyota Rav4. (I learnt to drive an automatic!)GRN vehicle with NIED staff from Windhoek to Swakopmund.Highlights:Hiking the Fish River Canyon was the toughest, yet best hike I have ever done. With two great hiking companions, Matt (NZ/UK based in Oshakati) and James (Canada based in Divundu) we managed to do the 90km (although we shaved a bit of this with some short-cuts) stretch in 4 and half days. Day one was significantly harder than the rest of the days due a late start, the hottest temperatures, the roughest terrain, carrying all 5-days worth of food and the descent into the canyon resulting in buggered toenails needing taping up for the rest of the hike (bad combination of socks and shoes and probably a shock to feet that hadn’t worn shoes for a few months). I have to admit here; yes I did bring my hiking boots all the way from the UK to Namibia and carried them with me all just NOT to use them. Luckily, the only evidence that still remains is one black nail and them just looking different to me. We saw a few peopleon the first day, one of 3 Vespas that were carried down in 1968 by 6 crazy people whose mission impossible failed anyway. After day one though, not one person would be seen until we came out the other side. On the signing in and out sheet of the canyon we were baffled by those who had gone in within the previous two days and had yet to come out. The NWR (Namibian Wildlife Reservations) staff was not, mind you, and with no word of warning on the way in, they were certainly curious about the river when we came out.The river crossings began on day two. 15 in total: 4, 4, 4 and 3. Times for crossing ranged from a minimum of 25 minutes up to 2.5 hours. What factors determined this? It seems that as a result of the late rains this year, the river was still much higher than it usually is. More noticeable to us who enter only a week after the park opens for the year. Little did we know that most of it was too deep to walk across and so we spent much time not only judging whether we should cross the river or not (a lot of predictions were required as to where the terrain was better and what advantage it would be in terms of distance), but testing the waters at various points to see where we could cross. Most involved chest-deep crossings with packs over our heads, but the hardest part was the terrain. The river bed was a mixture of slippery boulders or if we were lucky, some sand. Combine that with not being able to see through the water, a nice strong current, and the consequence is repeatedly bruised shins/toes, a lot of foul language and a buggered camera following just the one involuntary swim. Matt and James at this point chose to cross just 50m further up with smug ease (grrr!). Much of the time was spent doing a test run of each crossing all the way to the other side as even the last quarter could deepen rapidly. I would say had pretty much mastered the technique of testing by the end. Some stunning geological formations, great views and super camping spots made for great free camping. With two tents, a stove (I got away with getting the boys to carry them by playing my girl card ;) and scientifically calculated meals we were up at sunrise, walking till sunset each day. It was great seeing a variety of tiny little tracks of various kind of creatures in the sand each morning, more emphasised by the fact that only a week’s worth of folk had walked through yet this year. A wonderful variety of terrain, with little evidence of it being walked on by so many people as renown.To end, a gorgeous outdoor swimming pool heated by natural springs, after the disappointment of the highly talked of sulphur-smelling-muddy-stagnant-water hot springs 15km into the hike. Pools of water were either too hot or too cold to enjoy and in sum just a bit stinky. How stinky we were, I will just let you use your imagination.Sossuslvei - one of the most stunning landscapes, you can imagine. If my shoes hadn’t collected enough sand dunes inside of them during the hike, they had their party on the dunes at Sossusvlei. It turns out ‘breathable’ hiking shoes are a bugger for rain and sand. One of the oldest and driest ecosystems on the earth, the brilliance of their colour is just awesome, especially during sunrise and sunset. Driving into the valley and then taking our own route around the dunes, meant that we felt we were completely isolated and surrounded by a landscape of endless dunes. Having just come out the hike of course, Matt and I just couldn’t resist, going a little higher tothe next peak, then the next peak and so on, until we felt the sand start to heat up. It was so funny just watching our prints, and soon after accidentally stepping on what seemed to be a docile little snake, the classic temptation to run down the dunes is as fun as it looks. For sand boarding though, I’ll have to make it to the Skeleton Coast. By this point, I was definitely ‘sanded’ out.Etosha National Park - A huge expanse of land with a large flat pan that extends for as far as the eye can see into the horizon. After just one can break down, fortunately relatively close to the gate we entered and easily repaired by helpful security, we spent two days with Matt, Dorine (Dutch based in Mariental as the only VSO volunteer South of Windhoek at the moment) and Aniek (Dutch based in Rundu). The first rainy night camping and with the experimental weighty VSO tent made for an entertaining evening. The best bit was seeing the monster of a Black Rhino for the first time.Attending the National Maths congress in Swakopmund with Susan (Irish based in Okahandja). The meeting of Mathematics teachers and choice of attendance to a variety of sessions, especially inspiring by Aarnout Brombacher and discussions on‘number sense’. Even better was that it was wonderful to see the sea again after all this time. A very British feel, with a windy breeze, pier, a bit smelly and facing West for lovely sunsets.Some more wonderful rock formations at Spitzkoppe, Waterberg Plateau and the Erongo Mountains with greatly located campsites at the bases and some other greatly located community campsites.Meeting friendly people at campsites and sharing fire-cooked meals outside surrounded by cool silhouettes of landscapes.Feeling like you are in the National Geographic as the Himba and Herero people mix in Opuwo (Unfortunately no photos as didn’t feel comfortable asking alongside the payment expected).Two beautiful waterfalls of the North, both visits timed well with plenty of flowing water. Ruacana Falls even involved stepping into Angola, but gratefully without the need for a visa.Meeting and spending the day alongside the most interesting,‘Fortunate Soldier’, Koos (see film documentary made 2009 orhttp://web.mac.com/nickycrowther/A_Fortunate_Soldier/Trailer.html) Also, my first not just Greek, but Cretan descendant in Namibia (although he didn’t qualify as a Namibian because he was a photographer from South Africa) at Epupa Falls.Meeting Miss Namibia (from Katima) and sharing drinks with her and her friends the weekend before leaving, followed by meeting a friendly Angolan family recently moved from Windhoek.Two yummy seafood meals at the‘Ocean basket’ and two visits to the cinema, in Windhoek and in Swakopmund. Quite a luxury these days. The better of the two being the film ‘Crossing the Bridge’, a film documentary on music in Istanbul.Some precious time alone dotted in-between company.Reading Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Despair’. An unusually intriguing novel. I must admit here, I was discouraged to take deodorant on the Fish River hike, but the book was permitted and a good idea for the nights.Staying at Brian’s (Canada) bottle-house in Penduka, the outskirts of Windhoek. A non-profit community-run centre empowering women and supporting their crafts with a solar powered stove. Unfortunately, my stay was soured the end of the trip as I discovered that walking with a 7-foot chap does not discourage beingmugged by 3 locals (one with a pen-knife) in the middle of the day. Thank God no harm was done as I only lost my wallet and UK mobile (sorry folks, I’ll be asking for your mobile numbers all over again) and thanks to Brian’s effort to chase two of the three down the valley and up the hill as they split directions. Mostly just makes me angry. Could I have done something different that morning? Yes, but can I do this every time I go out? Probably not. It will make me more careful though which is good by bursting that bubble of safety that might make one a bit careless (I hope my familycan see the benefit of this event rather than worrying even more please!). It made me slightly more grateful to be back in Katima, although more rural, safer by day than Windhoek. Being warmly welcomed back by colleagues has been a comfort too.Otherwise that familiar beginning-of-term feeling follows me here as I return, feeling the night temperature significantly drop, the nights grown, and is hasn’t rained here in Katima since I left. That might be it for the rains until the summer (i.e. November/December) and things already feel pretty dusty. It’s pretty grim getting up in the morning as it’s so cold and dark testing my punctuality for the early school mornings which might need some negotiating if it gets much worse. Would the longest night here then be when it’s the summer solstice at home (June 21st?)Home is now fully equipped with burglar bars all round giving us the feeling of being in a prison alongside the goldfish bowl effect. Now all that remains is to get rid of creepy guards who are now making little fires at the back of the garden to keep warm at night.