Sunday Oct. 23, 2011
Today began my trip to Victoria Falls and boy was I happy to be taking a vacation. After feeding Spot (Elizabeth’s dog that I was taking care of) and giving Sr. Shiningwa my house keys, I made the trek down into town and to the combi station. Combis are a Namlish word (Namibian English) for minivans/passenger vans. And combis are the way to get around the country. So by 7am I was at the combi station read to get a ride out of Opuwo and get to Okahandja, where I’d be staying for a night before heading to Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls. For 200 Namibian dollars (about $25 US) it’s a cheap way to travel but can be troublesome with flat tires or other car problems that may happen along the way.
After three hours we finally filled up the combi and left Opuwo. 2 1/2 hours later we got to Kamanjab and picked up Chad, Elizabeth’s boyfriend, who was going to Windhoek to pick up Elizabeth from the airport (since she was coming back from America). After stopping a few more times and people in our combi picking up beer (because heaven forbid you don’t have beer for the 8 hour drive!) we finally made it to Okahandja. When I got there, my first thought was, “man am I glad to be back in civilization!”. Paved roads, produce available 7 days a week, white people roaming the streets (so weird to see, by the way), actual stores, and even soymilk at the grocery store. I was officially in heaven. And did I mention soymilk??
Once I got to Diana’s house (the PCV I’ll be going on the trip with), we talked for a bit then started to plan out the details of our trip. And by 9:30pm we were both exhausted and went to bed to try and get a good night’s sleep before our trip.
Monday Oct. 24, 2011
This morning we both woke up around 7:30am, being the early birds that we both are, and started our day with a cup of coffee with soymilk (yay!) and honey. We then had some errands to do in town and wanted to get them all done before it got scorching hot outside. So we bought some snacks and meals for the trip, got some more cash out and then went back home to Diana’s house. Around 3:15pm, we got a taxi to the Shell station where we’re meet the Intercape bus. While waiting for the bus, we decided to treat ourselves and got a coffee milkshake at a local cafe. Surprisingly, the bus was on time but later realized how slow the bus was going throughout the rest of the way--which coupled by the fact that it was hard to sleep on the bus, made for a long and uncomfortable 15 hour bus ride to Katima Mulilo (on the Caprivi strip in Namibia).
Tuesday Oct. 25, 2011
By 6:50am the next morning, we arrived in Katima, which was the last town in Namibia before leaving for other countries. Right away we were able to get a combi ride to Ngoma (Botswana?) for only N$30. We then crossed the border, filled out various immigration forms, then drove another two minutes down the road, filled out more forms and got more stamps in the passport.
One of the stops along the way was actually kind of interesting and quirky at the same time. It was the animal control line so we had to get out of the car, stomp our feet on this disinfectant mat then go back in the combi. Then, finally we got to the actual border post (after driving 56 km from Katima) and surprisingly right away got a free hike to Kasane, Botswana in an open bakkie (pick up truck). It was my first open air bakkie ride for a somewhat long distance and was definitely interesting. The wind was blowing so hard that I had to keep holding my sunglasses on my face, otherwise they’d fly off. Besides the wind and the smell of the fresh air, we also had the smell of a dead animal carcass, which we assumed was in the cooler that was sitting next to us. Made for a very interesting ride. Also on our drive, we first saw two adult wild elephants and a baby then about 15 minutes later saw about 7 wild elephants! It definitely made my day!!
When we got to Kasane, we found out that Chobe Safari Lodge wasn’t where we thought it was, so we ended up walking an extra 20 minutes (already exhausted and with all our bags, I might add!) to find the lodge. After getting a campsite at the lodge, we walked over to the local grocery store and bought tons of water.....because, did I mention that it was 47 C/116 F that day?!Then went back to our campsite, had some lunch and a nice cold hard cider and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the river.
Once our bellies were full and our thirsts quenched, we set up our tent, then took a nice cold shower (OMG, it was the best!) and finally a well deserved nap since both of us barely slept on the bus. Definitely a great day so far!
After resting up, we headed into town for some dinner--an Indian restaurant, of course! I got veg malai tikka (I think that was the name), which was a green veggie sauce/soup that had all these tastes of vegetables in it plus nuts, then there were also two paneer (tofu made out of cottage cheese) dumplings that came with it, stuffed with cashews and peanuts. Soooo so delicious! After eating we also got garlic naan for takeaway (to go), which we could have for breakfast.
Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011
Diana and I woke up very early this morning, not because we couldn’t sleep (although that was part of it) but because we were going on an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park. So from 6am-9am, we enjoyed seeing tons of animals and just enjoying ourselves. We saw kudu, serbal antelope, roan antelope, giraffe, waterbuck, a pack of African bees, bee eater birds, hippos, crocodiles, wort hogs, a subspecies of black nosed impala, African safari elephants, Cape buffalo, African fish eagle, striped mongoose, lion and leopard tracks, baboons, an elephant bone graveyard, yellow hornbill, vulchers (who had their wings outstretched because they were checking for the thermals to see if they can fly easily), and lots of guinea fowls. I could definitely watch those elephants for hours though!!
After the safari drive, we exchanged some money (and now were carrying four currencies on us!--Namibian dollars, Botswana pula, South African rand, and US dollars), then used the benefits of staying in the fancy shmancy lodge and went swimming. While chilling in the pool, we met a Peace Corps Botswana volunteer named Sydney, who was here with her parents. She also gave us the name of a guy in town that makes personal t-shirts, where you can have a map on the back of where you’ve been. Cool! After talking with her and her parents for a little bit, we decided to order waffles and ice cream with honey drizzled on top for lunch. As Peace Corps volunteers, you almost never get to have indulgences like waffles and ice cream, so on vacation, it’s a must and was the perfect lunch!
Once we were done swimming, we showered off and went into town for dinner and to meet with the t-shirt guy. On our way into town, we stopped at a grocery store to get breakfast for the next morning and ended up talking to one of the cashiers from the grocery store who directed us out of the store and through a traditional market to a shetenge shop, where we bought these really cool Botswana shetenges (for about 55 pula). I have to say, I was waiting to find a local market on our trip and so it was perfect timing. It’s just so much better than these overpriced gift shops.
After that amazing experience, we went to dinner at the Indian restaurant (again!) and boy was it good! I got a few naan breads stuffed with paneer and different herbs and also split a chicken and mushroom pizza with Diana. Yummo! While eating, we met the owner (Ashok and his wife, Casey) and ended up getting two free rounds of drinks and 15% of our bill by the end of the night! The conversations we had were awesome and the free booze was of course amazing. Through conversations with him, he offered to plan our trip to India if we ever wanted to go, which we definitely may take him up on! After those conversations with him, Diana and I talked about it and we definitely want to go do a trip of Northern India (Delhi, Rajastan, Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) and Calcutta) in March 2013, when I’m done with Peace Corps. So far we seem like the perfect travel buddies, so this could definitely work!
Thursday Oct. 27, 2011
Luckily, today we didn’t have anything going on til 10am when we had to meet the t-shirt guy, so we were actually able to sleep in. Of course around 1am, we both woke up to thunder and lightning so we quickly put on the raincover on the tent (even though it was still so so hot!) and then tried to go back to sleep. Then around 7am, we were awoken to housekeepers sweeping outside and loudly talking so unfortunately we weren’t able to sleep in, although we did at least try to close our eyes til about 9am. By then, it was time to get up and meet the t-shirt guy to see how our t-shirts came out. Of course when we went to meet him, he said they weren’t ready yet. Then later on when we were in town, we saw him and he was just sitting around, doing nothing. I guess that won’t be happening! After that we went into town to walk through the traditional market and also to get food for lunch and dinner. The traditional market made my day, especially after I was bummed about the t-shirts. While there, I ended up getting a beautiful handwoven bowl for 50 pula. Once we were done there, we wandered along to Spar (a grocery store chain) to go grocery shopping and found a bread shop on our way. So after getting a fresh loaf of bread, we went into Spar to get some things for sandwiches for dinner. And after finding KFC right across the street, we grabbed some lunch there and just enjoyed getting out of the heat.
We then went back to the lodge and to our tent to change into bathing suits, because after another hot and humid day, it was definitely a pool day. Then for the rest of the afternoon, we swam in the pool and just relaxed--just what vacation should be like.
Today began my trip to Victoria Falls and boy was I happy to be taking a vacation. After feeding Spot (Elizabeth’s dog that I was taking care of) and giving Sr. Shiningwa my house keys, I made the trek down into town and to the combi station. Combis are a Namlish word (Namibian English) for minivans/passenger vans. And combis are the way to get around the country. So by 7am I was at the combi station read to get a ride out of Opuwo and get to Okahandja, where I’d be staying for a night before heading to Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls. For 200 Namibian dollars (about $25 US) it’s a cheap way to travel but can be troublesome with flat tires or other car problems that may happen along the way.
After three hours we finally filled up the combi and left Opuwo. 2 1/2 hours later we got to Kamanjab and picked up Chad, Elizabeth’s boyfriend, who was going to Windhoek to pick up Elizabeth from the airport (since she was coming back from America). After stopping a few more times and people in our combi picking up beer (because heaven forbid you don’t have beer for the 8 hour drive!) we finally made it to Okahandja. When I got there, my first thought was, “man am I glad to be back in civilization!”. Paved roads, produce available 7 days a week, white people roaming the streets (so weird to see, by the way), actual stores, and even soymilk at the grocery store. I was officially in heaven. And did I mention soymilk??
Once I got to Diana’s house (the PCV I’ll be going on the trip with), we talked for a bit then started to plan out the details of our trip. And by 9:30pm we were both exhausted and went to bed to try and get a good night’s sleep before our trip.
Monday Oct. 24, 2011
This morning we both woke up around 7:30am, being the early birds that we both are, and started our day with a cup of coffee with soymilk (yay!) and honey. We then had some errands to do in town and wanted to get them all done before it got scorching hot outside. So we bought some snacks and meals for the trip, got some more cash out and then went back home to Diana’s house. Around 3:15pm, we got a taxi to the Shell station where we’re meet the Intercape bus. While waiting for the bus, we decided to treat ourselves and got a coffee milkshake at a local cafe. Surprisingly, the bus was on time but later realized how slow the bus was going throughout the rest of the way--which coupled by the fact that it was hard to sleep on the bus, made for a long and uncomfortable 15 hour bus ride to Katima Mulilo (on the Caprivi strip in Namibia).
Tuesday Oct. 25, 2011
By 6:50am the next morning, we arrived in Katima, which was the last town in Namibia before leaving for other countries. Right away we were able to get a combi ride to Ngoma (Botswana?) for only N$30. We then crossed the border, filled out various immigration forms, then drove another two minutes down the road, filled out more forms and got more stamps in the passport.
 |
| Me at the Botswana border post |
One of the stops along the way was actually kind of interesting and quirky at the same time. It was the animal control line so we had to get out of the car, stomp our feet on this disinfectant mat then go back in the combi. Then, finally we got to the actual border post (after driving 56 km from Katima) and surprisingly right away got a free hike to Kasane, Botswana in an open bakkie (pick up truck). It was my first open air bakkie ride for a somewhat long distance and was definitely interesting. The wind was blowing so hard that I had to keep holding my sunglasses on my face, otherwise they’d fly off. Besides the wind and the smell of the fresh air, we also had the smell of a dead animal carcass, which we assumed was in the cooler that was sitting next to us. Made for a very interesting ride. Also on our drive, we first saw two adult wild elephants and a baby then about 15 minutes later saw about 7 wild elephants! It definitely made my day!!
When we got to Kasane, we found out that Chobe Safari Lodge wasn’t where we thought it was, so we ended up walking an extra 20 minutes (already exhausted and with all our bags, I might add!) to find the lodge. After getting a campsite at the lodge, we walked over to the local grocery store and bought tons of water.....because, did I mention that it was 47 C/116 F that day?!Then went back to our campsite, had some lunch and a nice cold hard cider and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the river.
Once our bellies were full and our thirsts quenched, we set up our tent, then took a nice cold shower (OMG, it was the best!) and finally a well deserved nap since both of us barely slept on the bus. Definitely a great day so far!
After resting up, we headed into town for some dinner--an Indian restaurant, of course! I got veg malai tikka (I think that was the name), which was a green veggie sauce/soup that had all these tastes of vegetables in it plus nuts, then there were also two paneer (tofu made out of cottage cheese) dumplings that came with it, stuffed with cashews and peanuts. Soooo so delicious! After eating we also got garlic naan for takeaway (to go), which we could have for breakfast.
Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011
Diana and I woke up very early this morning, not because we couldn’t sleep (although that was part of it) but because we were going on an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park. So from 6am-9am, we enjoyed seeing tons of animals and just enjoying ourselves. We saw kudu, serbal antelope, roan antelope, giraffe, waterbuck, a pack of African bees, bee eater birds, hippos, crocodiles, wort hogs, a subspecies of black nosed impala, African safari elephants, Cape buffalo, African fish eagle, striped mongoose, lion and leopard tracks, baboons, an elephant bone graveyard, yellow hornbill, vulchers (who had their wings outstretched because they were checking for the thermals to see if they can fly easily), and lots of guinea fowls. I could definitely watch those elephants for hours though!!
After the safari drive, we exchanged some money (and now were carrying four currencies on us!--Namibian dollars, Botswana pula, South African rand, and US dollars), then used the benefits of staying in the fancy shmancy lodge and went swimming. While chilling in the pool, we met a Peace Corps Botswana volunteer named Sydney, who was here with her parents. She also gave us the name of a guy in town that makes personal t-shirts, where you can have a map on the back of where you’ve been. Cool! After talking with her and her parents for a little bit, we decided to order waffles and ice cream with honey drizzled on top for lunch. As Peace Corps volunteers, you almost never get to have indulgences like waffles and ice cream, so on vacation, it’s a must and was the perfect lunch!
Once we were done swimming, we showered off and went into town for dinner and to meet with the t-shirt guy. On our way into town, we stopped at a grocery store to get breakfast for the next morning and ended up talking to one of the cashiers from the grocery store who directed us out of the store and through a traditional market to a shetenge shop, where we bought these really cool Botswana shetenges (for about 55 pula). I have to say, I was waiting to find a local market on our trip and so it was perfect timing. It’s just so much better than these overpriced gift shops.
After that amazing experience, we went to dinner at the Indian restaurant (again!) and boy was it good! I got a few naan breads stuffed with paneer and different herbs and also split a chicken and mushroom pizza with Diana. Yummo! While eating, we met the owner (Ashok and his wife, Casey) and ended up getting two free rounds of drinks and 15% of our bill by the end of the night! The conversations we had were awesome and the free booze was of course amazing. Through conversations with him, he offered to plan our trip to India if we ever wanted to go, which we definitely may take him up on! After those conversations with him, Diana and I talked about it and we definitely want to go do a trip of Northern India (Delhi, Rajastan, Agra (where the Taj Mahal is) and Calcutta) in March 2013, when I’m done with Peace Corps. So far we seem like the perfect travel buddies, so this could definitely work!
Thursday Oct. 27, 2011
Luckily, today we didn’t have anything going on til 10am when we had to meet the t-shirt guy, so we were actually able to sleep in. Of course around 1am, we both woke up to thunder and lightning so we quickly put on the raincover on the tent (even though it was still so so hot!) and then tried to go back to sleep. Then around 7am, we were awoken to housekeepers sweeping outside and loudly talking so unfortunately we weren’t able to sleep in, although we did at least try to close our eyes til about 9am. By then, it was time to get up and meet the t-shirt guy to see how our t-shirts came out. Of course when we went to meet him, he said they weren’t ready yet. Then later on when we were in town, we saw him and he was just sitting around, doing nothing. I guess that won’t be happening! After that we went into town to walk through the traditional market and also to get food for lunch and dinner. The traditional market made my day, especially after I was bummed about the t-shirts. While there, I ended up getting a beautiful handwoven bowl for 50 pula. Once we were done there, we wandered along to Spar (a grocery store chain) to go grocery shopping and found a bread shop on our way. So after getting a fresh loaf of bread, we went into Spar to get some things for sandwiches for dinner. And after finding KFC right across the street, we grabbed some lunch there and just enjoyed getting out of the heat.
We then went back to the lodge and to our tent to change into bathing suits, because after another hot and humid day, it was definitely a pool day. Then for the rest of the afternoon, we swam in the pool and just relaxed--just what vacation should be like.
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