Is This The Same Country?

One of my goals in Namibia was to explore its vast area of land. I live in the Kavango Region, deep in the northeast section and far from the rest of the country. While a major part of Namibia is desert, each part of the country is extremely different then the next. I decided to make my way to Swakopmund, a coastal city that still has held onto its German roots about 100 years after colonization. Like usual, the only way to get out of Divundu is by hitchhiking and since this was such a far destination I thought it was necessary to go with someone. I invited one of the teachers at school who had never been to the coast or had ever seen the ocean. We left two weekends ago afterschool and withstood the 13 hour drive, YES 13 hour drive to the coast. Long hours on a Kombi, a minibus used for transporting long distances, will definitely make you tired as they are usually overpacked, uncomfortable, with a minimum of 3-4 babies always on board crying. The next morning, we woke up early to explore the city and visit the dunes of the Namib Desert. We didn’t have to go far as the desert started literally 1 km outside the center of the city. We came with a sandboarding instructor and we spent the 2 hours sandboarding down the dunes, pretty amazing and a once in a lifetime experience.
We spent the afternoon walking down the streets, walking past German signs, German restaurants, and a majority of white people. Definitely a culture shock, as I am the Mukuwa of Divundu (white man of Divundu). Exhausted and full of sand, we headed back to our hostel, had a few drinks, then went to sleep. On Saturday we took a taxi ride to Walvis Bay, a neighboring city that is a major port for Southern Africa. Only a few hours later, we returned to Swakop (its nickname), to meet up with some volunteer friends from that region. The bars there are much different than the Shebeens of Divundu, but I surprisingly missed the simplicity of just beer and a few other drinks that Divundu offers. We walked to the beach and watched the African sunset over the Atlantic…beautiful. We made sure to bring 2 containers with us to take the ocean water back home, as some people in the town informed me that it keeps the witches away :) . By Sunday, I thought I was relaxed and prepared for our 13 hour journey home. But 6 hours in, I was praying for an ambien or some other pill I could get my hands on. By 9 pm we arrived in Divundu to learners asking us questions, teachers wondering how the trip was, and community members begging to see pictures.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...much to be thankful for

Cheers
Scott