-Nelson Mandela
After a brilliant time in East Africa last summer Tina and I decided to explore a much different region of the continent this winter. We headed to South Africa, Namibia and parts of Botswana and Zambia.
After very little preparation we packed our Omani tent, loaded our backpacks and headed for Cape Town.
Arriving in Cape Town was a breath of fresh air. After a year and a half split between here, other areas in the Middle East and a summer in East Africa, Cape Town was amazing. We were both a little homesick before we left and this city oozed Vancouver. It is set on the ocean, with a backdrop of mountains, the city is clean, relatively safe feeling and the population is sporty. Sounded very familiar.
After a brilliant time in East Africa last summer Tina and I decided to explore a much different region of the continent this winter. We headed to South Africa, Namibia and parts of Botswana and Zambia.
After very little preparation we packed our Omani tent, loaded our backpacks and headed for Cape Town.
Arriving in Cape Town was a breath of fresh air. After a year and a half split between here, other areas in the Middle East and a summer in East Africa, Cape Town was amazing. We were both a little homesick before we left and this city oozed Vancouver. It is set on the ocean, with a backdrop of mountains, the city is clean, relatively safe feeling and the population is sporty. Sounded very familiar.
The first day was spent walking through the streets and harbour in the gale force winds of the season. After Tina’s contact flew out of her eye (seriously) we boarded a boat for Robben Island. Robben island was the infamous prison for political prisoners during the apartheid era. An inspirational place of struggle, resolve and learning. Being taken around by a former prisoner made the place very alive. It’s on all the tourists lists but is well worth the crowds.
With clouds frosting the peak of Table Mountain a climb was sadly missed. Instead we took a trip around the coast to the Cape of Good Hope. An afternoon spent driving amongst deep green vineyards, tiny colourful coastal towns, shimmering tourquise waters and busy white beaches helped us gain a better understanding of the area. Along with the beautiful sights were several, heavily secured prisons, endless townships in the Cape Flats and a staggering view into the disparity of the country. The rewarding day was capped with a stop at the Cape of Good Hope and an hour or so watching the Penguins of the area play.
South Africa is a country that has left me more puzzled than almost any country I’ve visited. It’s a “nation” of European infrastructure, beautiful roads, widely spoken English and a large Afrikaans population. Standing shoulder to shoulder with this description is rampant HIV/Aids infection, extreme poverty, appalling violent crime and a life expectancy pushing 40. We read several books on the country and where its heading and no author seems to be entirely optimistic. The motivation seems pure but the troubles so deep, so convoluted and so challenging. Hosting the World Cup in 2010, we can only hope that this proves to be a positive catalyst for change. Inshallah.
Left with more questions than answers we boarded a bus headed for the Namibian capital and after 24 hours of travel complete with “come to Jesus” videos we arrived in Windhoek. Having felt “saved” from the bus ride we rented a car, put our tent in the back and headed for the North.
Our first destination was Etosha National Park. After 32 hours of continous bus, taxi, and car travel we entered the gates and were greeted with herds of giraffe and zebra. With an earlier rainy season this year finding animals proved to be a bit of a challenge. Armed with our complete lack of animal knowledge, and tiny car we set off. Afternoons, of lions, rhinos, giraffes, etc were fantastic. During the night we were treated to watching a Leopard fish in a pond next to our camp for its dinners. Very impressive.
From here we headed to the deserts in the south of the country. Winding through a wonderous mountain road our little car chuggd into a farmland town named Solitaire at the foot of the Namib desert. And it was well, solitaire. We stayed on an Afikaan man’s farm and it was just us, his three dogs and the eerie quiet of the farm. The next morning we explored the dunes and with little knowledge of what we were looking for got lost and thankfully picked up by a truck on its way out. Rookie error, but by luck we actually found the “sights” of the area.
For those of you reading this in Vancouver the idea of rain for you is a daily issue. In Oman it is non existent and in Southern Africa it falls in a familiar seasonal pattern. Not this year. The rains came heavy and they came earlier. All of which meant that our little, porous desert tent was earning its keep.
From Namibia we headed to Botswana, the Caprivi strip and on to Victoria Falls in time to have christmas at the foot of the falls. We'll post these stories and pictures in a week.
