Day 23 – Around the Harbor

Sept 20th

Morning After Camping
While a group of us watched the sun slowly emerge of the cliffs, we passed the time making art by balancing stones on top of each other. We climbed down by 7:30 to be the first in line for a fresh and wonderful breakfast. There were all types of fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, beacon, bread and jams, granola and yogurt, cereal and the dirt coffee again. I enjoyed a cup of “breakfast punch,” which we think was a mix of pineapple, papaya and orange juices. After cleaning up, Sara and I went for a less-strenuous hike through the rocks to find a dried river-bed with name carvings. Apparently, Raul and Paco decided to engrave their names forever in the stone. After packing up, we loaded up the 4x4s for a scenic drive back to Walvis Bay via the town of Swakopmund.

Around Walvis
Once back at the harbor, I explored the area some more to observe the overwhelming German influences. Prior to Namibian independence, Namibia consisted of various nomadic groups, who were pushed out by German and South African colonists. Thus, much of the area has highly western influences. There are multiple German pastry shops, and even the Lonely Planet guide suggests that “things to eat” in Namibia are Bavarian pastries. While snacking on Goldie’s favorite, honeycomb candy bar called Crunchie, I sat and chatted with Echo, a local craftsman who was whittling a spear for his warrior statue. Originally an accounting student in Zimbabwe, Echo had to leave the country and his family in order to escape the corrupt government. In March, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe unleashed a brutal crackdown on the opposition as he tried to cling to power following a defeat in the first round of the presidential election. (‘The Interpreter’ with Nichole Kidman was loosely based around this story.) Hopeful about the government’s current move toward change, Echo felt he would eventually be able to return to his family in 5 months or so to resume his studies. For now, he is stuck in Namibia making his way by carving and selling crafts.

Night in Walvis
I met Julie and others back at the ship to head out to dinner at The Raft, a restaurant bar held up on stilts over Walvis’ lagoon. This adorable, rustic bar was home to a brown, shaggy dog that wandered around the place while people eat and drank. There Cynthia, Leah and I met Will, a Canadian underwater welder, who was thrilled to see North Americans in his midst. We introduced us to some colleagues: a Namibian named Steve and a South African whose name I can’t remember. The best part of the whole night was meeting Will’s boss whose rumpled clothes, full beard, shaggy hair and stutter made him look exactly like a terrorist. Will grabbed the South African’s wallet and bought us (and our professors across the bar) rounds of tequila shots to celebrate our first night in Namibia. Eventually, we made it back to bed safe and sound by 5AM.

Highs and Lows
My “high” was meeting Osama Bin Laden. My “low” was leaving the most beautiful desert I have ever seen.