I have officially made it to Namibia after many hours of traveling. I survived the hotel last night although it was a bit scary waking around midnight to screaming from outside. My flight this morning went off without a hitch too.
Since I’ve been in Africa there have been a few things that I have noticed. First off people, or maybe just airport workers, are very trusting. Last night I had a porter help me with my luggage. I couldn’t tip him since all I had on me was American twenties but asked him if I could exchange money and come find him to give him a tip, he was fine with that. This morning my bags were overweight so I had to get out of the check-in line to pay my fine at another counter. I asked instead if I could check-in first and then pay my fine. The airline worker was surprisingly fine with it. Maybe this is common with all people but it was a surprise to me. My second random observation was that when I was served my meal on the flight from Jo’burg to Windhoek I was given metal silverware. They won’t let me carry safety scissors on the flight but they’ll give me a metal knife, cool. Apparently airport security is more relaxed here.
I’ve also come to the conclusion that I have been way too relaxed about this entire adventure. I really should have prepared myself more. There were three issues that have arisen today that probably could have been avoided. First since I couldn’t open my emergency contact information document that was sent to me on my computer I decided not to print it. Having those phone numbers and addresses would have come in real handy over the last few days. I couldn’t get past customs today because I didn’t have the address of the place where we are staying in Windhoek. I wandered around for a bit trying to figure out what to do and then in the end I just made up a name of the guesthouse, oops. Hopefully they don’t track me down for doing so. The second mis-preparation was not researching more about getting internet data access while over here for my phone. I waited completely to the last minute and now I am really kicking myself. I went to the cell phone store today and I could have gotten a data plan for literally 20$ since the Namibian dollar is so weak to the American dollar for unlimited data. However, my phone is ‘locked’ to the AT&T network so it won’t pick up any other carriers. This ‘lock’ can be overrided but it has to be physically done by the provider which for me resides in the states, huge bummer. My third possible issue is that I learned that everyone else in my group is planning on taking Malaria meds for the entire time. We are not going to be in mosquito infested areas so the doctor did not say that I had to take them. I do have Malaria meds with me anyways but not enough for 90 days. I’m hoping I may be able to get some in a local pharmacy.
I met the people who I’m going to be spending my next 90 days with today. They all seem pretty chill. There is a girl from Midd who I am embarrassed to admit I didn’t know prior to this (and she’s my year and major), there’s a girl from UVM, two girls from Carlton, a girls from the New School of New York, a girl from Namibia, and the surprise of the trip we have a boy who’s from a school in Wisconsin which I’m currently blanking on. We also have two trip leaders, one a native Namibia and one an American. We are spending tonight in a pretty baller hostel for backpackers and then leaving for our home base early tomorrow morning. To get to the home base we will be driving 8+ hours sideways in a range rover…guess it’s all a part of the experience.
Tonight for dinner we went out to dinner for in a ways “our last supper.” Since we will be in very remote locations we will be eating a whole lot of rice and beans, yummy. I think I’m going to invest in some hot sauce which I’ve recently learned is great for making a repetitive bland meal bearable. For my last meal I got chicken in a pesto cream sauce since I have a feeling that cream is not going to be in our diets much. At dinner I learned a bit more about what exactly we will be doing. A ‘typical’ day will usually begin and end with a game drive/walk. In the middle we will be going on small excursions, taking classes or even relaxing in order to escape the sun.
In terms of reaching me I may literally be MIA for the next 90 days. We do not have a mailbox currently and I don’t think there are plans to get one. Even if we do it takes 4-6 weeks for mail to reach Namibia from the states. I will have spotty internet service, I literally have no idea when I will be posting again, it could be tomorrow or the last day of our trip. Thus my plan is to write a blog entry fairly regularly and then upload them all when I do get internet access.
I miss you all and hope life is going well. The heat here so far is really making me miss the New England fall. Enjoy the fall foliage for me! All my love.
