Namibia: my new happy place

May want to pop open a cold one for this, I have a lot to say. I have just concluded the best 3 consecutive days of my life. I realize there is no possible way for me to completely describe how amazing our time here was, but I will give it a whirl!

We got into Walvis Bay early Saturday morning. Marisa and I had not planned anything for the first day but had hopes to go sand boarding (snow boarding down the largest sand dunes in the world) in the afternoon. We got off the ship around lunchtime and went to a local restaurant raved about in wikitravel – on the beach overlooking the peaceful ocean. Four of us ordered an array of random enticing options and had a wonderful feast! Marisa and I then decided it would be warranted for us to walk into town instead of taking a cab.. and an hour later actually reached town. Namibia is about the size of Texas with a population equivalent to Houston alone. It’s SO incredibly beautiful and the streets are desolate during the day so we enjoyed our leisurely stroll. We were able to set up dune boarding with “Wayne”, who completely lived up to the highest possible standard I hold for that name, and he picked us and some other SASers in town and we drove out to dune 7. Upon arrival, the 10 or so of us unloaded and immediately requested we start out on the bunny slopes, which do not exist in the land of dunes. So, up to the top of the vertical dune we went, only by the most efficient transportation available: 4-wheelers. (Wayne explained to me that he is the only company in the world known to escort passengers to the top on ATVs – everywhere else, you hike) I have snowboarded several times before and had no worries in my mind.. until we reached the top of the daunting mound of sand. However, Marisa (who turned out to be quite the sand boarder) and I attacked dune 7 with gracefulness and ease! We took turns going up and down for a few hours and everyone in the group had the absolute best possible time – even though we were completely covered in sand by the end of the day. We ended up really enjoying the company of a few of the girls in our group and went out with them that evening to Swakopmund (a quaint German town nearby). We found this amazing pub on the beach – sand floor, no exterior walls, and a wedding party as excited to entertain us as we were to join them! During dinner, a tribal man from the San tribe sat right in the middle of our table and started chatting with us about how he was an artist and was offering to draw portraits for us. At first I was a little irritated that he was trying to sell his skills while we were having dinner, but we ended up talking to him for hours. He was born and raised in the San tribe, living in the African bush. He explained to us that he was a hunter, and his tribe’s tradition of not wearing any clothes in order to blend into their surroundings while hunting and gathering. He spoke his tribe’s language, but was able to learn English just by listening to others speak when he makes his way into town. Which, was over 40 kilometers away that he walked/hitch-hiked earlier that day and planned to sleep on the beach that night and build himself a fire since he wouldn’t have a blanket. He comes into town in order to make a little money each night, and Marisa and I had him sketch our portraits. Not too shabby. I ALSO met this more average Namibian girl, Louwna, who we hung out with all night and has already contacted me via facebook. It was so rewarding to actually interact with the locals, especially after having a rocky time in Morocco. So that was day one.
Day two started bright and early. Marisa and I signed up for a trip through SAS called “Sea and Sand Dunes” and weren’t really even sure what that entailed. We arrived at the pier and hopped on a couple boats for our oceanic adventure. Our guide, Klaus, told us that we needed to “get our sea legs and have some Namibian coffee”. Being 9 am, this idea perked me up, only to realize Klaus was holding a bottle of Sherry and a slew of shot glasses. We then popped a couple bottles of champagne and learned about the seals and dolphins of the area. A couple significant seals joined us on our boat (finding us in the middle of the ocean and plopping aboard) so we could pet and awe. Sally the seal even showed off her talent of surfing the wake the boat created. We were with 3 of the most entertaining girls who quickly became our posse for the day and when the time came for us to explore the Sand Dunes part of our excursion we were begging Klaus to let us stay and play. But THEN we found Niko in his landrover for 5 and he automatically became our new obsession. The second part of the day involved cruising in 4x4 vehicles with the beach on 1 side and the desert on the other. We FINALLY saw a whale!! However, not in our imagined way. This humpback whale was beached and dead. Still quite a site. After about a 2-hour drive, we stopped on the beach and a restaurant was created out of thin air. (actually from the contents of our vehicles) We tried Namibian oysters, which are apparently in the rankings of the best in the world, and all other sorts of little snacks & treats. On our return trip, we experienced a Namibian adventure park. Niko took us flying through the dunes, up, down, around, and back up for more. (I have a video to come that will fully explain this thrilling experience) The 5 of us were high on life. After our full day of the most fun I’ve ever had, 6 of us went to dinner in Walvis Bay, which turned into a 4-hour event. It was the most pleasant atmosphere, food, and company I could have wished for. I truly have not felt so content in awhile.
After about 4 hours of rest, Marisa and I awoke to greet the day today and went out to the pier for a morning of kayaking. We were within poking distance of hundreds of seals and several dolphins! The water was so calm and even though it was a moderate workout, it was still so serene.

Now we’re about to leave and it makes me sad to go! I wish that every one of you could have experienced Namibia the way I did, and if you EVER have an opportunity to visit, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!

I’m sure I was not able to fully convey the pure bliss that I have felt for the past 3 days but as an addendum: I’m sun burnt from blistered scalp to sock tan-lined feet, every single muscle in my body aches, I have a horrid cold settling into my lungs and I STILL could not be happier.

I’m racking up quite an extensive Christmas list already, but I figure I’ll start now since my Bday is also quickly approaching:
- snowboard
- kayak
- sand dune
But seriously, I’m kayaking all summer at the lake. (once I get a kayak, that is)

One last thing. This afternoon we were walking through town unsuccessfully trying to locate an internet café. We took a seat on the stairs of a building to take a break and reconsider our options. I was sitting with my backpack on my back, resting also on the concrete. Some local guys came up to us and started to chat and offer help with finding a place for internet. When SUDDENLY I feel the faintest pull on my backpack, my stomach drops to my feet, I stand up, swing around, see a man whose hand was in the process of opening my backpack, remember that my wallet is placed ever so conveniently on the top of the compartment he has discovered, and all I can think to say is “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you DOING?!” while he is walking away with his hand in his pocket…. But LUCKILY I caught him in time, because I still have all of my belongings. I have no clue how I felt it, but it was definitely a rush. Bad situation, but it won’t bring me down – I still love this place!!