Rainy season

It's rainy season here in Windhoek. It has rained virtually everyday for the past month or more. Hard to keep track...but it makes it difficult to dry the clothes, for sure. The rain comes at interesting times, often in the middle of the night. One is frequently awakened by loud claps of thunder followed by down pours that put the rain to shame in Louisiana. We even experienced hail a couple of weeks ago. Hard to believe that it hails in Africa, but it does. Fortunately, there aren't any tornados although the wind can get to whipping really hard on occasion. The most interesting aspect about the season is that the city, being so dry for most of the year, hasn't got a whole lot of bridges. Windhoek is an exceedingly hilly place and the water collects in many of the little valleys as is the case of the street that leads out of our neighborhood. It dips down into the path of the river that runs from Avis Dam. When the reservoir fills, an automatic sluice gate opens releasing water into the rivulets. Hebenstreit strasse, the main route to our complex, crosses one such rivulet and makes for an adventure just going to the local market, school or into town. Fortunately, as my husband continuously reminds me, we've got our tank, ole Bess, who has no trouble fording her way across. Often times, we will come across pedestrians who flag us down wanting us to ferry them across. It saddens me that I can't help them, but they always seem to manage to find someone who can. All these rains have made the countryside in and around Windhoek very lush and green. The scenery is far different now than when we first arrived and everything was dry and brown. Emma has even got a few tomato plants into the ground which are already sporting tiny fruit. Her herbs in the pot on the front step are ready for use and the birds are in full force enjoying the fruits of nature's bounty. Augustus is conducting his science project on the different types of bird species in our backyard, so we have all been involved in watching, photographing and identifying them. We've seen at least twenty different species most of which are quite spectatular and exotic---many with long tails and vivid colors. This is truly a bird watcher's paradise and we've all developed a new hobby.

An African Mardi Gras

It's a little difficult to get into the spirit of Mardi Gras given that there aren't too many Catholics around here and it's not something many Americans know about much less residents of Namibia. Additionally, it's the middle of the summer here, so that makes it a little strange trying to celebrate this holiday. Fortunately, there's a die hard group of Louisianais (or Louisianais by association) who are determined to continue the tradition. Dawn Broussard, a Lafayette native who now works for the CDC here, gave a Mardi Gras party that rivaled many a Mardi Gras party from home. She prepared shrimp étoufee, jambalya, red beans and rice, and bread pudding. There were even crawfish pistolettes as appetizers!!! But best of all were the hurricanes which were free flowing. I had thought that I'd make a King Cake, but the recipe proved to be far too complicated for our little kitchen, so I made French Crêpes instead and filled them with apple pie filling, nutella and brown sugar --in the true French spirit of Mardi Gras.

Many of the staff who work for the CDC here are alum of Tulane, so they came dressed in their holiday finery. Beads were handed out to Americans and Namibians alike and the Mardi Gras mambo music thumped well into the night. Unfortunately, we had to leave just when things were getting really cranked up because we had the kids with us. Haven't yet found a sitter. Nevertheless, we enjoyed it thoroughly and our hats are off to Dawn and her husband who worked so hard to reproduce one of our favorite Louisiana traditions. I wonder what the Namibians who were in attendance thought of it all--wonder if there's any chance they'll carry it on next year??

On Sunday, we took a drive outside of the city to the taxidermist's shop. The term shop really doesn't do this place justice. It's more like a mini-factory. The hunters who come to Namibia for the game safaris have their kill sent to this place to be processed, treated and mounted into wall trophies. We aren't big on hunting, especially when some of the prey are giraffes and leopards, but this is truly a most interesting place. The staff is exceedingly friendly and will tour one through the workshop areas where one can view the elaborate process of making a trophy--from where the skins are treated and stretched to where the workers sew the hide onto the casts/molds. Each hunter usually waits several weeks or even months for his trophy/trophies to be sent back to him in his country of origin. The finished trophies await thoses still being processed, usually they are hung in the workshop display area for visitors to view, and the entire kill is then packaged up and shipped or air freighted back to the hunter in his home country. Needless to say, none of this is cheap and so one must really have a good deal of money to engage in such sport.

There is a souvenir shop which is fun to visit as well. There are zebra and springbok skins for sale. Furniture made from the horns of kudu grace the upper floor. Reid and Augustus both purchased belts made from ostrich which the tanner sized for them on the spot. The girls of course got stuffed plush animals for themselves, a zebra and a leopard. I didn't buy anything...yet. I'm saving my money for a zebra hide that I can take back and use in my living room at home! Won't that be a conversation starter?!

Trip to the Coast

We went west to the Atlantic coast this past weekend. There are two really neat towns that attract a lot of visitors--Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. It's about a 4.5 hour drive from Windhoek, but well worth the time and effort given that it's two lane roads most of the way. They are, however, tarred (paved) and that's a plus. The road takes the driver through the Namib dessert. It was fascinating watching the terrain change from greenery to absolutely no vegetation whatsoever. We saw a wonderful array of birds along the way and other wildlife. Swakopmund was founded by the Germans, so their mark on the architecture and the layout are still very evident. The streets are lined with palms and every thing is neat and tidy. We visited the National Aquarium which sits right on the beach. It is small but has a nice collection of sea life. Emma got to touch a giant sea turtle's flipper because the top is open and the animals come to the surface to view the people as much as the people come to view them. Afterwards, the kids chased the waves on the public beach. Of course they ignored our warnings about staying dry and by the time we got them into the vehicle, they were soaked. We still had a bit of a ways to go to get to the place where we were staying in Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay is right on the water as well, but the swimming isn't so good there because it is rather muddy. This though is perfect for the flamingos that wade out in the bay searching for things to eat. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Lagoon Loge run by a French couple. Our room looked out on the bay with the wading flamingos and was cooled by the breeze off the ocean--no a/c. Madame Hélène's dog Jacques played fetch with the kids until the kids got tired. They wanted to take him home, but he had too much energy even for the kids.
On Sunday morning, bright and early, just after enjoying Madame Hélène's delicious breakfast, we set out on a boat tour of the bay. The guide was very well versed and kept it interesting for the 4 hour ride. The winds were calm and the water was like glass. It was truly perfect weather for such an outing. When we arrived, Spotty, a cape fur seal, welcomed us at the dock. He apparently "works" for the tour company. Very gentle, the girls were able to pet him and touch his flippers. He joined us on the boat as well as once we got underway. He just shoots right out of the water and onto the boat and sits right where he wants to. They are such intelligent creatures that he understood commands much like a dog even though he is very much a part of the wildlife of the bay. The pelicans were probably the most entertaining, nonetheless. They would swallow the guide's arm up to his armpit when he tried to fed them. They'd follow the boat when it took to the water and one even landed on the prow while the boat was accelerating away. I'm going to try to upload the video we took, but I'm not sure it'll work, so a picture may have to be posted instead. We visited the oyster farms, seal colony, and cormorant guano platform--yes they harvest the bird poop here to be used in the manufacture of women's cosmetics (Yuck!). We also got to see two types of dolphins, but they were proving to be rather elusive and not interested in playing although we tried hard to follow them. While out in the bay, the guide cracked open a couple dozen oysters and pulled out a couple of platters of hors d'oeuvres which we ate greedily. We also sipped on a few bottles of champagne. The oysters were the best Reid and I have ever eaten. Since the waters here are colder than in Louisiana, there's no fear of bacterial contamination and we ate more than our fair share. Fortunately, there was a bottle of Tabasco to accompany the oysters and we made sure that everyone on the boat knew that Tabasco was produced in our home state.
On the way out of Walvis bay, the kids wanted to get some time in the ocean, so we pulled down one of the paths and took the RangeRover over the dunes to the sea. We had a grand ole time getting over the dune, which was fun, but made us a bit nervous about getting back up the same way we came. A little anxious about getting stuck, we decided to follow some fishermen back down the beach toward Walvis Bay and get back onto the main road the easy way even though Ole Bess could have probably handled it! It was an awesome interlude and we're giving some thought to buying a little place there where we could retire. Of course the locals say that it can get really ugly there when the winds come off the ocean and stir up the sands or when the mist crawls in and lingers for days. How fortuitous that we picked the right weekend to visit when the weather was just perfect!

Where to buy electricity

We're trying to get used to the fact that we have to buy our electricity before we actually use it. Most rental units come equipped with a device that indicates whether or not the consumer has any available power. The power is purchased by, in our case going down to the local Shell station and presenting a card with our erf number (somewhat of the equivalent of an account number). We're then given a receipt that has a code as long as the Nile. These numbers are then entered into the device that is installed in our entryway. The device has a key pad for entering the proper code. When there is an abundance of electricity the green light appears next to the happy face. When power is getting low, the light turns yellow but still appears near the happy face. The light goes red and appears next to the frowny face when the supply is low. One of our acquaintances told a funny story about the time she forget to check her "meter" and she was down to .5 units at 9:30 on a Sunday evening. Not many things are open on Sundays period much less so late in the evening. So, she left her kids in the house under strick orders not to run anything electrical until she got back. Fortunately, she did find a place that was open. She was worried though that upon her return, there'd be no electricity left to operate her security gate and she'd be locked out. She was thrilled when she got back and there was still .2 units left. Too close for comfort.

Electricity is relatively cheap here at least for those of us who are getting paid in a strong currency. Last month we only spent 400$ Namibian, about $40 American. Of course, we haven't been running the air conditioners and that helps. I am hoping that this experience helps to make my kids realize what a precious commodity power is and not take it for granted. They can actually see the face go from happy to sad and watch us scramble to get more power (we're not always on top of the situation) when we realize we're low. Wouldn't want to lose the contents of the refrigerator to our negilence!

Leopards & Cheetahs

Took the kids on Saturday to a farm, one of the oldest German farms in Namibia, that now functions as a tourist attraction. The owners now have a bed and breakfast, camping facilities, and wild game. The big draw, though, is the cheetah and leopard drive. Tourists get to see these magnificent beasts in somewhat of a wild setting up close and personal. There are fences and they are mostly fed, but the enclosures are quite large and the creatures are well cared for. The beauty of the leopards just cannot be described in words. The tour guide took us out in a LandRover equipped with viewing seats and canopy, so there's really nothing between you and the leopards or cheetahs. He's got a stash of red meat in a large chest next to his seat and he just tosses out big chunks to the cats who seem to be very well mannered. There were only two leopards and Teddy looked like he was the Alpha male, so Maxwell didn't get anything to eat. There were a number of cheetahs, however, and they all seemed to get their fair share. They make the most interesting sounds that are a cross between and meow and a bark. The cheetahs got really close to the vehicle and Annie did get a little scared for a while. Augustus took some fabulous pictures, but then his camera died--low battery, the kind that needs charging for a couple of hours.

The best part of the entire event though was getting to the farm. It's located about 18 kilometres off the tarred main road on what starts out to be a rather nice gravel road that is relatively smooth and wide. About three fourths of the way there, there is a detour and one must turn off onto what appears to be a headland complete with gates that have to be opened and closed so that the cows don't escape. Because it's currently rainy season, and there are relatively few bridges, we had to follow this headland across a really fast moving river. Fortunately, it wasn't very deep, but we were awfully glad that we were in a 4 X 4. Our friends, who had accompanied us in their rented Toyota Corolla were worried that they wouldn't get across, but they made it without too much ado. Reid says he's going to stop inviting them along because they are undermining his reasons for convincing me to buy a 4 X 4. He shouldn't worry though, I was very happy to be in the middle of the river in a LandRover vs. a Corolla. Reid said the whole visit was worth the drive. He wants to go back again just so he can drive the Rover.

After our visit to the farm, we headed North to Okahandja. Okahndja is noted for its craftsmarket. The kids had a good time bargaining for souvenirs. I think the merchants had a good time with us too. We were somewhat of a pushover with regards to prices. It was a great learning experience for us all.

Track and field Namibia style

Last Thursday Augustus participated in a small schools track and field meet. There were a total of five schools participating. Most were around the size of Windhoek International in terms of enrollment. St. Paul's though seemed to be the dominant power. Their students won most of the events hands down and they certainly carried the overall competition by earning over five hundred points! Augustus was entered for three events. His coach, Fernando Beukes, signed him up for the high jump, an event he had never even done much less had any expertise in. He nonetheless proved to be a natural. He stood there and closely observed the other boys, who obviously had had a good deal of prior training and got out there and did it. He performed so well he earned second place. He just seemed to natually know what to do. If he missed because his feet were dragging, he immediately corrected for it. It was truly something to watch.

His coach had also signed him up for the 800 metres. We were especially worried about this event because of the high altitude here. It's over 5,000 ft and he hadn't really had the opportunity to do any kind of distance running since we live in a tiny complex surrounded by walls, fences and electric wires (as do most residents of Windhoek). He ran in his bare feet as do all the kids here. It was quite a sight. He came in third with no shoes!

He also participated in the 100 metre relay (each runner runs 100 metres before handing over the baton to a team mate). The last man injured his foot on the last leg and so they didn't fair so well---one of the disadvantages of running shoeless. What a great day for Augustus.

Clarification

Emma wants everyone to know that she didn't slay the warthog pictured in the slide show. While hiking in Daan Viljoen, we came across a dead warthog. It had probably been shot elsewhere and wandered along the trail where it eventually succumbed to its wounds. It was a bit of a gory sight, but the kids really got to get an up-close view of the magnificient beast. Its tusks were impressive, but he was beginning to smell. We're headed to Okahandja this weekend to visit the crafts market. We are looking forward to purchasing a few souvenirs.

Visit to Daan Viljoen Gamepark

Joe's Beerhouse

One of the local favorites around Windhoek is Joe's Beerhouse. It's logo is "Live the Legend". It claims to be an oasis of Namibian and German food as well as "a sanctuary of endless relics" (i.e. empty Jagermeister bottles easily numbering among the thousands among other odd assortments of farm equipment, old toilet tanks and animal trophies. Although some of the restaurant is under a covered roof, most of the tables are outdoors under thatch huts. It's got endless turns and alley ways that easily cover a block of physical space. We ventured out there with another Fulbright couple and their son for a meal Saturday evening. The women had the springbok kabob. Absolutely delicious. The only drawback was that there was a picture of the cute little creature hung on the wall just above our table. Reid had oryx in a bearnaise sauce and Larkin, the other Fulbrighter, had zebra steak. In keeping with German tradition, Augustus had a full platter of prepared cold cuts. He doesn't want to see another piece of salami 'til we get home. The girls nibbled on Reid's oryx and he still had enough to take home for another meal. The whole thing came to about 400 Nam$, about 40 bucks American. We couldn't even eat at McDonalds for that price. I think we'll be heading back there soon especially since we forgot to take our camera along.

We didn't make it to church the following morning. We weren't sure if the mass was going to be in English or Oshiwambo. We had gone the previous Sunday and were surprised when the priest opened up the ceremony in Portugese. Needless to say, we didn't understand a word and the kids were completely annoyed that our mother wouldn't listen to us about leaving early (interjected by Gus!). The order of the mass was nonetheless easy to follow and we knew just when we were supposed to say the responses, but couldn't manage in Portugese! There is a large contingent of immigrants from Angola who have come to Namibia. Angola being a former Portugese colony, it's only natural that its citizens speak the language. The music was completely accapella (sp.?) and totally awesome. Reid and I enjoyed the choir thoroughly. Our kids would have us know it's bordering on abuse to make them sit through yet another service in a language they didn't understand had we gone to the one in Oshiwambo. We didn't want to risk it given that we couldn't remember all of the permutations of the mass schedule. There's a service in Africaans, English, Portuguese and Oshiwambo.....Everyone here is multi-lingual and we feel like we need to be learning some of these quickly, while we still have the ability.