Etosha National Game Park

May 1st is a holiday here in Namibia as in most of the rest of the world. It is workers’ day—the equivalent of our Labor Day. We celebrate it at the end of the summer no doubt to get in a few extra days at the beach, but the rest of the world uses the May 1st date. Monday, May 4th is also a holiday—Cassinga Day. We’re not exactly sure what the Namibians celebrate on this day, but it means a four day weekend which for us means time to take off and explore some new area of Namibia. So, once again, we packed up the Rover and the kids and headed to Etosha. Etosha is the big National Game Park here in Namibia. It is just over 100 years old and boasts a large number of species in vast quantities. It is about a 5 hour drive from Windhoek and the road is tarred all the way there.
Staying inside the park presents an expensive proposition, so we decided to stay at a place just outside the southern gate (Anderson Gate) and drive in each day. We were very pleased with the accommodations because to quote Emma it allowed us to, “Live the dream—have all this nature at the same time having luxury.” The “rooms” consisted of elevated tents large enough to fit actual beds, which were quite comfy, shelving, pull-out couch and a vanity in each. The tents could be unzipped to the view of the outside while still being protected from the creepy crawlies by the netting. This was great because we were awakened each morning by the light of the rising Eastern sun. Outside, there was a toilet and outdoor shower that were decorated and concealed with wooden stick type fencing so as to maintain privacy. The kitchen was also outdoors with a working refrigerator, hot plate, sink, braaii pit and all of the necessary kitchen equipment. This was especially nice for us given that eating out for every meal for a family of five is much too costly and it allowed us to keep food expenses to a reasonable amount. The lodge’s restaurant did offer a nightly buffet of which we partook on our last evening there. The sides are of course pre-prepared but the meats are by choice and cooked right on the spot in front of the guest. The offerings included oryx, zebra, springbok, chicken and pork. Most of us opted for the springbok. We just can’t get enough of the stuff. The chef took great pleasure in grilling it up for us and even though his English was quite broken, he was most congenial. There was also the possibility of choosing a stir fry where another chef cooked up any concoction of given ingredients to one’s delight. The desserts were scrumptious as well. Needless to say the kids enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
Etosha itself was absolutely fabulous. From Anderson’s Gate there is a 17 kilometer drive to the lodge at Okakuejo, one of the places available to stay inside the park. Lots of animals can be spotted along this route and we saw zebras, giraffes, birds and jackals. Within the park itself, we encountered so many zebras in our two days there that the kids started saying they were “fed up” with zebras. The springbok were even more numerous and were so close to the vehicle that one could have probably reached out and touched them. We purchased a map as one of the first orders of business which showed the waterholes. Some of the waterholes are maintained by park personnel and are equipped with solar-powered pumps so that the animals will have water all year ‘round. Others are not and we were surprised to see how many had already dried up given that the rainy season just ended in March. It took us a while to figure out which were dry and which still had water and which were the most frequented by the widest variety of animals but we did eventually and were rewarded with some of the most spectacular views of wild animals we’ve seen so far in Namibia. At one water hole there were black-face impalas, springbok, zebras, wildebeest, and elephants. We also happened upon four lionesses setting up for a kill by sheer dumb luck. They had a few zebras, including a baby, separated from the rest of the herd and were attempting to route them through a bottle neck so as to grab the baby no doubt. They had probably been setting this up all morning and we came upon the scene in the last few dramatic minutes when the action was coming to a crescendo. Emma was rooting for the baby zebra but we wanted to see the lionesses’ labor come to fruition. The adult zebras weren’t going to have any of it though, they kept really close to that baby and having more stamina than the lions pushed their way through narrowly escaping the lionesses’ handiwork. When it was all over, we felt like we had just taken part in an Animal Planet video. The lionesses just kind of sat there with their tongues hanging out looking like they were contemplating what went wrong. They appeared to take it in stride, nonetheless, as they leisurely regrouped and headed out in the opposite direction of their prey.
On the second morning, as we were driving on one of the less frequented roads of the park, we were graced with the appearance of a group of giraffes. They just gingerly stepped out of the side brush and onto the road right in front of the vehicle. They had a juvenile with them so we assumed that it was a family grouping. One crossed the road in front of us, loping to the other side and turned back to look at us like she was inquiring as to whether or not we’d gotten her photo yet. We were all awestruck for several minutes.
The only thing we weren’t able to see that we regret is the rhinos. Etosha is host to a large number of rhinos, the Black Rhino as well as the White. We understand that they have a tendency to frequent the waterholes at night. This is where staying within the park pays off given that each of the interior lodges boasts waterholes where visitors can view the wildlife even after the gates have closed for the evening to outside guests.
All in all it was a most remarkable visit and we feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to view such magnificent beasts in their natural environment. We wonder how many of these creatures will still exist in our children’s twilight years and are glad they got to experience it firsthand.

International Day at WIS

The school that the children attend, Windhoek International School (WIS), held its annual International Day this past Saturday; the purpose of which is to celebrate the international nature of the school. So all of the names of the countries from which the students hail were put into a hat and each of the class sections selected a country by having a representative pull a slip out of the hat. Augustus’ class got Argentina. Emma’s got Italy and Annie’s received Mozambique. Each class then was responsible for transforming the classroom into “their country” for the day. The display included photos of monuments, landmarks, geographic features or any artifact typically associated with the place. Also, many of the kids dressed in the traditional dress of “their country”. Additionally, because this is also a fund raiser, the class sold food and drink typical of the country. There were also activities to go along with each venue. Some classes performed various folk dances for the crowd in the courtyard as well.
Augustus dressed in a poncho and broad brimmed hat complete with mustache. Some of his classmates performed the tango (they’ve been taking private lessons and even dressed for the part). Emma’s class sold pizza of course and had spaghetti mosaics for an activity. They performed the “tarantella” which her little classmate referred to as the “tarantula”. Emma actually did the moves and didn’t try to hide behind friends as she is apt to do. I made a slide show for the class from the photos of my 2006 Europe trip. Annie’s classroom was decorated like a beach scene complete with bar that sold actual cocktails and beer. Tristan’s class, the son of the Fulbrighter family with whom we often pal around, sold White Russians and shots. We thought that Louisiana took a laissez-faire attitude with regard to alcohol consumption, huh, little did we know. However, no kids seemed to try to partake in the imbibing that was transpiring. They seemed to know the limitations, but there were a few happy adults.
Despite that bit of a cultural adjustment, it was indeed a wonderful day and the displays were really well thought out. Everyone worked very hard to make it a success and we enjoyed it thoroughly. This was especially poignant given that the Festival International was taking place in Lafayette, Louisiana which we so love attending every year, at the very same time.

The Kristall Galerie

No visit to Swapkomund is complete without a tour of the Kristall Galerie. The Galerie’s main objective is commercial, however it does a wonderful job of educating while peddling its wares. It is home to the world’s largest crystal cluster on display. The cluster was unearthed some years ago and is thought to be about 520 million years old. It is quite huge and really brings home the idea of the type of monumental forces at work below the surface of our earth. There is a reproduction tunnel that the kids loved going through with all sorts of crystals on display in a simulation of how they looked when in nature. There are displays with lengthy literature on each type of crystal, semi- or precious stone and metal found in Namibia (and there are quite a few). I would have liked to read each one at length, but my kids were trying to climb on and into the mammoth size geodes strategically placed all around the gallery. Of course there are a number of gift shops to be visited within as well. One of the shops is obviously high-end and has a fascinating array of jewelry fashioned out of these stones—some of which are absolutely exquisite and quite unique. The prices weren’t readily displayed. They are fashioned on the premises apparently and can be custom designed to clients’ specifications. Augustus couldn’t resist the temptation and forked over the cash for a geode and an amethyst.

We took the kids to Swakopmund the week after Easter. Reid’s schedule doesn’t often coincide with the kids’ so it makes things a bit tricky when planning outings. The International School the kids attend, WIS (Windhoek International School), follows the American academic year in that classes begin in August and end in May/June. Reid’s university on the other hand follows Africa time. So, we did have to take the kids out of school this time. We have come to the rationalization, however, that the education for the kids is in being here and experiencing this opportunity to the fullest. Indeed, every outing presents an occasion to learn something about Namibia, its fascinating geology, exotic flora and unique fauna. With that in mind, we booked a “minerals tour” of the Namib desert that borders the coast. The Namib is the oldest desert in the world and its apparent vast emptiness is home to some very interesting meteorological and geologic activity.
Let’s begin with the weather patterns that created a desert at the edge of the sea. Our guide told us that because of the Benguela current, a cold water current that comes up from Antarctica, the moisture that is typically produced by the sea and returned to the coast in the form of rain, is trapped as fog/cold mist on the coast and never makes its way inland. So the area surrounding Swakopmund receives little to no rainfall despite its proximity to an ocean full of water. On our last day there, we got to experience this phenomenon. The waves were crashing wildly on the beach and everything was shrouded in this fine mist. It made it difficult just to see a short way down the coast.
Swakopmund on the other hand sits at the mouth of the Swakop River. The Swakop River is said to be ephemeral in that water only flows within its banks on rare occasions. Apparently, though, there is water to be found underground and so within this vast desert, a linear oasis appears which terminates in the city of Swakopmund. Swakopmund itself does not have to desalinate ocean water. It actually has access to fresh water through a number of boreholes, although the water does have a funny after taste. So, the streets of the city of Swakopmund are lined with palms and other lush vegetation, all carefully tended to and watered by municipal workers.
The geology is a little more difficult to explain. Suffice it to say that there was once and continues to be a good deal of geologic activity below the Namib as well as much of Namibia as a whole. This has produced a geologist’s dream. If ever I were to be a geologist, Namibia is the place I’d want to ply my trade. In the Namib, there are plumes that rise up to the surface of the earth carrying all sorts of materials. We encountered huge chunks of raw iron that had flowed to the surface. Many of the sites we visited were old prospector sites, where individuals had come to try their luck. Precious and semi-precious stones abound in the region. We found tourmaline, a variety of quartz, even uranium right on the surface. The guide also took us to an abandoned processing site where vast amounts of rose quartz chips lay strewn on the ground almost like gravel on a driveway. There the kids found amethyst, olivine, and mica--- unfortunately no diamonds for us. The outing reminded me of the scene in Madagascar 2, where Moto Moto (the hippo) is digging in the dry riverbed, desperately trying to locate water, and when he returns to the surface and is questioned as to whether or not he found any, he says he’s only come across more diamonds and gold. That summarizes the Namib.
The tour venue was near and around Rossing Mountain. Rossing Mountain is home to a uranium mining company. The uranium is mined and apparently exported. The Namibians don’t have any application for it. It is, we are told, quite a profitable enterprise despite the low concentration of uranium. It does make one wonder where it ends up after being extracted from the earth.
I think the kids, as well as the adults, learned more natural history and science in that half day outing than would have been acquired after weeks in a lecture hall. The kids wanted to know what every stone that they picked up was and the guide happily obliged them. Of course, they also wanted to keep every single one they came across. What with the haul of sea stones they took from the beach, we’ll definitely be paying the exorbitant airline fee for extra weight on our flight home!

In the photos, you can somewhat grasp the vastness of the desert as you see little Annie in the foreground surrounded by nothingness. Emma is showing off her finds at the abandoned mineral processing site.

Pictures to the previous posting

These are some of the specimens found at the National Botanical Garden. The cactus on the left produces a burgundy colored fruit. There's the crew on the right under what I believe is a bottle tree--Kelly, Tristan, Annie, Emma and Gwenn. Augustus is the photographer of course. The garden is located in the heart of Windhoek.

National Botanical Garden

We recently visited the National Botanical Garden here in Windhoek with Kelly and Tristan Powell. It's quite a lovely place where all of the different flora of the country is on display in one convenient spot. There are walking trails and a spot to picnic, so it's a wonderful place to take the kids. We've forgotten half of the names of the plants we encountered but not the impression they made on us. These plants look like they are from a period that time forgot. There's something strangely prehistoric about these specimens. Indeed, since the Namib is the oldest desert in the world and many of these are indigenous to those parts, perhaps they do harken back to prehistory. On display were quiver trees, bottle trees, and cacti of all different sorts. One of the cacti produces a milky latex that is toxic--it makes its appearance in the movie the Gods Must Be Crazy. Most of the ground plants are succulents that are well adapted to life with little to no water. In the picnic area, there are a few bird baths that draw the likes of Blue Wax Bills and South African Wagtails just to name a few. All of this is located on a hillside right in the heart of busy Windhoek. It truly represents a calm oasis from the routine of city life. (This posting is especially for you Aunt Barb. Maybe you can help us identify the plants?)

The mongoose that lives in our backyard

In addition to all of the bird life that we enjoy due to our living accommodations being located next to a ravine, we've noted that we've got some interesting mammals that visit the premises as well. Of course there are the requisite cats that roam the complex; one of which likes to promenade on the roof and the divider walls attempting to pounce on the many birds that frequent our feeding stand (it's more like a contraption). We've noted that a mongoose lives among our ornamentals or at least it is from there that he always makes his entrance. He first starting making an appearance when we began putting out bread bits for Augustus' bird project. We've begun to notice that he's not so shy anymore and will come out even when we've got the patio door wide open. Reid dropped a piece of banana one day and just a few minutes later, out popped the mongoose to snag it and take it back to his lair. Now we not only are buying bird feed, but we're also buying many more bananas than usual to keep up with our friend's appetite. Our animal guide book identifies him as a white-tailed mongoose whose typical diet consists of invertebrates. It never mentions fruits. Perhaps his diet is being corrupted by the addition of bananas. Who knows, but my neighbor contends that the mongoose steals the food right out of her dog's dish. That's got to be much worse than bananas I'd say!