Not having a grand budget, economic recession and all…We decided that this year’s holiday destination would be closer to home vs. a trip to Europe. So, my other half and I opted to go to Namibia. In the initial study, the pictures of scenery were appealing and it seemed like a different thing to do. Yet, in the back of my mind I could not help but wonder…What could one possibly do in the desert?
So after a decent flight and a pleasantly empty Windhoek International Airport, we rented a car and made our way to the quaint town of Swakopmund.
Adorned with German colonial architecture and the Namib dunes to its south, the personality of this town grabs you in the first few minutes of arrival.

Accommodation:

We stayed in a place called Rapmund. It’s a quaint little bed and breakfast in the centre of town where everything you need is within walking distance. The price is approximately R500 per day for a double bed room and includes a very good Namibian style breakfast buffet… making it a steal!

Activities:

Quad Biking

Within a walking distance from Rapmund you get to rent a Quad bike with a guide and go on a 90 minute quad bike low and high speed adventure through the desert. Going up and down the dunes is so exhilarating and evokes child hood dreams of being a fighter pilot! Too cool! Adrenalin guaranteed! Just make sure you wear sunscreen ?

Desert Tours
There is a local tour guide called Tommy (i.e. Tommy’s Desert Tours) who takes you into the desert in a comfortably converted Land Rover. The enthusiastic Tommy introduces you to some of the fascinating, hidden life in this apparently barren landscape that is part of the Namib Desert. Tommy digs, runs after, and catches for you look at and sometimes hold creatures endemic to the Namib: the sidewinder (Peringuey’s Adder), the nocturnal Palmato Gecko with its transparent skin and beautiful colours, the desert chameleons etc…
Tommy is educational, fun and gives you an unforgettable experience. It’s sort of like meeting the late Steve Irwin. You will see the desert and dunes with new eyes. The photographic opportunities are endless too: make sure those batteries are charged before you leave!

Dolphin Cruises

Originally only operating from Walvisbaai, these tours now operate from the peer in Swakopmund. You get to enjoy a half day cruise that takes you on a round trip south to the Guano Island where one gets the great opportunity to feed Pelicans in flight. Then one heads out between multitudes of anchored vessels to the seal colony on another Island called Pelican Point. Some of these boats are in a very bad state of neglect and it brings an interesting dynamic to the trip. The eeriness one feels when these semi derelicts come out at you from the mist has a very surreal quality. At Pelican Point the boat is boarded by seals that are fed on the deck. It’s really interesting and a little daunting being so close to these beautiful mammals! From there on, one heads out to sea a little and lunch is served. Lunch is a great finger food type of buffet with as many Oysters as you can eat! All along the cruise, one gets to see varied species of Dolphin that in a playful manner swim with the boat. If one is lucky, one also gets to see Whales or a Sun fish…locally known as the Mola Mola, it’s a giant strange creature that feasts on the plankton rich waters and is really a sight to behold.

Sky Diving

Operating from a field about 5km outside of Swakopmund one gets the opportunity to strap onto a tandem master and throw your self out of a perfectly functional aircraft at 10000 ft. All of this is done by a highly professional crew with a good safety record. Not only is it a great Adrenalin Rush, but it also gives you a scenic flight over the town and parts of the desert. Your free fall incorporates an awesome view of the ocean and desert together. Not for the feint hearted, but definitely worth it. It’s also a great bonding experience to undertake with your partner.

Mountaineering:
Spitzkoppe

About an hour and half drive in an easterly direction located between Usakos and Swakopmund is the Spitzkoppe. It comprises of a group of bald granite peaks in the Namib Desert. The granite is more than 700 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1784 meters (5857 feet) above sea level. The peaks stand out dramatically from the flat surrounding plains. The highest peak is about 700m above the floor of the desert below. A minor peak- the Little Spitzkoppe – lies nearby at an elevation of 1584 metres above sea level. Made accessible for tourists, we got there with the little Toyota Yaris quite easily. One just has to take it slowly.

Having featured in the movie 10000 BC, the Spitzkoppe is an amazing and mystical sight to behold. It is best visited at dawn because the light then is very special and it can get very hot. On its eastern side, there is a chain that you can use to successfully climb up parts of the rock without specialised equipment. Once inside the granite area, many examples of Bushmen artwork can be seen painted on the rock and scenery it is priceless. It’s absolute silence, history and anthropology makes the Spitzkoppe radiate a certain mystical magic one very seldom gets to experience in life. A must see. Be prepared though…Good shoes, a hat, enough water and sunscreen are necessary.

Food and Restaurants:

There are a multitude of good restaurants in town. But for us, the one that stood out was the “Brauhaus”. Specialising in a mixture of German and Namibian cuisine, an exceptionally good meal is guaranteed for a decent price. Reserve a table early though…it’s very popular.

To sum things up…Namibia wormed its way into my soul and I’ll definitely return there again. It’s safe, clean and incredibly welcoming to all tourists. With a multitude of activities that speaks to both the adventurist and the conservative, there is something for everyone…Museum’s, beaches, Camel rides in the Desert. Namibia gets my vote ten fold over!

Cheers for now…

City: All

Country: All

Quake-ravaged Haiti has called for help and South Africa has answered. Led by the Gift of the Givers and Rescue SA, the teams were due to fly through several countries and begin arriving in Haiti from about 5pm South African time on Friday the 15th January 2010

The Gift of the Givers Foundation is the largest disaster relief organisation of African origin on the African continent.

Rescue South Africa (RSA) is an official South African Disaster Response Team made up of volunteer emergency response specialists from the South African public and private sector emergency and ancillary services.

Here is a quick synopsis

On Monday, 18 January 2010, Gift of the Givers 2nd Search and Rescue team departed for Haiti on an Air France flight to Paris and onward to the Dominican Republic. The team comprises 6 specialists who are also advance life support paramedics. As with the first team they are carrying R2.5 million of heavy equipment. This team is accompanied by our first 4-member medical team which is carrying essential medical supplies. A media delegation has accompanied this 2nd team.

The 1st 10-member Search and Rescue team was received by Caritas/Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Santa Domingo on Saturday, 16 January 2010 and, in convoy with a security escort was taken to the CRS compound in Port Au Prince. Caritas, an internationally renowned charity, has been well established in Haiti and the Dominican Republic for many years, and is our ground partner. This journey from Santa Domingo to the Haitian capital took 9 hours. At 04h00 the team members got a huge fright as there were gunshots outside the compound; one bullet struck a gate close to the team. Thankfully they are all safe.

On Monday, 18 January 2010, the first team was assigned an area which no team had thus far reached. The 60km arduous journey through destroyed roads took 2.5 hours. The devastation was mind boggling, with no sign of life, only a litter of corpses and the sick stench of decomposed bodies along the way. The first stop was a Catholic mission, totally destroyed; 5 bodies were recovered. At another site 9 more bodies were recovered.

On Tuesday, 19 January 2010, the team has been assigned their gruesome duty; move to a hospital site to remove 600 bodies to start preparing the hospital to be used as a hospital. Six of our team members will be deployed here and will be joined by a 7-member Mexican team. The other 4 members are going to a Cathedral to start suturing and treating the huge influx of patients arriving there.

On Wednesday, 20 January 2010, their brief is to move to another city where no team has reached. It is believed that many are in need of medical assistance here. It is also believed that their are numerous survivors in this city. Access by road is impossible. At a briefing today, the Gift of the Givers team were told that they will be flown in on UN helicopters on this day and would be the first Search and Rescue Team to be taken in.

Gift of the Givers team is also on standby for Caritas if the organisation is made aware of the signs of human life in any structure. It is quite clear that the first team has to be strongly supported to maximise the chance of survival and also the need to provide medical assistance to a seriously traumatised nation. Hence, the 6-member additional Search and Rescue Team has been dispatched with the first 4-member medical team. On Wednesday, 20 January 2010, another 11 member medical team departs with large quantities of medical supplies. On Thursday, 21 January 2010, ten more medical specialists depart. Another 20 medical personnel are on standby in the days to come.

I would like to Congratulate our Hero’s (Some of them friends of mine) in this humanitarian effort. It’s wonderful to see our country give assistance irrespective of race, religion, colour, class, political affiliation or geographical boundary. May you all be safe, blessed and come home when the job is done!

“Such that others may live!”

God Bless

City: Johannesburg

Country: South Africa