Weeks 13 and 14

Le temps passe vite!

It's true what they say about Cape Town being Africa's "mother city." One instantly feels at home. The Cape offers everything - amazing food, wine, people, art, culture, beaches, shopping... and all with the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain.

If the dunes of Sossusvlei bring to mind the gates of hell, then the Saturday farmer's market in Cape Town is a little piece of heaven. If Namibia is famous for its desolate beauty, then Cape Town is it alter ego. Stunning in saturated color and eclectic in everythingness, for me, Cape Town was love at first sight. The highlights: hiking Table Mountain, driving to Cape Point, hanging on for dear life as Dad drove us down Chapman's Peak, watching the sunset from Signal Hill, touring Robben Island, finding an art studio hidden in a castle, checking out a hipster bar in Kloof.

The city - and its history - are works in progress. Huge areas such as District Six where blacks were forced from their homes are still virtually uninhabited. While it is progressive, dynamic, colorful and thriving, there are always two sides to every story.

Life in Nam: Week 12

The Game of Life.

Something about visiting the world's oldest desert brings people together like family. The dunes at Sossusvlei are visually stunning, and I was fortunate to share the experience with my Dad and brother, Max, who are visiting for a few weeks.

Sossusvlei ("source of water") is nestled in the Namib desert, in a pristine national park approximately 4 to 6 hours (depending upon how many flat tires) southwest of Windhoek. We camped just outside the park with a group of twelve fascinating and surprisingly outgoing travelers from Canada, Finland, Ireland, Israel, America, and Japan. Together the group ventured into Dead Vlei (see photo), a place captivating and beautiful in its simplicity. Yet it's what one imagines the gates of hell might look like, with desolate, cracked earth, and where the most dynamic things are the shadows. I felt far, far away from DC or NYC. There are no pretenses in the desert. (Well, except for some of the 5 star lodges catering to wealthy tourists along the way)

Between hiking the dunes, sightings of springbok, ostrich, and desert zebra, and my Dad giving "free advice" to the youngsters on the trip, we had a great time with our very memorable group. One fellow traveler introduced us to the game of life. If you ever say the word mine you're subject to 10 push ups. And the game never ends. ever. for life.

A simple lesson, in the simplest of surroundings, about sharing. This experience was ours.

Life in Nam: Week 9

There are plenty of characters in this town, and many were out in full cultural splendor during the Oktoberfest/Halloween weekend. Oktoberfest in Windhoek is similar to, but much smaller than, the one in Germany: day drinking, live music, supersize beer steins, lederhosen, dirndls, a mechanical bull, and drunk old men.
Following a few hours at Oktoberfest, I accompanied Lerine and Charene to Kiepie’s, the late night Afrikaner bar. Imagine a roadhouse in Oklahoma (á la Scooters) with a band playing 80s hits and entertaining a crowd of couples two-stepping and those on the brink of a bar brawl. Lucky for me, a Rod Stewart look-alike wanted to teach the unteachable American how to two-step.

Wednesday was song night at the Playhouse Theater, featuring some incredible local talent. I went in support of my new friend, Gloria Song. Quite possibly the most authentic stage name ever. Preferring, however, to go by “Gloria Guns,” she’s a Korean-Canadian who sings country and plays the guitar. Not so typical here in Windhoek. After her performance, Gloria was approached by a recording studio! One only hopes she’ll become the biggest thing to hit Namibia since Westlife.

On Sunday, I found a great excuse to dress up and celebrate Halloween with a group of “hashers” who hike the trails (of which there are many) in and around the city. Given his ties to Namibian history, I felt it appropriate to dress as Fidel Castro, with a tin foil beard. Creativity comes with limited resources...