Namibia!
Well we're back in North America...or are we? Well Namibia isn't exactly the west but it sure feels like it after coming from central/east africa. Things here are really not what we expected. For starters my bank card worked! Ya! Everything is so clean an so modern. People shop in gracery stores rather than at the market, the roads are better than they are in Canada, and things are EXPENSIVE. Everything here is almost double what is was in the other countries we've been in. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. That's what happens when you have a good economy and border South Africa.
Well, after arriving in Katima Mulilo, we had a huge meal and spent the night. The meal was ridiculous. Have you ever been served a pork-chop, a lamb-chop, more than a foot of sausage, fries, peas, squash, and a salad all on one plate? Well, that's what we had and it was huge! It was expensive for Africa, but still under $10.
It's also extremely hot here! It's pushing 40c everyday and it sure feels like it. We're sweltering here. We here it's a winter wonderland at home. Maybe someone can send us pictures of the snow. We miss it a bit. But sand is kind of like snow, right?
Yesterday we were reminded that we were still in the same continent. After seeing how modern everything was and how efficient things seemed to be, we expected our bus ride to be the same. We missed the big bus from South Africa that passes through here only twice a week, so we had to take a mini bus. Everyone is going back to school here now after their break, so the bus actually filled up very fast. We arrived at the bus station at 6:30am and we were full shortly after 8am. That's really good for a long distance mini bus. The problem came in when a few of the clients went missing. We drove the the villages picking up a few people that the driver was counting on getting. When we got there we found them. However, it as clear that the drinking had begun. It was only shortly after 8am and they had clearly had a few. We waited for quite a while for these drunks to get their act together, and the driver spent some time looking for one passenger, who was "at the bank machine". He found him in the bar. In the one area at 10am we saw a couple of families sitting around a table with many full and empty 750ml bottles of beer. One lady was even giving some to a toddler. By the time we got on the road it was noon.
Erin and I have constantly been asking ourselves as we travel through Africa, "why is it that things just don't work here"? That's not an easy question to answer, but we think we got a few insights yesterday. Obviously alcohol can be a major problem, three of our passengers bought many beers on all of our stops along the 860km journey yesterday. But this is probably just a result of bordom, or a means to hide their problems. Perhaps acountability is also problem. It was clear that the other passenger were frustrated by the drunks and the driver was also getting a little hot under the collar. But know one said anything. No one said "what's wrong with you!" When we were ready to go, the one guy bolted out of the bus and ran/stumbled over to a corner store to get some beer for the road. The driver was really mad, but sad nothing. Erin and I both said "leave without him", he inched forward but couldn't do it. And when the drunk returned he said nothing to him. In Mauritania we learn that it was entirely a no-no to tell someone, even a close friend, that they've done something they shouldn't have. Perhaps it's the same here. Anyway, we were clearly reminded that just because the economy is ok, doesn't mean that everything is ok. I realize this is also the same in the west.
We're at a really great place here in Tsumeb. It's only our second place with a self catering kitchen! We love having one, since we can make food we love and save some loot in the process. Tomorrow we're off to Etosha National Park. It's a huge salt pan, with a very high concentration of game. It's far from the tourist traps as well, which is why we picked Namibia for our "safari".
Well, after arriving in Katima Mulilo, we had a huge meal and spent the night. The meal was ridiculous. Have you ever been served a pork-chop, a lamb-chop, more than a foot of sausage, fries, peas, squash, and a salad all on one plate? Well, that's what we had and it was huge! It was expensive for Africa, but still under $10.
It's also extremely hot here! It's pushing 40c everyday and it sure feels like it. We're sweltering here. We here it's a winter wonderland at home. Maybe someone can send us pictures of the snow. We miss it a bit. But sand is kind of like snow, right?
Yesterday we were reminded that we were still in the same continent. After seeing how modern everything was and how efficient things seemed to be, we expected our bus ride to be the same. We missed the big bus from South Africa that passes through here only twice a week, so we had to take a mini bus. Everyone is going back to school here now after their break, so the bus actually filled up very fast. We arrived at the bus station at 6:30am and we were full shortly after 8am. That's really good for a long distance mini bus. The problem came in when a few of the clients went missing. We drove the the villages picking up a few people that the driver was counting on getting. When we got there we found them. However, it as clear that the drinking had begun. It was only shortly after 8am and they had clearly had a few. We waited for quite a while for these drunks to get their act together, and the driver spent some time looking for one passenger, who was "at the bank machine". He found him in the bar. In the one area at 10am we saw a couple of families sitting around a table with many full and empty 750ml bottles of beer. One lady was even giving some to a toddler. By the time we got on the road it was noon.
Erin and I have constantly been asking ourselves as we travel through Africa, "why is it that things just don't work here"? That's not an easy question to answer, but we think we got a few insights yesterday. Obviously alcohol can be a major problem, three of our passengers bought many beers on all of our stops along the 860km journey yesterday. But this is probably just a result of bordom, or a means to hide their problems. Perhaps acountability is also problem. It was clear that the other passenger were frustrated by the drunks and the driver was also getting a little hot under the collar. But know one said anything. No one said "what's wrong with you!" When we were ready to go, the one guy bolted out of the bus and ran/stumbled over to a corner store to get some beer for the road. The driver was really mad, but sad nothing. Erin and I both said "leave without him", he inched forward but couldn't do it. And when the drunk returned he said nothing to him. In Mauritania we learn that it was entirely a no-no to tell someone, even a close friend, that they've done something they shouldn't have. Perhaps it's the same here. Anyway, we were clearly reminded that just because the economy is ok, doesn't mean that everything is ok. I realize this is also the same in the west.
We're at a really great place here in Tsumeb. It's only our second place with a self catering kitchen! We love having one, since we can make food we love and save some loot in the process. Tomorrow we're off to Etosha National Park. It's a huge salt pan, with a very high concentration of game. It's far from the tourist traps as well, which is why we picked Namibia for our "safari".
posted by Brian and Erin at 3:28 AM
1 Comments:
Hey guys. It was pretty cool to hear your insights into some of the problems plaguing the society there. Looking forward to your safari!
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