WEEK FOUR

WEEK FOUR

DAY 23 - Tuesday - 1.29.13
Up late and on the road to Robertson. A ride thru the township with the characteristic very tall light was enlightening- all homes were brick or block and permanent with asphalt streets, in-house water and toilet, and electric. We then headed south on N1 2 lane thru arid desert hills with outline of mountains thinly exposed in the distance. We turned off on a minor road shortcut to the Robertson area. After going over 2 passes we came to the production farms- pears, peaches and grapes. We stopped to watch the stoop labor and the processing of the orange peaches and at a dry fruit producer and a peach seed oil pressing operation. We then toured the township at Montague where we found permanent structures and intermingled with the children as they got out of school (8:30-1:30).  Up the scenic road we checked into a 4star b&b. The area over the mountains and in the valley was called the Koo... Our car is getting over 30mpg.  No road kill and few wild animals in the fields. The "sleeping policemen" of Mexico are the "humped zebra crossings" here and we were very cautious. Sampie came to visit with us after work and before dinner.   We are at the Ballinderryguesthouse.com.

Our friend who has a project with aids orphan kids and whom we fund, booked us into a very upscale b&b... With a pool outside our door and dinner on the deck. Sampie has converted his lower level b&b to one bedroom apts for visiting medical personnel who practice in the hospital where he is the chief  pharmacist - the pharmacy is the top in the country and he was pharmacist of the year because of an outreach program for medicine he developed. This b&b is a little ritzy for our blood and budget, but we shall take it for two nites. It is owned by a Belgium couple, Luke the manager and his wife, Hilde, is the chef. Our dinner was exquisite.  We learned this is a high season visiting area because of the vineyards. Robertson is in the wine district, but we got here six years ago because it was late afternoon and we needed a place to stay. This led to visits to the township and countryside with Sampie, our co-conspirator, and beginning to fund the extras for the 13 kids who lived with an older lady in a corrugated building the size of our garage. Noticeable in Robertson is the absence of fences and electrical wires surrounding houses.  If there are fences they are see thru and open.

DAY 24 - Wednesday - 1.30.13
Up for a shave, a swim and beautiful breakfast. Sampie picked us up 9:00 for a tour of the area. First to the hospital and pharmacy where he works and to meet coworkers he supervises. Then to the township where Lucy who has had 77 kids over the years now attends to 12-13 kids from2 years to high school who have no or poor parenting. Finally on the wine route thru the "wine estates" and up the valley to McGregor to see the Dutch- German architecture and coffee. On the way we saw a New Holland machine harvesting wine grapes (and olives) and stopped to find out how it worked. They have been mechanically harvesting grapes for 30 years-we never even imagined it.  Along the way we came across box-type turtles in peach orchards, hawks hunting, ostriches in small flocks, sheep, and goats. In McGregor we noticed that several houses are for sale, though the village is small; Sampie says people are enticed here by its appearance, buy a house and live here for a short time and then discover its an isolated/remote town with few/no amenities. The interesting architecture, Cape Dutch, and clean lines with thatched roofs of the houses would be very enticing. We enjoyed coffee at a small shop, talked for a while, discussed the money we gave Sampie for Lucy, then headed back to Robertson to buy FAT bastard wine and a 3 prong to european adaptor. Rested in the heat of the afternoon and dinner at 6:00 in town. We had lengthy discussions about the township changes and the distribution of health care in ZA. The corrugated building was replaced with a small, block, 3 room house rented from the city which includes water, sewer and electric (50 rand/30$/month). They still have two metal shacks to sleep all their kids.  We re-uped support for this project. Sampie retires on June 2013 and will take an ANOVA (US) project working with aids and other chronic problems. Nice dinner on the main drag of Robertson. Goodby Ballinderry.

DAY 25 - Thursday - 1.31.13
Down the Wine Valley into the arid mountains and down the pass to Oudtshoorn (the ostrich Capitol of the world) and the Little Karoo. Carried a Nigerian worker to town. Oudtshoorn is a historically wealthy community of 80k, gaining wealth from ostrich feathers shipped to Europe and America from the late 1800 on for hats, etc. Recent bird flu caused them to not be able to export ostrich meat to Europe and 55K bird were destroyed trying to stop the spread thereof- did not work and now their are only 80 farms left of the previous thousands.  An Ostrich pair will lay an egg every other day and produce 32 eggs over the breeding period-we have two pair at this b&b - Amanda and Derrick's Cul du Sac b&b. Only drove 180 miles today so we got a much deserved nap- we have run continuously since leaving home...now to slow down. Dinner at Brian's Grill. To a craft producing place and Moselbaai ( Mosel Bay) tomorrow.  Driven 4k plus miles so far. We must slow down now that obligation are completed.

DAY 26 - Friday - 2.1.13
We left late to visit a craft center where disadvantaged women made jewelry and clothes from ostrich feathers and egg shells. We contributed to their advantage and then went many miles to a special rural school. On the way we saw hundreds of century plants with spiking stalks which fall and start another plant a few yards away. This school was built by a very successful ZA film producer who settled in the area of DeRust. He endowed the program and transportation for children up to 25 k away. Actually the benefactor replaced a hundred year old school and gave it to the local church which rents the building to the state. The principal eagerly showed us all the facility and the classes. The building is beautiful as well as functional. On the way back we stopped at a farm that had several hundred angora goats, several hundred angora sheep, cattle, 300 ostriches (down from 1k due to the bird flu), alfalfa rotational fields, and crops used to produce vegetable seeds. They used an old fashion full sized thrashing machine to harvest seed. The mistress/$manager of the farm talked with us for an hour. Then we went to a local dam to see a large lake. All along the way we observed the alfalfa fields that Derrick our host sells seed for and advises about. Finally, on the way back to  Oudtshoorn we stopped at an ostrich farm which had over 8000 ostriches in all sizes. The person responsible for them from hatching to feed lot was a women named Rita (who wants to come to America to work). And she took us on a tour of the entire facility... From hatchlings to adolescence to adult feeder taller than we are. Some weeks they hatch out a thousand eggs from the breeding pairs, but we saw about 50 one-day to two- day olds as this was the last batch to hatch for this breeding period. As we entered town we went to a bookstore. Now rest and dinner.  Interestingly, we found two townships of corrugated shacks without water, toilets and electric in-house - the areas look like a lot of townships 6 years ago. One appeared to be quite old and the other was just allowed to develop outside Oudtshoorn with established streets of dirt and plots for homes in an organized pattern. Unfortunately, these housing areas seemed far from the established cities, schools, transportation, and services. The school and local language is Afrikaans.

DAY 27 - Saturday - 2.2.13
Go IU..!  IU (#3) v Michigan (#1)... Need I say more!
To the Indian Ocean. We did some book shopping and atm'd money and then went into the mountains between here and Mosselbaai and the Indian Ocean. Beautiful, austere arid mountains characteristically like the west US. Drove around Mossel Bay and then followed the Indian Ocean east on N2 to George. We saw a large number of storks which migrate to Africa from Europe over the winter. From George we went back into the switchbacks over the passes and into Oudtshoorn for a nap.  As soon as we came down to the Little Karoo irrigation and agriculture covered the landscape. Very hot (close to 90) with a lot of wonderful wind. Preparing for a braai (barbecue with wood and no sauce) by our guesthouse host, Derick.  The Indian Ocean seemed so distant and out of reach for most of our lives, and then it is right there and we are at it. Spent some time during the morning and evening trying to set up Derick's new iPad.  All of the 8 rooms are full with families speaking Afrikaans with English as a second language - I do not remember this from 6 years ago. Really enjoyed the braai and talk tonight with Amanda and Derick... Tough to find such great people to stay with.

DAY 28 - Sunday - 1.3.13
Awake at 4:00 to stream the IU v UM bball game... 81 IU - 73 MU and back to sleep for a while before Marnie walked and I did exercises. On the road 180 miles east and north to Graaff-Reinet where we visited 6 years ago, passing thru the largest mohair production area of the country.  With mountains ever present in the distance, we traversed flat arid lands punctuated with cactus and century plants. We wanted to see what progress has occurred in the city and the townships so we took our own driving tour since our guide did not answer the page. G-R has far less tall cement and electrical fences than other cities and one can see yards and houses from the street like Robertson. The promised high school is finished and predictably it was built on the side of the township away from the city, so no whites will traverse the township to get to school. There is a drastic increase in masonry houses with water, sewage and electric, and a reduction in the corrugated construction. Many streets are improved with asphalt, but trash in the township is ever present. What 6 yrs ago was considered colored has now turned black as far as we can see.  The city looks farm prosperous but the township does not look prosperous. The characteristic tall lights are still present. The soccer field is now grass instead of the dirt last time. Staying at a first class guesthouse with small cool pool. Found good food in the only open restaurant we could find. We transited to a new province - Eastern Cape.

DAY 29 - Monday - 1.4.13
Off to see the elephants in Addo National Park. Morning exercises and a swim to the streaming from Madison WERN late nite classical. Toured the bustling town (compared to yesterday) to say goodby - this is special place since we did so much digging and exploring here six years ago. We asked directions and a man who helped us had city worker clothes on and tribal dust reddish orange paint on his face. We saw another person later who had a different color but the same face painting. Picked up a couple who was returning home to a cheetah breeding area farm with their child. Then went cross country to Addo.. Ended up in a valley green with fruit orchards. We stopped at the Unifrutti packing factory and orchards (an Italian company). We talked with the general and export managers- nice guys. Fruit was not in season but they were exporting watermelon for a customer. They pack and ship 13 varieties of citrus to Europe and the Middle East, but not America because of a disease their fruit carries which would jeopardize US fruit and orchards. The water they irrigate with and which has made this arid desert bloom comes from the Fish-Orange Rivers 500 KM away - first in a 75 Kms underground aqueduct then in two rivers which carry the water to their water canals. Down the road we entered Addo where no rooms were available (now a day trip). Sightings in order of appearance- zebra, jackal resting, yellow mongoose, 7 adult, 1 infant, 1 adolescent alone and 3 adult male elephants at the watering hole, elephant scratching on the concrete sign block, warthog families x4, élan, kudu, hawks, and monkeys playing in the road. We then drove 17 kms on gravel washboard to get to the highway to Grahamstown. We toured Rhodes University (7000 students) by car and got a b&b right across the street from the main gate with dinner across the street....nice day...nice week...
Lots of miles...so far
END OF WEEK FOUR

WEEK THREE - ZA

WEEK THREE

DAY. 15 - Monday - 1.21.13
Yesterday - Forgot to mention we transported a minister and his wife, Human Resources staff person for the diamond company, from Luderitz to Keetmanshoop. Nice people and we talked all the way about the country and the conditions of the government, education and blacks. They were going to Windhoek  for a weeklong company meeting and rode with us because the company bus was over booked.

To the Canyon .... Fish River that is!  Not worthy of the 240 mile drive with half on gravel roads.  Dramatic in its structure and remote with mono color... limited viewing and access. It's not well developed so one can't interact with it like one can at the Grand  Canyon in the US or Copper Canyon in Mexico - only limited hiking and 10 ks rugged drive from camping and park office. We have traveled 750 miles in the southern area and only met 30 cars total.  Back to our B&B in Keetmanshoop for a nap in the heat of the day... 90 deg here and 88 deg warmer than home. Drove thru the majorities living areas and cannot figure out the school system ... Looks like schools are divided by race as we see 3 schools, each in one area - white, half and black - but can't confirm. Saw a hostel where remote kids live to attend school.

DAY 16 - Tuesday - 1.22.13
Calling for 106 deg here today.  On to Windhoek for an organized city tour. A few goats along the road, but little else. The vehicle of choice here is a Toyota mid size 4 door pickup  with a topper called a Hilux - straight stick, 4 wheel drive (like our Tacoma) for the gravel roads and car camping (the tent is on top of the topper and cab for the best rigs).  We have a Nissan Livina, 4-door sedan, 5 speed, with trunk, AC, radio, small SUV with a missing piece in the grill area, white. 80% of the travelers are from Germany and are here for 4+ weeks. Very few people are hitching in our direction today..   Just crossed the Tropic of Capricorn - 23+degrees south. The closer to Windhoek the more trees and greener. Road crews live in tent communities along the road near their work. Major and farm roads go off this main road with asphalt for 1/2 block before turning to gravel. Outside of small towns we've seen little habitation, as houses/farms are far off the road and can't be seen, generally. For the most part when we go by a larger town it's built along the main road rather than spreading away from the road, unless the area is inhabited by people with vehicles. The fences are primarily small animal and varmint proofed (chicken-wire-size type for the lower meter then usually 2 strands of wire above that). Game farm fences are double high, we suppose constructed by the farm owner rather than the roads department. The further north we go the more green vegetation we see, and bushes and trees are far more numerous and healthy looking( greener) though there is still savannah and desert sand. By no means are we out of the desert climate.. When we got to Rehobeth the vegetation had changed from further south. Trees are taller. Just south of Rehobeth we even noticed grass (or dense weeds) along the road and in the pastures. At least along B1 there is a lot of debris on the roadside. On the C and D roads there is less debris because there is less traffic and the people who live out there don't have the money to buy packaged items. Again today, around Windhoek the sky is developing cumulus clouds in the afternoon, as we noticed when we were here before.

On the way to our pension we met the young female worker who works the kitchen and the office/credit card machine. She was waiting for the bus and we offered to take her home, partly to see more of the city.....and we did. After 16 kilometers we ended up in the corrugated buildings town with many milling people, dirt streets and walks, street stores, and no water or toilet facilities in the homes that went on for blocks. We have frequently seen these condition but were surprised the worker here lived in these conditions. She leaves at 5 AM for her 6:30 job arrival on a 70 cents bus ride. In spite of her physical environment she has graduated high school, had a year of hospitality training, and been employed for over a year... She should be proud... She should be given our sense of the odds against her.. She lives with her two older sisters who also work. We went to the very popular Joe's Bar for hamburger dinner.  In the south there was just an overlay of Afrikaans but in Windhoek it is much more prevalent.  

DAY 17 - Wednesday -1.23.13
To ZA late TODAY....  Spent the morning on an organized city tour.. But. We had to educate our tour guide.. % white in Namibia. He called his office to find out 6. 4 (six point four) % of 2.1 million+ are white, after guessing 20%. 250K in Windhoek as of 2001, but immigration from the rural areas and foreign countries is huge. We went to the government areas and park- Germans colonized here until 1916 when it became a protectorate of SA. Gained independence in 1990 and they are very proud. After the central city-gov't-business area we went to the old location township for the 4 tribes from which they were moved by SA in 1959. Then to the colored area, previously the area assigned to the blacks. Then to Katatura (composed of letters of the names of the 4 tribes) where 60% of the population lives in townships - corrugated houses with dirt floors, no electric, communal toilets and water - too hot in the summer (no windows in order to thwart thieves) and cold in the winter. The plots on which the homes sit are sold by the city and the system seems well organized. There is a sophisticated system of water distribution and garbage collection. We visited several areas where day laborers congregate to get jobs, called MSR centers (meaning Men On the Side of the Road). Back downtown for crafts and bought a basket as a memento of Namibia.  To the airport where the car check-in has not found the part missing from the grill area. Waiting 5 hours for our flight, as the car had to be checked in early.

Gas was between $4.79 urban and $5.10 rural.. North miles =1545 / South miles =1885 / Total in Namibia = 3430 miles.  Arrived in Joburg at 9:30 PM, Gary picked us up, and we talked til midnite.

DAY 18 - Thursday - 1.24.13
IU is coming back from their big drop to 7th from 2nd last week. Off to Lydenburg in our 3rd rental car in 2 weeks. Pleasantly we have found that everything we planned and organized has happened with only a late leaving from Windhoek due to a strong thunderstorm which hit 1/2 hour before loading time.. I hope our good fortune and thinking about does not sabotage our next stage of travel.

Beautiful drive from Joburg - first thru tasseling corn, beans and beef areas and then into the hills.. After the brown of Namibia, the green of ZA was stunning. We carried a couple with a child on mom's back to the separation of the road to Nelspriuit and had a discussion about their travel for business. Arrived in Mashishing (place of high grass) (formerly Lydenburg, "place of pain" due to malaria outbreak in the 19th c.)at 4 and got a b&b before driving around the city and township.. The place has really expanded in size and population in the last 6 years because of two mines opening, one platinum and one chromium. Construction is attractive and the township is drastically improved with few temporary corrugated houses and more permanent houses with mowed lawns. The b&b owners have friends in Madison and have visited there and central US. Exhausted, we need a couple of days for down time with no driving. Our car this time is a VW polo - blah.

DAY 19 - Friday - 1.25.13
Leisurely morning as we were to arrive at the secondary school at 10... We snuck up on them early so we could go to a class... First a Zulu language class (they study 2 tribal languages) and English. Next to geography class where they knew very little geography of the US. Then computer content class where we demonstrated the iPad. At 10:30 we gathered in the teachers' lounge with 40 students and several faculty- a program for us. We had originally gotten involved with the school thru poetry, debate and UN extra curricular programs after being invited to the township by the poetry students 6 yrs ago. We have been funding part of their program periodically since. There were many parts to today's program- a Zulu dance group of 10 members; then several individuals who recited the poems they wrote particularly about their city, country, new freedoms and empowerment of blacks and women; three excellent A cappella groups of Zulu, english, and religious music; interactive poems of romance; and remarks by the minister and us. It was an inspirational program and the students clearly were excited about being involved. We then went to 2-8th grade classes of 80+ students which were amazingly well behaved and working diligently. We then attended an upper level computer class. After that they had a reception and food for us in a teacher work area. We took some additional funding for the program to keep this work going. We were very impressed and thankful with the program and tours thru classes. The administration and faculty are doing an exceptional job and should be commended, given the community and school's limitations - $$$, book limits, oversized classes, under staffed and in a township. Expectations for the kids who performed are very high and most include university. On the road back to Jo'burg after figuring out how to unlock Gary's phone and took a worker to town.  PHOTO - Marnie and Johanne outside the school - Johanne is our contact and the head of science curriculum and the special poetry, debate and UN programs at Mashishing Secondary School. Drive back to Joburg, had dinner, and talked til mid nite.



DAY 20 - Saturday - 1.26.13
Party today for Gordon's (Diane's son) 21st birthday. We helped to make preparations for the party for 20+ people and made runs for last minute things at the store. Family and friends came to a lovely luncheon and lively conversation in the shady, but open air, patio. Everyone here complained of the heat, but we did not think it uncomfortably hot - Joburg has moderate (70-80) temperatures year around in the mile high city. Relaxed and ate more before an early bed time. Thinking of trying to change our dogged car for something more powerful. Must pack our clean clothes we washed yesterday and prepare the car.

DAY 21 - Sunday - 1.27.13
The four of us ate breakfast, cleaned up, and went to the mall for the African market. Much of it was new products and flea market stalls, with some African crafts mixed in, then there was a separate building dedicated African crafts. We really didn't seen anything unique but did decide to buy 3 small baobab trees for 150 Rand total. There were a few rustic looking items but nothing that struck our fancy. We still have 3 weeks of traveling through the countryside to look for some interesting artifacts. We emailed CuldeSac in Oudtshoorn to make reservations for late week, finally heard from Sampie in Robertson and by the end of the day had travel arrangements made. We'll take 2 days to get to Robertson (driving hard) then spend 3 days in Oudtshoorn. Gary and Rick got back about 3:30 from changing the car from the 1.4 automatic VW to a 1.6 manual Polo, and it drives much better.. Resting and napping. Dinner of great ham with the family and waited for IU basketball.. Found the play by play on ESPN and IU radio station.. 44-38 half time score.. IU projected to win by 9.5.. IU wins 75-70. Slept well. Rained very hard over nite.

DAY 22 - Monday - 1.28.1
On the road to explore ZA by heading south for the other end of the country. Drove 120+ k/h on 4 lane toll road thru countryside which could have been IL or SD - flat grassland interspersed with cattle, corn, sunflowers, millet and hay. We are on the run to catch up with our overextended schedule... First to Robertson and the aids orphans and then the Little Karoo -Oudtshoorn. Then the Garden Coast and Addo elephant reserve. After that who knows. Our new car is great.!  We set out on N1, a toll road, in the first half and a 2-3 laner thereafter. Negotiation on the roadside a for craft baobob tree failed. We picked up two female travelers from Winburg to Bloemfontein looking for work. We dropped them off and did a quick tour of Bloemfontein's downtown, govt. buildings, athletic facilities, the university of  Free State. We toured Hanover township as we passed through this small town. The Veld turned into Karoo with pushed plateaus and much vegetation. To this far there were thousands of cattle, sheep and goats in very large herds. Finally, south of Three Sisters (where the Joburg and Kimberly roads meet) it turned to semi arid desert with many rolling hills of the Karoo, which looks like West Texas or southern Utah. Where there was water there were hundreds of Century plants with bloom stocks ready to fall and start a new plant. On these isolated stretches of road there are Driver Alert Sections, which are a series of grooves in the road which will waken the drowsy. After many road construction areas and 985 k or 610 miles we stopped in Beaufort West at the Donkin Country House. We drove like mad dogs to get as many miles as possible to make tomorrow's trek under 6 hours over the mtns/hills and 2 passes.

So far we have passed thru Mpumalanga (Masishing), Gauteng, Free State, Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces.  5 of 9 total...

We traveled 120 K/HR (75 MPH). The semis here pull 2 trailers. The back of the first one is a platform for the attachment of the 2nd  one, so they're about 50-75% longer than in the US. As a result they have 3 double-axel dually sets.

Hurrah! IU went from 7th to 3rd nationally in basketball!

THE END OF WEEK THREE...

Week TWO

DAY 8 - Monday - 1.14.13
On the road to Walvis Bay... On the way we dropped Rogan and Gordon at the dunes to ride Quads for a few hours.  We went on to observe the flamingoes in the lagoon, to talk with the guard at the salt pan collection and salt washing plant about production, to the waterfront to see tourist stores, and back to Swakopmund and the Secret Garden.  Fueled up with diesel over $5 per gallon.  We left about 2 for the seal colony at Seal Cross north of us about 110 Kms and above Henties Bay having Gary as our guide since he was stationed here when in the military.  The roads are finished with a salt surface. At Seal Cross we saw an estimated 100000 seals (but i think the number is low by 400k)... The beach for miles was covered with adult seals and their pups. The stench was notable and the pups were delightful. All the pups were born by mid december so were still small and we could not figure if the pup found the mother among the mass of undulating fur seals or vv.  We wonder how the sea in the area could support the nutritional needs of the colony.  Good discussion at dinner on many topics with the boys. Rogan is trying to sell the idea rugby is a better sport than American football - who is crazy enough to play Rugby? The cold in my ears transmigrated to my chest and severe coughing has ensued until medicated.. Good sleep followed.

DAY 9 - Tuesday - 1.15.13
Up early for desert tour... Ate breakfast early and was picked up by Tommy the owner-guide of Living Desert Tours... Initially we reduced the tire pressure from 60 to 10 psi. While doing so T spied a sidewinder snake and gave us a lecture and demo on its life, times and conditions below the sand except for the eyes on top of its head. Next we came across a gecko (from the Geico ads) and demonstrated its interesting hiding characteristics. T demonstrated the plant life characteristics as they interact with wildlife. Next came a chameleon and interesting desert birds which we held and fed.  We never did find a scorpion because the wind was too strong and blotted out the Bushman's Map showing where they would be. We had a nice balance of science, biology and bush understanding as we studied the terrain and animals.. The wind side of a dune is 30-40 degrees off horizontal while the downwind side is 10-11 degrees off vertical and much hotter.  Tommy's vehicle was once a howitzer hauler, then an ambulance and now a very intriguing dune machine. The last part of the tour we raced up, around and down dunes as quickly as feasible- hold on thrill ride.  We took temperature readings of sand and animals to study the environmental conditions. Back to town by noon and then to find $$$$.  On first try we were denied but then got 3000 N$s which should get us thru to our next stop and car tomorrow at Windhoek airport. Rt to lft- Gary, Marie of Belgium who travelled a day with us, Diane, M, Gordon, & Rogan....and
Rick took the photo.

DAY 10 - Wednesday - 1.16.13
Up for breakfast and a mad dash to Windhoek and the airport to turn in the van and get a small car.

We spent some time putting the itinerary together, keeping it flexible because so many of the roads we could travel are gravel. We will get local knowledge along the way and stick to major roads if there's no advantage to back roads. We will cross off Fish River Canyon if necessary.
1. Thurs.- Windhoek to Sesreim via Mariental
2.Fri - Sesreim/Soussesvlei  part of next day then to Mariental or even Keet if possible
3. Sat - Meriental or Keet to Luderitz
4. Sun-  Luderitz a full day Or midafternoon of arrival day (Sat.)and half day today
5. Mon - (or midday Sun) from Luderitz to Aus and a drive north along the park on C13 and D707 then back to Aus, stay there or on toward Keet (if we have all day for this drive). May get to Ai-Ais or the N. end of Fish River
6. Tues - to Mariental after finishing Fish River
7. Wed - have 4 hours for driving back to Windhoek to check car in by Noon.
We'll have to find pastries elsewhere than Solitaire. We (Diane, our travel coordinator and super sleuth) found one in the north across from a gas station we stopped at.

Hustled quickly over the 240 miles back to Windhoek and the airport to get the car back in time to not get another day's cost. Arrived beautifully due to Gary's driving and checked in. Checked out our small car quickly for 3:00 departure and had lunch with the crew. Returned to Windhoek and a nice pension to rest and prepare for our next stage of travel. We were thinking about how complicated all our logistics are since leaving home and over the week and amazed everything and every time worked out... Thankful we are. At the airport we traveled 2535 kilometers/1525 miles so far...

DAY 11 - Thursday - 1.17.13
On our own... Nook, help!   Slept terrible 2ndary to weekly malaria meds. What we have done in the last 36 hours is leave the dunes at the ocean, went to the center of the country to Windhoek and then today came 300 miles south and 200 miles west to the inland side of the dunes.  Saw gabons, cattle, sheep, goats and ground squirrels. Went thru Kalkrand and the low end area with water and toilet building alongside the corrugated metal homes. Carried 2 riders - very old man with classic wrinkled face, and a mother (at Kalkrand) taking her son 60 miles to the nearest hospital (Mariental) for problems with an eye.  B1 highway was asphalt and fast. At  Mariental  we turned west on C19 to Maltahohe and had 70 miles of tar and then 130 miles of gravel.. The under road gravel surface was most important - smooth = ok, washboard=equipment terror, and uneven large stone=thuds, for about  equal portions. On the gravel the savanna turned to stunning vistas Of high mountains, buttes, cliffs and passes. We even had a period of rain in the Kalahari desert.  Arrived at Sestriem where we shall go into the dunes tomorrow to view "Dune 45" - 45 kilometers in and passing 44 dunes from the end of the road. DAY 12 - Friday - 1.18.13
Springbuck with breakfast and out to Dune 45... We drove out thru ever increasing hills to dunes with less and less vegetation.  The sand turned red and very silty with very distinct moving high dunes. At 45 a tour truck had unloaded many young people who were climbing the dune and having breakfast.  We then turned east to retrace our drive on the 130 miles of gravel torture.  half way back and around Malthohohe were two wheeled horse carts with both 2 and 3 braces of horses loaded with people or firewood - a lot had quite young drivers (suppose this is equivalent of using the family car).  We toured the town and township. We had Transported one worker from a lodges-camps to Malthohohe. Back to Mariental for a 620 round trip in 24 hours out to Dune 45 and back to the main road.  Standing water in the desert...must have rained a lot at Mariental after we left at noon yesterday. We were told that in the Kalahari they measure rain fall by the distance between the drop when they hit the window. South to Keetmanshoop by 150 miles. Checked into Gesserts B&B (Endrick is the owner and a retired farmer of sheep and goats on 12k acres) and went out to a farm to watch the cheetahs being fed and tour the Quiver Trees (really aloe only big and old), national treasure. The tree got it name for the natives use of the tree in making and carrying arrows. We walked right in the field with the cheetahs once they had a piece of meat.  They are one of the only wild species which is tamable to some extent. Back to town for dinner and computing. Radio in Germany, English or click language. Tired and hot..it is summer here..like the beginning of August at home.

DAY 13 - Saturday - 1.19.13
Up for breakfast that Enrich and his staff cooked and on the road to Luderitz, a historically German community, on the Atlantic Ocean. Took a young man 90 miles going to the Fish River Canyon for work. Went thru savannah, hilly areas with trees and arid deserts.  All the way from Aus (60 miles) they were rebuilding the railroad. About 30 miles out the wind went to at least 50 knots from 10 o'clock and pushed tons of sand onto and across the road- slow going. Arrived Luderitz about 1 and began touring the area, napped and toured more. The land adjacent to the town is a fenced-off area belonging the the state diamond authority and admission is denied with strong warnings - 16 000 square kilometres have replaced the old grant area of the Sperrgebiet, the 'Forbidden Area'.  The area from what we could see was rock and huge sand dunes (no diamonds). The largest concentration of native wild animals we have seen was in the drain off swamp and pond below the sewage processing plan- oryx, springbok, and flamingoes. We went thru the harbor and docks and the parks and beaches. The poorest area was outside town - huge area of corrugated metal square building 8 feet high with at least as many residences and residents as in the city, thou the conditions were less than primitive with no running water and communal baths. Seafood tonite on the harbor... Great fish, different calamari.. Talked at length with the waitress about life here for less privileged and labor, the black v. white education (a new public school for grades 11-12 just opened in town), white students go to private school (actually anyone who can afford it can go), family incomes, wages, and jobs, and the railroad returning after 20 years. One must have a high school education to work in the diamond industry... Reading and writing and to bed.
DAY 14 - Sunday - 1.20.13 - Inauguration day, carried out tomorrow.
Up late to breakfast... Church... Then 240 miles to Keetmanshoop and back to Gesserts b&b. After a nap we went back on gravel washboard roads to the Quiver Forest and on to Giants Playground - an area of huge rocks all placed by an unseen hand in different, interesting formations and stacks. Then thru to area of people half way between white and black..no shacks and the places indicate these people are employed. Waiting for the IU v Northwestern BBALL game very late tonite.  Long talk with Endrick about life around here and farming... His farm is now run by his son and is 155 kilometers from town...sheep and goats and the animal markets.

END OF WEEK TWO. .... Marnie's Log for this week is 11 pages..you'll have to wait.

Week one in ZA..Namibia

WEEK ONE

DAY 1 - Monday - 1.7.13
Up at 5 am for a 6 am ride by Shirley Kramer to Park n Ride. Three hours later we were checked in at United and wheel chaired to the gate for a 2.5 hour wait.  Off on time for Dulles and a 1 hour wait.  Left at 5:30 eastern  local time and flew all nite arriving at our midpoint in Dakar Senegal for new crew, fuel and food at 6:00 am local.. during a one hour layover we stayed on the plane.  So far over 4500 miles and 8 hours.

DAY 2 - Tuesday - 1.8.13
Took off after 1 hour of cleaning, refueling and taking on food. We took off at 7:00 and flew 8:10 hours and 4000+ miles down the east coast of Africa to Johannesburg.  Gary and Diane Cowan, who we met on a ferry from Croatia to Italy in '04 and who we visited in '06, met us at our plane.  We successfully got 5000 Rand from the ATM.  It was amazing how our tight schedule and arrival plans, about which we worried, worked out. it is amazing given how complicated our travel tasks and needs are compared to some previous trips, or perhaps we worry more.

 We went to their home to stay as tomorrow we shall fly with them and their two boys (now young men) to Windhoek Namibia and touring there. Gary and Diane own and run a head hunting company called Jobsafrica.  Also they buy and renovate houses, thus we have now stayed in 3 of the developing enterprises.  They manage great work.  They have been great friends and guides for us in South Africa and have planned the details some of our previous visit to SA and the coming week in Namibia. They will be our guides there for a week as Gary was stationed there when he was conscripted to the military.  After a week they will fly home and we shall use our usual roaming style for another week in Namibia.  Gary and Diane regularly travel to Europe and Southeast Asia. Their 4 children (2 of whom where in high school the last time we were here) are now all in college  and have their respective boy and girl friends here during their summer break. - when the kids graduate G/D can retire and use the money for more traveling.  It was neat to be in a group of college students over dinner.  Our time is really screwed up and I am typing this at 1 am... Or whatever time I am on.  We got a call in the nite from friends in the Mt Pleasant area that  Wanda Frey succumbed to cancer.  She and her husband, Wig, were members of our church in IN and they farmed about 5 miles from us... Wig is notorious for his tobacco chewing, even in the church service with a styrofoam cup.. We often met at the local cattle auctions.

DAY 3 - Wednesday - 1.9.13
Up at 4 am to make a 6:30 flight to Windhoek. Breakfast in the airport then on the Air Namibia plane.  Arrived at 8am , 2 hrs before our 8 passenger people hauler (BB 84 CN) is to be ready but because it had to be prepared and repaired (diesel fuel filter was bad) we had to wait til after 11. Finally, we loaded up and head 25 miles to/thru Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The city was bustling and clean with no signs of severe poverty visible.  We are not sure yet which time zone we are in - exhausted and falling asleep periodically while Gary drives. The main road north is very good until we needed to angle NW to Etosha Pan, covering 300 miles, and the Namibian Wildlife Resorts. The terrain is level with low mtns in the background. The vegetation varies from little vegetation and burned brown to green lush grasses where rain has fallen, dotted with termite mounds.. In the lusher areas are cattle farms and game farms with high fencing. We stopped to shop in Okahandja and moved on. We checked into the Etosha National Park housing near Okaukuejo by 5, seeing a giraffes, gemsbok, crooked horned type deer, tortoises, guineas, baboons, ostrich, warthogs, and springbok. We had dinner at the camp lodge and had a good meal with some wild animal meat- gemsbok. We went to the animal viewing at the camp watering hole, but due to rain and exhaustion, we retired to bed. What a sleep....

DAY 4 - Thursday - 1.10.13
Up at 7 and great breakfast before moving rooms for a good half pension deal. In the van for the look at wild life and the Pan fauna. The land is mostly a level plan with savannah in parts and short trees and scrubs in others.  The list is long - black backed jackal, marshall eagles, hawks, zebra, baboons, wart hogs, guineas, yellow mongoose, giraffes+, Kari bastard birds, ostriches +, leopard tortoise and tarpon, honey badges, Chameleon, 10 inch millipedes, springbuck, family of young jackals, wildebeest, gemsbok, oryx+, hartebeest, etc in our 200 mile drive on gravel- roads. Back at 5 for a restful beer and 6:30 dinner with 2 wild meats - gemsbok and élan. Exhausted but enriched. Temps were in the 80s and the windows open. Suffering from a cold caught on the plane in only my right sinus.  No animals came to the observation watering hole tonite.

DAY 5 - Friday - 1.11.13
Breakfast at 6am for a 6:30 viewing ride. Our crew, other than Diane and Gary, are their sons, Rogan and Gordon.  Gordon is a junior and Rogan a freshmen at Rhodes Univ in Grahamstown. Rogan is of note for his rugby playing.

      .... LIONS! Someone saw the movement of washed out yellow going to bushes 1000 meters away... We watched as 4 lions layed down in a bushy area for the day.  We returned 3 times to distantly identify their faces as they did not move from early morning until the gates closed at 6:30.  I doubt any other persons saw them or knew the lions were there. We saw Jackal families, BABIES of wildebeest & springbok... 4 boks- spring, oryx, gems & steer + hartebeest.. We drive 50 miles seeing ... Running spotted hyena, jackals+, wildebeest herd w/4 young, brown eagle arguing with a crow-like bird, many Kari Bastard birds, many carcuses, large flock of ostriches+, millipedes, many huge society bird nestings, Jackal eating on a kill, several herds of zebras with very young, Jackal feeding on a baby zebra, vultures, and ground squirrels.

Rained most of the nite. Bushes and trees that look burned up in the dry season are sprouting new leaves of lite green and some flowers as this rainy season starts. There will be large areas of green short grasses and then black-brown areas which have not gotten enough rain to come alive. Contrasts!
Our afternoon drive yielded about the same volume of sightings, but added Kudu, marabou stork, impalas, and a secretary bird.  Back before the gates to our compound were closed until sunrise tomorrow (so we are safe inside, except for the local jackal). Big discussion about US and SA.



DAY 6 - Saturday - 1.12.13
Some were up at 6:30 to make an hour drive while others slept and packed before breakfast and off to the coast... They got back to eat breakfast, collected everyone and headed out for our next destination- Kamanjab on tarred roads. The 2nd leg of the trip was 150 KM and we arrived by 11:30 to stay at Oasi Garni Guest House ("an oasis amid the dust") without AC but the common areas are comfortable and it had wifi. M and I went for a ride around town and surrounding area- a petrol station, market, 2 banks (ATM's), 2 schools, 3 guest camps/houses and a township. We drove a few KM east (gravel rd) and north (tarred rd at least here and possibly to Angola) and visited the township..

This area is very remote and has little to claim. The farming appears to be in very large plots and must require a huge acreage to sustain animals - cattle, sheep and goats. At 3:30 we left for the Himba village tour (250 Namibian dollars- $56 total ) on a 15000 acre of the farmer provided half his acres to the Himba people (initially nomadic) who developed a village for an orphanage and a few families. They are an extremely basic people who, if what we saw today is true, live the life of tribespeople with no amenities now or historically. When we were shown their living circumstances the women were bare-breasted and wore hand-made beaded adornments around their necks, chests, arms, wrists and ankles, loin cloths, amazing hair extensions with clay and animal skin decorations, and sometimes wore skins around the waist or neck down the back. The young girls wore fewer adornments (as they haven't had the time to make them), and the young children wore loincloths solely with some hair braiding. All people were adorned with some ocre (red powder).  We were told that the money we gave them would be used to purchase basic supplies, but realistically its their living. The entire area is red dirt with very little grass or weeds (but a lot of life's debris, apparently there for a long time), including their entire living area. We saw two clusters of roundos, with the buildings being in somewhat poor shape and positioned at least 20-30 ft apart in a circle generally. They are similar but smaller than the one we visited on our last trip to SA. They move back and forth between the tribes up north, and this group is "resupplied" from north. We were told that this group has a large herd of animals which graze in a large area of the farm. As we were leaving the area we noticed fully dressed women and children going out of the living area and 3 men at a roundo off to the side.

We got news this afternoon that our friend Cindy's mother passed away in Madison. R feels lousy with a sinus cold so we stayed in for grilled cheese and listened to the IU vs MN basketball game- okay!. R drugged himself and slept thru the nite. We had a letter from Mashishing regarding a reception, which required an immediate response.

DAY 7 - Sunday - 1.13.13
BAD MORNING - we learned the Pack lost!  Slept well last night 2ndary to pain and sleeping meds so as to catch up on restful sleep, unlike the last three nights of toss and turn, up and down. We have 7:30 breakfast so we can do the long drive to Hentes Bay, the seal colony, and Swakpumund today.  Drove 100 Kms and visited the cousin of Diane in Omaruru and had a snack. The family works with sustainability for the Himba and reduced impact construction. We then proceeded 200+ Kms thru grasslands, hilly terrain with only scrub and some large hills, to flat out no-vegetation desert. As we approached Swakpo we could see the beautiful reddish-tan sand dunes south of the city.  We are staying at the Secret Garden Guest House, where Kelzie stayed in '02 when writing the "Lets Go" chapter on Namibia (still in print and not updated since as far as we know). As we dropped several thousand feet to sea level, Rs cold moved to his ears. Marnie remains the mainstay of this part of the operation.
END OF WEEK ONE....

February 28

Home from South Africa and Namibia trip...summer to winter.... Day to nite...

UPDATE... AND LIFE AS IT DEVELOPS

Long time no entry... Actually we have been traveling, changing motorcycles, updating Ramsey and looking for new housing... Last first- bought a house in Verona, 8906 Royal Oaks Dr. Verona for a peek...closing 6.25 and moving 6.29. Bought a new motorcycle and took a 4700 miles trip- Memphis to visit a moto friend, Alcorn State to see "seperate but equal", Natchez, Austin to visit Kelzie, Big Bend NP, Santa Fe for bike tires and visit, Moab UT for Canyonlands and Arches NP, Salt Lake City, over the Rockies in the snow to Fort Collins, short visit with Aunt Mary in Lincoln and on home. Went to visit Gretchen Scott and the Baileys in Virgina in March and trip to Hilton Head, Daytona, St Pete, and Destin to drive with the top down and visit old friends in Febrary (cold time). We learned that Gretchen passed away 2ary to cancer on 5.24..we love her and she is a great friend of us and Chili dog. Plans after the move include.. Rick to Europe Aug 1 to get his bike the and ride until Marnie arrives in Sept... Then by car to see old Europe friends. New year winter in South Africa we hope. Kelzie continues in Austin and professinalizind Ironman - with new coach and renewed vigor after health problems in the winter. The IN farm is being transformed from a farm to a horse-riding facility.

on the WAY ....

Chittenden Brook Farm closes tomorrow and Thursday.. Our new house at 6901 Ramsey Road, Midddleton, WI 53562 will close in one week.  The moving truck will be here January 4th.  Kelzie will be hom from 12.20 to 1.3 to help use get ready... Chili will stay with the farm and begins his relationship witht he buyers tomorrow.
We have many arrangements in Madison and ready to move.. our new email address with be rmbeebe@gmail.com - give it a try......