Africa Travel Journal 7- A springbok and six jackals

A lonely springbok tiptoes to the pond, only to find itself inside a circling mass of six jackals. The springbok desperately tries to keep facing the jackal in front, only to have the jackals behind snap at his hind legs. Immediately, he spins around, facing the latest bite, only to be bitten again from another direction. Each time the springbok turns, the jackal in front backs off cowardly. For the next hour he jumps and turns, constantly being tormented by jackals with eyes glowing a yellow-green. I find myself disappointed with the jackals' progress in time for a line of silent elephants to walk through the scene, temporarily breaking up the routine.

The elephants took long pulls of the water, dumping the contents of their trunk into their mouths. The baby elephant, not more than four feet tall, tried to mimic its mother, but without full understanding how to get effective sips. The large bull of the herd stood silently, keeping a careful watch.

In the distant dark, the unmistakable shape of six giraffes patiently waiting. Unfortunately for the shy giraffe, it seems that they will have to wait all night...

Africa Travel Journal 6 - waterhole

With the golden splinters of dawn slowly creeping across the barren landscape, a solitary white rhino drinks away, occasionally lifting its head to check for unannounced visitors. Having finished its fill, the rhino runs across the stones toward the distant trees, scattering a still herd of Zebra in the process. Each group getting its five or ten minutes share of the water, I leave after having watched the dainty springbok, zebra, guinea fowl, jittery jackals, elephants and gemsbok all take their turn.

Last night this hole was alive with activity. The sun falls bringing a gold-to-blue gradient to the sky. The thin crescent moon and a nearby bright star also make their way to the darkening horizon. Elephants call out in the distance. Jackals join in with an eery laughing howl. The brim of the waterhole is teeming with the silhouettes of little black birds collectively issuing a bubbly chirp. The first visitor to the edge of the pond is a skitterish jackal, drinking for only a couple seconds before snapping its head up to look left and right, then back down again, repeating its nervous drinking manner for a few minutes before running off.

Calvin & Sharon

(to be continued)

Africa Travel Journal 5 Keetmanshoop

After covering roughly 3,000 km of mainly dirt roads throughout Namibia, we are now going to be taking an overnight train towards the southern border of Namibia with South Africa (Keetmanshoop). We still haven't met our friends with the Land Rover as they have had endless troubles with their vehicle. However, it sounds looks like the end of the repairs might be in sight. Hopefully they'll be able to drive up part-way to meet us when we arrive in a couple days!

As I write this my fingers are numb from the freezing cold. I have been sitting fifty feet from this waterhole since 5:30AM, which is when I first heard the roar of a lion somewhere near my tent. Although the male never showed up, two small cubs could be seen quietly stepping over the stones on their way to the water.

While sitting at a waterhole, one is treated to a procession of animals, usually one group drinking while the next is patiently waiting.

Calvin & Sharon

(to be continued) 

Africa Travel Journal 4 Namibia

We walk in to the local community centre, designed to give youth who cannot afford college a talent that will keep them off the streets. Meeting the students and teachers, we had a chance to see their artwork in progress, many finding influence from photos and magazines strewn around the centre. Others explored themes of life around the township, bringing eerie symbols of daily life to the canvas.

Leaving to the dark train station, we climbed on the noisy locomotive at 7PM. Finding our seats, I was immediately reminded of our local bus trip to Puno in Peru -- although the smell was not quite so colorful... Over the next 12 hours, I told myself that it must be fried chicken, but I have my doubts.

With seats much like in the airplanes, freezing cold and frequent jolts, bangs and lurches -- it was a difficult sleep. Arriving just before sunrise, we enter the town of Keetmanshoop, the hub of southern Namibia.

Calvin & Sharon

(to be continued)

Africa Travel Journal 3 mopane worms

Walking through the singles quarters, a common area providing cover for people to sell their foods, I see nearly everything for sale. I was actually tempted to eat one of the thick roasted mopane worms that I saw spilling out of an overflowing sack, but without water on hand, I didn't fancy keeping the taste in my mouth for long! Moving on further, red peppers, cabbage, and rows upon rows of butcher tables. A girl sitting with two white tubs of brown frothy mixture offered me a drink of her home-made beer. Tradition is for her to take a drink of the mix from the bowl before me.
The butcher tables were heaping with inside-out cattle parts, many looking very fresh. A man holds a cow kidney in his hand like a baseball, ready to drop it on the grill. The barbecues were full of activity, roasting everything in sight. A quiet cow head looks longingly at me from the ground, it's hoofed feet proped against it's ears... Somehow I didn't feel hungry.
Calvin & Sharon
(to be continued)

Africa Travel Journal 2 Katatura

We have just spent the last week driving through the Kalahari Desert and on to the Moremi Reserve. Incredible experience having lions, elephants, leopards, hippos, hyenas, baboons and other animals come through your campsite.
 We are now on our way to the northern reaches of Botswana to the Caprivi Strip, the narrow section of Namibian land dividing Angola from Botswana. From there we plan to head through the Bushman villages and finally on our way back home!
With our last day in Windhoek, we headed over to the township or location as they are called here. In contrast with the township and squatter camps of Soweto, Katatura appeared to be much less destitute. The squatter camp homes of Katatura were built from corrugated metal siding for all walls and the roof. Situated on the top of a steep dusty hill, the sprawling range of homes extends in all directions. Each home has a number painted on its side to help locating in an emergency. Scattered throughout the area are tuck shops, homes of entrepreneurs who sell everything from bottles to hair cuts. Much like Soweto, they have the same troubles with a limited water supply and toilets shared between too many families.
Calvin & Sharon
(to be continued)

Africa Travel Journal Blog Namibia

On June 25 2005, we embark upon a six week adventure trip to Africa, starting in Namibia, hoping to make our way into Botswana. We like to rough it, and expect that this trip will be no different. Our most interesting times have been in home stays, so we will look for these opportunities.

Without a tour or any definite plans, we will be living out of a Land Rover with another couple (Dan & Ingrid), trying to find interesting people, places and experiences. 

In Namibia, we hope to get to the northern border with Angola, where we would like to spend some time with the indigenous Himba people.

Having spent the final two weeks of our journey far from the reach of electricity, we found ourselves in some of the most remote wilderness, with no certainty that we'd have enough gas to leave.

Arriving in a small village of the !Kung San people (also known as the Bushmen), we meet men and women who have survived as hunter-gatherers for nearly 30,000 years. Unfortunately, the outlook is grim as their lifestyle is now being displaced and eroded by commercial ventures and farming.

Calvin & Sharon

(to be continued)

Mursi Women

Video: 
Mursi Women





Video: Janin