After a weekend of luxury in Tsumeb we have now arrived in Africa again. As reported before, the Kupferquelle Lodge was at least 5 stars and we were really pleased as we walked through the town and grocery shops. Also the Olympic swimming pool (really, 1 of the three in Namibia) was wonderful. We did not want to leave!
Yesterday was our son Tom’s birthday and he is now 22. For Lisa It was the first time she wasn’t there; I had been through it more often. Fortunately we could use facetime. Tom also told us that the support of Tamara did not go well and that he, and Farrah, are on it. Tom (finally) is also working to enroll in a college but which one was not yet clear yesterday. Our children become grown up’s…… finally!
This morning we left, after a huge breakfast in the restaurant, from Tsumeb to the northwest over the B1, an incredibly good road. After about 90 km we passed the cattle fence and that is something typical of Namibia and Botswana. These two countries have a fence, at about 16 degrees lattitude what has been put there by the South Africans to keep livestock free from foot and mouth disease. South of the fence, all the meat may be traded with the rest of the world; the cattle from the north not. In the south there are fences all along the road and it is quiet; north of the fence begins Africa and the cattle runs across the highway and there are houses along the road. In Namibia, 40% of the population lives in this region so it is actually quite busy. The government is trying to move the fence further north, towards Angola, but it encounters objections from that country because farmers regularly cross the border.
We are now in Ondangwa and that is really Africa with cars, people and cattle together on the street. Because Namibia is (becomes) prosperous there are also many shops and everyone drives in new cars over very good roads. We stay here for 1 night and continue tomorrow to Ruacana or Opuwo. Then southward. I have an appointment on December 24th with the Toyota garage in Swakopmund for a service of the car
Van harte gefeliciteerd met Tom!
Voelt het dan weer een beetje als thuiskomen, als je weer in Afrika komt?
Heeft dat ding nou zo vaak onderhoud nodig? Of lijkt dat maar zo en rijd je zoveel?
whauw dat is nog eens wat anders dan de Hoorn in Alphen aan den Rijn…
Ik zou er zo in willen springen.
Alletwee gefeliciteerd met jullie zoon Tom, ja, 22 dat wordt langzamerhand serious business he?
Waarom is Namibië eigenlijk zo’n rustig en relatief welvarend land???
En gaan jullie niet verder naar het noorden rijden??
wordt vervolgd, ik voel me flink onrustig, ben blij als het straks allemaal achter de rug is en ik deze periode echt hebt afgesloten.
liefs,
Flim
Ha reizigers,
Mooimooimooi en nog van harte met Tom natuurlijk.
Ik herken het gebruik maken van de schaduw van de auto om te koken ed.
Weer bijzondere ontmoetingen. En gaaf die verschillen binnen een land. Nu is Namibië waarschijnlijk groter dan ons kikkerlandje en zelfs hier zijn er grote verschillen natuurlijk.
Veel plezier verder op jullie omzwervingen.
X Corry