Windy Corner

Here we are in Windhoek (translated it means windy corner). We managed to get up at 4.30 am and just as well we did as the driver was early, arriving at 5.10 am instead of 5.30. We only kept him waiting a few minutes before we headed out to the airport for our Air Namibia flight to Windhoek to begin the Namibian part of our adventure.

We had dinner last night with Jeremy and Shelley (at the exceptionally posh Twelve Apostles Resort and Spa) who had just finished their Namibian leg and it sounds like we have a treat in store for us. It was only a two hour flight and Lon and I slept most of it, not even waking up for breakfast. We were collected by an exceptionally handsome young man called Max who dropped us at our hotel and also took us on a city tour this afternoon. But first a quick brunch (seeing as how we missed breakfast) at a nice restaurant - we asked the hotel security guard could he recommend a nice place and he escorted us all the way there - about 2 blocks. The people are very friendly in Namibia.

Windhoek only has around 300,000 people and most of them live in "shacks", as some of the settlements are called. We toured some of those and also visited an outdoor market where people sell spices, fruit and vegetables and meat both raw and cooked. We both made small purchases although neither of us tried the cooked meat.

Max then took us to Joe's Beerhouse, a famous spot in Windhoek and popular with tourists too. It's difficult to describe it - an eccentric, eclectic, comfortable indoor and outdoor bar and restaurant - the decor includes everything from elephant bones and oryx horns to old number plates, a carp pond, cooking pots, bird's nests, funny signs, stools shaped like toilet seats and fish trap light covers - but somehow it all works amazingly well. We enjoyed some relaxation with Max, who is excellent company, and had a drink and some great potato wedges with a nice chilli salsa. Max shared stories of his impending marriage and his two small boys and has filled us in a great deal on how people live in Namibia.

Now we're back at the Kalahari Sands and Lon is resting while I'm in the Business Centre. Unfortunately I can't upload any photos from here. Not sure what the situation will be like at our next two destinations, the Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland and the Wilderness Safari Lodge in Soussesvlei - so maybe I won't be able to update again until we're back here in Windhoek on Friday night. We leave around 7.15 am tomorrow for our flight to our first lodge and we're really hoping we'll see some rhino (and Max says there's plenty of elephants as well).

We both remain really well and thoroughly entranced by this beautiful continent of Africa and its wonderful people.

Lotsa love

L & L