I'm guessing many of you do not know much about Namibia. Perhaps you have not even heard of it before. That's understandable I guess - it is the least densely populated of any African nation with a land mass bigger than California but only 2 million people. If you like to travel, you should put this one VERY high on your list. If all the countries we visited, Namibia and Vietnam are the two I would revisit first. In fact, I promised Aspen a trip for her high school graduation (which she hasn't collected on yet) I was so impressed with my trip to Namibia that I am trying to convince her that this is where she should visit.
Why should you travel here? Well, first of all it's really pretty easy to get around and to speak to folks. I was surprised to see that they have a very well done and well maintained road system, with nice asphalt highways. The traffic is light, especially in the rural areas, and there are only a few cities.
Second, most everyone speaks English, which makes communication very simple.
Third, it has spectacular natural beauty. I mean SPECTACULAR. Namibia is home to two of the most unique deserts on Earth; the Kalahari and the Namib. The Namib is a coastal desert - yep, nearly a thousand mile stretch of sand piled into enormous dunes (some a thousand feet high) that run right to the ocean.
Because the winds blow towards the ocean, the moist air over the ocean never comes inland. BUT, that warm air blowing out over the cold ocean produces spectacular fog banks, so you have desert meeting the ocean and over 180 days of fog covering the coastline a year.
That fog is perilous for ship traffic though, and these are heavily traveled waters. In fact, there are so many shipwrecks, literally in the thousands, that litter the coastline that they call this region the Skeleton Coast.
As you move inland, you find some beautiful low mountains, and then the inland desert - the Kalahari. This desert is also interesting because it actually has quite a lot of plant life. It doesn't get much rain at all, but it gets a tiny amount consistently so the plants have adapted and can thrive. It doesn't go through prolonged drought periods like many deserts, so the plants can grow and create their own little microclimates on the ground.
Both deserts have animals that are very foreign to us in North America. All of the classic African animals - elephants, zebras, lions, leopards, giraffes, and a lot of grazers like springbok, oryx and eland. I've seen these animals in zoos obviously, but seeing them in nature is something completely different.
I'm a geologist, so I naturally tend towards the physical aspects of a new place, but Namibia has a very ugly history in many respects. They have a several different groups of native people - the Damara, Herero, Bantu and many others. But like so many other African countries, it was invaded by Europeans, first the Portuguese and later the Germans. The Germans were especially horrific towards the Hereros. Everyone thinks about Germany and the Holocaust during WWII. Well, Germany actually was responsible for an earlier genocide (interestingly, while Hitler was a growing boy) in Namibia where they exterminated 80% of the population (65,000 Hereros). Why is it we never hear about this in the US? Namibia was later incorporated into South Africa, and has been its own independent country since the 1990's. They have great resources, and seem to be a fairly well-run country compared to some that we have visited. It's a place where we felt safe, and where the people were genuinely nice to us. They are happy to have the tourism, and they are proud of their country.
They have a lot to be proud of. Nearly half of the land in Namibia (47%) is set aside as National Parks or conservation areas. They are trying hard to take care of the land. They welcome foreigners. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are very well thought of here - they have a home near our port of Walvis Bay, and have adopted kids from here. They gave a huge some of money so that they could upgrade facilities at Etosha National Park and fight poaching. It's nice to be in a place where Americans are though of in a good light. All in all, we have been well received everywhere we have been. We have seen some ugly behavior from tourists, but for the most part they haven't been Americans. Perhaps Americans are working to shed the image of the "ugly American".
In an earlier post I said "go to Japan". Let me also say "Go to Namibia". Throw in South Africa as well. A gorgeous country that has beautiful scenery, great wine, outstanding wildlife, and nice people.
Why should you travel here? Well, first of all it's really pretty easy to get around and to speak to folks. I was surprised to see that they have a very well done and well maintained road system, with nice asphalt highways. The traffic is light, especially in the rural areas, and there are only a few cities.
Second, most everyone speaks English, which makes communication very simple.
Third, it has spectacular natural beauty. I mean SPECTACULAR. Namibia is home to two of the most unique deserts on Earth; the Kalahari and the Namib. The Namib is a coastal desert - yep, nearly a thousand mile stretch of sand piled into enormous dunes (some a thousand feet high) that run right to the ocean.
Because the winds blow towards the ocean, the moist air over the ocean never comes inland. BUT, that warm air blowing out over the cold ocean produces spectacular fog banks, so you have desert meeting the ocean and over 180 days of fog covering the coastline a year.
 |
| Shipwreck along the Skeleton Coast. You can see the fog rolling in off the ocean. (not my photo, but cool anyway!) |
Both deserts have animals that are very foreign to us in North America. All of the classic African animals - elephants, zebras, lions, leopards, giraffes, and a lot of grazers like springbok, oryx and eland. I've seen these animals in zoos obviously, but seeing them in nature is something completely different.
 |
| Karen's best cheetah picture! |
They have a lot to be proud of. Nearly half of the land in Namibia (47%) is set aside as National Parks or conservation areas. They are trying hard to take care of the land. They welcome foreigners. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are very well thought of here - they have a home near our port of Walvis Bay, and have adopted kids from here. They gave a huge some of money so that they could upgrade facilities at Etosha National Park and fight poaching. It's nice to be in a place where Americans are though of in a good light. All in all, we have been well received everywhere we have been. We have seen some ugly behavior from tourists, but for the most part they haven't been Americans. Perhaps Americans are working to shed the image of the "ugly American".
In an earlier post I said "go to Japan". Let me also say "Go to Namibia". Throw in South Africa as well. A gorgeous country that has beautiful scenery, great wine, outstanding wildlife, and nice people.
No comments:
Post a Comment