Ongava Lodge

This is the area we spent allll day lounging around in chairs admiring the waterhole that was just a few meters away!

Some photos from Etosha to get started...

There are hundreds, but I have managed to select just a few.

Birds and Rhinos

The steam is pouring and swirling off my tea cup, caught in the small and chilly breeze that is also catching the dust out at the waterhole. I am sitting at SC’s place up north. His home is low and open and the line between his garden and the veld is only marked by the end of his lawn. This is our second day of sitting on his porch and looking out at the waterhole.

It has been birding heaven for us. Yesterday we spent the day identifying the tiny sunbirds settling in his lush green garden. Once we had those we transferred the lenses of our binoculars to the grey, brown and black birds that were camouflaged into the veld around the waterhole: helmeted guinea fowl bouncing across the gravel like soccer balls escaping small children, swainsons francolin peeking out from under bushes and around rocks and cape turtle doves perched in the trees cooing to us all day.

For those who are not as delighted by the birds as we are, there have been kudu, warthog, oryx, springbok, wildebeest, red hartebeest, porcupines and the excitement of a brown hyena, alone and thrilling. For us to see this amazing plethora of creatures, big and small all we have had to do is sit in SC’s comfy chairs, drink his tea and coffee and hold our binocs to our faces. When all of this has overwhelmed us, we simply place the binocs on the table and pick up our books. It has been idyllic idleness!

The night before last, as we arrived here, SC had us pack blankets and sandwiches and took us out for a full moon Rhino observation. We drove through the bush at dusk and watched the sun go down behind a dark southern giraffe. Then we settled in at the waterhole to wait for the rhino to appear. And appear they did!

The moon slowly rose, with the strength and beauty of the goddess that people worship her for. The landscape was lit eerily, like someone had thrown towels over the lamps. Throughout the night we had five rhino visit in about the same number of hours. They are massive animals, as though boulders grew legs and decided to eat, breed and be stately. They are also grey like the rocks in the region and when lit by moonlight they are large, intimidating ghosts. What I found amazing was how nimble they are, the rhinos were so light-footed, and twirled on the spot like ballerinas when spooked by the flash of the camera.

Last night as we were preparing for bed, but enjoying the last of the embers of the fire we had cooked on, we heard the deep-throated call of a lion. Suddenly the end of the lawn seemed very close indeed and us tourists scurried into the house to “brush our teeth”. Once safe and warm under our covers with books once again in hand and the lights firmly on, the continued bellowing of the lions was primal and yet somehow managed to be comforting. Perhaps because, as long as we could hear him out there, we knew we were safe in here!

More to come from Etosha at a later date, although how Etosha will outshine Ongava, I have no idea!

Narrec

Narrec is a bird sanctuary just outside WHK that I absolutely adore. They take in birds that have been injured in some way and rehabilitate them for release. They do have some birds that will permanently be there, mostly because of some human unkindness or stupidity.

There is an incredible Black Eagle, who is huge and plugs directly into your reptilian brain when she lands heavily and aggressively on the tree above your head. Her presence is incredibly aggressive and dominating when you are so close. There is no doubt in your mind as to who would win in a hand to talon fight. Unfortunately, she is going to a permanent resident of her aviary. She was taken from a nest as a chick and raised by a farmer who thought it was manly to have a pet eagle. The first time she preyed on his livestock, she immediately became considered a menace to him. Because she has been taught not to fear humans, and because she knows how to hunt livestock, she cannot ever feel what it is to fly completely free and make the decision to mate, hunt, or flow along an updrift from the desert, just a speck in the sky.

Of course, if she had not been rescued by Narrec, she would instead be dead. Which some would say was better than being caught in what is essentially a cage for the rest of her life.

Other wonderful things about Narrec, are two hornbills who followed us around the entire sanctuary, carefully avoiding the vulture aviary. They posed and they primped and they brought us seeds and stones. Which of course made for some fantastic photography.

Beauty in the Journey and the Destination

We recently went to Cape Town again. We were only there for three and a half days which is no time to appreciate the city, but the drive there and back takes two days so there is plenty of time to appreciate the journey.

I most enjoyed the drive back to WHK on this trip. At first you drive through the Cape where there are mountains and endless green fields punctuated by huge flowing trees. Then you drive through the Citrusdahl area, where you are in the mountains, and the road is followed by the canal used to irrigate hundreds of dark green orange trees.

The further north you go at this time of year the more of the famous wild flowers you see. They are streaks of luminous orange and 80's-like eyeshadow blue. And every now and then a voilent purple stands out against the rock. Eventually, on the other side of the border there appear the occasional Quiver Tree, standing alone amonst the gravel plains and dolomite extrusions.

It's a drive that I love to make and have made many times. Even though it is very long, I never tire of the interests that nature and man provide along the way.

Why ya'll should be here

Winter sun

Right now it is freezing cold here. The houses are not heated and they are built for the retention of coolness. BUT every now and then you can find a windless spot in the sun and it is a small segment of heaven to feel the warming rays reach your bones.

winter sun

a uniquely Namibian experience

I had a wonderful experience at the chemist the other day. As I was standing waiting for my credit card to go through, I was listening to the 4 ladies behind the counter having a chat.

Initially they were having a wonderful gossip about someone and how to handle that someone. This conversation was between three of them. One black woman and two coloured women, they were all speaking Afrikaans. Which, in my opinion, is the best language in which to gossip. It's a gutteral language that comes from the back of the throat and is full of onomatopioa and words and phrases that cannot be translated directly into English. Even the word for gossip sounds like what it is. Skinner - pronounced 'skunner', with the R at the end rolling around like the aftertaste of a Cabernet Suavignon.

While I was waiting, they were joined by a tall blonde woman who addressed them in German. Without hesitation and without thought, they all switched to German. Then two of them broke off to speak in Afrikaans again. At which point they were interrupted by a customer speaking English, and of course they responded to him in English. My credit card went through and the Blonde lady spoke to me in English too. All this swtiching between languanges happened without comment from them, and they were all flawless in all three. The whole conversation was fluid and lyrical in a way I have never heard.

It seems as though, in Namibia, you can pick the pieces of the three languages that best express your thoughts, and because almost everyone has the same smattering of those languages, they understand you. Having the choice of languages almost adds another language, one that only a small set of people in the world speak and it gives them intimate knowledge of what you mean to say.

Mom's Birthday

Yesterday was Mom's bday and we had such a lovely day. It started with the traditional brack of dawn present opening. We were all up for coffee before school started and Mom enjoyed her presents. In the evening we watched some absolutely fabulous tennis - Senea vs Henin. Go Henin! Which made us terribly late for dinner at the Taal. The Taal is the only Indian restaurant in WHK and the food is EXCELLENT, their menu is varied and has many vegetarian options. It was absolute heaven to enjoy all that deliscious food in the company of my family. NC joined us as one of Mom's extra daughters and luckily St could stay around for an extra day and joined us too. It made a very lively crowd but not big enough to be impersonal. Once we were all disgustingly full we rolled home and ended the evening with some West Wing. Such a lovely day!

Southern African and Namlish terms

Things you may read and not understand...

Braai - barbeque but usually with more meat. ew.
Padkos - food you take with on a road trip
ummmm can't think of any more right now. I'll get back to you on that.

days when you should have just stayed in bed.

Tough day in the classroom today. I have been promising to show them the Gandhi movie for weeks now, and have also been trying to show it to them. Finally I got the keys to the cupboard and the classroom where the tv and dvd machine are. Allegedly. All the kids troop in, get themselves arranged in front of the cupboard, I open it and viola! No DVD machine... I dispatch a student and her buddy to borrow one from the Bursar... they return. No double adaptor. I dispatch her again... they return. No cord to connect the tv to the DVD player.

Now let me tell you that 20 mins of the 45 min lesson is gone already. The movie is 3 hours long. The maths is not working out in my favour. Also, the natives are getting restless. Not sure if that is a Conrad quote, but it ought to be. And I now sympathise. The volume of chatter is rising and one dear child has already threatened another with his chair, as if to tame a lion. I, in turn threaten with detention, for both of them, for good measure. Guess what... they girl returns. The cord is quite magical and has appeared to disappear. Impressive. There is now 15 minutes of the lesson left and it was at this point that getting up at 6 to be at school and spend my morning with these little muffins, these little fruitpies, these little cupcakes takes it's toll and I banish them to the field where they can be loud and energetic away from me and my detention forms.

Tomorrow I am taking my own dvd player, my own double adapter and my own cords. I will also have detention forms and extra homework at the ready, just in case of power failures or unavoidable natural disasters.

PS. Gandhi was a super caloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis. Go Mary Poppins!

Mother's day in Cape Town

We spent Mother's day driving around the Cape Peninsula, stopped at a market for treats and shopping and ended up at a fish and chip place on the harbour. It was beautiful. The best moment was wondering up and down the wharf looking at the boats and enjoying the company.

Cape Town photo's as promised

The first image is of me at a winefarm. One of the best things to do in Cape Town is to drive out to Stellenbosch and that general area and pick three or four farms to stop at, then end up at Fairview for lunch with all the cheese you can eat. It's my version of heaven!

The second is the highly recognisable Table Mountain as you drive in from the road that leads north to WHK.

School fun day

We spent the day at the school today, mostly under a marquee tent. The sun was shining and there was a lovely, chilly breeze to remind us that it is still winter. The stalls were all selling deliscious and tempting foods and sweets. We each had something different for lunch. I should pause and explain fun day for the non-St. Paulians. It is a day where each class arranges a money making scheme and the whole country is invited to participate. There is always a tea stall, a braai and beer stall and the pillow fight. More recently there have been some new additions. Stir fry, the best biltong and candy floss in Namibia (allegedly) and dodgeball!

Also C was part of a very impressive and toe tapping display of ballroom dancing. She is giving K and I lessons. So far we can half cha cha and a little bit Rumba. I want to Merengue. K wants his laptop and for us to leave him alone please.

The Internet goddess is a fickle sprawling tarantula

Yay! We have internet again after four dry and horrible weeks. So will pick up where I left off soon. but meanwhile to keep you company - here are a few photos from our cards night which is becoming more and more rowdy! In fact they have become so rowdy that we have had to institute an new rule. There is a hat that goes around, and when you have played your turn you must put the hat on the next person's head. Otherwise we alll lose track of who's turn it is and it takes us half an hour to play one round!