This past weekend afforded me another chance to explore my nearby surroundings, this time along the bed of the Swakop River that separates the high desert in the north from the high plains to the south. I tented at the Goanikontes-Oasis rest camp, explored the river bed and climbed up to the south rim for great views.
Continue reading “Weekend getaway to Goanikontes-Oasis on the Swakop River”Is the Peace Corps still relevant?
I recently had a chance to reflect on “the bigger picture…”
4 months after saying goodbye to one another at the end of PST in Okahandja, the 31 members of Peace Corps Namibia Group 43 met together in Windhoek last week for our “ReConnect.”
Continue reading “Is the Peace Corps still relevant?”Exercise your right to vote! Much of the world doesn’t have it…
After sharing it with my Namibian friends and colleagues, and (once again) discussing our electoral process, I was proud to fax in my absentee ballot today. Voter participation here and in most other new countries is much higher than in the US. We must lead by example, particularly this year!
Continue reading “Exercise your right to vote! Much of the world doesn’t have it…”Backpacking at Spitzkoppe
Those of you familiar with Arches NP in Utah or Joshua Tree in SoCal will recognize familiar types of geologic formations at Spitzkoppe, which I explored this past weekend. Stunning beauty as the light changed throughout the day, and each feature seemed to take on a new appearance when I barely moved my vantage point. Later, I learned that Stanley Kubrick’s Dawn of Man sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey, was filmed here.
Continue reading “Backpacking at Spitzkoppe”More bike rides through the desert
The beginning of Spring means that Summer is not far behind, and our comfortable temperatures won’t continue for long. A week ago, for example, we saw the cold, wet fog reach 65 km inland from the coast and only my sleeping bag kept me warm enough at night. Yesterday, on the other hand, it reached the high-90s!
Continue reading “More bike rides through the desert”Sunday bike ride
One of my favorite weekend activities is exploring the desert surrounding Arandis. For most recent weeks, this has been on foot–but now that I have a working bike, I’m able to cover much more ground and go further into the bush. Yesterday, while clocking about 30km off-road, I found ancient riverbeds, an endemic Quiver Tree and several herd of wandering Springbok.
Continue reading “Sunday bike ride”Heroes’ Day – 50th Anniversary
Imagine a holiday that combines all the patriotic fervor of your country’s Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day combined, and then consider that it’s the 50th anniversary of the first shots fired in your country’s Revolutionary War. That’s what Namibia experienced last week on Heroes’ Day!
Continue reading “Heroes’ Day – 50th Anniversary”How big is Africa?
Or anywhere else, for that matter…
Another interesting image to shift our perception:
I love maps!
Dune 7
With fellow PCVs Andrew and Kevin, I climbed to the top of one of the largest sand dunes in the world on Saturday. So named because it is the seventh dune after crossing the river Tsauchab, Dune 7 has been measured at over 1,256 feet – 383 meters. I hope these photos and video clips give you some idea of its scale and beauty, as well as the fact that it’s made up entirely of small grains…
Images of Life in Namibia
Life in Arandis is racing by – I can’t believe it’s mid-August and that I’ve been here 7 weeks already! My first three months on site are designed to help me integrate with my new community and my work colleagues – that is all happening very nicely. To ensure that we maintain that focus, Peace Corps does not want us to venture too far afield or take any vacation time away. That’s not been a problem as there are plenty of things to see and do around town and within the Erongo Region. Here are some visual vignettes for you to enjoy…
Continue reading “Images of Life in Namibia”