Experiences of a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia (2016-19) and further adventures…
Longtime best friend David recently visited Namibia, so we hired a 4×4 with a roof-mounted tent to explore a corner of the country that has attracted me since my arrival: Damaraland and Kaokoland. Lying mostly in Kunene Region, it is considered one of the most remote places on Earth and besides its fascinating scenery, flora and free-ranging wildlife, it is the traditional homeland of the Damara and Himba tribes.
Continue reading “Off the grid in Namibia’s wild, wild West”
I was recently contacted by a candidate for a volunteer position in the Community Economic Development (CED) sector at Peace Corps Namibia. She will soon have her online interview and she reached out with some good questions about my experience. I was happy to answer them and thought you might find some interest in this…
Continue reading “Preparing for the Peace Corps Interview: Q&As”
Linda, another “seasoned” PCV from California in Group 45, recently posted this on her blog. It helps explain why the Peace Corps is here in Namibia, a country with a lot going for it but still needing help.
When I recently lamented my neglect of this blog, a friend said: “Live your life now – write about it later…”
But I couldn’t go any longer without telling you about one of my many activities.
Continue reading “Day of the Namibian Child and Reading Club”I’ve been fortunate to work with fellow PCV Angel in supporting the Tov Orphanage in the town of Tsumeb, coaching the management team and board of directors in effective governance and operations. Our inspiration is the children – all affected in some way or another by HIV/AIDS – who organized a whole weekend’s visit to Etosha National Park, complete with a fun environmental educational program and a wonderful game drive. I hope you can feel the energy and joy that these kids exhibit!
Continue reading “Tov Tsumeb Orphanage visits Etosha National Park”
During my visit to Lüderitz, recounted in last week’s post, I also visited the nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop (or Kolmannskuppe in the old German). First established in the late 19th Century as a diamond mining town, the last resident departed in the mid-1950s. Since then, it has been subject to the slow but steady encroachment of the Namib Desert sand. It’s a photographer’s Mecca, particularly during the early and late hours of the day, and I did the best I could during the middle of the day. Continue reading “Kolmanskop – a relatively new ghost town”
I recently visited the remote Southern town of Lüderitz for its 10th Annual Crayfish Festival. Located on the Atlantic Coast, this quaint German town comes alive once a year to celebrate its seafood industry. Crayfish (aka “lobster”) are a major export from Namibia (particularly to Asia), but they kept more than enough for the locals and the tourists to enjoy at Festival time. Enjoy the photos!
Continue reading “10th Annual Crayfish Festival in Lüderitz”
This weekend marks the first anniversary of my arrival to Arandis. Yes, the time is flying by and I’m loving it as much as always!
Oh my… as I approach the first anniversary of my arrival to Arandis, I have been SO busy! Too busy, in fact, to have time to share all my recent activities and adventures on this blog. I actually have 6 (count them, 6!) posts to share with you, in various stages of development… but priority naturally goes to living life over reporting on the life lived. I trust you’ll forgive me.
When I first visited Goanikontes-Oasis back in October, I started to think about a return trip to that relaxing retreat by hiking from Arandis across the desert and down a number of dry river canyons. While I had painful memories of the reconnaissance mission to remind me of the challenges, it was still a project I looked forward to accomplishing once summer was over and the temperatures were more tolerable.
Continue reading “A project completed (and I have the blisters to prove it!)”
