Close encounters in Namibia
Looks like Sharon Graham , Practice Nurse and Lecturer from Shrewsbury, is better at giving advice than taking it! Thanks to her for sharing her walk on the wild side.
After a very long day I finally got some rest on the plane, but woke up five hours into the flight feeling very hot and sickly. I have never been the best of travellers by plane, boat or car, but this time was worst of all.
My long suffering husband was asleep when I got up to ensure the contents of my stomach were directed to an appropriate receptacle and only barely awake, some 20 minutes later, when the stewardess escorted me to first class so I could lie flat enough to get blood to my head.
It seems I was a somewhat whiter shade of white and giving everyone cause for concern. First class on Namibian Airlines was comfortable enough though definitely not plush and after two hours I was ushered back to my seat so breakfast could be served – apparently it’s OK to disrupt economy passengers being sick, but definitely not first class.
My diagnosis – a dodgy meal at Gatwick before the flight – reminded me of the first rule of travel safety: watch what you eat.
The adventure begins
Despite that miserable start I was sufficiently well the next day to begin our tour to the southern areas of Namibia, across vast expanses of desert into the Kalahari, staying in lodges built into the natural rock structure, eating our way through the African antelope varieties.
We went down to the old gold mining areas to see the “city” of Luderitz and the ghost town nearby where the sand has reclaimed the inside of many buildings. We then worked our way back north via the high sand dunes of Sossusvlei – a sight so spectacular it was worth getting up at 4am to be there as the sun rises and changes the shapes and colours of the surrounding dunes.
Up close and personal
It was around here that our guide and friend took us on a detour to a lodge where we were guaranteed to see cheetah, captive in a large cage but not 100 per cent “tame”. One has a history of getting out when hungry and helping himself to a lamb from the neighbouring farm (he’s the one behind me with the large abdomen).
It was an even bigger surprise when we were escorted into the cage where all three cats were there to greet us. After a suitable period of sniffing around we were invited to “tickle” them behind the ears and across their backs.
Wow! So much for risk assessment and being safe and sensible travellers! Our guide carried a Magnum 44 in case we misbehaved – I’m sure he would have shot us rather than these wonderful animals.
Answer: “Anywhere he wants to ...”
During a boat trip around Walvis Bay we had to share our seats with guests from the local seal population – compared to the cats they were just large and wet, and more concerned about getting the best seat than who was sitting on it.
Our final close encounter was at a lodge where a family group of five white rhinoceros came to the vehicle tempted by the “chocolates” – something similar to dry dog food. Not happy with the small quantity provided, the matriarch of the group thought about returning with us back to the lodge by taking control of the drivers’ seat.
The point is, I suppose we all do things on holiday that we would never dream of doing at home! Travellers – who’d deal with them?