Canon Roadhouse Windhoek

Back from Homestay!<br><br>Incase you haven't noticed I am really bad at updating this thing. When I am online for extended periods of time I usually just upload pictures on facebook which takes long enough and then go to bed. So for those of you who actually read this thing, I am so sorry!<br><br>My homestay was interesting. My family was extremely nice, but not what I expected. Many people in Namibia are becoming more and more inquisitive about issues ...

... and was disappointed at the lack of cheap non-tour transportation there is.  She smokes and drinks red wine, and wants a tattoo, but doesn't really know what or where.<br><br>I mention the tattoo only because I don't know the next persons name.  I'll cal her tattoo girl.  She had what I thought was a really cool tattoo on her ankle so I asked her to explain it to me.  I can't remember most of it, but every little piece had significance and a meaning and she designed it ...

... Penh, Saigon, Hanoi, and Vientiane - we all felt as we had just landed on a completely different planet, our own energy levels very low, confused and utterly indecisive about any little thing. Also, towns and cities the world over have a dense thickness in the air, smog that can make skin dry and eyes ...

... I guess I looked a little scared (which I was because of what the others just told me) and another man next to him yelled at me saying "Why you act so scared, he's just asking you if you need a transfer, this IS Africa!" Both men were black and they took it to mean that I was scared of them because they were black. I apologized and just said that I didn't mean to offend, I just don't need a transfer... I felt bad. Then we get to the hotel where an employee there ...

... Windhoek. Forty minutes driving through a treeless, dry and parched hilly landscape where the occassional little wooden farmhouse prompts you to wonder how this land can produce anything, and you are on the outskirts of Windhoek. First a mixture of low-rise industrial buildings, then smart new villas followed by modern houses and shops before the road widens into a tree lined boulevarde overshadowed by a few modest skyscrapers. Even here in the city centre, there are ...

... I can't remember and the highlight was seeing a bunch of monkeys scale one of the mountains. We couldn't even see them at first but we heard their screeching so we told our guide to stop. After watching for awhile Karina noticed that the mountain to our left was moving all over. There were dozens and dozens scaling their way to the top. We were far enough away the pictures didn't come out well but the site was pretty amazing nevertheless. This drive took a few hours and ...

... or sparkling wine, as South African likes to these, with fresh local oysters finished our morning on the ocean. Now we were driving to the mountains of Damaraland, northeast of Swakopmund. On our way we stopped at Cape Cross for a couple of hours to visit the large Cape Seal colony. Weather was brilliant and the thousands of sea held us captivated those two hours. We saw mother seals guarding their babys against lurking jackals. On our way to Mowani Lodge, the ...

Inspired by a couple of the Cascoland artists' descriptions of Namibia (you were sooo right MJ &amp; Bert) I'd set my heart on visiting Namibia. Martin checked it out and wanted to come too, which was very fortunate as my driving license hadn't arrived from the UK and hiring a car looked like the only option to get around this vast and sparsely populated country (i guess-timate it's about 5 times the size of the UK with a mere 2 million residents ...

... dinner in the pension: onyx, kudu and eland: nice! Tomorrow, I still have to start on my South African stories: there was always something better to do with the girls. I imagine myself sitting next to the swimming pool AND bar and write. The bar is what they call a 'honesty bar'. Which is a fridge full of booz. You take what you want and write it down. The nice thing is: it is 80 Eurocents for a 33cl beer. Promising days!

... brought the 4 babies out. Although they don't look much bigger they are definitely bolder and were walking all the way across the road before eventually swamping Mum wanting some milk. I got some fantastic photos before the bushman children came over. They don't like the meerkats so I had to dissuade them from throwing stones. Richard wanted to investigate my camera and took a number of photos of himself in closeup ...