This by far has to be the best day of the trip so far, in my eyes anyway. To travel to Africa and see the animals, especially the safari animals that you always hear about, such as Lions, Elephants, Giraffes and Zebras. Well talk about dream come true! We stayed overnight in Okaukuejo, which lies within Etosha National Park. Myself and three other girls seemed to have what was known as the "love room," well so it seemed. Mosquito netting galore made the night seemed so romantic.
So one of the main amenities to this resort was in fact a watering hole that was lit up at night so us tourists could watch all the animals come and drink. I was so excited I skipped showering from our two days of camping and went straight to the watering hole. All I wanted to see was a hyena, actually I didn't care what the hell I saw all I wanted was to see an African animal. So we waited, and we waited, and surprisingly...we waited. Until finally, it was time for dinner, and don't you know it, the second I leave a thirsty rhino comes into the picture. Courtney was actually the one that came and told me casually of course..."Oh yeah Monica there is a rhino down at the watering hole." And I'm sure everyone knew that from the second we landed in Africa all I talked about was seeing a rhino and It was here, the moment I was waiting for! Me, Amber, and Tara ran down to the watering hole, and I had sprained my ankle earlier that day, but I was running my heart out, I did not want to miss this opportunity. We got to the watering hole and way in the distance you could see a tiny rhino. I couldn't believe it, I mean you see them at the zoo, and think nothing of it, but this was Africa!! And I was looking at a real, wild (somewhat), African Rhino!!!!!!! This was definitely a moment that I would not forget, all I could talk about at dinner that night was being able to see a Rhino, something that I had been oh so looking forward to!
Driving through Etosha was just like a blurred sense of reality, I don't think it actually sinks in until you are telling people that you drove through a National Park in Africa while looking out your window and seeing a lion, or a zebra. It was so amazing just how many animals this place actually had, and even going through the different ecosystems within the park itself, almost more than we had seen the whole trip. Etosha was just a breath taking experience that I am so thankful for.
As we were leaving the park we stopped for the night at the Etosha Safari Camp. This was a night where I think we were all able to relax and just have some fun bonding as a team. It was far enough along that we had already bonded a little but still where we could reminisce about the memories that we had made.
Etosha you will be greatly missed!! Even as I am writing this I would give anything to be back there. It doesn't even seem real, like it was all a dream and I feel like I am making this all up, but I know what I did, and it will always be the best memory while in Africa, for me at least!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Otize and cattle dung
Reposted from Amber's blog:
There is so much to tell and so little time! I can't wait to tell everyone in person about my favorite day in Africa so far, and that was on our friend Uapii's farm on a conservancy. He spent the day having us meet his traditional Herero family, grandmother mother and little sister. We got to learn the daily activities, and even take part in them! Us girls started off with a woman's duty of patching their hut houses. I was prepared to do whatever in order to immerse myself in their culture and really live the experience, but nothing prepared me for sticking my hands and fingers into a pile of warm fresh cattle dung! But I did it with a smile anyways as I filled a bucket with the dung and carried on my head back to the hut. Then we mixed it with soil and water and formed balls. The balls were thrown onto the hut in places needing patched and then kneaded into the wall. The arid environment dries this mixture like concrete, making it a great insulator and a good foundation for their house. The old grandmother watched me work and said I was worthy of staying! She said I got the highest marks for how much I participated with a smile :)
Next the boys rounded up the donkeys and hooked them up with harnesses made of old tires to what we called the "Kalahari Ferrari" which was an old donkey cart! Then all of us got to ride and direct the donkeys. It was a blast! After that we learned how to milk their cows. Uapii's mother strapped up her little 2 year old daughter on her back and we followed her into the cattle corral made of sticks. She leaned over and put the bucket between her legs and started milking like a pro. We each got to try it out, and pretty soon had a bucket full of milk. Then we went up to the house and sat on cow hides as we poured the milk into a big gourd hanging by a rope tied on sticks and began to rock the gourd back and forth to make butter. She said she does this every day for an hour. The grandmother later showed us how she strains the butter and cooks it for a better taste. The last thing we did was go into one of their huts and they showed us how they apply otize, which is a mix of butter and red ochre, to make a red paste that is applied to the skin. This paste acts as a sunscreen, and is also great for your skin. I was the only one who volunteered to put it on, and I put it all over my face and arms. I can still remember the grandmother laughing and laughing, she'd never seen a white girl with this on! Speaking quickly in Herero, she told me I looked so beautiful, and that she wanted me to marry her grandson Uapii. Uapii laughed and Ben told him "She's yours for 15 cattle." Uapii said "Deal!" ha ha.
Later that day we visited another tribe the Himba. They greeted us with a traditional lion hunting dance, and after awhile I even joined in the dance. They all laughed and loved it! The kids were so cute. The Himba wear little clothing and are covered in the red otize. Their hair has red clay and otize in it, and it looks like painted dread locks. They are beautiful people and I'm so glad I got to meet them.
That night we camped by the river and parked our truck right over some elephant dung! We played in the river and I searched for tracks, then we roasted a whole goat from Uapii's farm. Pretty soon there were Himba men and Herero woman coming from all over throughout the forest to join in the feast. I spent the night practicing the little language I knew "Movango" means "want some?" as I passed around food. "Koda" is a greeting like "Hello how are you" and "Nowya" is the response meaning good. Even though we were all languages apart, we spent the evening enjoying good food and laughing and telling stories to one another as Uapii acted as the interpreter. The stars overhead so thick there were star shadows, the fire burning before us, and about 25 people from all different races and tribes sat together and enjoyed each other's company all night.
There is so much more to tell, and I'm sorry I don't have pictures. But this was by far one of the best days not only on the trip, but of my life. I learned so much, experienced so much, and put myself out there 100% to walk in the shoes of people across the world from me on so many levels.
There is so much to tell and so little time! I can't wait to tell everyone in person about my favorite day in Africa so far, and that was on our friend Uapii's farm on a conservancy. He spent the day having us meet his traditional Herero family, grandmother mother and little sister. We got to learn the daily activities, and even take part in them! Us girls started off with a woman's duty of patching their hut houses. I was prepared to do whatever in order to immerse myself in their culture and really live the experience, but nothing prepared me for sticking my hands and fingers into a pile of warm fresh cattle dung! But I did it with a smile anyways as I filled a bucket with the dung and carried on my head back to the hut. Then we mixed it with soil and water and formed balls. The balls were thrown onto the hut in places needing patched and then kneaded into the wall. The arid environment dries this mixture like concrete, making it a great insulator and a good foundation for their house. The old grandmother watched me work and said I was worthy of staying! She said I got the highest marks for how much I participated with a smile :)
Next the boys rounded up the donkeys and hooked them up with harnesses made of old tires to what we called the "Kalahari Ferrari" which was an old donkey cart! Then all of us got to ride and direct the donkeys. It was a blast! After that we learned how to milk their cows. Uapii's mother strapped up her little 2 year old daughter on her back and we followed her into the cattle corral made of sticks. She leaned over and put the bucket between her legs and started milking like a pro. We each got to try it out, and pretty soon had a bucket full of milk. Then we went up to the house and sat on cow hides as we poured the milk into a big gourd hanging by a rope tied on sticks and began to rock the gourd back and forth to make butter. She said she does this every day for an hour. The grandmother later showed us how she strains the butter and cooks it for a better taste. The last thing we did was go into one of their huts and they showed us how they apply otize, which is a mix of butter and red ochre, to make a red paste that is applied to the skin. This paste acts as a sunscreen, and is also great for your skin. I was the only one who volunteered to put it on, and I put it all over my face and arms. I can still remember the grandmother laughing and laughing, she'd never seen a white girl with this on! Speaking quickly in Herero, she told me I looked so beautiful, and that she wanted me to marry her grandson Uapii. Uapii laughed and Ben told him "She's yours for 15 cattle." Uapii said "Deal!" ha ha.
Later that day we visited another tribe the Himba. They greeted us with a traditional lion hunting dance, and after awhile I even joined in the dance. They all laughed and loved it! The kids were so cute. The Himba wear little clothing and are covered in the red otize. Their hair has red clay and otize in it, and it looks like painted dread locks. They are beautiful people and I'm so glad I got to meet them.
That night we camped by the river and parked our truck right over some elephant dung! We played in the river and I searched for tracks, then we roasted a whole goat from Uapii's farm. Pretty soon there were Himba men and Herero woman coming from all over throughout the forest to join in the feast. I spent the night practicing the little language I knew "Movango" means "want some?" as I passed around food. "Koda" is a greeting like "Hello how are you" and "Nowya" is the response meaning good. Even though we were all languages apart, we spent the evening enjoying good food and laughing and telling stories to one another as Uapii acted as the interpreter. The stars overhead so thick there were star shadows, the fire burning before us, and about 25 people from all different races and tribes sat together and enjoyed each other's company all night.
There is so much more to tell, and I'm sorry I don't have pictures. But this was by far one of the best days not only on the trip, but of my life. I learned so much, experienced so much, and put myself out there 100% to walk in the shoes of people across the world from me on so many levels.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Poetic thoughts
I stayed in Namibia for a few days after the students went home. I've been known to wax poetic about wide-open spaces in Namibia, but I had to wait until the stress and schedule of the trip ended--before I had time to think.
Here are some links to some wrap-up thoughts from me:
Dr. Powell
Here are some links to some wrap-up thoughts from me:
- About feeling uncomfortable stopping for petrol, and being rushed by guys selling crystals
- On being a photographer, especially during this trip!
- About being 'home again' in Namibia; I hope everyone has a chance to find a place where they can go back and feel this 'home again' feeling in the future!
- A little story about finding a zebra snake in my bedroom (while I was at a lodge by myself)...
Dr. Powell
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Personal experiences galore!
"There are three kinds of [people]. Those that learn by reading, those that learn by observation, and the rest of them who have to pee on the electric fence for themselves" - the Cowboy Guide to Life
This is one of my favorite quotes and exemplifies how Cowboy logic cuts to the quick. Yes, the quote is a bit rough around the edges, but the meaning is clear enough. As such, I think I can safely say that we just peed (figuratively of course) on the electric fence. In this situation though, that is a good thing!! We spent nearly 3 weeks experiencing Namibia first hand. You have already seen at least some glimpses into our adventure through this blog and more will be coming. Additional posts will continue to highlight some of the daily activities from the trip. Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite quotes and exemplifies how Cowboy logic cuts to the quick. Yes, the quote is a bit rough around the edges, but the meaning is clear enough. As such, I think I can safely say that we just peed (figuratively of course) on the electric fence. In this situation though, that is a good thing!! We spent nearly 3 weeks experiencing Namibia first hand. You have already seen at least some glimpses into our adventure through this blog and more will be coming. Additional posts will continue to highlight some of the daily activities from the trip. Enjoy!
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