Over all thoughts

Well now that I'm home I can see complete differences from what it is like in Namibia. I had an amazing time with everything from learning all about Namibia to getting to really know that people I ended up with on the trip! Everything was amazing. I have to say that my favorite part of the whole trip was going to Uappi's farm and learning the ways of the Himba and Hiraro people. The chores are gender specific and learning how to make cow poop walls was really cool. I enjoyed getting to know how to speak the different languages and all that. I also loved Etosha and being able to drive around and see all the different types of wildlife! I loved every minute of when we were there, and I'm hoping i will be able to go back some day.

Homeward bound!

Today was a bittersweet day for us, as we left the Becker's home near Omaruru.  Peter Becker is a cattle farmer and professional hunter in Namibia, and he spent time in Nebraska (working on ranches) during his training program at a South African university.  He and his wife Doris hosted us for our last night in Namibia, and we had a great time sitting around their table and enjoying some traditional Namibian stew (lamb and springbok versions!).

Today, we returned our camping equipment and a vehicle and most students and the good Dr. Pegg are headed for the airport.  By all reports, it was an excellent trip, and there will be many stories to share upon return.

There will be some post-trip blogs to follow, after people get back to better internet connections.  So, check back.  Perhaps one of the quickest lessons learned was that we should be grateful for our mostly free internet connections and free WIFI.  In Namibia, you pay for every minute you use, and there is no WIFI.

Happy trails everyone!  Enjoy your return.

Northern Namibia photo update



Just some quick photos of the end of our journey through northern Namibia.  We left the coast and traveled to the Kamanjab area, where we spent some time at a cheetah farm and a traditional Namibian farm in a communal conservancy.  We then traveled to Etosha National Park.

Katie gets up-close and personal with a pet cheetah.

Uapii, a student at the Polytechnic of Namibia, helps Ben and Tanner hook up a donkey cart.  The bridles and hitches are made from fencing wire and old tires.

We split into two teams for a milking contest.  Monica was the clean-up hitter for our team, and has a real knack for this---even when competing with the calf for the milk!  It was a tie---3 cups of milk for each team.

Students get their jiggy on while visiting a Himba village. 

Dr. Pegg shows the Himba kids video of the students dancing.  Looks like he just made some new friends.

A large group of elephants at Etosha National Park.  We were happy to see them at the water holes, as we had been warned that all the rain in the past year might keep animals away from tourist waterholes.  Nothing like a group of elephants to make everyone happy!



A male lion roams across the plains at Etosha National Park.  We watched him follow a lioness for about a couple of kilometers.

FINALLY!! an update from Ariel!!

So this trip as been amazing and I have to say that I am super happy I'm here! We have had an amazing time and every one can see some of the things we got to do from other people. I have to say that I have found that I dont like open markets and that I really like tripe! Shark fishing is great and the people here are amazing.... excluding the people who try and see you nuts with your name on it... they are scary! But I'll be back on later when I have more time and I'll see ya'll back in the states!!

How the time flys

Just a quick update since I'm running out of time here at the internet cafe.

All I can say is 'Wow, how the time flys!' I can't believe out time here in Namibia is almost up. It seems like just a couple days ago we were landing in Windhoek tired from our travel but excited for the trip laying ahead. The multitude of experiences our group has encountered in the last couple weeks could fill a book and I'm sure nobody will soon forget them. Two things have struck me on this trip and represent the spirit of Namibia in my eyes. First is the diversity of this country. Not only from an ecological standpoint, as we have seen everything from dense shrublands and mountains to baren sand dunes and coastal flats, but the people as well. We have seen the full spectrum of people on this trip, from native Himba peoples living their traditional pastoral lives to modern students that would look just as common in Nebraska as Windhoek. In this same vein is the tenacity of the people here in finding ways to live and find comfort in less than ideal conditions. Some of the places we have stayed are extremely remote, sometimes several hours from the nearest town or city, but everywhere has been more than hospitable. Even Uapii's family, who live in traditional dung and earth houses on a farm have all the necessities and comforts. This trip has truely changed my view on what is important in life.

Thanks for reading
Ben

Chameleons, Giraffes, and Cheetahs OH MY!

May 21, 2011 Today we drove to Kamanjab to visit and camp at the Cheetah Farm. On the way there Larkin had put us on chameleon lookout. Monica and I were desperate to see a chameleon the whole trip, and Larkin had promised that you can usually see them crossing the road. Sure enough Larkin spotted a desert chameleon crossing the road, so we pulled over to have a look! He was a very chunky little guy and we were able to hold him and have a photo shoot. We then placed him on his destination side of the road and trekked onward to the Cheetahs! As soon as we pulled up there was a juvenile giraffe that came running up to our truck. Apparently they had found this giraffe a year or two ago stuck in their fence. They couldn't find its mother so they decided to bottle feed it. The giraffe is now semi-tame, but he comes and goes as he pleases. They said he had recently came back after being gone for over three months. This was a real treat for us because we were able to pet and take photos with a giraffe. The cheetah farm has 16 wild cheetahs that they have rescued from farms where they faced sure death. They also have 4 cheetahs that were abandoned from their mothers that were rehabilitated and bottle fed. These 4 cheetahs will never be wild and so they literally live in the front yard of their house. We were lucky enough to go inside their yard to interact with the semi-tame cheetah. They reminded us that no wild animal is truly tame and that we must keep our guard up- after all these still are big cats. This was most certainly a special experience to be able to get close up and personal with one of Africa's big cat predators. It was awesome! We were able to pet and take photos with them. After we were done lounging with the "tame" cheetahs we were taken on a game drive to view the "wild cheetahs". This was a little spooky because we had 14 cheetahs stalking our vehicle. These cheetahs are free to hunt for themselves, but they still feed them if they do not have a kill that day. For the rest of the night we cooked and sat around the fire and gazed up in awe at the spectacular African night sky!

Tara!

Sweet Aroma of Seal

May 20, 2011

Today we left Swakopmund mid-morning and headed towards Cape Cross to experience the Cape Fur Seal Colony. I have never seen so many seals at once. This is the largest Cape Fur Seal colony and is a reserve to Safe Havens. It was fun watching the seals ride the waves and do flips and to see them bask in the sun. As mark promised we also experienced their sweet aroma that was pretty close to that of cat urine. It was well-worth putting up with the smell just to see all the seals. We then drove to Henties Bay and spent the rest of the day on the beach collecting sea shells. The sweet aroma of the seals was stuck in our clothing. For supper we ate at a seafood restaurant called Fishy Conner or Place and fave place for Dr. Pegg. Almost everyone ordered the Calamari and from what I could tell they were all in bliss over how tasty it was. "I'm eatin' Calamari in the Kalahari while on a safari with Katie Lawry in my Kalahari Ferrari!"

It was a great night!

Tara!