I can hardly believe it's been 3 weeks since I landed at Windhoek International Airport. I had always wanted to visit Namibia, so I was particularly excited that I finally got round to doing it...and I was not disappointed. I'm completely enamoured with the country and can't wait to go back. I'm planning to make at least one trip to Namibia per year until I've seen and experienced everything there is to see and experience in this wonderful, wonderful country.

Our (Jenny - my sister, Barbie - our friend and I) very first Namibian adventure started on a very mis-adventurish note. We flew to Windhoek from Cape Town and our flight was seriously delayed - by more than 6 hours. So, what was supposed to be our first day in Windhoek (population: 230 000, capital) was largely spent on Cape Town International - which isn't the most happening place on a Saturday afternoon. However, all's well that ends well, and we finally made it to Windhoek, where my cousin, Bryan, and his family was waiting to receive us with a hearty Namibian braai.

The next day was largely spent recovering from the ordeal from the day before and catching up with the family - who so graciously accommodated us for the whole week we were there. That evening we went to a game lodge - had sundowners with our first Namibian sunset and watched the hedgehogs and buck feasting in the gardens. The day after Jenny, Barbie and I hit the streets of Windhoek tourist-style. Bryan made his BMW available to us (without a car one gets nowhere in Namibia, in that sense it's even worse than South Africa) and we made our way to the city centre to check out all the sights there. What first hit me about Windhoek was how much warmer it was than Cape Town, where the winter still doesn't wanna let up. I could walk around in the teeny tiny shorts I'd recently acquired and strappy tops. Since it's not summer just yet, temperatures hovered at a comfortable 28 degrees. At night it was a little cooler, but not that much cooler as one could still get away with wearing light summery clothes.

My impression of Windhoek is that of a spread out town with some charming colonial buildings. I was also struck by how similar it was to many towns here in the Cape. Almost all the shops and banks are South African and one is hard-pressed to find something that differentiates Nam from SA. However, one finds evidence of otherness away from Windhoek and especially in the names of some of the places.

The next day Barbie and I (Jenny had a migraine) would be adventurous and drive 70 km to go and buy biltong in Okahandja (70 km outside of Windhoek). It is on this trip that I got a taste for the open road and just how different driving here is from driving in the city. I had decided early on in the trip that the distances between places were too vast and since I was going to have to do most of the driving (one of my least favourite pastimes) I didn't have to venture far out from Windhoek. After driving to Okahandja I changed my mind. Firstly, it helped that we had a really good and reliable car. Secondly it was very liberating driving on a road and knowing there aren't any people for kilomtres. It was just outstretched planes and mountains - one is surrounded by nature, which wasn't very hospitable (read dry and arid), but had its own beauty and charm. I could feel myself expanding; taking up more space than I do in the city because there was more space for me. It was a great (addictive) feeling and after buying the biltong Barbie and decided to drive to the next town, Karibib (110 km from Okahandja). I was also completely enchanted with the magical names some of the towns had like Omaruru and Otjiwarongo. On our way back to Windhoek we decided that maybe Swakopmund (383 km from Windhoek) wasn't that far away and that since we went half way (to Karibib) already we might as well go all the way. Our fate was sealed: our very first adventure in Namibia would take the form of a roadtrip:)

The next day we would drive east towards the Botswana border. First we dropped off Jenny at the airport before heading to Witvlei. We were running a bit low on diesel and tried to fill up at the airport, but the filling station there only serviced rental cars. About 50 km from Witvlei the warning light goes on indicating that we were low on diesel and that we should fill up soon. I slowed down to 120 km/h and switched off the aircon to save diesel and hoped we would make it to Witvlei and that there was a filling station there. We got to Witvlei with a fair amount of diesel in the tank, but to our horror discovered that the filling station had been closed for the last year. The next place with a filling station was Gobabis, which was 50 km further on and we knew we weren't going to make it. We first went for help to the post office and then the Witvlei Village Council, where Richard generously gave us 10 litres of diesel. We weren't that impressed with Gobabis, which was 70 km from the Botswana border, so after we'd filled up we left. Between Gobabis and Witvlei we are stopped by a traffic officer and given a fine of R200 for speeding. On average I drove at about 160 km/h in a 120 km/h zone, so I was just glad that the fine wasn't that hefty and that we could pay it at the police station in Witvlei... again a good end to a slight misadventure;-)

Our big drive out would be the next day when we would go to Swakopmund. We hit the road early (6am) and were fortunate enough to see the sun rise on the one side with the full moon setting on the other side. That just did it for me and I knew we were going to have a great day. It took roughly 3 hours to get to Swakop and when we got there we were ravenous. We ended up at an Italian deli (ironic in Swakop, which is about the most German town we'd seen thus far) where the food was wonderful and the coffee smelt so delicious, that even I had a cup. It was also here that we struck up a conversation with one of the locals - Wayne, and he said that next time we're in town we should let him know, so that he can show us the desert elephants. We checked out the beachfront, but our real interest lay with the desert just outside Swakopmund. We instantly morphed into happy snappers as soon as we encountered the first dune. It was a great sight especially since the sea was right next to it. We wanted to do a desert tour, but it had already started by the time we got to the tourist information centre - bummer, but it will be done when next we're in Nam. We drove to Walvis Bay, checked the lagoon and all the flamingoes before heading back to Swakopmund to explore the town on foot. We had to leave relatively early so that we didn't drive back in the dark, but since this first trip to Nam was largely a "reconnaisance mission", I wasn't too fazed, since I knew I was going back.

It was with heavy hearts that we boarded our respective aeroplanes the next day. We attempted to prolong our visit, but it would've been too expensive for Barbie to fly back on a different day. However, I left Namibia with very fond memories and a promise to return because there is still so much I need to see. I want the full-on desert experience (Skeleton coast, all the works), I want to hike through the Fish River Canyon and must see Etosha. I even entertained fantasies of maybe generating an income with just a internet connection and setting up shop (and a home) in the desert. I knew I would love the desert, but wasn't prepared for just how enthralling/enchanting it would be. It's the idea of the wide, open spaces of just me and the dunes. I can deal with the heat and the sandstorms (I think). I just have to go back to Nam again and again and again.