Back to Namibia!
10 Dec 2022 - Llangennech
We left home today and had a little issue with a cancelled train. Luckily all was fixed with the help from a kind neighbour! We ended up taking the train from Swansea to London Paddington and then walking 10 minutes to our Hilton Hotel. For dinner we re-visited the Italian restaurant from our last trip to London. Mish’s sense of direction and ability to find places again is remarkable! Even Ellie the Elf found us at the Hilton. Ellie was in the bathroom with lollypops for each of the girls!
11 Dec 2022 London > Frankfurt > Windhoek
A freezing cold but a lovely day out in London! Visited Leister Square Christmas market, then Trafalgar Square. It was so cold that we nipped into the National Gallery to keep warm!
Harriette: At the National Gallery we saw some really
cool paintings including a version of the sunflowers (by van Gogh), and the
painting of the water lilies by Claude Monet.
We each had to chose a painting to do some research on.
INSERT ART
Maxine: We were so cold we went into Café Nero where
we were warm and had tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
Back to the hotel to fetch luggage and catch the Airport Express to Heathrow. First flight was delayed by 1.5 hrs and when we finally made it to Frankfurt we had to RUN through the airport to catch our connecting flight to Windhoek. We JUST made it, while they were half way through boarding the flight. It was a long flight and not much sleep for the adults but we finally arrived to warm greetings from the grandparents. But... 2 of our 3 checked bags did not arrive. So no clothes for Robyn and no Christmas presents either! Lost luggage paperwork took over an HOUR!
Time for a nap (but not for Mish as he has work) and a relaxing day!
13 Dec 2022 Windhoek
Slept late! 8am for Harriette! Maybe it was due to sleep inducing medication for Harriette’s bug bites.
We spent a lot of time swimming, shopping, packing and sorting to go on our Road Trip. We also had a drive back to the airport to collect our lost luggage. It arrived! Yay!
Quick Doctor visit for Harriette’s bug bites and lots of meds
options to manage. Skeeter Syndrome sucks... The rest of the day was spent crafting and
beading at home with more swimming and a
quick visit from a family friend. Delicious roast lamb dinner and a reasonably
early bedtime.
14 Dec 2022 Jansen Kalahari Guest Farm
Left on our tour of the SOUTH of Namibia!!! But first a quick visit to Rheta and Jan’s farm
(more family friends) where we learnt about Jan’s Copper refining process
project and also played with the new baby sheep and goats.
Drove to Bittewasse Intl. flying centre and watched some gliders
over a cold beer before heading to the guest house for lunch and the afternoon
of home schooling while watching the Giraffe , Eiland and Springbok from the
porch. While Mish continued his work,
the girls with grandparents went for a swim in the pool. Afterwards we watched the
sunset, over the red red sand. Gorgeous!
We finished the day with a yummy Braai, where the girls even liked the gem squash. We stayed up late at night to see an amazing lighting display in the distance. As it was so hot at night, and the girls got the room with the only air conditioner, Robyn and Mish took the mattresses and slept outside under the stars.
15 Dec 2022 Hardap Dam
Robyn woke up for sunrise and got a few amazing pictures! After breakfast we packed up and had a short
drive up to Hardap Dam (around 80km). When
we arrived Mish carried on working in the main restaurant building while the
rest of us went on a tour of the Dam’s Talapia fish rearing farm. Saw fishes of all sizes and colours, from
adult breeding fish to the newest hatchers. The girls got to feed a few tanks, in which
they keep roughly ~6000 fish in each. Most
of the fish are frozen and sent to fancy restaurants.
We had lunch at the chalet followed by schoolwork in the A/C as it was
really hot outside!
Once it cooled down in the afternoon, around 4pm, we went for a swim and the girls even made up their own synchronised swim routine. Braai for dinner with an AMAZING sunset over the dam followed by breath taking stars twinkling like diamonds before hitting the sack. We enjoyed reminiscing with Robyn's parents about a previous visit of theirs to Hardap Dam in 1974 and all the drunken shenanigans they got up to!!!
16 Dec 2022 Quiver Tree Lodge.
We woke up early and took a 3km walk for a bit of exercise
around Hardap Dam. After “Brekkie” Robyn
and Mish left to move on for internet access for Mish’s work and meetings. Kids and grandparents followed at a more
leisurely pace. After 270km (thankfully
most of it tarred) we all arrived - adults got stopped by the Police to check
Robyn’s drivers license and that it was not expired.
Harriette: We went to the giant’s playground after lunch. It was like a giant had thrown wooden blocks
around and stacked them, but instead of wood, they were massive stones. We had a very fun time at the giant’s
playground. Next we watched the cheetahs being fed for ages. After that, we had
‘sundowners’ by the quiver trees. But we
came home too early and missed the African sunset colours. We had a braai for dinner and then watched
the stars before bed.
17 Dec 2022 Nabibis
Harriette: Today we woke up early at 6:30 and went
for a swim at 7:00 to 8:00. After that we had breakfast and left for Ronnie’s
farm. We had lunch on the side of the
road and on the way we stopped at Nabibis to see the first cement building from
1814. It belonged to a missionary from
the UK.
Maxine: We stopped at a special nursery to see the
lithops, these are a specially adapted desert succulent. They looked like bums and brains. We had ice cream
and apple pie. They were Yum YUM! Then we drove on to Ronnie’s farm!
Arrived at Oom Willie and Tannie Analize farm, where they
showed us the incredible desert garden they have spent years cultivating –
delicious fruit trees, tomatoes, olives and the kids ate a glut of fresh home grown
organic veggies and fruits for afternoon snack!
Moved on to Ronnie’s farm and had a chilled afternoon, with some
home schooling an a lovely braai and kuier (social visit) with those on the farm.
Accommodation is very high class and felt like real African luxury in a desert chalet!
18 Dec 2022 Nabibis
No change accommodation tonight, staying at Ronnies and thus
a very relaxing day. Morning game drive where we saw lots of animals,
including: Springbok (white, black copper marula and original), Impala, Rhone, Sable, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Waterbuck, Bat eared fox, Ostrich, Zebra, black and
blue Wildebeest, and one insane Springbok who wanted to wrestle with Mish!
Afternoon relaxing, reading a book, doing a puzzle, and trying smoked Zebra (Mish: yummy).
Dinner is potjiekos (stew cooked on the fire) with family friends and a good kuier
again.
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