11.11.17  Reflections...

Rhiana

Second graders.

As I had mentioned in my first email and beginning blog entry, I had been waiting many years for Namibia to be a main trip with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). In the past it had either been a pre- or post-trip add-on of only about 3-4 days for safari adventures in other African countries, and ironically, our group of 11 is and will be the last trip to Namibia using the current 16-day itinerary. (Apparently the powers-that-be don't think it is sufficiently profitable to continue as is).  And I find that to be very sad.

But we have been told that efforts are being undertaken to make some tweaks here and there (and it does need a few) to make it more profitable by 2019 so it can resume as a full 2-week adventure.

The world can learn so much from this amazing country and its energy conservation of the world's most precious resource - water. Look at the bathrooms in every camp we visited and you will see a metal bucket - used to capture the water in your shower as you jockey with the temperature you are seeking - so it can be used to clean the bathroom floor later that day. You are directed to turn off your taps while you brush your teeth. Water is heated using solar panels. We are given personalized, refillable water bottles to prevent plastic overflow in landfills. Everywhere you go there are marked recycle bins for almost everything.

These amazing landscapes bear witness to the power of nature in its many forms - wind shaping and reshaping the beautiful red sand dunes and their creases and shapes; rain in the north producing lush, thick trees and plants; lack of rain in the desert producing dry, cracked riverbeds; granite, dolomite, limestone, sandstone and other sedimentary rocks in so many formations. So many landscapes in one country!

But it is the people of Namibia who make this a fantastic place to visit. They are joyful and generous. They are kind. They have beautiful smiles, have wonderful singing voices and elaborate dance moves. They have a mischievous glint in their eyes and love to engage in discussions. But most of all, they are loving, and we all know we can never get enough of that!