I Can't Complain, but Sometimes I Still Do

Africa » Namibia
July 31st 2014

Published: November 23rd 2014

Overland travel, if nothing else, allows for hours of contemplative reflection. Which is good because as I make my way back to Windhoek from Swakopmund, all there is to do is don some earbuds and daydream out the dusty windows as the scorched Namibian landscape whizzes by. I’ve got no complaints. In the illustrious words of Joe Walsh, Life’s Been Good to Me so Far. Well okay, maybe one tiny... Read Full Entry

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Andrea

cabochick

This Canadian girl's passion for travel comes from my adventurous parents. My brother and I spent most of our youth traveling all over North America in the family’s camper van, airplane, and boat - going as far west as the Hawaiian islands, as far north as Tuktoyaktuk, and as far south as Mexico doing lots of adventurous stuff...canoeing, surfing, fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, exploring, jellyfish poking...it was the best childhood ever! That same adventurous spirit fueled my travel passion for over 30 years. I’ve been all over the shop. Now that I'm newly retired, I split my lif... full info

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Beautiful

The vistas around Dune 45

I think I'm lost

The maze at Giants Playground goes for miles and easy to lose your bearings.

Popcorn fart dry

The dead pan floor of Sosselvlei was severely cracked

The drinking tree

Not a drop of water is wasted in these parts, with only 30mm a year, doing dishes and watering the tree go hand in hand

Dung beetle

You think nothing could live out here but there is so much life in the desert

The Dead Vlei

Very well know picture of Deadvlei in Namibia, colours defy description, it is something else to see it in person.

Everything but the bathtub

Sand slowly consuming the house, but the bathtub remains

Lovers in a dangerous time

Able to pull away from kissing long enough to take a picture, my Argentinians were so lovely.

Misty Morning in Sosselvlei

Was close to 0c, very cold in the winter in the desert overnight but warms up to 30c.

Snacks for the herders

George would carefully wrap up our leftovers and give them to herding families along the way, I was so touched by this gesture

Campsite comfy

Lovely places to spend the night, setting up your camp under a mopane tree

Oryx stands alone

This silly girl was just hanging out having a nap when we went by. She stood up and looked bewildered. Where did the herd go?

Ghost town

Entire mining town being consumed by the sands of the desert

The Ultimate vehicle

This is THE jeep for travelling in Namibia. Next time I come back I'll be getting me one of these bad boys!

Long road to somewhere

Always exciting to see a new place no matter how long a road it takes to get there

Here's shit in your eye

Above our campsite, the sparrow nest. They would peek out at us, just don't get right under it.

Bewildered wilderbeests

The smoke monster chases down the wildebeests. Sigh.

Changing landscapes

Each place we visited, the landscape changed drastically.

23rd November 2014

Ake Och Emma
Ake Dahllof and Emma Holmbro

Shell shocked tourist
When I read you blog I remembered this episode. When I was in Beijing a few years ago I came into the hostel and in a couch there was a tourist sitting. He looked like he was shell shocked. He slowly started talking about what had happened. He was in Beijing with his mother. His mother was each day going on the prearranged group tours but the son preferred to do things on his own in his own pace. His mother, wanting her unmarried son to meet the lovely young unmarried tour guide, asked him to join her on the tour for the day. That day the tour included the Forbidden city. He explained that the pace they kept on the tour was so high that taking photos was out of the question and he almost had to jog through the Forbidden City in order not to loose sight of the group. Loved the blog and this photo is great. /Ake

23rd November 2014

cabochick
Andrea

To tour or not to tour
Oh, that is too funny, I too experienced the same at the Forbidden City, literally running to catch up to my tour after taking a picture. Yet if I had gone it alone, I wouldn't have learned anything about this landmark, so I guess scheduled tours are a necessary evil when travelling!

23rd November 2014

D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley

Chasing an Ostrich
Always hang on your word descriptions. A clockwork orange....yea. Glad all the folks on your tour were like minded and you at least attempted to slow things down a bit. These travels are meant to be savored, absorbed and embraced not rushed.

24th November 2014

cabochick
Andrea

I'm going to call it crockpot travel Slow, savoured, not rushed! That's the way to do it! Will be incorporating that into my next trip for sure.

24th November 2014

littlewing
Cindy

Joe Walsh, Mick Jagger, A clockwork orange.....all in a quiver!
I absolutely adored this blog - so much information delivered in your unique hilarious style. Love it Andrea :) Thanks!

27th November 2014

cabochick
Andrea

I think I may be aging myself with those references.

24th November 2014

taracloud
Tara Cloud

Terrible fast travel in a fabulous place!
As a slow, independent traveler, I so agree with all written here of fast tours. I research places, so as to avoid tour guides with their often-opinionated, incorrect info. However, here, George sounded like a gem even if rushed you (I too, would have been bad and lingering). How great to meet the San people, hear hollow-sounding rocks and see the Quiver/asparagus tree. Great journey and photos!

25th November 2014

cabochick
Andrea

You, I think, have figured out the best way to see a country. Slowly! I hopefully will get to do the same when I retire. I plan to visit one country a year.

27th November 2014

RENanDREW
Ren & Andrew

Namibia - what a treat!
I LOVE your photos, and I had suspected that you were a tree hugger even before I saw that photographic evidence! :)

27th November 2014

cabochick
Andrea

LOL busted!

3rd December 2014

El Eterno Caminante
Greg

What an adventure....
Wow you are just having an amazing time there in Africa! Love the blogs and the pictures of the dead marsh...no words simply stunning! Have a great time and keep up the traveling and writing!

18th May 2016

Alisa in Colorado
non-member comment

dammit
if your notifications in my email would stop showing up I would actually get to work which would mean I actually get paid and then actually buy plane tickets to somewhere fabulous. :) Not sure why I got this old post today but I'm happily and easily distracted away from my world of GIS and transported to Africa. The interwebs rule. And so does your writing.

18th May 2016

cabochick
Andrea

Well that's strange. Maybe the system thinks I need to go back there? Anyways so sorry to disturb your work. I too am working like crazy now to save for the next trip. It's a vicious cycle.

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I Can't Complain, but Sometimes I Still Do

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