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Published: October 4th 2010
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I spent my last week back in Lubumbashi in Congo visiting a lot of friends and doing some serious work too. As usual, I'm using these trips to slide in little side-trips all over Africa. Let be honest, I miss a lot my two love ones at home, but this is such an opportunity. And yes, I need to thank Ma'ri for making all this possible, without her, I couldn't run around the world like this. But I'm preparing her own discovery of Africa for very soon...a very romantic trip to come!
So this time it's Namibia for me...one more country, and I'm getting closer to my 100th country count by the day. Never been before to Namibia, so it's a real discovery for me. Having been running around the last few weeks, this is a discovery pretty well unprepared too!
First stop, after flying Lubumbashi to Joburg...and a connecting flight to Windhoek where I was going to stay 2 nights. Let me tell you Namibia in figures first. The country has only been indepedant for 20 years. It was before that run by South Africa as a “province” for around 80 years and previous to that was a
colony of Germany ( but World War I made them lose Namibia). There are around 2 millions people living in the country, and between 200 to 300,000 in the capital Windhoek. So you can very easily understand that Windhoek has this kind of provincial feeling, not really a big city! 60% of the population is actually living in the township. What is also interesting, is that Windhoek is lying at around 1700 meters altitude...I really had no idea the capital was so high.
The country is basically a big desert...with huge parts of it which are semi-deserts.
My first plan was to play golf here. I haven't play 18 holes for a long while, this is the opportunity. But they have only one golf course in Windhoek, and greens are currently under repaired...not great for a nice round of golf. So I switched pretty fast to plan B...for something that I won't regret. They have a rehabilitation reserve for the big cats around 30km out of town in the hills above Windhoek. The Amani Lodge is at around 2,000 meters altitude and their aim is to provide a “rest-stop” for endangered big cats. Currently they have 5 cheetahs,
1 leopard, 1 lion and one lioness. Each big cat enjoying his own environment, each time an enclosure of over 50 hectares for each species.
The trick to be able to run the Amani Lodge is to provide first a lodge (where I'm not staying) and second the opportunity for paying visitors to see the big cats up close. The visit happens during late afternoon at the time of feeding the cats. This kind of guarantee you a chance of a very close encounter.
This afternoon, 11 guests...and a very dark sky...it is the beginning of the short Namibian rainy season...at the end of the day, we ended up pretty lucky, meaning...pretty dry.
Next to each enclosure is built a view point. First stop, the 5 cheetahs. I has lready seen the big cats, but never that close. The fun part is that it is us who are entering the “cage”. Well, it is not really a cage, but just a little fence to give the cats all their space...and to make sure we have a “slight” feeling of security. Our guide released some meat...and the big cats a immediately running down the hill in our direction...impressive...well,
even more impressive when I decide to get down a little to take a pic of the cheetah standing the closest to us, merely 3 meters away...to have her charging at me, stopping less than a meter for me. I do not have that picture...as my first reaction was to stand up and back-track...what an emotion! We may have stay there 20 minutes....and here, it's the cheetahs who decide when you leave...well...we are leaving only once they have decided they have enough of us and left.
Next stop, the leopard! I saw the big guy in the Serengeti in Tanzania 2 years ago...but he was ina tree, maybe 100 meters away from us. Here the rangers are hiding little bits of meat all around. So it's like a big game...the leopard just room around trying to find his little snacks. Wow...so close, so nice, such a big cat! A viewing platform was built specially for this, so we really have a prime look at the big cat. Take not, I've still got my little carry-on camera, nothing outrageously fancy...no amazing zoom to get a closer look...so yes, we were pretty close to the leopard.
Last stop, the lions.
I've seen them before...few times, so for me as much as I love them, it was not the best part of the experience. Nevertheless, they are still very impressive! What an experience.
I also spent a full morning walking around downtown Windhoek. My first feeling....they are way too many people doing strictly nothing in these streets....doesn't really made me feel fully safe. Was ok during day time, not sure I would do the same thing at 9pm! The city is kind of on the small side, but with few cute gardens and buildings.
For my stay in Windhoek, I've chosen the Chameleon hostel. I haven't been in a hostel for ages...and wow, things have changed. Due to a very high occupancy rate, I had to change rooms few times, going from a fancy 3 stars room, to the kind of single room I was living in while a student. They had also dorms, but that was my past, and I'm happy that my past stay my past! The place is cheap, it's nice, it's clean...and it make me feel like I'm 25! Sometimes it's fun too!
Next entry coming soon....not much internet access for the moment. But
it's kind of ok, I'm writing on a Sunday, and China is off for a National holiday week-end....not much I could do on the workplace!
With love from Namibia...and yes I'm counting the days before coming back to Leslie and Ma'ri!
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Love you!
Really nice blog and pictures! We love you and miss you and can't wait for you to return home! Take care! Kisses