Namibia - (Day 2) - Ghanzi - Windhoek

Travelled over another 500+ km today, leaving Ghanzi this morning at 8:00am, it took us two hours to the border - Manumo  in Botswana and Boitepos  on the Namibian side.  The holdup being on the Namibian side, a bus load of people made it before we did, so we just had to be patient and wait.  It was really not bad the time spent at this border, and the people were very pleasant on both ends.  So the bush car made it through with us paying about US$30 to drive in Namibia, which includes insurance, and not checking anything in the car.  The first stop is a rest stop on the Namibian border, where we check out if we can stay “just in case” coming back on April 17 or 18.  They do have rooms (we will see).  We stop at every gas station along the way to top up, just in case, the distances are vast and in Botswana gas stations are miles apart.

Our first impression driving in Namibia is order.  There were absolutely no donkeys or cows anywhere near the road, we did see one or two scattered around, but they were behind fences, where they should be.  The place is clean, even the rest stops (remember these are just concrete benches and tables under trees) do not have garbage falling out of the bins, fixed up and painted nicely.  So we realize this is a different ball game, and just have to obey all stop signs, including the stop lights, and we do not see anyone else disobeying the rules too.  Mind you we just arrived in Namibia.

Our trusted GPS (smile) take us to Windhoek and Sam Nujoma street, then on to Nelson Mandela street to our hotel where we are booked for the night.  We have to ring a bell for them to open this massive gate.  We drive in and this place is lovely, an old refurbished 1912 German home with newly built rooms around a small pool on this massive property in the middle of Windhoek we are at Pension Bougainvilla –  www.pensionbougainvilla.com we will wait to see the city tomorrow as being on the road for six hours has taken its toll.  We have made reservations at world famous Joe’s Beerhouse – www.joesbeerhouse.com  for dinner and will leave early to see a bit of the city.  We will see more tomorrow as our drive is not as tedious and the first two days.

Besides the cleanliness of this place, we did spot a loan wildebeest and a mommy warthog and her babies along the road.

So we have so far travelled a distance of 1,125km.  We have another 300 km to get to Swakopmund tomorrow and staying at a friend we met through Barbara, her name is Sam Baine and she has allowed us to stay at her country home at the Rossmund a golf course in Swakopmund.  We cannot wait to see the ocean, and put even one toe in that water, we are told it is cold, I think we are prepared with extra blankets, jackets, pillows, and each other.

Blessings from these Jamaicans in Namibia