Namibia (Day 3-4) Windhoek - Swakopmund

We are here in Swakopmund looking at the Atlantic Ocean and dreaming of our home Jamaica.  Today we drove another 350km to Swakopmund, for a total distance travelled of 1,650km from Francistown, Botswana. 

Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Joe’s Beerhouse, and we were seated with three people from County Cork in Ireland who have been in Africa for the past two weeks and leaving the next day, wonderful people and good company.   Then Charmaine’s son William and his girlfriend Charne joined us for a drink.  We had a really great night at Joe’s, we had to leave William and Charne with the Irish, and trusted our once again loyal GPS to get us back to Pension Bougainvilla.

We drove around Windhoek the following day and found Fidel Castro Drive, and some craft items, driving out of Windhoek Kate spotted some Himba women, another picture moment missed.

The drive from Windhoek to Swakopmund was something else, beautiful, mountains in the distance, and then driving through the Namib desert coming closer to Swakopmund, just a beautiful drive.  We drove on a two lane highway, and lots of fully loaded huge trucks coming in the other direction, as we are going towards a big shipping port Walvis Bay. 

We drove past the Rossmund golf course where we were going to stay, but we just had to see the sea.  Approximately 50km out of Swakopmund there was this mist or big cloud which spanned the horizon in front of us, driving closer it got bigger, and bigger.  Driving into Swakopmund we realize it is the mist coming off the Atlantic ocean.  When we saw the ocean we almost cried, what a feeling, we have not seen this in two years.  Kate had to get her feet wet and feel the real sea sand (lovely).  The water is cold, no shells, no crabs.

So we then had to get back to Rossmund where we were staying at Samantha Bain’s country home, she lives in Johannesburg.  Getting to the golf course was easy, we drive through the boom (guard gate).

The guard said that #16 is straight ahead, we arrive at one of the homes on the golf course and the keys just do not fit.  We now drive past the guard and get to the receptionist who says there are apartments too, we head to those find a number 16, the keys do not fit, we call Sam who says it is number 16 or it could be number 14, we find number 14 the keys do not fit.  We call Di and James French, who we picked up the keys from at Nata, Botswana, they were just at the apartment and then James tries to direct us, he says, find the garages, we have garage 23, look for the garbage bin beside the door, then walk past the fire hydrant, he heard dogs barking through the phone, he said we are heading in the right direction, look for the white with tan Jack Russell dog, he will take you to Nick his owner who will show you where the house is.  I am here to tell you that the dog did show us where Sam’s townhouse was!!!  It is a lovely two bedroom two and ½ bathroom house, equipped with everything, including TV.  We feel like we have arrived back in Jamaica and on our back patio at 10 Norbrook Drive.

                                                   

My husband made reservations at a place called Tug Restaurant www.tugrestaurant.com right on the ocean, with the best window seats, just love him.  We have a really great meal of kingklip and prawns/shrimp with a bottle of the best South African red.

So here we are in Swakopmund for two nights and will attempt the drive to Sossusvlei tomorrow, it will be about 300km and six hours drive into the heart of the Namib desert, driving on 4X4 roads.

Blessings from the Francis’ in Swakopmund.