Swakapmund

Swakapmund is a beach town that looks like a little like an alpine ski resort without the snow. And with mostly Africans instead of Europeans, although there were a fair amount of European tourists.

Some of the architecture made me forget what continent I was on. 

Or if I was in a fairy tale.

We frolicked on the sand dunes, including sand boarding and quad biking.

Quad biking was a lot of fun, although it took me a while to remember I wasn't actually ON a bike, and to go faster on hills.

The dunes were gorgeous.

We celebrated the New Year with some Afrikaners we met sand boarding.

We spent a lot of time on the beach. Not in the water, which was recently in Antarctica and VERY cold, but just on the beach.

Quad biking on the dunes.

Our backpackers, which reminded us of a dutch attic.

We saw seals on the rocks by the beach.

So cute!

Kind of makes me think of PCVs at the end of a vacation. Exhausted, sleeping in a pile, and you still can't get everything to dry out properly.

But the adventure wasn't over yet, as our bus broke down on the way home. Because they forgot to fill the gas tank up all the way. 

.......

Another bus came but couldn't help. Our driver hitched to the nearest village 130km away and got a few liters of fuel and hitched back with it... 5 hours later.

Then we had to figure out how to get the fuel INTO the bus, and obviously there was no funnel. So they used a Fanta bottle.

At this point, we and several Batswana nominated Liz to be the driver if the first one didn't return, but he did. So we got to Gabs at like 12:45am instead of 7pm, but we made it and it was an awesome trip, break down not withstanding. :)

Camels!

This is out of order, but before Christmas in Tsabong we rode camels!

Intertwined camels. I love their expressions.

It's not that hard to stay on when they plod slowly around a rink, but when they stand up and sit down it's a bit precarious. 

Me and Lucky the camel.

Our group with Lucky.

Our group with a pile of camels in the background.

Lucky, free of the saddle.

Hey there.

Wild camels on the reserve.

We got a ride to the village with the army, the Botswana National Defense Force.

But seriously, how can you not love this face? :D

Windhoek

We headed north from Makopong and spent the night in Kang.

Then we hitched across the border with some truck drivers. We had to hide at police checkpoints a few times, but also had a good conversation with the truck driver about HIV for a few hours.

Most things were closed because it was between Christmas and New Years, and the city was deserted because people went elsewhere for the holidays.  We walked around the city for a few hours, winding up on the edge where we got a beautiful view. 

It honestly reminds me a little bit of a European city, with the architecture and the mountains in the background. 

Jess looking like a model

Me with Windhoek in the background.

We found a field of flowers and attempted to reenact the Sound of Music.

Saw a cool lizard (for Kate).

And then got on a Combi to Swakupmund, where we braided Ashley's hair to pass the time.

Christmas in the Southwest (of Botswana)

I started a 2-week adventure a few days before Christmas, going to Tsabong, Gakibane, and Makopong. In Tsabong we rode camels, which will be another post. 

We started the trip with decadence (aka fruit on a long journey).

We stayed with Ashley in her village with sand dunes! So we picnicked on the dunes (the food got a little sandy).

We went hiking around (that's South Africa in the background) and found seashells from hundreds if not thousands of years ago.

Goats on the sand dunes!

In Makopong we started preparing for Christmas. No one got a cat for Christmas, he just liked to lie on the presents.

Our lovely tree, complete with lights, snow (a boa), and stringed popcorn.

Katy hand sewed us stockings with our names on them!

They found chocolate in their stockings!

Unwrapping joy Christmas morning

Liz is happy

Ashley F and Jess C Unwrapping goodies.

I got jelly beans! (I know I'm wearing the same thing in several pictures- we did laundry. I promise I changed clothes daily.)

Kitty had a stocking

Our snow sand man

A traditional Botswana feast for Christmas dinner, courtesy of the family on Jess's compound.

We made gingerbread houses with cookie and icing. This is my artistic depiction of my current Bots house.

I stuck my toe in South Africa.

Hanging out in Makopong, right on the border with SA

This is Jess's thinking spot, it's really pretty.

And... I don't even know :)

Next stop, Namibia!

A month of adventures

It's been a pretty awesome 30 days or so. Since I last posted,
- It's stopped raining like Noah's ark
- I traveled in the southwest of Botswana
- I rode a camel
- I celebrated Christmas with several other volunteers, complete with a paper tree, homemade stockings, presents, and gingerbread cookie houses
- I went to Namibia!
- I frolicked and didn't die on sand dunes
- I went sand boarding!
- I hung out on a beach and saw seals
- I celebrated New Years in Swakupmund with friends
- I hung out on the side of the road when our bus broke down
- I watched my friend get married here in Botswana
- School has officially started again

I'll be posted more on some of these things in separate posts in the future, but it's been a great month! And now it's nice to get back into something of a routine at site with school back in session.

Oh yeah, and it's 2014! I get to come HOME this year!!