Like German, but if you're dying

Is what Afrikaans sounds like.

Yes! It's true! We've reached the south of Africa!

Not South Africa, but Namibia, birthplace of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and a bunch of other people.

We're in Windhoek now, the capital and largest city. We blazed through Zambia in a few days. It was an adventure. Spent a night in Chipata, then Lusaka, then we broke down on a bus from Lusaka to Livingstone--the six hour journey took about 19 and we had to sleep on the bus.

Then Victoria Falls, where we were soaked to the skin. Who knew! I have a funny story but only 11 minutes left on this computer, and I want to tell you about Namibia.


Namibia: the strangest place I have ever been.

For a while, while we were coming through East Africa, and then even down Malawi and into Zambia, I was starting to feel a little worried. We were heading out on this big expedition, but each country felt the same as the last. I mean, sure, in Western Kenya the huts are circles, and in Zambia they're more like triangular prisms, but still there's ugali, or nsima. There's dirt. The transportation is the same. I was worried that I wouldn't find anything that I couldn't have found in Kenya.

And then we got to Namibia.

I wish I could give it justice. Let me just tell you about last night, maybe.

We made some friends at the place where were stayed last night. They live in Namibia, but it was a mixed group. One of the dudes was from Uganda, two were Kenyan, and a third was Namibian but grew up in Sweden, came here a little after independence--which was, mind you, in 1990. We spoke Kiswahili, which felt so good.

In anycase, they showed us Windhoek. We were barred from a bar while every white face passed, no questions. In the next bar we went to, a man came up to us. He was tall, very blonde. From Johannesberg, but, as he said, "basically a local." He made conversation with all of us, just chatting about where we are headed, where we've been.

He went away, we kept drinking. Some 20 minutes later, he came back, leaned over to me, and said, "Beware."

It was incredible. I guess I've never been in a situation so overtly racist. This place is soaked with it, everywhere.

And then, a few more days in Namibia and on to South Africa.

On the long rides between places, I think about coming home, and I get very scared. I'm excited, definitely, but how am I going to do it!