Quite often people here in Germany ask me what I miss most about Namibia. Sometimes I answer with the excellent game meat you can get at pretty much any decent restaurant, or Omajova, a mushroom that grows on termite hills during the rainy season. Those who have tried it know that it is a real delicacy.
But what I continually miss most of all is the peace and quiet that you just do not find in Europe. At least not in close proximity. You would have to travel very far to find a spot where you will not encounter any sort of civilization for miles.
On the last weekend of my stay, we drove out to a farm, which is located near Kalkfeld – about 300 kilometres from Windhoek. It is run by Swiss psychologists, who offer a German drug rehabilitation program for former addicts from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. And might I add, they have a very high success rate. Not because the shrinks there are better, but because there is nowhere else to go for the addicts. It is 50 kilometres to the next town and you need quite a bit of water and shape to get there by foot. Up to now, none of the desperate participants has ever managed to reach it. They all gave up before they even reached half-way.
But let’s get back to the trip. First of all, driving off-road and on gravel streets is the one of the most dangerous things to do, as fatal accident statistics underline. But they are also one of the greatest driving experiences you could ever enjoy. You just can’t compare this to the Autobahn, even though we enjoy unlimited speeds in Germany. Still, driving through a flowing river during the rainy season, your adrenaline levels get just as high as with 250 km/h on the A1, as water is running into the car and you try just about everything not to get stuck in the mud. Oh, and wildlife alongside the roads, like herds of giraffes for example, watching your every move, is a plus too.
Fortunately, we did not get stuck in any river, but the back axle of our vehicle got damaged somehow, so we had to stop for the day and in the end, let the car get towed back to Windhoek the next morning. Luckily, we went with two cars, so it got a little crowded, but we still managed to get to the farm.
But before we got there, we had no choice but to spend the night in the bush. We tried to fix the car before realizing that it was pretty much hopeless, as we did not have the correct spare parts along.
Still, it was a night to remember, as the tender oryx steaks were delicious, the South African Nederburg made the taste-buds on your tongue go wild and you found yourself on a wildlife concert, as we listened to the crickets chirping, the jackals howling and the water in the nearby river rushing by. Of course, we had a few luxuries along, but you should always bring some decent camping equipment when on an off-road trip in Africa.
And while waiting for dinner to get ready, I took the chance to record a gorgeous sunset, surrounded by nothing but nature. Enjoy your eye-candy 😉
The Germafrican 