No: it’s a word I like to use, but not to hear. Yet somehow, I kept hearing it over, and over, and over again. Can I stop along the road, as long as I promise not to fill my pockets full of diamonds? No. Can I go on a tour of your uranium mine? No. Can I visit the Northern Skeleton Coast to see those awesome desert dwelling elephants you’re hiding up there? No. Okay, technically the last answer was yes, but it costs something like 3K, so it might as well be no. Are you sure I can’t buy this bottle of wine on a Sunday? Yes. See, that yes is really a no. No. No. No. No.
In fact, it wasn’t just Namibia — I received a whole lot of “no’s” everywhere I went. Can I have a visa for Libya? No. Can I access my funds? No. Can I sleep on the bus? No. Can you leave me alone? Definitely not. I heard “no” more in six months than in my entire twenty-six years combined. I’m not sure what that says about me. Perhaps the universe was trying to teach me a lesson? Your guess is as good as mine.
Our next stop was the seaside town of Swakopmund. The area is said to be “More German, than Germany.” Lots of bakeries, pubs, and little shops lined the streets. Strudels, steins, sausages — you name it, they’ve got it. It’s easy to forget where you are. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t imagine traveling five-thousand miles to vacation in an area that reminds me of home. You can speak the same language, eat the same food, and buy the same little handicrafts without leaving your country. Chances are you can probably run into your neighbors too. Save your money, my friends. Save your money.
Along the way, we took a little detour to inquire about a specific rock painting called “The White Lady,” located within Brandberg Mountain. We pretty much lost our motivation when we arrived at the trail-head, though. The sun was working overtime, we were told a guide was required, and to be honest, we became far more interested in the lizards lurking about. Lazy? Perhaps. It turns out there is quite the controversy surrounding this painting, as it went misinterpreted for years. The “White Lady” in the painting isn’t even a lady… he’s a medicine man. Maybe.
