Jo's Space: A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

What better way to end my granny-gap-year than paying a visit to my country of birth. My trip to Namibia, (previously known as South West Africa) has long been overdue and when the opportunity presented itself, there was no hesitation from my side. With the help of friends and family the trip was planned and we were ready to board the bus. And, for the first time this year, I would not be behind the steering wheel. I would be able to just sit back and enjoy the journey. But, best of all, Mommy and Daddy granted permission for Missy, my granddaughter, to accompany me and I must admit it was good to have her all for myself after an absence of five months.

Namibia is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, although the wealth is spread unevenly and most of it still belongs to the colonial whites while most of the black and coloured Namibians still live below the poverty line.

The distance between Cape Town and Windhoek, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia, is approximately 1500km and the 20 plus hour bus trip is long and tiring. We left Cape Town at 11h00 on a Tuesday morning and arrived in Windhoek at 08h00 the next morning where we were met by our family. Luckily, Mommy booked us luxury bus seats on one of South Africa's popular sleep-liners, which made it possible for us to get a good night's rest. It felt good to be on home ground after an absence of 14 odd years.

Windhoek borders Angola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990 and today is a member of the United Nations, The Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations. It has a population of just over 2 million and regarded as one of the least populated countries of the world. Its location between the Namib- and Kalahari deserts, makes Namibia one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

MAP COURTESY NAMIBIA TRAVEL GUIDE

Our hosts for the duration of our stay in Namibia were Jaco, Suzette, Barend and Larushka who went out of their way to make it a holiday to remember. Every single day was packed with fun, excitement, laughter and pure joy! There was extraordinarily and unforgettably good food. And, there were some other interesting eating and drinking experiences such as the monkey fruit (Strychnosspinosa) a juicy, sweet-sour yellow edible and the deliciously thirst-quenching Chardonnay on ice which was perfectly suitable for the rather warm Namibian climate.

Our first major trip after arriving was a weekend outing to Swakopmund and we made stops at some special places from my childhood that brought back beautiful memories. Swakopmund, a small town on the West Coast of Namibia, about 280km from Windhoek, is situated in the Namib desert. The town was founded by Captain Curt von Francois, (a German) in 1892. Today Swakopmund is still home to a large number of Germans. The Mole, the name for the popular beach, along with the jetty, built in 1905 and recently restored, are some of the main attractions of the town.

I was born in a small town, named Usakos. The name is a Damara word for 'grab the heel'. (The Damara are an ethnic group that moved into the area in the mid-1800s, who speak the khoekhoe language, a Khoisan language, and which today make-up less than 10% of the Namibian population.) Usakos lies on the banks of the Khan river and is surrounded by magnificent mountains and some of the longest uninterrupted horizons in the world. Among those magnificent mountains is the almost 700 million year old Spitzkoppe or "Matterhorn of Namibia" which rises approximately 1800 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, Usakos, a once thriving boom-town, is one of many that has shown little or no growth since the mines and railway closed down in the 60's. Today, it is merely a town to pass by en route to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay on the coast.

We also had a quick stop at another small town where I spent many of my childhood Christmas holidays. Karibib is the town where my grandmother used to stay and where I, as a child, spent many wonderful holidays in the company of cousins, aunts and uncles. I was so surprised when I discovered her house still in the same condition as it was 50 odd years ago!

A visit to the Swakopmund Salt Works is a definite must on every tourist's list! It is located on the road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Once there, we were treated to an almost unbelievable view of hundreds of flamingoes with a sea of pink and white salt in the background as far as the eye can see. What more can a photographer, whether amateur or professional, ask for? It was picture-perfect as the saying goes.

Returning to Windhoek on Sunday afternoon came all too soon, but the next adventure was waiting. My month-long stay in Namibia brought back so many memories. Jaco and Suzette took us in and around Windhoek to so many lovely places. Whether it was a picnic, a sundowner, as it's known locally, in the middle of the dry Arebbusch River just outside Windhoek, or the kids having fun on the sand dunes on Barend's quad bike or maybe a drive in the veld with Piesang the Volla, (Volkswagen Beetle), every moment was one more to store in my memory file. Will I ever forget the breath-taking views of a Windhoek sunset and the surrounding mountains from high up the hill at Hotel Thule overlooking Windhoek?

Windhoek is a small city with a laid back atmosphere and nothing like Johannesburg or Cape Town in South Africa, where the cities never sleep. But, Windhoek has its own fair share of sights, sounds and even surprises. We drove by the impressive State House of Windhoek, the Heroes Acres and the so-called 'Condom' Building, the Clock Tower in the middle of the city, (it resembles the shape of a condom.) We went for long walks in the neighbourhood, strolled through new shopping centres and not so new ones. Everywhere there were memories to be made!

A visit to Katatura on the outskirts of Windhoek was one of the highlights of my visit to Namibia. The Sam Nujoma Stadium and the two state hospitals are located in Katatura, which otherwise can be described as mostly a shanty town. Parts of it however, compare well with any neighbourhood in the country and elsewhere. Driving through the not-so-nice parts of Katatura just made me realise how lucky I am to live in a brick house, with running water and electricity at the tips of my fingers. Katatura is a-buzz with street food markets, rhythmic African music, canteens and bars with names like the New York Bar and children playing happily in the dirt roads.

The Dorob National Park along the Namibian Coast is one of the most unique coastal protected areas in Africa. The park covers an area of approximately 110,000 square km. It is part of a solid barrier of parks from the Kunene River on the Angolan border to the Orange River on the South African Border. This particular park area attracts more than a million birds who fly in for a seasonal visit. Amidst all these winged visitors is the Damara tern, an indigenous species and one of the more common ones known to the average tourist. The aim of the park is to preserve the area and prevent further damage to this sensitive coastline. The feeding and killing of animals in this area is prohibited. Although certain parts are set aside for tourism and recreational activities, most of the park is a no-go zone.

The Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve, 24km south of Windhoek is a haven for wildlife like the sprinbok, oryx (Gemsbok), Namibia's national animal, kudu, blue wildebeest, the zebra and klipspringer, plus more than 200 bird species. The reserve has no large predators. The Sun Karros, restaurant and luxury holiday accommodation was built on the grounds of the park next to the Augeigas dam, where animals can be watched from up close.

To end our holiday, our hosts took us on a game drive at Okapuka Ranch, 30km north of Windhoek. Namibia is known for its wild life, game resorts and ranches. It is a playground for hunters during the winter months and tourists flock to this remote land to experience Africa's wild life at its best.

The day of our departure came all too soon and it was with sadness that Missy and I went aboard the bus for the very long and tiring 21- hour drive back home to where Mommy was anxiously waiting for her darling daughter to arrive. I will miss the new friends I have made in Namibia. Liezle, Maria, Bettie and Petrus and their lovely daughter and all the staff and kids at Wela Kapela School.

My gap year ended on a definite high! I made lots of memories, met lots of new people, saw amazing new places and reunited with old friends and family, travelled the highways and the byways, faced challenges and potholes and overcame hurdles and breakdowns. I worked, I played, I loved, I laughed, I sweated and I definitely cried when I had to say my farewells. But, in the end, I can look back at 2014 and say: "I did it."

Part of my soul was left in the sands of the Namib.

“Anfangen is leicht, Beharren eine Kunst.”

“Starting is easy, persistence is an art”