So... finally I am back in civilisation! My my! What a week!
So, where did I leave it last time... City tour, well there were supposed to be a group of people on the tour but they had all cancelled, so It was just me and the tour guide! It was good though, got to see Cape Point, Table Mountain which was amazing but freezing cold on top, Bo-Kaap and tha Malay Quarters which were really cool, all the houses were in super bright colours, think I am going to paint our house when I get home haa! Then I got back to thge hotel, it was a bit boring, had nothing to do so watched a dodgy film on the tv and then fell asleep. Got to Nomad tours offices at about 7.15am on Sunday, met the crew, Jo-Jo is our guide and \driver, Owen is our cook, and Bradley is training. They are awesome! So much fun! The group is amazing, we all get on really well, there is a great mix of cultures, there is me and another English girl Gabriella, Marieka who is from Rotterdam, Ella and Marcim from Poland, two older couple from Holland, Erica from Amsterdam, Anna and Jorge from Madrid, Cecilia from Argentina, Karim from Sweden, Fabian from Germany, Song from South Korea, and Ed from Vancouver. All great guys! We have a great group dynamic which is good. So them we met Ella, our truck, we are not allowed to call her the truck, we love Ella! Hahah! She needs some decent suspension though on these roads!
So anyway, we spent the day talking about the truck and what was going to happen and we got sorted with our tent mates, I am with Marieka, and then we drove to Gekko backpackers, where we went on a guided walk into the Cedarberg Mountains, it was really good, and the weather was nice and sunny, although it wasn't too hot. Then we had dinner, and had a little introductory session around the camp fire, when it way my turn I said Hi I'm Natalie and I am an alcoholic! So that's my name now ahah! It was a good night, and we ended up getting a bit drunk, we drank a Springbok shooter and did the dance to go with it haha! We did a Giraffe, which is called that because of the way you drink it, its pretty much apple sours haha, the bar was a trust bar, you take what you want and write it on a list then pay the next day. Needless to say we were tired the next day when we had to take our tents down :-(((( So then we drove for hours and had to make sandwiches as we already had stops for "kodak" moments as they are now known as so we didn't have time to stop for lunch. Pretty much the food is good, we have cereals and bread and sometimes toast and eggs for breakfast, lunch is mainly salads, sandwiches, pasta if we don't have far to travel, and dinner is delicious! Owen is a great cook, we have had spaghetti bolko9gnaise, boerewors and mash, we had Pap the other day and ate it with our hands in the African way, it was delish actually, and I didn't mind not eating with my hands haha. We have been to Dune 45, a few of us had a few drinks on the night before and went to bed a bit late and had to get up at 4am! We were at the gates to dune 45 at 4:30 and were the first ones there. Mainly because tyhe sand is more solid in ythe morning before anyone has walked on it. It was hard hard work, so exhausting, every step you took you went back half a step so it took twice as long. I struggled I must say. The sunrise was amazing though. Then we went for a guided tour in Sossusvlei, and it was so hot, how anyone can survive in thew desert is beyond me! We saw deadvlei which was just beautiful. We went out last night for a meal in Swakopmund which is where we are now, it is cold here because we are by the coast. Booked my skydive yesterday at Desert Explorers, me and Song are going to do it together, but we waited this morning but no-one arrived and we got reception to call them and they said it was cancelled because of the weather. So spent all morning thinking oh god oh god and for what! Nothing! Haha! We are going to do it at vic falls instead so at least it will be sunny there! So we are staying at Villa Weise in a dorm! In beds!!!!!!! BEDS!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so good! We went to Neopolitana last night for a meal, I had Oryx steak, it was sooooo delicious! Forget any othermeat now, that is it! Just need to find a supplier hahaha! So then after dinner we went to a nightclub, haha, middle of the African desert and here were are nightclubbing, it weas fun! Savannah cider is delicious haha! Funny how half this has been talking about alcohol. Typical Nat! We have started to see some animals now, we have seen some Mountain Zebras, a Giraffe, a baboon, and lots of Springbok and an Oryx. We are all starting to get quite a little group going on, which is good as we are literally together 24/7. It's funny, I remember watching documentaries on tv about Africa, but nothing compares to this, it is the most amazing country, I could quite easily stay here forever! I am starting to miss everyone though, it's especially difficult when you have lietreally no connections at all. Now we are in Namibia there is hardly anything in terms of mobile signal, pretty much isolated! It is exhausting, every morning you take down your tent, drive in Ella to the next place, then put up your tent again. We have a rota for cleaning and washing up etc. I am Elephant haha, we got off lightly yesdterday though as we went out for dinner so only had to do bnreakfast and lunch. It's so cheap here, I have hardly spent any money, which is good, there isn't really any opportunity. Think we are going quad biking this afternoon as a group, which will be good, then we are having dinner at the hostel.Think we leave tomorrow after lunch. Can't remember where wqe are going, we keep forgetting what day it is nevermind the agenda haha. The crew is brilliant, they are always there for anything you need, and they are as much as part of the grouup as the rest of us, Jo-Jo is hilarious, we are continually using his phrases as he is so funny, Asante Sana! Haha which means thank you very much, and Sharp Sharp, Cool Bananas! Haha! Hilarious!!!! We stayed at a camp site called Fiddlers Creek the other night, the showers were outdoor, but were so amazing, we went swimming in the Orange/ Gariep river, freezing cold but brilliant! If you swim across the river you are in Namibia! Got through border control into Namibia ok, So all in all everything is going well, I have to sort my room out in a bit as it's a mess from last night haha, so that's the job for this afternoon, thwen dinner. Haah Owqen just found me in the internet cafe and sdaid how was sky diving, haha, I told him it was cancelled and he laughed, I was glad haha but in a way I wasn't glad really. I do want to do it! I have been learning spanish from Cecilia and Anna, and practising it on Jorge haha, I am not very good, but I can say a few things now, Gaby is helping Song with his English.
So from here in Swakopmund, hello! Goodbye! Asante Sana! There is so much I think I have missed out but I just don't think I have time to fit it all in! Alas, I may find another internet soon, but until then, love you all and miss you all lots!
Man I am hungry and need to go and eat! Do laundry, and clean my room, no change there then! Adios amigos!
Mwah!!!!! xxxxxxxxxxx
