Africa Trip, March 2016 Namibia Day by Day 1. Windhoek

The strangest thing about flying into Windhoek from Johanesburg was finding myself at an old-fashioned airport. We had to descend steps and walk a couple of hundred meters to get to customs and all. This was early evening.

At the airport the B&B met us with a car insufficient to get us all the half an hour or more into town. We were told that a second was on the way and would be here any minute, but that became many minutes of standing around. But Butterfly B&B was a pleasant night’s sleep:

It was outfitted with a fine pool, where we waited quite a while as Eric needed to return to the distant airport to rent the 4-wheel drive Nissan truck, and also to check it out, get it filled with diesel etc:

Here’s the pool:

Then off to the modern-feeling city of Winkhoek to get some fruit and vggies. (Building to the right in this picture:)

The entrance turned out to be behind this. As I stood outside the car gawking it all in waiting for Margaret to return, I was bitten by some creature on the back of my right wrist. Although this central part of the country is not a designated malarial area, I immediately supposed a mosquito, and feared the worst, and still do. Good thing we were all on the Malanil tab regimen. I think I would have had a deal of anxiety otherwise. Now, 11 days later, I still feel fine.

Side note: I took with me a light-weight mosquito net bag for cap and head. It proved useful on several occasions and I certainly intend to carry it with me if I head off next year to vist these guys in Mumbai. Of course, this bite-event occurred in broad daylight, in the morning, in a pretty big city, immediately as I stepped out of the car and with no warning.

The drive from Windhoek to the Namutoni Rest Camp at the eastern edge of the great Etosha National Park was long but interesting for a first-timer. The tall and numerous termite mounds. Here’s a typical one as seen from the car window:

This has been the evening of 3/18 and the morning of 3/19. Shifting now to the day, 3/19, at Namutoni Rest Camp.

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