Nov. 30,2012 - Swakopmund, Namibia

Nov. 30, 2012 - Swakopmund, Namibia

We arrived in Swakopmund yesterday around 2pm.  Our first stop was to the activities booking office.  They have many many options for exploring and adventuring around here.  I signed up for the sandboarding and the township tour.

The town itself has a heavy German influence.   There is a lot of German spoken hear and the buildings look like a little town in Germany was moved directly from there to here.  As Gemma put it...this place doesnt feel like Africa.  There are actually side walks and no trash along the road.  Its situated right on the coast of the Atlantic ocean.  The weather has changed drastically.  It's almost cold now.  Well, its perfect sweater weather and its even better for sleeping.  Ah....sleeping...we are in a hostel now with beds and real pillows and a duvet!  Its the little things that are most enjoyable on a 3 month camping trip.

Last night our group went to Napolitana for dinner.  We chose this place because of the availability of game meats.  Alene and I split the game grill.  4 steaks total. 2 Oryx, 1 Springbok, and 1 Kudu. Oh and we started with calamari.  All of it was amazingly delicious!  The main course was only ~$17...and we split it.  Yummy and cheap.

The sandboarding was both beautiful and fun.  It started with a drive out to the sand dunes.  From the top of the dunes you see the numerous other dunes meet the ocean.  Hiking to the top of the dunes was a lot of work.  So much so that Alene and I rewarded ourselves with cake afterwards.  The sand moves under your feet and you end up sliding down a bit on your way up.

At the top of the dune they gave a little speech of the importance of keeping the front of your board pulled up and your elbows high.  You eat far less sand if you listen.  Dig your feet into the sand to slow and to straighten your board back out else you tumble and roll the rest of the way down the dune.  I should mention that you ride down the dune on a rectangular piece of particle board.  Flimsy and thin.

Each dune offered something a little different.  The first just wet out feet.  It was a mild and easy dune to ride.  The next was still a bit mild.  Then they stepped it up a notch.  A dune that would allow for speeds up to 45kilometers per hour (km/h).  I reached 39  km/h on my go.  The next was a tandem ride.  The person in front held the front of the board up...the back person steered and slowed the board.  This was a gentle yet long run down the dune.

The next dune had the fastest speeds recorded.  Yes, they have a speed gun.  The max speed on this dune is 83 km/h.  It also had a little naturally built sand ramp.  If speeds and direction we right you could be completely airborne.  My first go was at 65 km/h and no air on the ramp.  The next go however I reached 69km/h (almost 45mph) and got completely airborne. Ha yes!

The last run was back towards the vehicles where they had a sandwich lunch waiting for us.

For dinner we visited a place called tug.  It looked like a boat and was known for its seafood.  I had raw oysters.  Delicious.  And the oryx surf and turf.  A huge fillet cut of oryx with calamari and shrimp. YUM!

What I have learned:
I like game meat.  All of it.  I even bought some Elan jerky for the road.