Day 8: Swakopmund
Admin Day – Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus
We wondered around the corner for breakfast at Bojos Cafe. We are yet to have a bad meal in Swakop and the service everywhere is first class.
Then we set off on an expedition around town to do our chores. A hardware store for some screws for the roof top, butchery for meat and yah, a Woolies for fresh produce.
On our meanderings a silent protest of around 30 people followed a police vehicle. It was amazing to witness, not a word was uttered except in sign language, it turned out to be a protest to increase awareness for deaf people. There was no looting and trashing of property, just an atmosphere of awareness. An awesome way to get a message across.
Then back to the hotel to pack and repack for the road ahead.
And so for the differences between Gray and I. The night before we left, I watched him throw a few T-shirts and pairs of pants, those on the top of the pile in his cupboard, into a tog bag and he was good to go. A few days into the trip, while looking for a jersey, he bewilderedly said to me, I have no idea what I have packed.
I, on the other hand, had spent the best part of the morning before leaving, deciding which clothes to take for all occasions, colour coordinating them and putting them into plastic bags for each day. Come rain or sand storms, my clothes were protected. Great tip from my friend Al.
In addition, I had enough toiletries, medicines for any ache or emergency, device charges and even a small sewing kit. All packed in their own bags. OMG, I have turned into my mother-in-law, God rest her soul.
Another case in point, while shopping this morning:
Butcher Shop: Gray chose rump, T-bones, sirloins, venison steaks – steaks, steaks, steaks. I chose chicken sosaties, wiener snitzels and pork chops.
Woolies shop: Me – we now need to go to Woolies; Gray – why???; Me – we need salad and fruit; Gray – what’s wrong with just beer and meat???
Packing the groceries into the fridge in the Main Street was another challenge, one of cold beer vs lettuce.
Actually we do compromise and travel really well together. Meat some nights, chicken others. He has his cold beer and I have a salad.
This is our first long trip in our new white Discovery, mainly due to Covid. It’s Gray’s baby and he has lovingly transformed a normal 4 X 4 into most men’s dream vehicle – it has double fuel tanks, a triple battery system, plugs and shelves, his and hers draws and also for me, a fridge that sides down to my height, so the lettuce is easily accessible.
Packing done, we wondered down to the beach for an ice cream. Side bar: a family joke about the t-shirt I’m wearing – the first time I wore it I was off to guide dogs for dog training, Gareth who is normally very polite, asked if the dogs had run around looking for Wally. Gray sent this pic to the family telling them the the whole of Swakop was looking for Wally today.
We then went for a drive, the main reason was to charge the batteries so the fridge / freezer would keep our provisions cold. Taking a different direction, we came across kids going home from school, the main water line into Swakop, the township and something rather unexpected in the desert, a golf course. Actually it was a whole fancy golf estate and the Rossmund Golf Club.
We walked down the road for an early pizza at Gabriella’s. They make a bomb pizza. Back for coffee in the pub and an early night.
Pandas in Africa 