GLOBAL ODYSSEY 2010 BLOG #39 WALVIS BAY

First, before you start thinking you know how to pronounce this, realize that it comes from the Dutch “whale – fish.” Got it? The town was our first introduction to Namibia, and from what we saw in the way of __, had a plethora of good tours. The one we settled on was “Sandwich Bay,” less for the name than the fact that it promised views of the flamingos settled here. (Recall that we had only seen a few at Torres del Paine in Chile.)

Well, this more than made up for it. Indeed, several of the other tours would have been just as good; heck, you could have walked the right direction out of town and seen the flamingos for yourself! What made us happy with our decision, however, was that this occurred in the first half-hour of a very full day. We were in all-terrain vehicles and continued up past the local salt works on a “road” which ran through grass and scrub before emerging on the shore of the South Atlantic. We followed this for miles, sometimes almost being hit by the spray, and seeing seals, porpoises, and other wildlife.


A stop was made where tall sand dunes extended beyond the shore side lagoons, while those who were more intrepid (Sam says “Crazier”) than the rest spent a lot of time climbing to the top. Back below, a feast was spread and we had a relaxing lunch before taking off again.







 Our journey back to the ship, however, was not a mere repeat. We headed “off road” into the great sand dunes which border the coast, spotting local nara melons, used by the bushmen, as well as springbok. The drivers gunned up and down the dunes in a remarkable display of bravado, with the two of us bouncing in the back.



A return to the city left just enough time for us to be dropped (you guessed it) at the local bookstore, incurring the glares of everyone else, who hadn’t thought of asking.

Well, not as well known to Americans as its southern neighbor, South Africa, Namibia has lots to offer anyone who loves nature and the wide-open spaces. Now it’s on to Luderitz and the “Diamond Area” ….

GLOBAL ODYSSEY 2010 BLOG #32: OUT ON THE PAMPAS

How could we got to Argentina and not visit the Pampas? Friends we spoke with who had been on Holland America’s South American cruises said that this was the one not to miss, and we have to say we agree!




Not only did we get some good views of Buenos Aires (a city of dog-walkers and soccer fans) to fill things in a bit, but the Pan-American Highway gradually got us out into the countryside.

Heidi, our thoughtful guide, had even brought along some maté in a traditional cup to taste – it’s an herbal tea, a bit like chicory coffee.
We arrived at the Estancia Santa Sosana, where the meat was already smoking on the grill. Entertainment was provided by excellent concertina and guitar players. There was some dancing (with and without bolas) and the head gaucho, of course, picked Mary to lead off the dancing!

While the beef was still cooking, there was time to go through the house and chapel, take wagon or horseback rides or just sit around. We did a bit of everything and were rewarded by seeing a bit of the local ground owls – perched quizzically by their burrows.
For those of you familiar with the annual ring jousts at Mount Solon (America’s longest uninterrupted sporting event!), the gauchos do something similar with a stick, riding pell-mell down the course at the rings. This practice, called sorepifa is spectacular, and they have a high rate of success in spearing their prizes. They also showed off their skills with horses, although Sam was disappointed that there were no outside demonstrations of the bolas.
The meal, when it came, was worth the wait – Argentine beef lives up to its reputation! While this tour gave only the flavor of life on an estancia, we can’t think of a better way to spend the day – don’t blame Mary if you see Sam running around in a poncho back home!