Riding the back roads of Namibia I woke a cheetah from its spot in the shade. I was going about 60MPH when he took off in front of me. Incredibly fast, it stayed ahead of the bike before taking to the fields. If it wanted to give chase and have me for lunch I would have had a problem, or learned really quickly just how well I can handle the bike on gravel roads.
Not long after chasing the cheetah, the back of the bike was kicking about more than usual. I soon discovered my next problem for the day. A flat tire .. ugh .. in 95 degrees of sun! Shade would only come with sunset, so I found my John Deer hat and got to work. An hour later I was HOT, tired, and wishing I had a bigger bicycle pump. I was much in need of a cold beer, but proud that I could still fix a flat when stuck in the desert with vultures circling wanting me for lunch.
I took a game drive yesterday to get better aquainted with my souroundings after the cheetah dash. Unfortunatey my small pocket camera only works well enough if the animals come to me. So most pictures are of poor quality. Sorry.
Namibia is still very much a German colony and I feel the real Africa is back in the Congo. It is relaxing; there is no shortage of apple pie, meat and potatoes, but I will head towards Zambia and Malawi in the next few days. I'll leave the tourists, lodges, and game parks for mace,( starch / protein called food .. ugh) warm beer, bucket showers, and "hotels " that double as brothels.
About 50,000 Himba people live in nomadic villiages up in northern Namibia and Angola. They are much like the Herero people with the obvious exception of the hair and skin colored with ochre. Women cover themselves with a mixture of ochre, butter, herbs, and a fragrance that leave their skin a burnt orange. It's also used in their hair. The mixture is put on daily so they never wash themselves, or have a need for sun screen or deodorant. Most choose to stick to tradition and do not attend school, or particapate in western ways. I found a Herero man to translate.
I am glad the cheetah took to the fields. That must have been quite the ride and you must be glad to live to write about it! Do you have a horn on your bike?
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures ... you can tell their skin is orange.
Speaking of orange .... fall is definitely here ... most of the leaves are turning colour and falling. It was 3 degrees here this morning. If you are longing for home I am sure we could accomodate you with even cooler temps and perhaps a beer or two!!
Looking forward to your next post ... take care and be safe!
Love always,
The Harneds