Another visit from the USA

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Sorry, faithful readers, I missed posting last week. I had a visitor from the USA, just barely a week after returning to Namibia and time got away from me. Paula, our neighbor and long-time pet sitter, told me before I left that she would visit me in Namibia. Lots of people said this, but the journey is long and expensive, so I don’t hold anyone to that statement. Paula was serious, and we had a terrific visit.

The highlight was two safari drives thru Etosha. Early in the morning, we had the unique experience of witnessing a cheetah dragging a fresh kill springbok into the bush. Another cheetah was there, and we could see the two of them working on breakfast. It is rare to see a cheetah in the wild , let alone two cheetahs feasting. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of this.

Another highlight of Paula’s visit was getting to know some of my new friends, especially Ananais. Ananais is a local driver and business man. He took me under his wing within the first couple months at site. I saw him regularly on my daily walks around town, and he said if I ever needed a ride to Okahandja or Windhoek to contact him. He has several cars and arranges drives to/from Windhoek almost daily. He or his driver would pick me up at the hostel and drop me off wherever needed, no need to wait at the hike point for the car to fill up and his drivers always call when on their way or if they will be delayed. This service costs a little more but it is well worth it to me. I used his service for the first time when I visited my host family in Okahandja last November. Since then, he always greets me as his friend and lets other drivers know he is watching out for me.

Ananais became our ‘personal’ driver to pick up Paula at the airport, take us around Windhoek, back to Otjiwarongo and then to/from Etosha. We invited him to have dinner with us in Windhoek and we learned more about his family (wife, Sylvia and 5 children) and businesses – he also runs a farm. Driving with him, we quickly realized that he knows people all over, he speaks all the common languages, and has many people relying on him.

He stopped in Okahandja to let Paula see and shop at the craft shops, he stopped so Paula could take photos of giraffes, baboons, warthogs, big termite mounds, and anything else of interest to us,  he showed us Himba people living in Otjo. One day, he brought along his last born, a boy in 6^th grade who is struggling in Math. We arranged that I will tutor him this term. We also met his first born, a son who is manager of the Beare’s furniture store in Otjo. Best of all, he took us to his nice home in Otjiwarongo where we met his wife and one of his daughters who is a senior at my school. Now Ananais says, ‘We are family.’

Paula also got to meet and spend some time with Hermine, my friend the matron of the hostel, and my two housemates, and of course the children in my life. She got a good sense of my life here and will let everyone back in the neighborhood know that I have good support and am thriving in my new life.

All for now with all my love  

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