Africa is Not For Sissies

We left Africa a few days ago. Before we get on to talking about Vietnam, the first stop on the SE Asia leg and where we are now, we wanted to talk about what we’ll take away from the glorious, unpredictable place that is Southern Africa. 

First, to explain the title of this post: We saw the saying for the first time on a sticker in the windshield of the 4-wheel drive vehicle taking us to Deadvlei in Sossusvlei, Namibia (see photo below). We had only been on the continent for a few days, but we had already experienced a few of its many personalities, from baboons on the side of the road to rural villages in the middle of nowhere and the dry, unforgiving desert heat. So, the sticker made us smile. Africa is not for sissies. But we’re here. We must not be sissies!

We heard/saw that saying pop up sporadically throughout the rest of our trip. A couple of South Africans our age who we met at a hostel confirmed that they too love the saying about their home country. (Second only to TIA, which stands for “This is Africa” - another saying to express that Africa is totally one of a kind - indescribable and unpredictable. It also has a sort of Murphy's Law connotation, but I won't get into that here.)

Africa is gorgeous, scarred, welcoming, rough, playful, forgiving, intimidating and so much more, all at the same time. 

We learned how to roll with the punches. How to tell “African time.” And that while sometimes things seem unorganized or even chaotic, there’s almost always a process hidden in the chaos. 

As far as getting out unscathed, while we made sure to be hyper aware, responsible and cautious, we know there’s always an element of chance involved in all the things that can go wrong when you decide to leave your comfortable home and venture out into the world. We feel super lucky to walk away being able to say we didn't once get a flat tire (a true accomplishment when driving around Namibia), never got pickpocketed or robbed (or worse), never got stranded, or eaten by a lion, or any of the other things that could have gone wrong. 

And we almost made it out without getting sick! Grace got hit week three by some unknown plague but luckily recovered within a week. Later, only three days before departure, Mike came down with a serious stomach bug that wasn’t kicked until a few days after we arrived in Vietnam. (We’ll take both over malaria, though!) 

With that, we say our final farewells...

Thanks, Namibia, for introducing us to your home continent and being patient with us as we navigated uncharted waters, whether they were driving on the “wrong” side of the road or constructing a braai for the first time. You were the most diverse, striking country we’ve seen yet. We forgive you for the hours and hours on bumpy, unpaved roads.

Zambia, you get a shout out for hosting epic birthday celebrations. Victoria Falls is basically a gigantic playground for adults because of all you can do there. We were able to get adventurous and meet some new friends. Honorary mention to Botswana where we completed our Big 5 checklist! 

Seychelles was the first place we went scuba diving together, and the most faraway and exotic islands either of us had ever visited. Knowing we may never make it back made our time there even more special and we appreciated every moment. We’ll never forget exploring pristine beaches, sea kayaking and snorkeling in crystal clear water, spotting various sharks and of course Grace’s ebola scare. 

Last but most definitely not least, South Africa. What a unique and remarkable place you are. We fell in love with your many faces, from the swanky suburbs to Soweto, roadside Wimpy to sushi restaurants in Cape Town, the bush to the ocean to dramatic mountains and back again, and of course the array of beautiful animals. Most of all, we fell in love with the people. The children so full of joy and excited to simply high five or write their name on your hand. All the locals who smile and wave and say “Howzit?” Wonderful families who took us in and made us feel so welcome - thank you for all the knowledge and perspective you gave us! 

Africa, it was a total trip. You’re one tough bitch. We hate to see you go, but we love to watch you leave. And we know we’ll be back for more, sooner rather than later. 

While we didn't get a photo of the sticker in Namibia, I found this one online and am 99% sure it is the same truck we were in! Photo credit: Dalene and Pete Heck, www.hecktictravels.com (a great travel blog to check out!)

Sampling the Local Cuisine: Game Meat, Biltong, Curries & Pizza

During our first few weeks in Africa, we tried our fair share of game meat, including oryx, kudu, springbok, crocodile and even zebra. In case you’re wondering, the best are kudu and oryx - both tender red meat similar to fine cuts of steak. The worst was crocodile, which we found to be like chewy chicken with a slightly fishy taste. Needless to say, not appetizing. Although some crocodile sausages we tried later were actually very good. 

“African food” will be different depending on what country you’re in, but at least in southern Africa, it’s usually a basic meal of meat and vegetables, the starchier the better. Potatoes, in their many forms and variations, are very popular. If you don’t love meat’n’potatoes, get ready to eat other rich, heavy foods like pasta, stew and curry. While the food isn’t very fancy, it’s always very filling. Unlike the eating habits of Americans, it seems like African people eat to nourish their bodies and celebrate with their families, not because food is their favorite hobby. (Mostly calling out myself here. No shame.)

Meat is even a popular snack food here, in the form of biltong, which is what we call beef jerky. Biltong can be found in almost any store, from the gas station to the classiest grocery store (Woolworth’s). According to Mike, who has eaten much more Biltong than I have, biltong is essentially the exact same thing as good quality beef jerky sold in America. The difference here is that it’s more popular and thus they’ve created it in countless flavor variations and with not only beef but also game meats and even tuna (we didn’t try that one, though)!

Another very popular food here is curry. Closest in taste to Indian curries, many of the curries we’ve had were distinct in flavor profile with slightly different spices (although I couldn’t tell you what they are). You find all kinds of curries at buffets and on menus - chicken, beef, fish, prawn, red, brown and even yellow. 

As you get closer to Durban, the curries become spicier and more Indian-tasting. Sometimes curries are even called “Durban curry” and you know that means it will be very similar to a classic Indian curry. We’ve been told that more advanced palates would be able to tell the difference, but to us it tastes just like our Indian favorites. 

While I rarely if ever order a steak back home, Mike and I both love curry, so we’ve enjoyed eating that whenever possible and trying as many new and different foods as we can, when we have the option. 

One of the foods we were surprised to be eating a lot during our first month in Africa was pizza. 

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Pizza?! Why are they eating food they can get in America! That is so lame.” A guy we met in Soweto told us he “refused to eat pizza in Africa.” Well, good for him and no offense intended, but when you’re on the road for months and months, visiting more than a dozen new countries, you can’t afford to be super picky and only eat high-quality food at nice restaurants. You want food to be three things: filling, cheap, and, most of all, safe (meaning it won’t make you sick). 

We quickly realized that pizza is a budget traveler’s dream food in this way. It’s generally cheap, filling and consistent. As any college student will attest, even bad pizza is good. You don’t have to worry about getting sick from unwashed (or washed with bad water) veggies or meats. When you sink your teeth into a piping hot slice and immediately burn your tongue because, yes, you should have waited but you’re just so hungry, you know it has been cooked long enough for any bugs or bacteria to die a hot, fiery death.

But it’s not just the taste and temperature that’s consistent. Pizza is extraordinarily easy to find. Even in small towns in Namibia or on remote islands in the Indian Ocean, there’s a pizza place. Honestly, we probably ate more pizza in our first month in Africa than we would have in the U.S. Not that we’re mad about it - we like pizza as much as the next kid from New Jersey. But let this post show anyone who has ever said, “what do they even eat in Africa” (or “I could never go to Africa, I’m such a picky eater”) the answer is pizza.

Note: in most of Africa, or every part off the beaten tourist path, the answer is actually maize, or “mealies” or ”pap," which we also tried a few times, but found quite bland with the consistency of too-dry mashed potatoes… or play-doh. 

Now, it’s important to say here that this post was written before we spent much time in South Africa, so it mostly applies to our time in Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Seychelles ad Lesotho. Once we arrived in South Africa and spent time in big cities like Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and many of the towns along the Garden Route, we ate more of the food that we’re used to back home: Italian, Thai and even sushi (much to Grace’s delight). Although we still snacked on plenty of biltong. 

Two-Week Road Trip in Namibia

This post is a recap of the two weeks we spent driving around Namibia in October 2015. See links to galleries throughout for additional photos from each destination. 

While we were in the planning phase back in Denver (which feels like years ago...), a few people mentioned Namibia, recalling the eerie mist of the skeleton coast and off-roading on striking sand dunes. After doing some basic research, we had seen enough to know that we wanted to check it out. But still, we hesitated when it came to booking. Going with a tour group would probably be the easiest option, but that's simply not our style. 

Luckily, we discovered a wonderful company based in Namibia that has been helping travelers plan self-guided trips for more than 20 years. They got their start as the first backpackers hostel in Namibia and grew large enough that they opened The Cardboard Box, a separate travel shop. 

Allison at The Cardboard Box is a total rock star. She put up with multiple emails from us asking basic questions and changing our schedule. When we landed in Windhoek, the capital, we still didn’t know exactly where we were going. And we definitely didn’t understand how awesome the two weeks that lay ahead of us would be. 

On that first day in Windhoek, we went through customs and picked up our rental car. Now, we’ve both driven rental cars before, but never with the steering wheel on the other side of the car, while driving on the other side of the road. Oh, and the cars are only manual, which I (Grace) cannot drive. I also wasn’t covered as a second driver under our already expensive rental car agreement.

So, Mike did all the driving in Namibia. Like a boss. 

And it was quite a bit of driving. In total, more than 2,280 km, which is 1,415+ miles! Starting in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, we drove southwest to Sossusvlei. Then, we continued driving clockwise, hitting Walvis Bay and Swakopmund on the coast, then Brandberg, then Etosha National Park, and finally Waterberg before ending up back in Windhoek. 

All of the places we saw were amazing in their own way. While we could have had more time (you can always have more time), two weeks was the perfect amount to see the variety of destinations that we did and get a taste of Namibian history, food, people and culture.

Oh, and we saw a bunch of exotic animals, too!

Here are the highlights by destination: 

Like I said, Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and the busiest city we stayed in, although it's still small enough to see by car in about 30 minutes. To put it in context, the population is around 300,000 (the total population of Namibia is only 2.3 million). We used Windhoek as our entry and exit point, spending our first and last night there. Although we didn't do too much in the city, we were still able to eat some great food (check out our Joe's Beerhouse review if you haven't read it already) and explore a bit. One of the best parts about Windhoek was meeting Allison on our last day and telling her all about our experiences and newfound love for Namibia. 

Sossusvlei is one of the most striking landscapes we've ever seen. We were honestly amazed when we arrived at Desert Quiver Camp after six hours of driving on bumpy, unpaved roads. There were small "tents" or cabins, lined up in a semi-circle with nothing but sand and the occasional tree as far as the eye could see. It was 40+ degrees celsius, which is HOT, but luckily the resort had a pool (of which we immediately took advantage).

It was kind of freaky how quickly we adjusted to life on the Namibian road. That night, we even had a little braai (Afrikaans for barbecue) of oryx meat that we ordered from reception. The highlight was the next day, when we got up early and drove into park, spotting springbok, gemsbok, a fox and an ostrich. We hiked Dune 45 and went all the way to Deadvlei, which we loved until a sand storm rolled in. No one would go to Sossusvlei and not go into the park but, just to be clear, it is breathtaking and not to be missed. Had we had another day in the area, we would have gone back in for more exploring. 

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Driving from Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay was going from one extreme to its polar opposite. Sossusvlei was hot and dry, and Walvis Bay was cold and wet.

Before getting to Walvis Bay, though, we stopped in Solitaire. Even though it was only an hour-long detour, it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Solitaire is nothing more than a "town" of less than 100 people built around a gas station and legendary German bakery. We stretched our legs, took some photos and feasted on apple pie and other baked goods before continuing on toward the coast. 

Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are coastal cities 40 km apart. We stayed in Swakopmund (at The Alternative Space, a unique hostel turned B&B with the coolest owners ever) but drove back down to Walvis Bay one morning for a boat tour of the harbor. Don't underestimate how much there is to do in Swakopmund. We chose sandboarding, since we had never done it before, but other options were skydiving, ATV tours, camel rides, off-roading... the list goes on. There are also plenty of cute restaurants and coffee shops. If you have time and money to burn, spend a week packed full of activities and I guarantee it will be one of the best vacations of your life.

On our way out of town, we stopped to see one of the shipwrecks that contributes to the nickname "Skeleton Coast," given to Namibia's foggy, rocky and treacherous shoreline.  

The highlights of our time in Mt. Brandberg were seeing the White Lady cave painting (disclaimer: it's sort of a check-the-box thing if you're not a history geek) and encountering our first elephants. Oh, and hanging out with Carlos the suricate, who the B&B calls "everybody's darling." I still laugh every time I think about him. The Brandberg White Lady Lodge also puts on a fun buffet dinner capped off with lively singing by the kitchen staff, which was a blast. 

The nicest place we stayed in Namibia was arguably Palmwag. It was too bad that we only had 24 hours to enjoy the multiple swimming pools, outdoor bar and waterhole directly behind our room! While there, we went on a swanky evening game drive (wine and blanket-ponchos make it swanky) and saw a bunch of animals for the first time, most notably giraffes and zebras. On our way out, we encountered a large bull who we had heard about from the hotel staff. He walked directly in front of our car, less than four meters away from where we sat. It was a crazy moment and we got some great photos.

Good thing we went to Brandberg and Palmwag before Etosha National Park, because it blew them both clean out of the water. Etosha is a safari mecca, especially in October, the driest month right before the rainy season is supposed to start. (I say "supposed to" because the area is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last 100 years.) The land is so dry that animals must go to a few main waterholes for water, and you can drive your own car right up to them. We saw four of the "Big 5" and got some ridiculous animal photos there. It was awesome! 

Our last stop, Waterberg National Park was nice, but we wouldn't have wanted any more than the one night we had. Hiking to the top of the plateau was cool, but it only took us 30 minutes and after that we just relaxed in our room. The one plus-side of stopping here is it breaks up the drive from Etosha to Windhoek, which would be about five hours otherwise. 

Getting Lucky (a Public Service Announcement): it's amazing that we didn't get a flat tire while we were there. Nearly all roads other than four major highways are unpaved, so be prepared to take it slow and deal with hours of bumpy terrain. 

What We'd Do Differently: we wish we would have driven from Etosha National Park straight to the Okavango Delta and into Zambia from there, since we were going there next anyway. We flew from Windhoek to Livingstone, connecting through Joburg, because we didn't know any better, thus missing the Delta, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. Of course, if you're not going anywhere else in Africa from Namibia, you could still drive to the Okavango Delta and then fly out of Sir Seretse Khama Intl. Airport (in Gaborone, Botswana) or do what we did and circle back to Windhoek to fly out. Other than that, we wouldn't change anything about our road trip. 

In conclusion (phew!), when it comes to seeing Africa, you're looking at a huge continent made up of 54 countries and just over a billion people. It would take years of heavy travel to feel like you’d seen most of it. That said, you have to start somewhere, and it’s surprising that Namibia isn’t on more American travelers' radar. It's an excellent country to visit and even better if it's your first introduction to the diverse, culturally rich place that is Southern Africa. It's accessible, easy to navigate, English-speaking, and typically very safe. So, have we convinced you to start planning your own trip yet? If not, we still have nine months of travel to go... 

Restaurant Review: Joe's Beerhouse

On our first night in Namibia, we ended up at Joe's Beerhouse for dinner. Known to be a "Windhoek institution," Joe's was recommended by a few people, including the people working at the B&B where we were staying. 

We had heard only that it gets packed and we'd need a reservation, which we figured was a good sign. But we still had no idea what kind of food people ate in Namibia and thus didn't know what to expect.

Luckily, it was only a 10 minute walk from the B&B and they made the reservation for us. Still jet-lagged, doe-eyed travelers, we made our way to dinner, attempting to look natural although I'm sure our eyes were darting all over the place. 

When we got to the restaurant, I was excited to see a huge outdoor seating area with funky African decor everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Covering the walls, in the center of all open areas, hanging from the bar and even on the ceilings.

Joe's has a very cool ambiance and the menu to match. Their eclectic mix of options includes everything from burgers to local game meat. It turns out that Namibian food is generally hearty, meat-and-potatoes dishes, often with a German flair (the lingering influence of German colonization from 1884-1915). 

Mike, feeling more adventurous, ordered the Bushman Sosatie game meat kebob. Flustered by my inability to make a decision, I ordered pork schnitzel. (This was the first of many times to come that Mike "out-ordered" me.)

While waiting for our food, we chatted with a friendly german couple seated next to us at the picnic table - that's another cool thing about Joe's, most tables are community seating, so it's basically guaranteed that you'll meet and mingle with fellow travelers. They were celebrating their last night in Namibia after a three week trip and told us that they'd eaten at Joe's on the first night and loved it so much that they came back. Another good sign! 

The schnitzel was tasty but covered in a thick, too-rich sauce and the portion could have fed a family of four. Mike and I both tried each kind of game meat - zebra, crocodile, kudu, oryx and springbok. The crocodile was our least favorite - it was sort of like chewy, slightly fishy chicken. But the rest were quite tasty and not game-y at all, especially the kudu and oryx, both of which we'd eat again and again in the following weeks.

Not only are there interesting things to read and look at all over the walls, they can also be found in the menu. I love the following story because it really captures the spirit of travel. Things don't always go right, but you usually walk away with more than you expected. 

"THE TALE OF THE PORTUGUESE TRAVELLERS

In August of 2009, two brave Portuguese adventurers attempted a mission to drive across Africa in an old Mini. Ricardo Mota and Adalberto Salveira had a dream of proving just how tough the petit Mini is, and this adventure would be their way of paying tribute to the tiny car.

They bought an old Mini in Durban and immediately headed to Maputo in Mozambique. From there, they would drive from the Indian Ocean across Africa all the way to Luanda on the Atlantic coast. 

The two intrepid adventurers left Maputo on the 3rd of August, traversing Africa's rough roads in their little Mini. Mota and Salveira travelled about 1,000km per day, crossing the northern part of South Africa and heading into Botswana before making it to Namibia. 

Although they didn't encounter any serious problems, the trip was not without its challenges. A couple of flat tyres caused minor problems, but the weak headlights on the old Mini made driving at night challenging, especially with huge swarms of mosquitoes getting in the way!

When they finally made it to the Angola border for the final part of their trip, Fate dealt them a cruel hand. Due to visa problems, they would not be allowed into the country. Mota and Salveira were devastated - their dream lay in shards just a few hundred kilometres from their final destination. 

But Fate had another plan in store for them - turning around at the border and heading south through Namibia, Mota and Salveira arrived at Joe's Beerhouse. Here, the two adventurers regaled guests with their tales of adventure on Africa's roads, sipping cold beers and getting the occasional opportunity to converse in their mother tongue with other Angolese visitors to Joe's.

So impressed were the two with the hospitality (and cold beer and delicious food) that they donated their now-legendary Mini to Joe's Beerhouse. Today, Joe's Beerhouse is proud to have been part of this amazing tale of adventure, and our owners eagerly retell the tale of Ricardo Meta and Adalberto Salveira to anyone who asks about the old Mini standing outside." 

If you ever find yourself in Windhoek, a stop by this joint to exchange travel tales, sample tasty game, or at the very least enjoy a cold beer, is a must.