Flight to Windhoek and the first few days.

On Thursday my good friend and neighbor Erik picked me up and took me to the airport. The flight to Jo'burg took about 9½ hours and after a movie and dinner, I was able to doze off for a few hours. It wasn't really sleep, but better than nothing! 😅 Next to me was a nice young exchange student from Jo'burg who had just spent a month in Germany and was now on his way home. When we were about over Botswana, a stewardess suddenly approached him and asked if he was XY. After he confirmed, the stewardess only said that someone from ground control must know him and knew that he was on the plane, and had radioed the pilot to send him a nice greeting, which she now wanted to do! 😄

In Jo'burg, we switched planes and continued to Windhoek with Air Link, a small South African airline. Here I sat next to a black African man from Namibia who was also on his way home from a business trip. We chatted a bit and talked about Joe's Beerhouse, where I wanted to go in the evening with Cham, an acquaintance of mine from Windhoek. And he said he also wanted to go there tonight, we should meet up! So we exchanged numbers to be able to write to each other later.

When I arrived at the airport, I withdrew some money and was assigned my rental car. Another Toyota Hilux Pick Up, but this time a slightly newer model. In Windhoek, I checked into my accommodation and tried to reach Cham. Unfortunately, my broken phone, which hasn't just turned off since April, turned off 5 times in a row now and took a long time to turn back on...! 😝😤 Luckily, I still have my dad's spare phone with me and could simply change the sim card! It's really slow but still better than another 50 phone crashes! 🙈😅 Finally, I was able to reach Cham and we arranged to meet at 6 p.m. He arrived at 6:45 p.m., not bad for an African! 😅 Eric, from the plane, couldn't meet us at Joe's anymore because his daughters had taken up his time. But it was still a really nice evening! 😃

Today, right after breakfast, Cham and I went to the city center to get a Namibian sim card for my phone. There, you have this kind of 'personal parking assistant' who also watches over your parked car in your absence. Of course, he wants some money for that. And Cham said that there are often more of them, so it's best to take a big bill and change it into many small ones, then always take out a small bill from your pocket, give it to them, and move on! So we changed a hundred at a gas station into five tens, one twenty, and one thirty (100 N$ is about 5€). Easier said than done! Back at the parking lot, I gave our parking assistant a ten and he said he has a daughter and wants to buy her something to eat. Can't it be 50 N$? Well, okay, so I gave him another ten and the thirty! And suddenly his friend stood next to him, he also wants something! No! YOU watched my car, NOT him! But he's sick! Please just one bill! OKAY! 😝 And then his next friend stood there too! In the end, I lost all the bills I had changed at once! Cham had waited for me in the car and didn't really understand the situation. He said that I should never open my wallet in front of their eyes to take out the money because if they see what I have, they always want more and more of them come and then my wallet is empty and their pockets are full! So always have small bills in one pocket, take one out without them seeing what's still there, give it to them, and walk away quickly!

Well, then we went shopping in the city, had lunch, and drove out of Windhoek to Elisenheim Farm, operated by 'The Hunta' and his family, a friend and fellow singer of Ees, my favorite musician from Namibia! The two have made several music videos together! And boom, he was actually there and agreed to take a selfie with me and Cham! 😁

Cham then had a 'typical Namibian' dinner! Rouladen with Spätzle and red cabbage! 😅 I had the Farmers Kitchen Burger, not quite 'typical Namibian' but tasty too! 😄

Now it was time to go home again and our paths temporarily separated... But we'll meet again for Etosha! 😃

Tomorrow I will continue to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei! 😊