Namibia 2k25 🦓🏜️🐘

Dear friends,

I hope you have plenty of time. I've had so many experiences over the last few weeks. 😊 Oh, and you'll need to start with the pictures at the back to get the events in the right order.

As you know, I've had some time off from my studies. After the stressful exams in July, I was able to relax a little. I'm sure you're all eager to hear how it went. 😅 But more on that later.

Before my big trip to Africa, I tried to spend some time with a few friends. I went for ice cream with one friend, went for a walk with another, and had breakfast with my roommate.

On August 27, I set off for Munich. With two suitcases, a carry-on bag, and a backpack, I was on my way down the highway. I met up with my former roommate, with whom I had lived for six months during my internship at ProSieben. She kindly drove me to the airport in my car. As a thank you, I let her use the car while I was away. 🚗

I had two stops: one in Vienna and one in Addis Ababa. I was lucky on the flight from Vienna to Addis Ababa. I was given a whole row to myself, so I was able to lie down a bit on the night flight. 😴 I had actually booked a window seat on the second flight, but something got mixed up and an elderly gentleman was sitting by the window. I got talking to this man, who was from France, and later found out that he was also a believer. He showed me Christian songs in French. At some point, he offered me his window seat, which I thought was really nice of him. 🥹

Somewhat exhausted from the journey, I arrived at the airport in Windhoek. I had to fill out a visa form at the counter. That's where I got my first shock. I was treated so disrespectfully, you can't imagine. 🫣 I didn't know my parents' address, and I needed it to fill out the visa form. So I wanted to call my dad via Wi-Fi, but it didn't work. Only after the lady at the counter gave me a hotspot did the call go through. Meanwhile, she was so annoyed with me that she made comments like, “Yes, everyone is waiting for you.” Stress at its finest. 😂

When I was done, I thought, “Well, that's it, now I can relax and get my suitcases.” Not so fast. Outside, after the baggage carousel, I had to go through customs. For the third time on this trip, my bags were searched by security. When I was asked why I had metal rods with me and couldn't come up with an answer right away (it was actually a canvas for my parents), I was yelled at: “Take your two suitcases and go to the back and have them checked, right now!” That definitely made me feel welcome. All I could think was, “Just leave me alone, everyone.” 🙄 The best part was that I could already see my parents standing outside and was allowed to turn around again. At the back of the room, I felt like I was being interrogated. I had to explain why I wanted to bring certain items into Namibia.

Among them were many pens with Bible verses on them for my dad as donor gifts. The amount was noticeable, so I told the man that these gifts were for my parents' wedding anniversary. He teased me a little because he said that you are only allowed to bring in €200 worth of gifts. I said to him: 'Oh really. I didn't know that, but you know what? Next time I'll know better.' 😂 How happy I was when he let me go with my stuff. A word of advice at this point: don't take it personally when they try to break you down emotionally, just go along with it and don't contradict them or react rudely.

It would be beyond the scope of this article to report on everything. That's why I'll only explain the most exciting things in more detail.

During the first week, I got to know the community and the people there. I went to the hairdresser and often had a sundowner in the evening. That's what Africans call a relaxed end to the day with a delicious drink. 🍹 It's really popular there. Then I went to a farmers' market and a birthday party. And after three days, we picked up a couple from my parents' home church from the airport. They arrived at almost the same time as me.

The sunsets are unique and so much more intense than in Germany. 🌅 The air is very dry, which gave me a few nosebleeds. You can't just drink water from the tap either. I made that mistake on the first day because I didn't know. It tastes way too calcareous. 🤢 The temperatures themselves were okay. It's spring there right now.🌷It only gets a little cooler in the evenings. 30 degrees in Namibia doesn't feel that hot because of the dry air. 

On September 4, we began our little tour of the country. Our first stop was at the Omaruru Game Lodge. It's a lodge with a game reserve and the opportunity to go on safari. That's what we did. My first African safari was in Namibia. 🐘I was particularly impressed by the elephants as they ran towards us because they knew the tour guides had brought food. There was so much to discover and it was just as I had imagined it would be. For example, seeing giraffes at the waterhole or zebras grazing together. I can 💯 recommend this lodge. The food was also very good. 😍

The next morning, I made myself a cup of tea and opened my Bible. There's no better way to start the day. I had a nice encounter with a peacock. 🦚 The time there was much too short, but we had a tight schedule. We wanted to continue on to Swakopmund on the coast. On the way there, we stopped at a mountain winery. 🥃🍷

In Swakopmund, I started to feel cold. A real drop in temperature of 10 degrees on the coast awaited us. There, I went on a desert tour with the couple from my parents' home church to see the “Little Five.” These include the Namaqua chameleon, the palmato gecko, the shovel-snouted lizard, the sidewinder snake, and the dancing white lady (a spider). We saw some of them. Click through the gallery to see them. 😉

Another experience that stuck with me was visiting the baby hatch. It was shocking to see how many babies are simply abandoned. While we were there, a little boy ran up to my dad and wanted to be picked up. He just needed a few minutes of love and attention. 🥹 I was also handed a tiny, delicate three- to four-week-old baby girl. The people there told us about their work and how much they would appreciate support.

After visiting Flamingo Lagoon, where we saw lots of flamingos, and Walvis Bay, another coastal town, we continued on toward the desert after saying goodbye to the couple who had let us stay with them for three days and who were friends of my parents. 

Guys, you can't imagine what it's like to be on the road for hours and not have a toilet nearby. 😬 The bumpy road we were on was my worst enemy. I started to miss German rest stops and was so happy when we saw a wooden structure with an outhouse in it somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It's not every day you get to go to the toilet with a view. 🤣 You always have to be careful... you hear stories about wild snakes biting you in the butt. I was even more delighted to find a real rest stop in Solitaire. It had real toilets, a café, a souvenir shop, and lots of old, rusty cars for atmosphere. A really beautiful area to take photos. 📸🏜️ Someone recommended the apple strudel there, which we then tried. 

When we arrived at the Namib Desert Lodge, I jumped into the pool to cool off. The food was very good here too. 👍🏻 We set off early the next morning. We wanted to go to Sossusvlei to see Deadvlei, the landscape with the dead trees. On the way there, we helped three Americans who had broken down on the road. One of their tires had burst while they were driving. So we pushed the car to a straight spot so they could put on the spare tire. After a two-hour drive, mostly on bumpy roads, and a few short stops to photograph wild antelopes, climb Dune 45, and marvel at hot air balloons floating over the vastness of Africa, we had to take a shuttle to Deadvlei because our car tires couldn't handle the sandy roads. The shuttle was actually a kind of off-road vehicle with low tire pressure so it could drive on the sand. From the parking lot, we then had to walk about 20 minutes to get to the spot with the trees. 🚶🏼‍♀️It was quite a long way and such a popular place. Here, too, you can take excellent pictures. The trees are over 900 years old.

On our way back to the lodge, we stopped at the nearby Sessriem Canyon, where I saw a snake. It was a sidewinder snake, and no, I didn't let it bite me. 😄

The next night would probably be the coolest night of my life so far. We had booked an overnight stay at Dune Star Camp. There, you can move your bed onto your terrace and spend the night under the starry sky. In the evening, we were given a short tour and saw another little gecko peeking out of its hole. We all enjoyed a sundowner on the terrace and were treated to snacks and drinks on the house.🍸 We had dinner in the glow of the evening sun. You can see what we had in the picture gallery. Food at its finest. 🥰 The evening just kept getting better and better. Have you ever seen a starry sky in the desert? Sooo beautiful. 🤩 I tried to get the perfect photo, where you could see the camp but also the starry sky, using a long exposure time. I think the pictures turned out quite well. Here in Africa, you can also see the scorpion in the sky and the Southern Cross. The night was a bit chilly, but it was worth it. Wrapped in my bathrobe, I stayed up until the early hours of the morning. Then it got quite damp because of the dew. But that didn't stop me. In the morning, I started the day with the Word of God again, and soon there was a knock at the door. Coffee and cocoa were brought directly to my bed. And by directly, I mean directly. 😂

This night also passed far too quickly. Back at the Namib Desert Lodge, where the rest of our luggage was waiting, I checked my university website. The grades had just arrived and I was super nervous about whether I had passed everything. You may remember from media law that I had to retake this exam. And yes, I passed all my exams and can now concentrate fully on my bachelor's degree. You can't imagine what a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I knew I didn't have to retake anything. But yes, I know myself that I can be a bit of a drama queen sometimes. That reminds me of a Bible verse from Proverbs 16:3: “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” If we walk with God and trust in Him, He will grant us success in what we do. 📖🙏🏻 Just a quick aside about the university situation. 😅

An employee at the reception desk said to us, “It's a shame you didn't play the guitar. I saw your guitar and wondered when you would play.” My dad didn't need to be told twice and took out his guitar. So there we were, in the middle of nowhere at a lodge, playing Christian songs. Meanwhile, more and more employees gathered around and sang along. Others watched from further away. You have to know that Namibia is a very religious country. What a wonderful experience and what a joy it was to have the opportunity to sing about Jesus.

We continued with a visit to friends of my parents at Duwisib Castle and later at Dabis Farm, where we also spent the night. Here we were given a tour of the farm on a truck and we made “porridge.” This is basically just barbecuing, but instead of pork or turkey, we used lamb or antelope... The next morning, I even got to help milk the cows. I'll tell you, it's really harder than you'd think. 🙃 They also make delicious prickly pear jam here. 😋

We continued on towards Lüderitz. On the way there, we stopped again at another lady's house whom my parents knew and chatted with her for a while. She also showed us her property. Lüderitz is another town on the coast. I had prepared myself for cold weather again. It was a little cooler, but a cardigan was enough. We stayed in a 4⭐️ hotel for two days. My dad knows the hotel manager there. The reason my father knows so many people in the interior is because they often attend various farm church services. He took us on a short tour of the town and told us a few things. We also passed a village with many tin shacks. “This is where the poorer population lives,” he said. Children were playing on the dry sandy road and adults were sitting on chairs in front of their houses. The man told us that these people in their tin shacks have no running water, let alone a toilet. They share a washing area with four other units. We should be so grateful for what we have. We are really well off. I felt really bad at times driving through in a big van and appearing so “rich” in their eyes. 🫤

In keeping with this theme, we also visited an abandoned town this weekend. It is called Kolmanskop. This town was built because someone had found a diamond there. There were many diamonds in this region. 💎 But after they had searched everywhere, they found no more, and so people gradually left the town again. There was also a lot to discover here. For example, a slaughterhouse, a gym, and a casino. There was even an old and abandoned hospital. Everything has been blown away by the wind. Some of the houses are covered with sand inside. As we know, the desert takes back what belongs to it.

On the morning of our return trip to Windhoek, we wanted to take a catamaran ride to see the wild penguins. But this dream threatened to be shattered because one of our tires had a flat and we couldn't get away. Fortunately, we had a spare tire with us and the hotel took care of it. In the meantime, we were taken to the harbor so we wouldn't miss the ship. We saw seals, dolphins, kudus, seagulls, and penguins. There were so many of them. 😅 

Back at the hotel, we packed our things and were ready to leave. The spare tire was now on, but it was already a few years past its expiration date. We drove a short distance and had the tire changed again at a repair shop in Keetmanshoop. The total driving time from Lüderitz to Windhoek is about 7 hours. In any case, I'm not cut out for long car rides. But the varied landscapes made it quite bearable. I didn't want to drive myself because of the left-hand traffic. Maybe next time. 😉

Back in Windhoek, I had a few days left before heading back to Germany. We all went out for dinner again at Joe's Beerhouse. Here I tried zebra, kudu, and springbok. The zebra was very tough. 

On another day, we drove to Katatura. That's where my parents' cleaning lady comes from. It's also a poor village on the outskirts of Windhoek. The people there also live in tin shacks and don't have much. There was a market there, and people were roasting meat on shopping carts with another grill placed on top. Of course, we stood out, and some people waved at us. We really felt like “high society.” Some of them have to walk a kilometer to get to a water source. 🚰

We drove on to a kindergarten. It was also just a tin shack. In an adjoining room, there was a mattress on the floor where the children could take their afternoon nap. In the larger room, there was a blackboard and a table and lots of little chairs for the children. The walls were decorated with posters with prayers or educational posters. The children sang for us to express their gratitude for the things we had brought them. These included cookies and grape juice so that they could celebrate communion. It didn't smell very good there. But that was quickly forgotten when I saw the happy faces of the children, all holding a cookie in their hands. We were told that some children are brought here and don't get anything to eat because their parents can't afford it. Sometimes the kindergarten teacher cooks a little extra for the children when she can. 🥘

It broke my heart to hear that children here are going hungry. On the one hand, I was traveling in total luxury, but on the other hand, I also got to see how some other people live. That opened my eyes a bit to being grateful for what I have, as I mentioned above. I try not to complain so quickly when something doesn't go the way I want it to. There are people out there who have little and are happy. You often hear that there are poor people, but to experience it firsthand is something I would recommend to everyone. How much would you like to help these people? It was a truly profound experience.

On another day, I went paddleboarding. It's similar to playing tennis. On my last day, there was a murder mystery dinner in the community. I played Manuele Ferrara, an Italian chef. It was my first murder mystery dinner and it was really fun. ☺️👨🏻‍🍳

On September 18, my plane took me back to Germany. I always find it a little difficult to say goodbye, even though we'll see each other again soon. 🤗

On September 19, I landed back in Munich and was picked up by my roommate at the time. This time by train, because she was no longer registered to drive the car.

My American friends were waiting for me in Munich. They had also traveled from Prague to Munich by train. It's always nice to welcome American friends to Germany and spend time with them. So I showed them the Eibsee, the Partnachklamm gorge, and the Chiemsee with the Herreninsel and Fraueninsel islands. On Sunday, we also attended a Catholic mass, as the Americans wanted to experience that. ⛪️ So I joined them. On the following Monday, I had to go back. I had to get back to work at some point. 😂 They visited Nuremberg and then drove on to Ansbach to see me. Here, I was able to show them my home and my work. After that, they drove on to Stuttgart.

That's about it, I would say. I've been through a lot in the last few weeks. Now I'm slowly getting ready for my bachelor's degree, thinking about what I want to write about and, above all, with whom. I only have two courses left to complete. One is media economics, but this course takes place online, and the other is the last course in my major in culture & lifestyle. For this, I only have to go to the university for 7 days per semester. 😄 Otherwise, it's write, write, write... I need to find myself a hobby, otherwise I think I'll go stir crazy. 😆🤣 Because I only work twice a week.

I'm excited to see what the future holds. But I'm actually planning to start my master's degree in “Multimedia Media Production” in the spring of next year. A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Let's see how everything develops. Things often turn out differently than you think anyway. 🙃

With this in mind, I wish you all a good and blessed week. 😇🙋🏼‍♀️