9 Things to Know About Namibia

1. It's in southwestern Africa, bordering Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
2. English is the official language.

3. The Namib, at 55 million years old, is the most ancient desert on earth.
4. The Namib Desert has the highest dunes in the world.
5. Namibia has the oldest cave drawings in the world, dating back 28 million years. They are located in Apollo 11 ( FYI, the cave wasn't named Apollo 11 28,000,000 years ago).
6. Vegans, beware. Lots of oryx, ostrich, and other game on the menu.
7. There is no Namibian version of Monopoly. They play the South African version here.
8. If you love train travel, there's no better way to see the country than via The Desert Express. Eleven-day tours are available in the fall (spring here) by Lernidee. Smithsonian Journeys will have an excursion on the train next October. If 11 days is too long, you can experience the train on an overnight (plus side trips) between Windhoek and Swakopmund.
9. And yes, in answer to the question most frequently asked to me (other than "where is it?")...
it is safe here....except if you encounter a lion.

9 Things One Needs to Explore Before Exiting on an Exotic Excursion

Despite the fact that I have traveled to more than 50 countries on six continents (I am missing Antarctica), preparing for a trip to an unknown and faraway destination is still perplexing. As I plan for my trip to Namibia, I must ponder, among other things, logistics, medications, documentation, and fashion. Here's a list of 9 things I need to figure out before going to Africa...and things you should think about as well before taking off to distant lands.

www.cia.gov

1 Do I need a visa? Official media are supposed to have visas to enter Namibia, but your garden variety American tourist does not. Although I am going to Namibia to write about The Jewel of the Desert train, I am opting to go visa-less (please, Namibia's version of Mr. E. Snowden, don't tell on me). After all, as a travel writer, my mission is to have the same experience as regular travelers do. So, no visa for me, although I will be sure to bring my VISA card...and an ATM card to boot.

2. Do I need more pages in my passport? Apparently, the answer is yes. For some reason, Namibia requires everyone to have 4 to 6 blank passport pages. As I am on Year 9 of a ten-year passport, I only have one blank page left. Should I wing it? According to a colleague at Solimar International , a firm that does tourism consulting work in Namibia, the answer is a definite no. Said colleague spent the better part of the day in Windhoek Airport, while one of his co-workers had to zoom over to the local American Embassy for pages. Thankfully, I live in Washington, DC (how often do you hear someone say that these days?), very close to the National Passport Center. And thankfully, the NPC is not closed due to the shutdown. (LIVE BULLETIN from the NPC--it costs $142 to add passport pages versus $170 for a new passport. But given that I am not looking passport-picture-pretty today, I am opting to fork over the $142 and spend another $170 in a few months when I am sporting my TV Laura mien).

3. Do I need shots or malaria pills? Shots--no. Malaria pills? It's not clear. I hope that copious doses of mosquito spray will keep the buggers away while I am sleeping under the stars in Ethosha National Park.

en.wikipedia.org

4. What about money, honey? Apparently, the Namibian dollar is on par with the South African rand, and the latter is accepted everywhere in Namibia. As the Namibian dollar is not easily convertible on the world market, best to stock up on rand. That way, leftover money can be exchanged back into US dollars.


5. What do I wear? I am oft vexed regarding visitor vestments, particularly when I travel to the Middle East or Africa. When I went to Morocco in 2001 (geographically in Africa; culturally, it could be argued, the westernmost part of the Middle East), I had a two-fer on my hands. I was verklempt, as everything I owned was too tight, too short, or too colorful. I ended up purchasing a bunch of long, oversized schmatas.  The Moroccan men, unstereotypically, paid me no mind, but the women there didn't seem to appreciate my valiant efforts to mask my feminine wiles. Methinks hunting for safari clothing will be easier, but I still must find items that will cover me up (mainly to ward off  bugs and to protect against the scorching sun).

www.abercrombieandkent.co.uk

6. How do I allay the heat? As frequent readers will recall, during my most recent adventure, I swooned in the Forbidden City and had to spend the night in a Beijing ER. As a result, I am stocking up on electrolytes,, bringing a huge sombrero, and slathering on suntan lotion.

7. What unusual items do I need? This type of journey requires gear not usually included on my packing list. Bug spray; a flashlight; a water purifier; a beanbag (to serve as a camera stabilizer in jittery jalopies); and the aforementioned electrolyte tablets are some of the extras I will stow.

8. How am I going to survive the 18-hour flight? I am taking South African Airways from Washington, DC to Johannesburg--an 18-hour jaunt. I can't afford business class, so I can only hope my aisle seat in coach allows me to stretch my gams. I am also bringing along various travel accessories to road test. I'll let you know how they work.

9. How many days will it take me to get over jet lag? Fortunately, the time difference is, surprisingly, only 6 hours. Therefore, spending my first night in Africa at the Intercontinental Hotel at the Johannesburg Airport (smart move) and my second night at the Okapuka Ranch near Windhoek should mean, presumably, Dr. Livingstone, I will be well-rested when my official explorations begin.

9 Things to Know about St. Michaels, Maryland

1. It has nice scenery.

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Celebrating St. Michaels Day 

2. Locals take history seriously. But, as seen below, they aren't too uptight about it.



3. Dog-friendly doesn't even begin to describe the scene. The dogs are so happy here, they never bark. If you hear a dog vocalizing, he's likely a visitor.

4. The people are friendly, too. How friendly are they? They even cheer the lady who scoops up horse manure as a parade goes by.

Oxford-Belluvue Ferry

5. Old-time ice cream parlors, ferry boats and skipjack rides are throwbacks to simpler times.






6. Police don't give out tickets for parking illegally on a festival day.

7.  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a treasure trove of see-worthy history.

8. Charming neighboring communities of Easton and Oxford are easy to access by car, bicycle, or boat.

Crab at the Peacock Restaurant at
the Inn at 202 Dover

9.  Crab.

For more information on St. Michaels and its surroundings, visit www.tourtalbot.org.

9 Things to Know About Holiday Travel

It's holiday time and everyone is asking, "How can I avoid travel headaches?" Well, here's a little Top 9 List you can use, whether you've been naughty or nice this year.

1. Try to book off-peak. That means avoiding the day before the holiday, the Sunday after the holiday, etc. If you fly on the holiday itself, you will find smaller crowds at the airport, lighter loads on the plane, and better rates.

2. Send gifts ahead of time or order them on-line and have them sent directly to your holiday destination. If you must bring gifts with you and stuff them in your carry-on, don't bother wrapping them. If you do so, TSA will unwrap them for you.

3. Get yourself organized to expedite getting through security. Watch what you wear--avoid clunky belt buckles, heavy-duty jewelry, under-wire bras, or other items that might set off alarms. Have your plastic bag filled with liquids stuffed into an outside compartment of your carry-on.  Have your laptop or tablet easily accessible.  

4. Find an airline-branded credit card that allows you to check a bag for free if you purchase your ticket with self-same card. Some of those credit cards also provide holders the opportunity to jump ahead in the boarding line. 

5. To save luggage space, wear your heaviest items on board. Layer that cozy cardigan over a bulky turtleneck and then complete the outfit with a winter coat and boots. 

6. Check in ahead of time, either on-line or on a mobile device. Paying for your checked bag ahead of time will also save you a little time and a few bucks.

7. Going overseas? Check on advisories for dicey areas at travel.state.gov.  But don't just check out the U.S. government site, as travel warnings can have an American political bent. Visit www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/updates_mise-a-jour-eng.asp, the website of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and www.fco.gov.uk, the home of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

8. Even if you are staying close to home, you have to prepare for the trip. If you are driving to your destination, get your car checked out ahead of time, leave yourself plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B, and, if the kids are along for the ride, bring healthy snacks, bring plenty of entertainment, and remember to make frequent stops.

9. And if you are looking for a totally carefree holiday travel experience, stay home and host visitors from far and wide. 

Top 9 Childhood Toys

In a previous post, I discussed a Top 20 list of toys circa 1910-2010 that was compiled as part of a poll conducted by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (CMI). I vehemently quibbled with the results. But instead of trying to correct the errors of 24,000 poll takers, I will compile my own list--this one, as is my wont, a Top 9 roster. It excludes board games, as that seems to me to be a separate subject.

Laura's Top 9 List of Toys from her Childhood :

   1. Barbie: 'Nuf said.  

2. Canadian Hockey Table Top Game: I'm not talking Air Hockey, nor a table masquerading as a hockey game. Instead, what my older brother and I lovingly called "Game-da-Plink" measured about two and a half feet long and 18 inches across. The skaters were tin Flat Stanley Mikitas, posted on metal sticks that slid between specific slits in the "ice" (allowing for limited, albeit 360 degree, movement). Players had to maneuver each skater by hand-operated rods. Therefore, the game took a great deal of manual dexterity, as each person was responsible for five skaters, plus the goalie. This game was old school--no  newfangled innovations (at the time) like the overhead puck dropper or an electronic scoreboard. Although our little tin men were Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, most were anonymous, except for the wing man we called Badly Injured. Poor Badly Injured--he was constantly toppling off his post. The play-by-play from the era  (narrated by whoever didn't have Badly Injured that day) went like this: "Badly Injured gets the pass, he turns, he shoots, he topples over."  (I should mention that perhaps it was this early experience that propelled me toward a college sportscasting career doing play-by-play for minor league baseball, women's basketball, and synchronized swimming).

Oh shoot the puck, fond memories of Badly Injured and multiple victories over my older brother have caused me to drastically digress. Let's get back to my Top 9 list.

3. Ping-Pong Basketball: By which I mean the one complete with spring-loaded levers to pop the ball out of the hole and into the hoop. Not to be confused with the Thai version. And, parenthetically, if these sporting games sound archaic, please note they belonged to my much, much older sibling.

4. Skate Boards

5. Model Trains
6. Little Kiddles
7. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head

   8. Etch-a-Sketch

   And last, but not least:

9. Ken. Poor Ken. Such a second fiddle, yet such a trailblazer. Back in my childhood days, he was simply before his time. Now, my particular Ken had bendable (and shaved) legs, so I could never get his pants on. Still, this didn't cause major problems in the Barbie bedroom, as the couple slept on bunk beds formed by placing the Barbie wardrobe case on its side at night. By day, Ken perused said wardrobe, and was particularly fond of Barbie's Trans World outfit.  (Apologies for the different type--apparently, Blogger thinks Ken requires an alternative font style.) 

Which toys make your list? And if you were to choose among board games, how would Candy Land and MONOPOLY, as named in the CMI poll, stack up against Operation, Trivial Pursuit, or the Game of Life? Don't toy with me. Just leave your thoughts.