9 Images of Namibia

Rock formations near Spitzkoppe
Tropic of Capricorn
Pink flamingos in Walvis Bay
Namib Desert dunes from the air
The growing metropolis of Solitaire
Desert sunset
Desert rainstorm
Flying around Namibia
Where the dunes meet the sea

Trekking Through Namibia on The Desert Express

The National Zoo was closed in early October due to the government shutdown (I live just 6 blocks away). So, I decided to go to Africa to get my giraffe and elephant fix. More specifically, I am currently in Namibia, where I am exploring wildlife, sand dunes and landscapes reminiscent of the Australian Outback.

I am traveling on the Desert Express, a luxury train (and I don't toss that word around lightly, as readers know from my experience on the Trans-Siberian Tsar's Gold). The Namibian-German-engineered train, circa 1998, is a marvel of clever design.

The train contains four sleeping cars, two lounge cars, and a dining car and a half. Each of the sleeping wagons is nature-themed--there's Springbok, Oryx, Kokerboom (Quiver Tree) and the one I am residing in--Meerkat Manor. Unlike the Trans-Siberian, which contained 4 separate classes of compartments, the Desert Express offers all guests the same experience, including the pleasure of a bathroom en suite.

Speaking of which, you have never seen a more efficient use of space, although I suppose anyone taller than 6 feet 2 or heavier than 160 pounds might disagree. The wee space (so to speak) has a toilet, a shower with a door that prevents water from spraying, and a magnificent rotating sink.

Other features of the interior design include compartment doors covered with glass engravings of the wagon's mascot; rock sand paneling; extensive use of red golden woods; handmade amber-colored furnishings in the bar car; and comfortable seating areas in the compartments that convert into up to three beds at night.

The Desert Express belongs to Namibian TransNamib Holding Ltd. and is chartered by various tour companies, including Lernidee.de.

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.

Washington, DC: The Outsider's Perspective

As a long-time resident of Washington, DC, I am always fascinated by how outsiders perceive the city. I'm talking about the city proper, not the political intrigue that is going on within its borders. I think we can all concur that what happens on Capitol Hill is not a pretty sight. 

This week, I was privileged to be a guest speaker for American University's Washington Semester journalism students. The 30-something 20-something-and-unders to whom I spoke were from Norway, Germany, Austria, France, Japan, and Lebanon. There were also a handful of Americans from California and Pennsylvania, most of whom had never before landed in the nation's capital.

Before I started my talk, I asked about their preconceptions of Washington, and if those perceptions matched the reality.

www.whitehouse.gov

It  was heartening to hear that most of the foreigners found Washington a very friendly city. They liked the people, finding them open and welcoming. They felt comfortable here due to the diminutive size of the buildings ("The White House is so tiny," said the young lady from Austria, while the French student remarked on the fashionably small scale of Georgetown). Obviously, from the pictures on TV, they were expecting super-sized buildings and super-sized egos, but, by avoiding the U.S. Capitol, they discovered super-sizing in DC to be a phenomenon mainly experienced at fast-food eateries.

On the other hand, the American students didn't find Washington particularly friendly. However, they did express surprise at how clean the city is. I had heard this comment before from friends visiting from New York and other slightly grimy U.S. cities (not that there's anything wrong with that). I was intrigued to know if Washington's cleanliness struck the foreigners as well. It did not. They expected our nation's capital to be a gleaming, shining beacon, and, in aesthetics at least, it lived up to its hype.

     Please follow me on Twitter @dailysuitcase

Falling for Maryland: Part III

Who knew that the Western Shore of Maryland had all this?  For information about what else is on deck here, check out www.choosecalvert.com. 

Chesapeake Beach

The sandy cliffs at Calvert Cliffs State Park

Psychedelic sea life at the Calvert Marine Museum

Drum Lighthouse at the
Calvert Marine Museum

Out for a ride on the
Patuxent River

Ahoy, Matey!