First-time Hitchhiker

Monday, July 7th, 2008. Sigh… another week in good ol’ Walvis Bay. What to do today? Sleep in! Haha… everyone usually gets up REALLY early and so do I, but because there’s nothing for me to do, going back to sleep seems to be the best option. Most of the time I just toss and turn until about 9:30am or 10am (which is the max time my body will let me toss and turn for) and then get up and go about my ways. Granny has been complaining about the car’s usage lately, so that has created a kind of awkward situation in the house. Something about the wear and tear? But it’s a 2006 vehicle in excellent condition… meant to be driven right? Anyway, Garth says there’s no point in arguing so has now resorted to carpooling to work with Theo. I no longer feel comfortable asking Aunty J to drive me around to places either. I wouldn’t want to be a bother or fuel any tension, so it looks like I’ll just have to cab it everywhere from now on. Sigh… I’m beginning to understand Garth’s apprehension about Granny visiting us. Haha… tough love?
Anyway, I had a quiet brunch then made the walk to returned the DVD, which was good by the way. You should rent it if you’re up for a feel-good faith booster.
After dropping off the DVD, I thought, what a nice day for a walk. I was already at the edge of Narraville which is close to the highway, so why not make the trek towards Dolphin Park – a fancy resort about halfway between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. In driving it seemed not too far away so I thought it was totally walkable. I first bought a Lemon Twist soda from the local grocery store and then headed for my destination. The sun was bright but there was as light breeze to keep me cool, so I was not worried. I walked in the dunes for a bit and then made the climb to get onto the main road. I didn’t walk for too long when a gentleman on the side of the road greeted me. He was friendly enough and I asked him how far was it to Dolphin Park. He said 15mins… by car… 1 hour by foot. Whatevs… I had all the time in the world, didn’t have go to the washroom, had my iPod with me, and had a hydrating soda in my hand… set to go, I’d say. But he reassured me that I wouldn’t have to walk far because someone will give me a lift. That’s what people do here. I shrugged my shoulders, said thanks, and off I went. I walked about halfway and was feeling sweaty but not too shabby when a small truck stopped in front. He asked where I was headed and said that he’d give me a lift ‘cause he worked construction just across Dolphin Park. I saw all his name badges and stuff on the dash and my instincts were not on the defense, so I thought, ok why not. During the short drive we talked about Canada and what I was doing in Walvis Bay. He told me a bit about what he did (electrical engineer) and also told me that there was a Canadian company that was fishing here as well. Cool, I didn’t know that. Anyway, I arrived at my destination sooner than I had originally planned and thanked, Jan (pronounced Yon), my random stranger friend. I took a little rest on the deck by the resort and simply basked in the sun and enjoyed the fullness of the ocean. Then I decided to check out the neighboring Langstraand (Long Beach) community, where Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt made famous by staying there during their visit in Namibia. I made the walk across more waves of sand and into Long Beach. Only the rich people can afford to stay here. The housing apparently costs millions of dollars… Namibian of course. Anyway, I walked around and oooed and awed at some of the houses, then walked back onto the main street to head back home. There was an Ovambo lady waiting all by her lonesome for a ride so I said that I would wait with her. Maybe this way, a car would stop for us sooner. Not too long after, a combi did stop for us and two German (business men it seemed) offered to give us a lift back to Walvis Bay. SCORE! I must say, my first hitchhiking experiences in Namibia were successful ones. I had fun doing it actually! One surely gets a feeling of freedom and born-to-be-wildness when hitchhiking. Don’t think I would be too keen to hitchhike back home on our highways or in South Africa. But hey, while in Namibia, do as the Namibians do. Next time… to Swakopmund!! WOOT!