Follow Me Around the World

Today was first started our day with a nice canoe trip down the orange river.  We had to hop on the back of a truck like cattle and were driven 8 kilometers away to the drop off site.  The river looked really calm so this would require a lot of paddling.  The night before I took Ellen, one of the older Dutch women that I wanted to be her partner, she laughed, but I was serious so she agreed.  I sat in the front because the front does all the paddling, according to Ellen.  In reality the heavier person sits in the back and she is quite tall, I think over 6 feet so it made sense for her to be in the back.  The canoe trip was fun, it was really nice out, the water was cold and I didn’t go swimming.  There were several groups mixed together and a lot of partnered canoes so we had to stop several times to wait for the others.  We also stopped several times to just enjoy the sun and scenery.  I didn’t take my camera for fear that it would be ruined but I have mental photos.  After the canoe trip, my lower back was killing me as I sat up the whole time paddling.  My feet were also freezing because there was about one inch of water in the canoe at all times and my feet were in it.  My ankles were so stiff, it took an hour for them to thaw out.

After lunch we packed up the truck and headed for fish river canyon.  To get to fish river canyon we had to cross in to Namibia and this would mean that I would be going to country number 37.  I was very excited.  We first had to go to the departure point in South Africa, made sure we got stamped out and then proceeded to the Namibia border.  When we got to the Namibia border, Jabu our guide made it seem like they would be so strict.  I was willing to take my chance and I wore my bauge and multi brown colored lungi, which looks like a dress.  I got my stamp and stared at it for a few moments. Every time I get a new stamp I get a real sense of accomplishment.   Even when I don’t get a stamp like Kuwait, but get to go a country even for a few hours, I still love it, I don’t care if I don’t get out of the airport.  My rule is simple.  If you touch ground you are there and it is checked off!

We stopped along the side of the road to see a few animals, our first animals traveling.  We saw a weaver bird make a huge nest in the tree, ostriches, and sprinboks.  Later on we stopped for  lunch along the side of the road with pretty scenery.  We broke out the football and kicked it around for a while.  Lunch was sandwiches and the weather wasn’t that bad.  The ride continued and we finally arrived at Fish River Canyon and we had to race to see the sunset.  The sunset was alright, I felt it was a little overrated and I couldn’t get decent photos of the canyon.  We then got back in the bus, arrived at the campsite, put up our tents in the freezing cold and all huddled around the campfire hanging out.

Becca started a game where you have to remember a poem using hand gestures.  For example “one brown hen,” and the gestures was flapping your wings like a hen, or “two running bears,” etc…That killed time before dinner which was a great meal.  The food has been great so far and I have been very surprised.  Don’t worry dad there have been plenty of greens to eat.  Lots of salad and some meals are just veggies prepared in different ways.

I retired early this night and it was a damn cold night.  Thank g-d my sleeping tent is warm, which allows me to enjoy the night.

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