Africa AT THE WHEEL
Contributing Editor Angela Bronner Helm visited the southwestern African nation of Namibia and drove through its beautiful wide-open country. Here she details the trip she experienced on her own terms.
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frica. Each region of the massive continent has its own intrigue and pull. The southern tip has been dominated by the country of South Africa—these days better known for its fine wine and “first world accommodations” than for the apartheid state many of us vowed to dismantle many moons ago. Which is a good thing.
Yet, there is a lesser known country in Southern Africa that promises its own wonder—the burgeoning country of Namibia, which gained its independence from South Africa in 1990. Namibia is a country of 2.3 million, but it is one of the least populated territories in the world – you may not see people, but you’d be hard pressed not to find a gaggle of baboons in the middle of the highway, or a pea-brained ostrich running in front of your car, cracking you up. Namibia is new but it is imprinted with the ancient, from the Etosha salt pan formed around 1000 million years ago to the nomadic tribes who 3 6
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to this day maintain the same way of life as their ancestors. It is a hodgepodge of peoples who mostly speak English: colonial German, British and Afrikaners mixed with the 12 distinct African tribes there. By driving through the country, I truly was able to experience Namibia on my (and its) own terms, commandeering expansive, mostly paved roads, and quickly figuring out metric distances and the “wrong” side of the road (turns are weird at first.) As with any road trip, and especially this one, there are some absolute rules. One: Have lots of snacks. Two: Ditto on toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Three: Always have a camera at the ready. Four: Bring tunes (I was partial to Nina Simone, though Kanye drifted in quite a few times.) Five: Roll with an open heart. Cost: For 2 people in a 4x4 double cab automatic including first rate accommodations, meals, and activities, including safari and day trips: (N$49,848.00/US$4,156 in total). Prices vary during season. Average airfare between the US and Namibia is $1,900.
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12/13/21 2:03 PM
