Meeting the other EHRA volunteers

After settling in to Villa Weise, I met Coleen, a fellow EHRA volunteer. I was told that our group is quite diverse in age and nationalities. We all met for an EHRA meeting and were filled in a bit. We then set off into town for dinner at a lovely restaurant near the lighthouse. I am shocked at how little a nice dinner costs here!

Tomorrow we head out to base camp at noon. Base camp is located 3-4 hours away from Swakop. We will be drving in a "new" car which has proper doors and is not open, so we will not freeze like past volunteers have! My luggage (duffel with all of my gear!) has been delayed. I hope it makes it!

After 36 hours traveling from NYC, I have arrived in Swakopmund, Namibia (alas, with no luggage!). I will be joining EHRA (Elephant-Human Relations Aid) for 2 weeks of rough camping and volunteer work in the Namib desert. (check out their website at http://www.desertelephant.org/)

My first experience of Namibia was flying into Walvis Bay. It truly feels like you are in the middle of nowhere! I landed on a small strip in the middle of sand dunes, made my way through the tiny airport (which has one "gift" shop, one food/restaurant place and a bathroom) and onto a shuttle van to Swakopmund. The 30 minute drive was absolutely breathtaking! This part of Namibia is where the gorgeous sand dunes meet the ocean.

As we drove into Swakopmund, I immediately noticed that this small town has gorgeous German roots. The small buildings are brightly colored and cheery. The driver informed me that Swakopmund ("Swakop" or "Swak" as it's often called) is the coastal holiday vacation spot for many Namibians and South Africans, as it generally remains cool here, even when the rest of Namibia's temperatures rise... I am staying at the backpacker lodge called Villa Weise (pronounced Villa Visa) in the EHRA dorms... I see that 3 of the 4 beds are taken, and I am looking forward to meeting whomever has nabbed them!