A Magic day in Walvis Bay

We have just been on a magical trip out to sea in a small boat, 13 of us. Our Captain a white Namibian born young woman, very at home on boats, very concerned for the birds, seals and dolphins that we saw and with a wonderfully ethusiasticand friendly personality. She was like a goat scrambling around the boat. I couldn't believe what I saw today...seals jumping on to our boat and letting us stroke and pet them, pelicans flying along with us responding to, her call to come for fish, doplphins and whales gamboling in the sea around us. One seal jumped on uninvited, a young one and literally nuzzled Sunelle, our captain until she gave him some fish and then she shooed him off. We saw flamingoes flying in a pink cloud. We had Elly who is 18 months old with us and her parents...her dad is on S.A.S. staff on board. She, Elly has sea legs as you wouldn't believe, she stays upright when the rest of us are rolling around and she is the happiest toddler I have seen for a long time....she loves the sea !

The students jumped in for a swim after a lunch of fresh oysters, champagne and other goodies to eat, absolutely delicious. We visited a small seal colony (which looked pretty large to us) and watched the baby seals frolicking in the sea around the sandspit where their parents were lolling in the sun all sleek and shining, a glorious sight. Apparently there are jelly fish in these waters but Sunelle explained, only the blue bottles are dangerous and have a sting. The others large white ones and some red ones you can pick up and handle. ...think I'll pass on that!

We're off for a drink, read our books (On Beauty by Zadie Smith for me...excellent!) and supper in Walvis Bay so will end and hope to have better luck adding photos later.

Namibia second day

This is truly a country of sun, sea and sand, In this centre part one is always within sight of sandunes....huge ones. The one being climbed in the photo below is called Dune 7 and is the highest (and possibly the hottest?!) in the world. Some of our students an at least one faculty member, my theatre prof. Ted, reached the top yesterday. I honestly thought some of them were going to pass out when they came down...they looked ill; very red in the face and struggling to ge breath and desperately needing water which we didn't manage to get until about 15-20 minutes later. His little son Christoper shot to the top, comparitively speaking, and Ted said he kept saying to him " Chris if you go down now I can go down too!" but this little child would not and reached the top! Ted's wife thought her husband was dying when he got down!!We had dinner with them last night and Christopher was buzzing! Where does that energy come from?! He reminds me so much of Bryn; he talks non-stop, quite loudly as if we're all deaf, and last night was in his magician mode making this very visibly 'disappear'.

Swakopmund is a very neat, clean, part Dutch looking little town of about 9000. Geared for tourists and holiday makers from other parts of Namibia and South Africa. Quite empty for such a place with lovely shops, African markets and restaurants and bars.

Off to see Seal and Dolphin encounter. We're out in a boat for three hours and are spending our time n the Walvis Bay lagoon. We'll be back at the ship by noon and then Theresa & John Muller and ourselves are going into walvis Bay by taxi and having supper on the waterfront on the other side of the town.

I just love it here....of course it is Africa so that's not surprising. But it is so unique and stark...no frills or fuss, very basic. The stars are huge, last night's sunset breathtaking; a brilliant orange and red sky....wonderful! Unfortunately to bring reality into the picture I got a coughing spasm and had to run to the cabin (I'm so afraid of throwing up!) so missed the final sinking into the sea! i haven't ever had asthma like this but it is slowly improving day by day....my inhalers are getting plenty of use for a change and am still today and tomorrow on anti-biotics.

Calm sea and early morning mist pre-heat outside.