To Africa for the First Time

I had already been in Africa for a while, having spent half a day in Spanish Ceuta on the North African coast. But that does not count, besides, it was not by bike. Africa is the last continent on which I had not yet left the black tracks of my bicycle tires (I ignore Antarctica) and so, for several years, I had been hankering after Africa. However, I had not managed to reach it. After all, it is not only the Cradle of Mankind, but also the source of all possible diseases and illnesses. And the idea that I would have to be vaccinated did not much appeal to me. But in the end, I gave in, and had the vaccines for Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A injected into my blood. Another problem was Malaria. The doctor did not recommend that I take anti-malarials continuously all along the way. She said that it has an impact on coordination and that I could fall off the bike. She equipped me with Malarone, which I was to stuff inside myself in case of symptoms of Malaria and then to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Rare Visa
Our country has made quite good progress in the world and the result is that we are no longer used to visa requirements. This does not apply to Namibia: a visa is required and must be requested in advance. It is not issued at the Airport, contrary to, for example, Kenya and Tanzania. The nearest embassies are in Berlin and Vienna. The form is very extensive. For example, they want proof of accommodation reservations for the entire stay and a detailed itinerary. I tried to fulfill at least one requirement. I reserved a room for one night in a Windhoek hostel and drafted an itinerary according to the map, which was probably pretty unrealistic for bike travel. I submitted the visa application three months in advance, and after six weeks I made enquiries. I was informed that, as I was only departing in six weeks' time, there was no hurry, because they were handling more urgent applications. Okay, but a week later I received my passport with the visa. However, instead of a three-month visa which I was expecting, I was given a visa exactly matching the itinerary – on 30th September I would have to leave Namibia. Yeah, one lives and learns all the time.

Change of Plane Ticket
Originally, I was supposed to fly to Johannesburg overnight and the following morning to Windhoek, Namibia. I was supposed to be in Windhoek at 10:30, so there would be enough time to assemble the bicycle and cycle the approximately 40 km from the Airport into Windhoek. That is why I also reserved accommodation for just one night. After all, they did not have the single room available for a longer period, only a shared bedroom which I dislike. I became fed up with communal bedrooms during my obligatory military service. However, the morning flight from Johannesburg was canceled and I was therefore to arrive in Windhoek only in the afternoon. I would not make it from the Airport to the city by bike. I found another hostel, which was also advertising transport from the Airport. They replied to my enquiry that they would send a vehicle big enough also to accommodate my wrapped bike. So I booked three nights – the first day for acclimatization, the second for bike assembly and on the third day I would perhaps see the countryside around Windhoek or sleep late with a hangover – I would see.

Routine
Preparing and packing for a ninth journey does not thrill me any longer. It is pretty simple. Most of my travel items are in a box in the attic, so all I need do is to carry it down, dust the things and the task is almost done. Also my vagabond clothes are not used in “civilian life” so they are still in good condition. Some of you were surprised that I was wearing the same shirt every year in all my photos. One sponsor even popped up to offer me a new one, they just wanted to know the size. No way, I do not ditch field-tested items. But this rule cannot be applied foolishly. For example, the previous year my pannier racks were cracking and reinforcing them with wood proved useful – bamboo was the best. However, I would not continue in this trend. Instead, I learnt that top quality carriers are produced by the Tubus company – they are made of chrome-molybdenum steel, lighter than aluminum, supposedly very durable and no doubt very expensive (one rack costs about 110 USD). So now I would travel with this decoration and hope that no bush mechanic would have to weld it in case of emergency in Africa.

The Right Time and Place
I did not expect any problem with the luggage. The weight limit of the box and bike was 32 kg for which there was a surcharge of 190 USD. The additional baggage limit was 23 kg. These were luxurious conditions, so I stuffed as much as possible into the box with the bike (25 kg) and the rest of my luggage weighed less than 16 kg. One lady commented to her grandson at the Airport about my atypical luggage: "Look, the poor man came here to do some shopping". Then I realized: the bike box was the nice colorful box of an expensive vacuum cleaner. When I checked in, the clerk told me that my arrival was perfectly timed because the system had just collapsed and she was unable to charge me for the bike. And that I should proceed quickly before it came back on again. It made no sense to me.

I am Falling into the Trap Again
Before leaving, it all seems senseless. Why should I leave my home comforts to rush into discomfort? “What have you come up with again, you moron?” is the most common question I ask myself before departure. However, already at the Airport, I perceive it differently, and after the first few kilometers on the bike, I have a 180-degree turnabout. This time was no exception – at Prague Airport I still had doubts, but during the long wait for my connecting flight at Frankfurt Airport, I already became macho. After passing through the security check, I was standing a little too close to the conveyor belt on which the checked baggage was arriving, so a corpulent security woman did not have enough room to stand there. Therefore, with scathing irony she asked if I wanted to do her job instead. With a straight face, I said: "Certainly not. I really don't envy you your job!" So it was obvious that I was in tune to my journey. However, regardless of this, the security control was very thorough – London-type (where I am always searched down to the bone). This time there were two problems. Firstly, my meal for the trip was in a plastic container and they wanted to know what was in those sandwiches, as well as being suspicious about the Strudel. They stopped bothering me only when I offered them a taste of it. But my Kindle e-book reader did not escape their scrutinizing eyes. I was escorted to a special room where they examined the Kindle for five minutes. Then they admitted that not even a malnourished terrorist was hiding in it, escorted me back again and let me pass through the Passport control.

In the Belly of the Monster
The Airbus A380 is currently the largest civilian airplane. In Frankfurt, boarding had to be adjusted for it. An escalator carries passengers up to the first floor, the aircraft has several separate entrances marked in row intervals. Each row has 10 seats in a 3-4-3 arrangement. The plebs sit on the lower deck (Economy Class), 1st Class and Business Class are on the upper deck. The nose of the aircraft partially surfaced from the darkness behind the glass and made a really impressive sight.

[Johannesburg] The A380 is really huge, people seem tiny in comparison

First of all, we taxied for about half an hour. Frankfurt Airport is quite huge. The take-off took significantly longer than in the case of a smaller aircraft. The time taken to reach flying altitude also seemed unusually long. The “entertainment system” on board offers very well organized flight information. The plane has three cameras filming live throughout the flight. One is at the top of the blinker directed in the flying direction – I really enjoyed watching it when landing. The second camera is directed perpendicularly to the ground, and the third perhaps towards the back, showing nothing but clouds. Another feature was the simulation of the flight route depicted on a satellite image of the terrain in good visibility with important points marked, such as cities, rivers and lakes. Although we were flying at night, it was like flying over Africa in the daytime. And the last treat was the simulated view from the cockpit. Only a live camera in the cockpit will probably never be available.

[Over Africa] The flight tracker system faithfully simulates the view from the cockpit

[Over Africa] The incredible size of the Airbus A380 captures the attention

[Johannesburg] The size of the cabin is apparent when passengers have left the aircraft and curtains between various sections are drawn

I had four hours to change flights in Johannesburg. I wanted to withdraw money from an ATM. In Namibia it is also possible to pay with South African Rands, which, in contrast to the Namibian Dollar, are freely convertible. The rate is 1:1, therefore Namibian Dollars have little sense and are only a proof of Namibian independence and the related national pride. There was no ATM in the International Terminal. I was told it was only in the Domestic Terminal. Fortunately, one of the agencies that operate the Exchange Office at the Airport also accepted payment cards. I withdrew 5,000 Rands in hundred-Rand notes, so my pockets began to swell. However, with the exchange rate of roughly 8 Rands to 1 USD, it was not much, and who knew when I would find an ATM in Namibia.

[Johannesburg] I had the opportunity to watch the loading of my bike

I flew to Windhoek with South African Airlines and I must say that the food on board was much better than that of Lufthansa. Neither was the South African wine bad and the stewardess brought me all three types of the red wine that they had on board to taste. Actually, they were offering just one kind. I praised it and she said there might be some more, which she then brought me. I went through Passport control in Windhoek, was reunited with the boxes, which was not a surprise to me, because I had watched them being loaded in Johannesburg. They sent me to Customs, where they only asked me if everything was mine, and I was out of the Airport. There, a chauffeur was waiting for me with a minibus from Chameleon Backpackers. On the 40-km long journey into the city, I looked out all along the road, searching for sites where one could sleep on one's own. It was not an optimistic view. A strip about 5 m wide was cut in the vegetation along the sides of the road where I could erect a tent, but everyone would be able to see me. Then the fences – one side was high for the giraffes, the other side, low for the cattle. Sometimes there was a perfectly dry river bed, a strong wind and as hot as the Czech Republic was when I left (35 degrees Celsius). This was gonna be fun.

[Windhoek] Windhoek Airport is small, passengers walk between planes and terminal

[Windhoek] Both boxes arrived without any damage

Windhoek
The hostel was about 500 meters from the center, but on the wrong side of town, so tough security measures applied. There were in-room safes for valuables, the property was fenced off and the gate was always locked. I was told to go into the city without revealing I was a tourist. No backpack, no photos, no peering at a map. And to return before dusk. If necessary, to use a taxi, but only one of the two verified companies. I went to buy food and met several guys in that area who would certainly not have had any problem mugging me of everything in the dark. I believed that the countryside would be better.

[Windhoek] Gideon meteorites – sculpture of 30 meteorites found 300 km south of Windhoek

The city center is filled with international brand stores, expensive as well as fairly good cars, and the people are normal at first sight, except for the numerous exceptions. However, there are no significant highlights. A few churches (on the first day I saw just two, but on the following day more of them showed up for me). The National Museum is in the former fortress which served as the first concentration camp at the beginning of the last century. The Government and diplomatic district has a decent park with running water. This is really unique here, as the lack of water is a big problem. Drinking water flowed from the taps in the hostel (thus far, I had drunk it without any ill effects), but recycled water was used for washing and flushing toilets.

[Windhoek] Christus Kirche – German Evangelical Church – reputedly the most beautiful building in Namibia

[Windhoek] Catholic Cathedral

[Windhoek] Reiterdenkmal – statue of German soldier in front of the National Museum

[Windhoek] The Alte Feste is the site of the National Museum; in the past it was a concentration camp

[Windhoek] The barrel-shaped modern building adjoins the governmental district

I devoted the day after my arrival to the bike assembly. Everything went smoothly, only I could not put together the new mirrors from Zefal. I even had to look at the manual. Adjustment was difficult because their angle of tilt is adjustable only in steps. I managed to persuade the left one, but not the right mirror, which was crucial in the local left-hand traffic, so I took it off. I replaced it with the old Cateye mirror, which I had providently taken with me. I have always been very satisfied with Cateye, but was never able to buy them in the Czech Republic. I spent the afternoon grocery shopping and visiting the sparse local sights. I stocked up in particular with canned fish, bought some German durable whole-wheat bread, instant porridge, hard cheese, tomatoes and apples. That would do for four days.

[Windhoek] Downtown – high-rise buildings and overall no beauty

[Windhoek] Independence Avenue –the main avenue in Windhoek

On the following day, I wanted to go on an afternoon safari specializing in the observation of feeding lions. Unfortunately, they were booked out for five days ahead. So I also strolled through the more remote parts of the city, bought some fuel for the cookers (gas cylinders were available in several places, so I could have taken a gas cooker). I bought a money belt, so as not to tempt anyone with the wads of hundreds which were bulging in my pockets. I managed to get a map of Namibian campsites, which I considered to be the most important item. However, they were few and far between, so sometimes I would have to sleep out in the wilds somewhere next to the road.

[Windhoek] The center surrounded by high-speed roads, with pretty good hills (over 2000 m) visible in the background

An Attack of Chafing
In the evening, I washed all my clothes and, during the few hours before they were dry, I wore only bathing trunks. I could not resist going out to test the bike on the streets around the hostel. It was not an entirely good idea because, due to my inappropriate clothing and the heat, my skin started to chafe. I immediately stopped pedaling, jumped into the shower and finally smeared the critical area with the only cream that I had, cream for hardened skin on the feet. Its composition is apparently quite aggressive, as it kept burning me for a full hour after the procedure. But I hoped that it would be better by the next day and that I would be able to start the cycling part of the trip.

My destination was the Etosha National Park, situated 500 km north of Windhoek. One is not allowed to enter the park by bike. I hoped to stay in a camp near the Park boundary, and then to go on a safari tour, albeit pricey, to observe the animals. Then I wanted to work my way to the West Coast and rest only when I reached Swakopmund. I could not count on having Internet along the way and so my next blog post would have to wait for three weeks. Internet in Swakopmund would not be a problem.