Trip to Windhoek during PST

Yay! I found a program I can use while offline, to update my blog! It's amazing to realize how much the internet has been a part of my life - and how much I have relied on it…..and now, I am very limited. Ah, but this is just part of the journey….

Ok, I am finally getting myself organized, with my pictures, videos, etc.....and my plan is to go back in time, a bit, and talk about some of the fun times during PST (Pre-Service Training), and eventually bring you up-to-date – and HOPEFULLY, I can do this in a short amount of time. I'm writing this blog from my hut right now, along with the next few blog entries, as well as organizing the pictures and videos, so when I do get a good internet connection on the computer, I can upload everything....at least, that's the plan (though, I'm learning very quickly, in the Peace Corps, that things don't always go according to YOUR plan. And so I'm kind of learning to enjoy going with the flow, not feeling disheartened or disappointed if something doesn't work out how I had planned or wanted. And actually, when I look back over the last few months, everything ended up how it was supposed to be – without me thinking I had to plan every moment of my life and somehow think I could control it. Crazy me!)

So let me rewind a little, and tell you about our trip to Windhoek, during PST. We all loaded up onto a bus, on a Saturday morning, and drove about an hour and a half to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. The plan was to see a few historic sites, then to the mall for lunch, then an open market, and finally drive down a road in a not-so-nice part of town. (We were told we would not be getting off the bus to walk around this street.)

I'm including a slide show at the bottom of this post, along with a few other pictures, here on this post. I'm not sure the pictures do these places real justice, but you will, at the very least, get a good idea of some of what we saw, the history of Namibia, and present-day Namibia.

The drive to Windhoek was along the B1 – the major highway in Namibia. It pretty much runs from the north to the south. So, if you ever find yourself in Namibia, just hop on the B1, and you can get almost anywhere….

The drive was beautiful, with some animals along the way (baboons, cattle, donkeys, goats – you'll find this all up and down the B1) and some mountains in the distance.

Our first stop was Heroes Acre. This is the official war memorial in Namibia. It represents the spirit of patriotism and nationalism , in hopes of passing this on to future generations. It was beautiful. Many of the gravesites don't have anyone buried there, but a headstone in their honor.

For more info, go to this website: www.namibia-1on1.com/heroes-acre.html

Our next stop was the Old Location, where, in 1959, a massacre took place. Here, in this neighborhood, only blacks lived. But apartheid was still law. The government wanted to move the black people out of their homes, to a different location, and build houses for whites only. Most blacks left, but some remained, in protest. The police opened fire on these protesters, killing 11, and injuring 44.

December 10 is actually International Human Rights Day, as well as Namibian Women's Day.

If you want to read more about the massacre, here are a few links: Old Location 1959 Massacre & Katatura

Next, was the mall. It looks like the typical westernized mall – with shops and restaurants. It was nice to be inside for a bit, and out of the sun.... :)

We then went to the open market, where foods of all kind were sold. Some spices, dried spinach (evanda), ombidi (spinach), mahangu and soghum flour, and lots of meat, mainly beef. As we walked around, and were able to get a taste of some of the meat (which was delicious!), I noticed the heads of the cows just laying around on the ground. And the raw meat is hung, for people to purchase, or those selling will cook it for you. And finally, there was someone selling ice cream. Ahh! To many of us PCTs, that was just what the doctor had ordered....

Our next stop was Herero Mall. This was a few rows of bars, or as they call them here in Namibia, shabeens. We stopped in one, danced a little, and had a grand time. (The picture below is what many of the shabeens look like - although this one is actually a little bigger than most….)

Our last stop, before heading back to Okahandja, was driving down ***look up street in Windhoek***. This road is mainly filled with shebeens and car washes. Apparently, it's not a very safe area – as alcoholism has become a major problem, here in Namibia. And so, yes, as you would guess – while people are drinking, they get their cars washed – and then drive home. I've included some pictures of this road in my photo album below. These pictures are a very real look at what many parts of this developing country look like – at least, outside the villages. But, understand, these buildings look exactly like many shops, shebeens, and even houses (more like, a room, where a person lives) throughout Namibia – even in the villages.

Overall, it was a very educational day – and, now that I've been here for almost 5 months, I am understanding the significance of all of these places. Maybe I should return to them, as I now have a better appreciation of Namibia, it's history, and it's future....

Below, is a slide show with more pictures from the outing...

Group 37 with our PC Staff Trainers - at the top of Heroes' Acre