With the Good Comes the Great Once all the coronavirus scares die down, Namibia awaits.
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ince the easing of lockdown regulations in Namibia the streets are more alive, pulsing with cars and pedestrians. Restaurants are open, but most entertainment venues still closed. Lodges and hotels are slowly shrugging themselves from their hiatus and looking for novel ways to provide unique travel experiences to the curious wanderer. It is strange to see the economy kick into high gear at the onset of winter – usually the start of the cold season heralds a slowdown with more people choosing to stay indoors.
Then, another time, I found myself in the north at the start of the rainy season, with furious cloud activity and downpours being the order of the day. The geography in the north reminded me of my birth country Rwanda with its afternoon thunderstorms. The communal life, too, reminded me somewhat of my distant home. Humid heat, green trees, rich, tyre-sucking mud, and an abundance of wildlife were the takeaway notes at the time. With numerous lodges spread out in the northern half of the country, yet again I wonder if another road trip is not a necessary excursion.
Age-old wisdom states that you have to take the good with the bad: an end to a hot Namibian summer means a cold winter; the bone-chilling freeze drives the mosquitoes away but it decides to stay. The landscapes change: the days are shorter, the nights come too quickly and seem to stay too long. Inside it is always too cold, and outside the temperature is never Social right. Namibia swings between extremes distancing was just – as it always has – in terms of the seasons, a geographic climate, culture and the national mood. It is never lukewarm – that does not seem to be the concept even Namibian way. The change of season, however, then – it for once seems to defy tradition. Maybe, this one time we just might get the good and the turns out the greater: a much needed return to our natural Namibian environment, a celebration of the vistas and wilderness had horizons we took for granted, and a greater appreciation for our geography.
But this year is different – the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down and upset established routines. This year, instead of relative hibernation, everyone plans to be out and about. Despite the onset of the countrywide chill, a recent long weekend saw the coast packed with travellers. It makes sense: this was the first time many Windhoekers had the opportunity to escape the confines of their lockdown routine. The coast, as the most accessible and relatively affordable holiday destination, was an enticing drawcard. In fact, it would have been quite un-Namibian not to spend a long weekend at the coast, so the pilgrimage to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund felt like a patriotic return to some form of normalcy. But there are other equally fantastic places to visit as the country opens up bit by bit.
the right idea all along.
I am reminded of my time in the dry south, surrounded by nothing but horizon as far the eye could see and as wide as my neck could pivot. Sand below, sky above. And no one but my travelling companions for company for miles around. Social distancing was a geographic concept even then – it turns out the Namibian wilderness had the right idea all along. I remember the feeling of tranquillity and isolation. Not loneliness, but solitude, the kind of oneness only found in nature, especially at its most extreme and desolate. The autumnal change in climate and texture made the vast landscape a new world, a different country to explore. Soon, with tourism restrictions being relaxed, I wonder if it is not time for another escape to the south.
If there ever was a time for a resurgence of internal tourism, now would be it. In time the rest of the world will be drawn to Namibia again. It is inevitable – such is the magnetic power of the Namibian wilderness. For now, though, in these cold months when the rest of the world is away, I look forward to seeing Namibia without intrusion and crowds. Rémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian novelist, columnist, essayist, short-story writer, and photographer. His debut novel The Eternal Audience Of One is available from Blackbird Books and Amazon. His short stories have appeared in Litro Magazine, AFREADA, The Johannesburg Review of Books, The Amistad, The Kalahari Review, American Chordata, Doek!, and Azure. More of his writing can be read on his website: remythequill.com
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