Travel Stories | #2 Namibia
A wild first chapter to host
After getting hired for the role of Community Builder and Chapter Host with WiFi Tribe, I traveled from Mauritius to Windhoek, Namibia – another place I knew nothing about but was excited to experience.
Of all the places to host my own first chapter, Namibia was an incredible one. I was picked up from the airport by the son of our hotel owner and on the drive back to the city, I saw Giraffes slowly walking into the sunset beside the highway. Unreal.
I spent that first week setting up – testing internet, sending out info to the inbound people, and allocating the rooms. It was a little tough to navigate the city so I was lucky to have the hotel owner’s son to help me out. I got everything I needed sorted out and it was time for the members to arrive.
The time in Windhoek itself was not all that notable. It wasn’t the most livable city so we really just worked during the week and took extended weekend trips to the incredible places Namibia has to offer. (We’ve now decided to spend the month living on the coast instead so it’s a more fun home base if you’re thinking of going!)
One weekend was spent climbing the famous sand dunes and exploring Deadvlei (ancient dead trees in a clearing of desert). Another weekend was spent in Swakopmund, the hazy coastal town of odd German influence and tons of adventures.
My favorite weekend was spent on Safari in Etosha National Park. I’d never dreamed I’d actually go on Safari and on this one we saw everything! Zebras, Giraffes, Lions, Wildebeests, Warthogs, Rhinos, and even a Leopard that walked beside our van (see photo).
Two notable things happened that both involved Rhinos. At night we would sit at an overlook and peer down at the watering hole to see who might stop by for a drink. After hours of sitting in silence and scanning the tree line, a massive form appeared and was slowly revealed to be a Rhino. For its size, it was unbelievably quiet as it glided to the waters edge.
The second Rhino encounter was on our drive back from a full day Safari. We had just seen the Leopard and we were riding a high from that. However, we were out past the evening time curfew so we needed to return to our camp as soon as possible to avoid a fine. Our driver kicked in into gear and we flew homeward. Yet, just a few miles past where we left our Leopard friend, we spotted two Rhinos who had just crossed the road seconds before we passed. our driver slammed on the breaks and we all turned to look. But the abrupt stop had spooked the Rhino who turned out to be a mother with her baby (protective). Before any of us could pull out our phones or cameras for a photo, the Mama rhino turned back towards us, dropped its shoulder and started to charge.
Yells of “GO GO GO!” could be heard – loudest from the people in the back left corner of the van, closest to the huge, powerful charging animal. Our driver once again kicked it into gear ( and thank goodness didn’t stall out). We accelerated but the Rhino kept up until we really got going. Finally, it slowed its pace and disappeared into the dust of our escape.
If you didn’t know, Rhinos can run nearly 30 mph and can flip a car or van no problem with their giant horn. So, we were incredibly lucky. Not to mention that, even if the Rhino had just punctured a tire or something, we would be stranded in a van with Rhino attacking and a Leopard not far off– and who knows what other animals were watching from the brush.
We made it back to camp that night and shared stories with the other people at dinner. It was a great day, even with the scare at the end. 🦏
When people ask what my favorite trip was so far, I often say Namibia because it was in such stark contrast to any landscape or experiences I’d had before. Namibia has so much to offer and I was so lucky to get to host my first ever chapter there.
