Safari

Etosha Park

1Aug

by Kelsey Smith

Our time in Etosha Park included seeing 3 out of the “Big 5”, a Sunday morning traffic jam of Elephants, my newfound love for Giraffes, and more Springbok than the number of bad jokes that have been told on this trip. On second thought, disregard that last comment. We have experienced a lot of extraordinary things, but there is a line between extraordinary and impossible that we can only get so close to crossing.

Before coming to Namibia I had imagined seeing many of the stereotypical animals that are so commonly associated with Africa. Those thoughts, however, seemed to come and go quickly because I don’t think I honestly expected to see the wildlife that we experienced at Etosha. Seeing each type of animal took us on a continuous roller coaster of excitement that began early Friday morning and continued until we headed for Ogongo on Sunday.

Each animal offered a unique sight because of the beautiful details in their size, shape, color, and movement. Seeing a little Jackal became a familiar sight, especially for our friend Trotter who took to its cute pet-like characteristics and tried to feed it a dinner roll. A less familiar sight that our bus driver Dennis enjoys seeing most of all each time he brings a group to Etosha was the Rhino. We were fortunate enough to see its historical and ancient movements that showed both strength and grace at a watering hole one night.

Zebras were not in short supply. The details in each Zebra’s appearance begin with definitive black stripes that perfectly shape around each one’s face and continue in the same matter throughout the rest of its body. We were also lucky enough to see one male Lion laying under the sun, which created a golden shimmer on its mane.

Before coming to Namibia I was not familiar with some of the animals that we have seen during our time here. Names like “Kudu” and “Gemsbok” were of another language to me, and their appearances seemed even more foreign. Sights of mule and white-tailed deer that are common to us in Texas don’t offer much comparison to the long spiraled horns of a Kudu or the size of its vaguely striped body. Each time we see a Gemsbok it never grows old to look at its beautiful black and white detailed face and straight, spear-like horns.

One of the most amazing sights at Etosha, and maybe even for the entire trip, were 12 powerful, yet gentle Elephants that silently walked up while we were observing a watering hole. The baby of their herd energetically followed its mother around with an unconditional excitement for life. Other Elephants whipped their trunks back to throw clouds dirt on wet skin under the warm sunshine. Each member of the herd enjoyed independently playing in the water and quenching its thirst, but the reliance they had on each other showed as they fluently moved together to and from the watering hole.

Last, but definitely not least, was the Giraffe. I’m sure each person in the bus could tell you about my overreaction when we saw them drinking at a watering hole for the first time. I have seen Giraffes before, but it wasn’t until I saw the awkward splits they have to do when bending down to get a drink of water that I fell in love. I don’t know what it is, but my heart now melts when I see this beauty of a stretch animal with a long and lanky physique that leads up to big, beautiful eyes. Maybe it spurs from my appreciation of being able to relate to another creature that looks extremely awkward when they run. I don’t know. Whatever the case, my next mission is to find a plane big enough to get my next pet back to College Station, TX so that I can introduce my dog to her new brother or sister.

Destination Safari

17Jul

By Kelsey Smith

After 3 flights that took us between 3 continents, 36 hours of traveling, and an accumulation of maybe 5 or 6 hours of sleep, we finally arrived at our destination at the Neudamm Campus of the University of Namibia. I have to say, getting there was probably the least stressful experience within the past week, mostly thanks to the people I will be surrounded with all day everyday for the next month. Bad jokes alongside the excitement that our adventure has finally begun continue to allow contageous smiles and laughter spread between each precious face of our newfound family. Preparing to leave the country and enter into an area that I did not have much knowledge about turned out to be the most challenging part this far. Taking care of things around the house, saying goodbye to friends and family, 2 a.m. trips to the Wal-Mart , poor packing skills, meeting for class and writing papers all seemed to creep up on me at the same time within about 72 hours of leaving the U.S. Getting to the airport, checking in, and going through security felt as if more than the 45 pounds that was my suitcase had been lifted off of my shoulders. I could begin to relax, get to know 6 of my 8 new family members better, and give my mom and brother one last call before boarding our first 10-hour flight.
The people that work for British Airways made the experience much more comfortable with their hospitality and to my excitement, REALLY cool British accents. It never got old hearing my sweet flight attendant repeatedly calling his passengers “love” while graciously serving us. When I began playing around with the touch screen that sits in the back of the headrest I was pleasantly surprised to find popular movies and TV shows along with a map that allowed us to track our flight’s location around the world. Sleeping on the plane was another story. Each time I would fall asleep it wasn’t long before I woke up to find that gravity had taken its toll yet again, bringing my head down in a position that my neck did not agree with. The airport in London was amazing. It felt as if we were in an enormous building that can’t decide whether it wants to be a mall or an airport. Our next flight to Johannesburg, South Africa was about the same, but it was a little bit easier to sleep because of how much we were overdue from the previous flight. Finally, the short flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek did each and every one of us in. At one point we were all passed out in unison, not affected by the shaking of the plane during taking off and landing, and sadly not even affected by eating (one of us… a.k.a. Tobin… literally fell asleep between each bite of food).
We reached Windhoek, Namibia to find the rest of our group. One unfortunately was told that her luggage had been lost (which has still not been discovered after more than 72 hours). This was one of those moments that Dr. Wingenbach’s advice to “pack our flexibilty” came into play. We loaded a bus, and took a short drive to the campus we would call home for the next 5 days. As I looked around I already felt at home with the scenery resembling the panhandle of Texas, or the countryside of New Mexico. The people that welcomed us to the campus are nicer and more accommodating than we could have asked for. Our meal that night was prepared by the cooks that continue to so graciously feed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the most selfless way.

We had the privilege of sitting in on a meeting with some of the University’s Directors, Deans, and other faculty members. They showed us a glimpse into the agriculture programs at their school and talked about how much progress they have made and continue to make at the University of Namibia. A few of their members attended Texas A&M during graduate studies, so we all loved hearing and relating to stories about their time in Aggieland.
After only 24 hours we already have so much gratitude because of the gracious people here at the Neudamm campus. They continue to go out of their way to selflessly serve, teach, laugh, and provide us with more than we expected. We will never be able to repay them, but I pray that our time, conversations, smiles, and laughter will express to them how much we appreciate their hard work.

Tradition and Transition

23Jul

by Samantha Alvis

I’m excited to have the opportunity to share this country with my fellow students. I was lucky enough to travel to Namibia last summer and promptly fell in love with this country. With a landscape that reminds me of my native Arizona and wonderful, welcoming people, what’s not to love about Namibia?

When I opened the map in front of the group and traced our journey over our first 15 days, I think it’s safe to say that everyone was surprised by just how much of Namibia that we have seen in our time here.

Currently, we’re in a region I was lucky enough to visit in 2011. Three days ago, we arrived at the University of Namibia Ogongo Campus*, in the far north of the country. It’s quite the change from some of our earlier locations. We viewed the city life in Windhoek, the desert life at Gobabeb, experienced a bit of the seaside in Swakopmund and had a taste of tourism as we journeyed through Etosha National Park.

The north is different. Most of Namibia’s 2.1 million people live in the north. We began to notice this as we drove through towns like Ondangwa and Oshikati and experienced rush hour for the first time. We saw it the number of people enjoying a beverage at the 100s of tiny shabeens (bars), with names like New Paradise and New Life, that line the highways and towns.

A large majority of the north is communal lands, with a communal farming and ranching system. Namibia’s north country gives a new meaning to open range … we realized this as we stopped multiple times for cattle, goat and donkey to cross the highway.

And in these communal lands, you also see communal living. We stopped at the Nakambale Traditonal Homestead and Museum on our way to Ogongo to learn about life in a traditional homestead. In a homestead, you may find 3-4 generations of a family living together. Different family members have huts to sleep in, the kitchen is outdoors and at night, the livestock are brought in for safekeeping.

As you drive along the roads, you’ll find that many of the homesteads are in transition. Among the traditional thatch huts and wooden fences, you’ll find cinder block structures and aluminum fencing.

Tradition and transition – these are two common themes I see in this country I love. While Namibia is a young country (gaining independence from South Africa just 22 years ago), it is still a country rich in tradition. It’s also a country in transition, trying to set an example for the continent in how to manage lands, educate people and create opportunities for future generations.

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*If you’re trying to follow us on a map, find the Angola-Namibia border and look for Ogongo along the C-46 highway between Outapi and Oshakati.

The Namibia Phenomenology…

21Jul

by Dr. Tracy Rutherford

This trip has been filled with -ologies, much more than any of us anticipated: anthropology, paleontology, archaeology, geology, technology and zoology. Brooke has had many opportunities to demonstrate that she paid attention in class while many of us wish we had done more than memorize the information for the test.

That’s what I have learned on this trip – it is about the experience and applying what you’ve learned, not the grade on your transcript. Neudamm reminded us of the importance of agriculture, Gobabeb challenged our research skills, and Etosha brought Africa to life (as the elephants blocked the path of the bus and later intimidated a young lion pride), I can only wonder what lessons we’ll learn in the final days of our adventure.

Jack Elliot told me Namibia is his second home because it reminds him of Arizona. I think all of us appreciate the similarities between this country and the United States, while enjoying the hospitality of our hosts and the abundance of excellent chefs. We have definitely received the red carpet treatment, and I am grateful that our students have the chance to give back to this country – the chance to leave a legacy that will guide this program for years to come.

My hope is that the legacy of this program is for our students to learn beyond the book, apply beyond the test and do something with their education.

We started this experience with the study of agricultural communications and leadership at Neudamm preparing to translate scientific information based on the research at Gobabeb. Now we are fine-tuning those skills to emphasize education about science as we prepare to work with the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

We are still exploring all those -ologies and have added two more, sociology and psychology, as we continue to learn about ourselves, our group and the people of Namibia.

The Wonderment

21Jul

by Gary Wingenbach

Thank goodness for youthful reactions!

Sometimes we (the royal “we,” for all those 29 and older) aren’t impressed by the unusual because we’ve “been there, done that.” Then, along comes an opportunity to watch someone young see something so extraordinarily unusual, that you can’t help but be excited for that person. Maybe it even causes you to think about your own extraordinary circumstances.

And so it was that I came to own a truly unique African experience, vis-à-vis, Beth’s reaction to a troupe of baboons. Baboons are, for argument’s sake, interesting creatures, but not the warm and fuzzy beings I’d go out of my way to see. They certainly don’t measure up to Black Jack and Holly Brown, two smiling, laughing Labradors who are tearing up my back yard while I’m away.

Yet, Beth didn’t care about equating baboons to lovable labs. She was in the moment, as it were, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiastic praise for the lowly baboon.

Namibia 2012 isn’t my first, and I hope won’t be my last trip to somewhere cooler for the month of July. Yes, it’s been very cool, even cold, here as southern Africa grinds through the steely grip of winter. Texans suffer July’s increasing furnace, but here in Namibia it’s cold enough that my good friend Dr. Martin Schneider had to loan me his trusty sleeping bag. Ah, a reprieve from frostbitten nights at the University of Namibia’s Neudamm Campus!

Anyway, back to the baboons.

Beth Alexis is a dedicated graduate student at Texas A&M University. She has a bright future, as do many Aggies in the ALEC Department. Like other graduate and undergraduate students participating in the Namibia 2012 study abroad program, Beth is a first-time visitor to Namibia.

We all braced against a rough and dust-laden trail on the Neudamm Campus, when a troupe of baboons thought it a good idea to jump not one, but two fences, to cross our path as we made our way back to the Neudamm farm’s headquarters.

I saw the baboons running through the brush to beat our oncoming vehicle. Beth saw them as they scaled and/or jumped the fence in single bounds.

“This is so wild!” Beth screamed. “This is AWESOME!”

Her words were ringing in my ears as I watched the last baboon scurry safely into the brush.

I hadn’t really thought about it before that moment, but Beth’s words hit me like ton of bricks – “we’re in Africa!” You’re right Beth, this isn’t some sad zoo or game farm in Texas, WE ARE IN THE AFRICAN WILD! Scream it! Shout it out! Remind yourself and those around you about the wonderment of it all. Your experience is truly unique to you, but your reaction to it helped me remember the same feelings, thoughts, and reactions I had so many years ago in South Africa.

Thank you, Beth, for sharing your baboon enthusiasm. Thanks for making me smile and laugh. Thank you for reminding me why the wonderment of this experience should be shared, even the wonderment of encountering the lowly baboon in the African wilds.

Here Kitty, Kitty!

12Jul

by Holly Van Groll

Wednesday was yet another great day in Namibia!

After another warm breakfast prepared by our wonderful friends in the kitchen, we made a trip over to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. We participated in a tour of the ministry’s geology and paleontology museum. Did you know some of the earliest fossils were found here in Namibia? Yes, you learn something new every day.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary for a carnivore feeding tour! N/a’an ku sê is heavily supported by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and we got to see several photos of staff and volunteers with Brad and Angelina.

The sanctuary was beautiful and was located just above a huge ravine, overlooking the many acres that make up the reserve. Once we had a few minutes to look around, we loaded up in large safari-style Land Rovers and headed out to feed some wildlife!

Among the many things we were able to see, the cheetahs and wild dogs were most definitely a highlight for the group. The cheetahs were so tame that one of our guides climbed the fence to return a piece of antelope meat that had been caught in a tree. The cheetahs purred and meowed like kittens, surprising us all.

The wild dogs were beautiful. With spotted legs that almost matched the cheetahs, and huge ears that looked like they belonged to foxes, the dogs were the most elaborately colored/patterned animal we have seen the entire time we’ve been in Africa.

Farmers have problems with these dogs stealing their livestock, so they trap them and take them to the sanctuary. They were very large dogs and had an elaborate pack hierarchy, much like wolves.

Our safari ride ended with a ride back to the main house with a beautiful sunset background. It still surprises us all when the temperature drops almost twenty degrees within the few minutes it takes for the sun to set.

We have had such a great time on this trip that it is hard to believe we have only been here just a few days! We have many more exciting adventures to look forward to!

Africa, Here We Come!

6Jul

by Josh Hardcastle

On Friday, 12 Aggies and I will embark on a three-week study abroad trip in Namibia (which is located just above South Africa, for those of you who need clarification).

While abroad, we will be studying agricultural communications and technological change. Our group will also work with the University of Namibia as well as Gobabeb Desert Research Center and Cheetah Conservation Fund on some of their communications efforts.

Between our trips to these institutions, we Aggies will have the chance to visit several Namibian attractions including Etosha National Park. At Etosha, our group will get to do what everyone who travels to Africa wants to do – go on safari!

This being the reason I wanted to go to Namibia, I am quite excited about our stop at Etosha and hope to see my favorite animal, the giraffe, in its natural habitat.

Most of us going to Africa for the first time, we know little of what to expect on our trip but hope you all will join us here to learn of our new experiences in Africa. We are sure to have a great experience and hope you don’t miss out!

In just a few hours, our plane will take off, granted that our “seat backs and tray tables are in the locked and upright position.”

Africa, here we come!