WOW!

A long time since writing, and I’ve been up to a LOT; so much that I’ll divide the posts up by country.

Namibia and Botswana
I wrote last when I was in Zambia, and all about Vic falls. Well, the next day (Sunday) I left Zambia, a bit frantic and scattered. I arrived at the post office/bus station and decided that I would stop people driving and ask for rides (hitching is very common in Southern Africa…lots of people rent cars and drive everywhere), or take the first bus heading anywhere. I sat down, and was greeted by two german girls; they invited me to go to Windhoek, Namibia with them. The bus arrived about 20 minutes later and I was off.
The next morning (Monday, August 13) I arrived in Windhoek at about 5.30 am. They lent me 5 Namibian $ (about 80¢) and told me to stay at a hostel called “The Cardboard Box.” We had plans to meet later that night to see Shrek III, but that changed.
I arrived at the hostel and sat on the couch, next to an older man and three other younger people. I started talking to them (rather groggy and slightly out of it, from the long, 15ish hour, ride) and they invited me to join them. I will refer to them as “the group.” The group is a group of 40 Americans who are traveling under the guidance of Prexy (the older man on the couch), who is a teacher of Southern African politics pre and post colonialization. He was very impressed with my português skills (he worked with Frelimo in Moçambique for a long time!). He, and everyone else is from Chicago, or has some connection to Chicago.
About three hours after arriving in Namibia I was on my way out, riding on a luxury coach! We spent the first days driving: one night in Ghanzi, Botswana and the next night in Gaborone (the capital). Saw lots of nice roads and amazing street lights and gas stations that had mini-marts and one sold cheetos. I was in huge shock, but loving every minute of it. Big countries, but I didn’t see anything besides the beautiful paved, lined roads.