Checkin' In Volume II (email from Africa)

Hi all,

Just checking in after our first week in Africa. It's been an amazing
week, seeing lots of unbelieveable desert dunes in Namibia, but little
in the way of animals thus far - we did have a few jackals wandering
our camp last night but the big game animals will come this week when
we leave the desert for the wetter areas. The group I'm in is large -
20 people: a couple in their 20s from Australia, two independent
british travelers in the 20s, a 50-something couple from Australia, a
father/daughter from Holland, a family of 5 from Minnesota (kids 17,
20, and 22), a couple in their 50s from Florida, a single girl in her
20s from Australia, a 20 something couple from Sweden, and Shalini and
I. The bus driver and tour guide/cook are from Zimbabwe - really nice
guys. Pretty diverse - in some ways good, in some ways bad. Either
way, most are leaving after Victoria Falls. Camping's been fun but a
bit cold - fun sure to some when we're in the bush camping among the
animals with no fences!

Anyway, been a lot of long bus jornies thus far, but the dunes we saw
in Namibia yesterday were amazing - truly stunning and we had a really
cool tour with an African bushman who talk us all kinds of technqiues
to survive in a 145 degree desert and how to kill an Oryx....

We're in Swakopmund, Namibia now, awaiting a big day tomorrow of ATV
riding over the dunes, sledding, and skydiving....yes, skydiving.
Internet's been really sketchy here - very very slow so if you send me
an email over 100k, I'm NOT GOING TO OPEN IT. You've been warned - no
attachments. Also, while, it's generally well developed (good roads,
flush toilets, plenty of western products, and hot water showers), I'll
probably only have internet access once per week at best. Feel totally
safe, happy, well fed, and excited about the future.

Off to Etosha NP next (big game), then a few smaller parks in the next
week before heading into Botswana. Looking forward to finally leaving
the desert and seeing from animals - so far only Oryx (look it up),
jackal, ground squirel, ostrich, gamebok (deer), and mountain zebra.
Oh and besides the freezing desert cold nights, the stars are AMAZING!

Gotta run, til next week....

Rob

P.S. I'd post some of our amazing pics, but the internet is SO sketchy here....