So the past 2 weeks I have done a lot...like always. The first week we spent in Swakopmund. So we got there on Wednesday. It took about 4 hours to drive there from Windhoek. Swakopmund is the city on the west coast of Namibia. It is in the Namib Desert so there are hundreds of sand dunes around but then it is right on the water, the otherside of the Atlantic Ocean. We arrived at the place we stayed in Swakopmund and then went to out to dinner at this place called Lighthouse. It was right on the beach so it overlook the ocean. It was just beautiful and we got there right at sunset so that added to the beauty. After dinner, a bunch of us went to the beach and took a dip in the water. It was really cold but was really fun. Then Thursday we went to the Rossing Mine and took a 4 hour tour. Mining is one of the biggest industries in Namibia. The Rossing Mine is the biggest uranium mine in Namibia and is owned by a British Company, Rio Tinto. There is so much that goes into mining and we go to see all the different steps. The mine only employees 15% Namibians and is also suppose to close in 2030 so those jobs that people do have are not long term. From there, we went to MYO, which is the Mondesa Youth Opportunities. It is a program for the best students in the worst schools in Mondesa, which is the black township outside Swakopmund. It is very interesting dynamic that this organization creates because it is only empowering students that are motivated. Also it is run by all foreign volunteers and relies entirely on foreign aid. Then a bunch of us went to the only Thai restaurant in Namibia but we were in a really large group so it was really hard for the waitress to wait on us. It was an okay place.

Then Friday we went to Walvis Bay, which is the next town over to Swakopmund. This is fishing community and has the port for Namibia. We meet with Jan Kruger, who works for the EPZ (Export Processing Zone) management in Namibia. EPZs have existed in Namibia since 1996. Then we visited the Sunshine Center, which is a school for disabled children. It was a wonderful place to see especially after experiencing schools in Windhoek. We went to the Sunshine center because Jan donates his money and time at this school. Then we met this guy Herbert Jauch, who used to work for labor unions in Namibia. He had the complete different view point of Jan who works for EPZ. EPZ have good qualities and some really bad qualities. Then we climbed DUNE 7 which is the largest dune in the world, apparently. No one really knows because sand dunes change all the time because of the wind. It was really hard but eventually I made it to the top. It was just beautiful. I dont know how to describe it. Then we went back and instead of showering, we took dips in the ocean to wash all the sand off. The ocean was so fierce and scary because of the undercurrent. Then at night, a bunch of us went to this restaurant called the Tug. It was an old boat remodeled into a restaurant. It was just the perfect place for us to go. It was also just on the beach so you could watch the waves. There was also a boardwalk that was built into the ocean so we walked along that. It was amazing and such a clear night so you could see all the stars.

Then Saturday was our free day so a bunch of us went sandboarding, some lied down and some did it standing up. I did the lying down part so we just went down on boards wearing helmets and elbow pads. It was so much fun but you had to walk back up the dunes every time you went down and we went down 6 times. It was totally worth it though. It was really exhausting so the rest of the day was pretty tiring. After we showered off all the sand, some of us roamed around Swakopmund, got some nice handmade gifts. It was nice just to walk around with no purpose. WE came back to hotel and had a braai (a bbq) with students from Furman University in North Carolina, who are touring around Namibia for 3 weeks.

We went back to Windhoek on Sunday and spent most of the day traveling and sleeping. This past week was not to exciting. We just had class and internship. We had a speaker in our history class on thursday that was really interesting. He worked for the liberation struggle and even helped write the Namibian Constitution. He also meet and befriended so many people that can be considered heros. We also visited the USAID headquarters in Namibia and learned what USAID is doing in Namibia. It was good to hear. Then last night a bunch of us went to a concert by Elemotho, a folk Namibian singer. He was so amazing and so inspirational. I am going to download his music. It was a beautiful concert and a great atmosphere to see him in.

Okay so now I am leaving again for 3 weeks. I am going to the North for a week and half for my rural homestay and then visiting Etosha National Park, one of the national game parks in Namibia. Then we go on spring break to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and then Botswana. I am really excited and nervous. So in 3 weeks, I will surely update so you can all learn about my many adventures to come.

Becca