Etosha

Camping at Etosha was great. I didn’t expect to get so close to so many animals. And, I never expected to see lions! They say it’s tough to find them usually. Here are some pictures. Yes, we were this close to them. I have to give photo credit to Nick Boire. He took these ones.

We saw giraffes, zebras, hyenas, mongoose, wildebeest, oryx, jackals and lions. It was the wrong time of year for elephants and rhinos. Oh, and Etosha is the 6th largest game park in the world… I misspoke in the last blog.

It was really nice to spend some time with the volunteers too. I camped with Nick, Ian and Chris. They are the first ones I’ve seen since swear in. I’m headed to Swakopmund this weekend. It’s supposed to be a nice coastal town, pretty touristy though. I’m just looking forward to the beach. We have a 5-day weekend thanks to Easter and Independence Day. Why don’t we get Monday off for Easter in the States? Bummer for you guys.

My Address

Upon request, here's my address:

P.O. Box 1770
Tsumeb, Namibia

Doesn't it seem to easy? I'm all the way in Africa and this is my simple stinkin address. Please don't feel the need to send me care packages necessarily, but letters are great!

A Little Info on my Tsumeb Family

Quick review… my Tsumeb family is Tate Tobias, Meme Rosina, brother Jesse and sister Tangasia Cassdy Ulla Palla.

Mr. Tobias is the Tsumeb Regional Councillor, a former school teacher and soldier in the country’s fight for independence. The proper way to address him in the business community is ‘honourable councillor’. Sometimes they just call him ‘honourable’, and I think the shoe fits. He has strong morals, carries himself professionally and he’s always smiling and laughing. He supports as much local business as he can. He’ll give anybody in town a lift. People wave him down in the streets, and he stops the car and lets them voice their concerns. He spends almost every Friday night and Saturday as an MC for memorials and funerals of those he barely knows, and he does it because they ask him to. He is also my supervisor as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and it should come as no surprise he always has time to listen to my plans and ideas. Tate’s wife is Meme Rosina. They seem to be linked by a very similar sense of humor. They are both funny people. It only took a few days for Meme to start joking with me, making me feel at home. Unfortunately, she is gone to Windhoek for the year. She’s a nurse for Tsumeb Hospital, and they’ve sent her there to study for an advanced nursing degree. She will return in December. Baby Ulla is with her. We miss them both very much. Jesse is in his last year of school at Otjikoto Secondary. He hopes to become a pilot one day. He does most of the cooking now that Meme is gone, and I’m usually his sidekick in the kitchen. He loves TV, music and his baby sister. He’s a smart kid and we get along great.

Just a quick note: I’m doing pretty well. Lots of opportunities have come up recently, different ways for me to serve the community. Some involve the centre and some don’t. Luckily the Councillor gives me the freedom to involve myself in the community just about any way I’m interested in. I’m excited for next weekend. I’ll be camping with some other volunteers at Etosha National Park. It’s the largest game park in the world! I hope I see some good wildlife. Who knows I might have pictures for you soon. God Bless.