07.41 It's cool in the room and there is activity here at Aardwolf Backpackers in Upington, South Africa. Today is yet another day of travel, a departure date when we will leave South Africa for this time. It is not until tonight that we're travelling so we have time to look around in Upington first.

08.35 The time struck 8:30 and we were ready to eat the breakfast we ordered yesterday at that time. We were greeted with a cheery good morning, but after a while the owner realized that we had actually ordered breakfast. She apologized and we are now sitting at a table, waiting for the day's first meal. The charming dogs have joined us; they might know it is time for breakfast.

09.50 We've got a delicious homemade breakfast which included; bacon of fantastic quality, eggs, sausage, toast, homemade fig jam, grated cheese, mushrooms and coffee. I was even asked if I wanted my eggs fried medium. Now we are about to get ready to check out. The backpacks will remain here today while we look around in the town. Now it's time to brush our teeth.

Peter is saying hello to the dogs at Aardwolf Backpackers.

A delicious breakfast!

Freddie´s car project will become a part of the bar.

10.14 We have left our baggage at the office here at Aardwolf Backpackers and talked with Liesl and Freddie who run this place. Freddie showed us his car project. A car he had planned to renovate but now it will be part of the decor in the bar which will be built here. We also learned that the black dog here has an unknown talent. It can run backwards and bark at the same time.

10.41 Our hosts had some errands to run today and were kind enough to give us a ride to the city center. We jumped off at Kalahari Pick 'N Pay Shopping Centre and now we walked to Intercape’s office to check in for the evening and the night bus trip to Windhoek. It is routine here that you have to show the credit card you purchased the tickets with before you get to travel on the buses.

11.28 We have been walking aimlessly around in Upington’s center. It's a nice little town, but the truth is, there is not much to look at here. We have met a man who said he wasn’t from the town and he asked for money for food for him, his wife and their children, 8 and 9 months old, maybe he meant years? Now we are in a modern nice café, Coffee 4 U, a place that offers coffee and more.

Dutch Reformed Church, Upington.

Christer and a pink cow in Upington.

There are a lots of reasons why you should drink coffee.

Peter is visiting Coffee 4 U.

12.36 We met our hosts, Liesl and Freddie, again before we left the café. They had picked the same coffee place as we did. It was messy to say the least when Christer was about to pay. First, he was offered a table, and then a menu before the lady at the counter understood that we actually wanted to pay. Now we have walked on and crossed the Orange River on a long causeway. Here on the other side of the river it´s not much to see, only a beautiful fenced hotel area and a highway. I sit on a fence under a palm tree and write this. Earlier Liesl told that two young ladies and two teachers had committed suicide by jumping into the river from the bridge here recently. It was also closed for a period. It is dangerous to be a teacher here, she said. That was when we said that we are also teachers1

12.47 We have, despite our profession, not jumped. We walked back the same way and will now both see more of the town and kill time.

12.59 When we walked back across the river, we went to The Mill. Here they are selling artworks by local artists, antique things and even cold drinks, drinks which we bought and now sit down with to consume. The woman who sold us the drinks asked Christer where he came from, he thought he was far from home and wondered if he was here on a project. The project would then be our trip maybe? All is quiet and peaceful here. Some elderly ladies walk around. We take it easy. We still have many hours left to fill with content before the evening departure.

It´s dry season but there is still water in the Orange River.

The Mill, Upington.

14.11 We continued our walk around in Upington. Our steps finally lead us to a big shopping center, an area with several shops, Kalahari Pick 'N Pay Shopping Centre, the place where today's tour began. I went into one of the stores, Game, and bought an adapter designed for electrical outlets here in South Africa and possibly other countries on our trip. Now we are sitting down making plans for the rest of the afternoon. We are considering if we should use the internet, if we are to have a beer or not and if so, where?

15.21 We walked towards more central parts of the city and found at least one of the things we were looking for. After being on @lantic Internet and surfed, we sat down for a Castle, a draft beer each. We have a river view of the Orange River here at Irish Pub & Grill.

Peter is visiting @lantic Internet.

Cold beers and a great river view.

Christer is enjoying a beer at Irish Pub & Grill.

Irish wisdom.

16.24 It was good with an afternoon beer. Christer had to go to the toilet and I took the opportunity to pay while waiting for him. I asked a man about the bill, got it, paid to our waitress and got the bill back. We went out and soon another girl in the staff came running. She wondered whether and if so to whom we paid. We explained it all in an educational way, she was happy, and now we are sitting at a fountain outside Totem Greek, a restaurant in the Spur chain.

16.48 Now we hear "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits. We are at the Totem Creek, it got a bit wrong when I wrote the name earlier :) This is the third Spur restaurant we have been to. Spur offers delicious grilled meat in large quantities. Each restaurant has its own name associated with the American Wild West.

18.39 As usual, it was very tasty food at Spur. You know what you get at these restaurants, but the menu is almost always the same as the restaurants belonging to a chain. On the way home we bought drinks at a shop run by Chinese owners and bread for the bus trip in an Engen Petrol Station. Now we are back at Aardwolf Backpackers, ready for transport to Intercape’s office and the waiting bus.

Schroder Street, Upington.

Dinner at Totem Creek.

19.00 Our host Freddie drew us to the bus stop. He appeared to know the man who started up our next accommodation, Rivendell Guesthouse in Windhoek. He had worked there. The man he called "Scottish Ian" is a Scot and liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy, hence the name of the place.

19.34 It's almost time to leave the pleasant little town of Upington. Our accommodation was excellent and the service as well. Aardwolf Backpackers also has its own blog, (http://aardwolfbackpackers.blogspot.se), interesting that it's a Swedish webhost. Our bus from Intercape is unfortunately a Mainliner. The seats on it are, unlike on the Sleepliner, not able fold down that much. It is more like a regular coach, making it difficult to sleep.

21.50 We have traveled through a dense darkness and have come to the South African border post Nakop where we have been stamped out. Now it seems customs want to check something in the trunk. It's a little cold outside. It is winter after all.

22.19 The zealous cops wanted to check into all bags on the bus. Christer and I also got to go out and fill in papers, customs declarations, because we own a digital camera each. It was argued that if we did not have the document the cameras could be confiscated upon entry into Namibia. It all feels quite strange, but as long as we do not have to pay anything, it is only to obey. Once everyone is ready, we will roll on against Namibia and a new time zone, one hour back.

NAMIBIA

CHANGING TIME ZONE

22.08 It's been easy to enter Namibia. The trip’s second country, here we come! We are at Ariamsvlei border post. We have not been asked about either digital cameras or customs documents. However, the police woman did consult a list on the wall to see if the Swedes need a visa or not. Before us in queue was a lady with a kerchief and curlers. It's not often you see it nowadays. Now I am going to sleep.

Saturday 30th of June

02.31 Christer, myself and some others have stretched the legs by the Engen petrol station here in Keetmanshoop, the restaurant and petrol station is actually called Keetmans Stop. We both have for the first time walked on Namibian soil. Our bus is around one hour late. All thanks to the customs people. Next to the bus is a vehicle with a large trailer. It is carrying cattle, cows or sheep. In the dark it's hard to see which animals it is, but they are white.

05.23 The bus has stopped again, this time in Mariental. Windhoek is still far away.

06.37 The journey continues. In the east the sun is on its way up. I'm craving a shower and a bed. The landscape is flat and trees grow here, trees that look like bushy shrubs on a stem.

08.04 The landscape has become more interesting, more beautiful. There are large hills or is it small mountains, hills rising from the flat ground.

08.29 This trip is almost over. We are now in Windhoek. The bus hostess has just as she did at the start of trip asked for heavenly support for us and our loved ones during the day.

08.47 Our bus has reached its final destination, Windhoek, capital of Namibia. We stand in a large open asphalt surface opposite the hotel/mall Kalahari Sands. Y03 is written on the white taxi we just stepped into. The driver promised to take us to Rivendell Guesthouse. He will do it as soon as he knows where it is. He is currently asking a senior colleague about it. Slowly but surely he begins to understand where he's going.

09.22 The journey went just fine and we were able to pay with South African currency. Now we have been guided around at Rivendell Guesthouse (http://www.rivendellnamibia.com). We have also made ourselves at home in room 6. We are about to eat some breakfast (it is what we didn’t eat on the bus) before we take a nap. We need to make up for lost sleep. The room is amazing with windows facing a lovely swimming pool. This is a clean luxury accommodation.

Peter is sitting in our room at Rivendell Guesthouse.

Rivendell Guesthouse, Windhoek.

12.06 We got us some much needed sleep. Now it's almost time to get to know the accommodation, the home areas and Windhoek better.

12.31 A rooster crows in the distance. We're sitting by the swimming pool. We'll see if we will take a dip in it tomorrow. It´s winter and the cold nights make the pool's water well cold. We are about to read a little about the city before we head out. We want to know where we are, where we're going and how we get there.

14.11 We have left Rivendell, walked the quiet streets in the neighborhood and via the Sam Nujoma Drive sought us to the heart of Windhoek. Here we have looked for an ATM and a restaurant. Money (namibian dollars) has been withdrawn and soon we will order food here at the restaurant Wimpy. Wimpy is a South African hamburger chain, which also has other dishes. The class of the food and the place is much better than our fast food at home. We are in a shopping mall and at the table next to us sit a man and woman from Angola. The center is filled with people shopping or just strolling. We have seen beautiful buildings and woodcarving for sale. The food is ever so welcome.

Christer is walking towards Windhoek city centre.

The catholic cathedral in Windhoek.

Souvenirs for sale in Windhoek.

The German language is still visible in Namibia.

14.53 The food is eaten, paid and we are happy. We now take our first bench break on this bench, in this city and in this country. We are thinking about what we do next. Shall we take one afternoon coffee here at the center, or what? In addition we need to buy food to cook for dinner.

15.54 The bench break was suddenly interrupted by a young couple who wanted some money from us. He, Charles, had asthma. She, his girlfriend (wife?) was crippled by snakebite. She showed us the bite, the hand that did not work. In addition, they had a child in hospital. Was it the truth or just a show? Whatever it was, they got a little money from us. After that, we went shopping at the supermarket Pick'n´Pay. Now we have something to drink and eat for tonight or tomorrow.

16.09 The afternoon plans were deleted because the Windhoek city center was about to close. We wandered homeward in the same way as we came downtown. The air here is dry and hot and days are sunny.

17.12 Now we have been efficient. We have ordered breakfast for tomorrow morning at 9:00, we are told that the neighborhood´s restaurant opens tonight at 18:00 and we have read a while in our books. I just started reading "Watchman" by Ian Rankin.

The swimming pool at Rivendell Guesthouse.

Christer is lifting the heavy wooden hippo in our room.

19.15 Today it's dinner at Fusion Restaurant (http://fusionamibia.blogspot.com). The restaurant is located just 100 meters from Rivendell Guesthouse, practical and good. We have received our Windhoek draught, Namibian beer and ordered various exciting local dishes.

20.13 It was really good, a chicken dish and the rumpsteak of the oryx. As side dish we had oshifima which is millet porridge. It was served as a half ball and crowned with a cherry tomato. In the dark room, it looked like we had a woman's breast each on the plate. At one of the other tables sat a group including some Swedes. I wished one of them good night as we left. She replied surprised to say the least, "Oh, thanks!"

21.41 The force of habit is strong. I have just poured myself an evening beer. It is a Tafel Lager.

A namibian dinner, oryx meat and oshifima.

Sunday 1st of July

08.06 I've just woken up. This is the 82nd country that I slept in on these travel journal trips. The shower is occupied so I'm writing this instead. Today awaits a whole day in Windhoek. After several days of travel in a row, we are remaining here today. We need that. Now I think shower is available.

09.49 The continental breakfast is finished. It was not exactly cheap but contained a lot. At the table, we had the company of a Canadian woman with Caribbean heritage and a family from Belgium. Now we're almost ready to begin our city day. There are several things planned. How much will get done? It is after all Sunday.

10.44 We have left our safe home and walked the long downhill down to the Windhoek city center. Even though it's Sunday, it seems several open shops and there are a lot of people on the move. Good!

The Chinese embassy is our neighbour.

Is chlorine good for cats?

11.07 After having succeeded in obtaining both postcards and stamps in a souvenir shop, we are now on the hunt for Peter Müller Street/Strasse. This is where Intercape has their office according to the information we have. Christer has also bought a t-shirt for his nephew Fabian as a birthday present.

11.25 We have not found any office. We wanted to go there to confirm tomorrow's trip. You should show transport document, passport/ID and the credit card you purchased the ticket for. The same applies here as in South Africa. It is, after all, the same bus company. However, you can make this process onboard as well. This is something we will do. We talked with some taxi guys at the tourist information kiosk and they told us that Intercape has its office on the outskirts of the city. They wanted to drive us there by taxi but we said no.

11.54 Now we treat ourselves some coffee and carrot cake at Mugg & Bean, another South African chain. This chain is devoted to serving high quality coffee. They also have food. The TV shows a replay of the game between Italy and Germany. Italy leads 2-0. Outside the mall we have seen some who have travelled much further than we have. There are a few meteorites on display. We have also seen Charles, the man with asthma and his snake bitten lady, who we met yesterday. This time, they had found other "victims".

Christer together with some bushman-statues on Independence Avenue.

Wernhil Park Shopping Mall, Windhoek.

Christer is waiting for his coffee at Mugg & Bean.

You can look at meteorites in downtown Windhoek.

13.35 We finished our coffee and went to Pick 'n' Pay and bought breakfast and something for tomorrow's bus trip. After that we went home. On the way we saw the same taxi we came up with yesterday. The driver greeted us and wanted us to ride with him again. As we approached our accommodation, we saw a small animal. It was sandy colored, big as a rat, but was more like a fox, perhaps it's a mongoose. Now we're back in the room. Outside our door someone just turned off a vacuum cleaner. We are planning a relaxing afternoon.

14.05 Now we've sat us down in separate poolside loungers. We hear a clinging sound from a wind chime. We are about to read our books. This is vacation.

14.35 I've just taken a short swim in the pool. It was cool with refreshing. Christer, who is recovering from a cold, abandoned this adventure. One of the other guests at the pool thought that I was very brave. I have never swum this far south before. We have been joined by Rivendell's black cat here at the pool. It has laid down next to Christer in his chair.

15.45 Once again we are in the room. Now I'm going to wash some clothes and take a shower before we start preparing today's dinner.

16.47 Now it's time to try to cook some dinner. At home, it's easy to cook dinner. It is somehow trickier on these trips. You need to buy a lot of ingredients and it's easy to forget something basic like oil to fry in or salt. This kitchen is well equipped.

Peter has made some grocery shopping.

Chris is enjoying his Sunday with the help of a good detective story and a black cat.

It´s time to have dinner at Rivendell Guesthouse.

17.35 The gas cooker was a bit moody but it went well. The pasta is cooked and the sausages are cooked. Sausage (wors) in this part of the world is a real delicacy and has few similarities to the meat poor sausages back home. Now as the wine is poured, it is dinner time. We sit around a table on the patio outside TV-room/living room. It has just started to get dark.

18.25 The meal was actually good in its simplicity and the wine from Drostdy Hof was OK. It was actually one of the tastiest dinners we´ve made on the trips.

19.25 It's time to go out in the TV room to see the final in the European championships football. In 2008 we saw the final on television in the middle of the night in Langkawi, Malaysia, and in 2004, we heard it on the radio in Taranto, Italy.

20.34 It's half-time in the final and Spain is leading 2-0 after goals by David Silva and Jordi Alba. We are four people who are watching the final here at the accommodation. It´s Christer, I, a young lady and the Caribbean elderly lady from Canada who cheerfully comments what is happening, both on the pitch and in the stands. The younger girl had her boyfriend by her side during the beginning of the match. He however finished his snacks and left after ten minutes.

21.50 There were two goals more in the game, by Fernando Torres and Juan Mata. Overall, this resulted in 4-0 which is the largest final victory in European Championship history. Italy was playing with a man less the last half hour. They had made their three substitutions when the newly substituted Thiago Motta got injured and carried out.

22.20 We are not alone in the room. A large cockroach is wandering around on our floor. We have attracted it by dropping crumbs on the floor. The advantage is that now we do not have to sweep up the crumbs.

Always nice when someone is visiting and also helps with cleaning.

Monday 2nd of July

07.00 This is the first morning of this trip that we have woken up at the same place as the morning before. We are still at Rivendell Guesthouse in Windhoek, Namibia. Now we will begin to make ourselves ready, in about two hours the bus leaves for the west.

08.21 Now we've checked out. Two nights' accommodation, two breakfasts each and half hour of internet surfing cost us 587.50 Namibian dollars or 74 US-dollars. After that the lady at the reception called for a taxi which drove us down to Intercape’s bus stop. Here we are with a young lady of European origin and a minibus with a trailer. We hope that the little bus is not our bus.

08.34 The three of us who waited are now going in the mini bus. Intercape has apparently changed the bus station at month's end and this is the transport to the new location for us who are unaware of this change. The lady we go with is Dutch and she travels in Africa as well. After Namibia she is off to Victoria Falls and then to work as a volunteer with the rhinos in Botswana. Before Africa, she was in Asia, and then she will proceed to South America. Suddenly our trip seems quite modest.

08.48 There has been a change of coach, from our mini bus to a slightly larger bus. Intercape does not run with a big bus to today's destination. At the registration the bus attendant forgot to return Christer's credit card. She discovered it and everything worked out. Now we and about 15 other passengers wait for the departure from Windhoek.

Windhoek

A minibus took us from the old to the new bus stop.

09.37 We're a little late as we head out of Windhoek and we travel north through a dry landscape. Namibia consists mainly of desert, but it is usually not the classic desert landscape with sand dunes. It grows a lot of grass and small bushes here.

10.17 Now we start again after a short stop at an Engen petrol station in Okahandja. This city is known as "the garden town of Namibia" and is a quiet and pleasant town. Here diesel costs 10,50 Namibian dollars, 1,32 US-dollars. The passengers have stretched their legs, got something to eat and more. Swakopmund at the coast is 286 km away. It remains cloudless, dry and beautiful.

11.15 Our bus just passed two hard men. Fully loaded with luggage, they were out riding their bikes along the road in the hot sun.

Typical landscape in Namibia.

Peter is having a cup of coffee in Okahandja.

Our bus has made a short stop in Usakos.

11.36 We are standing still with the engine running at the Engen petrol station in Karibib. Now, the driver stepped in and we go on. It's getting hot in the bus. A cool morning has suddenly become a hot sunny day.

12.09 There has been yet another stop to stretch our legs. We have taken the opportunity to visit the toilet, photograph a church and some beautiful flowers. Now we leave the petrol station in Usakos for a continued journey towards the coast.

12.49 The bus youngest passenger is enjoying himself and some of the other passengers with his toy train. It's still a bit left of the trip. Namibia is a large country with a small population. There are long trips through arid wastelands.

13.09 The landscape is drier and more sandy here. It is a desert landscape that we travel through. The little vegetation we have seen further east is not here. It is now only 50 kilometers left.

13.18 We are approaching the end of the trip´s destination, the German-founded port town of Swakopmund by the Atlantic Ocean. A damp fog has swept the landscape and the hot scorching inland sun is just a distant memory.

13.31 The bus stopped and let us out of Hendrik Witbooi Street. From here we will walk to our accommodation here in Swakopmund.

Amanpuri Travellers Lodge.

Christer is standing in the door leading to room 22.

14.05 Good night, Christer said from his bed. It is one of six beds in the room behind a door that it says 22 on. We checked in at Amanpuri Travellers Lodge (http://www.amanpurinamibia.com). Outside it´s overcast and a damp wind is blowing in from the Atlantic. The room has TV but no towels. There is also a room opposite, it has two beds. Between the rooms is a bathroom. The town of Swakopmund was founded by Germans who came here in 1892. Swakopmund was granted city status 1908. It is said to be more German than Germany. We will soon go out to find out if this is true.

15.02 We were on our way out when we discovered that our key did not fit in our door but in the door to the other room. Now, we talked to a lady at the front desk and switched rooms. We have also arranged for towels. It is now time to head out on the city streets and see what is offered there.

15.19 Swakopmund is a strange city. Wide streets with little traffic, German-style villas, half-timbered houses and protestant churches can be found here amid all the sand of the Namib Desert. It almost feels like a frontier city on the moon or something like that.

15.48 We have slowly strolled towards the city center. We live in the eastern part of the city. Some postcards were purchased in a souvenir shop before we went to the mall Stadtmitte and to Café Treffpunkt, founded in 1903. Here we had planned to order German sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. This dish is served only during lunch between 12.00 and 14.00. We have instead ordered beer and sandwiches. It is quite ok as well. The sausages will have to wait.

Swakopmund

Can anyone drive a car in Namibia?

Stadtmitte, a small mall with shops, a restaurant and a café.

Beer and sandwiches at Café Treffpunkt.

A little bird joined us.

16.42 It was great with a little to eat and drink. Towards the end of the meal a German-speaking, older, grumpy old man sat down at the table next to us. He complained all the time. The bird which landed next to us was more enjoyable. We have now left the cafe and indulge ourselves a bench break down by the roaring Atlantic. Off the coast here there is a cold water stream that creates cool summer and excessive cold in winter. The coast has wonderful beaches but the water is always freezing cold. The cold stream also leads to that no clouds are formed and the Namibian coast will rarely have any rainfall. It appears the houses here that have no downspouts. The sun is slowly going down in the ocean. Out in the ocean a jetty is extending.

17.08 It's beautiful here along the beach. It is irrigated and is green and lush along the sea promenade. There are also lots of tourist apartments, most of which are owned by Germans fleeing the European winter. In the sky there are visible clouds! It is the first clouds we've seen since we landed in Africa.

17.30 We went out on the jetty (pier) and took pictures of the sunset. When we came ashore again, we met a man from Damaraland, a man who could click when he spoke. Damaraland is a region in northern Namibia. He carved our names into two decorated balls of a hard, natural material, a form of palm nuts from which the bushmen (san people) makes jewelry. He wanted 300 Namibian dollars each for them but got 50 from us was after a lot of haggling. Now we are at Swakopmund Internet Café to update us on what has happened at home and abroad.

The beach promenade in Swakopmund.

The cold water of the Atlantic.

You can see the town Swakopmund behind the pier and the beach.

A hook and a sunset.

Christer on the pier (jetty) in Swakopmund.

18.18 It was a bit tricky to surf the internet. It was worn keys and some mysterious film on my glasses, possibly salt from the walk along the sea. Now we ordered dinner at another restaurant in the Spur chain. We also looked a possible place for tomorrow's dinner, Swakopmund Brauhaus.

19.34 The restaurant, Spur Desert Creek, has given us a good dinner. On the way home we bought some evening snacks at an Engen petrol station. Now we are back at the accommodation and the room. The living room/bar is full of smokers and cigarette smoke. It is a shame on an otherwise nice place.

21.38 I have been to the living room and reception. We wanted to know if it was possible to get a coffee. Everything was closed. When we read about the place on the internet they claimed to have a "coffee station".

22.45 The day and evening draws to a close. We have read parts of our crime novels, listened to the radio and tried to keep us warm in our chilly room.

The palmnut Christer bought from the mysterious Damaraland man.