Namibia. Most can’t find it on a map. If you can, chances are you are unable to spell it correctly. I belonged to both those groups a year ago until a friend of mine had a crazy idea to do a two-week road trip there. Why? He saw a picture of an abandoned ghost town years back and had always wanted to check it out. That would serve as the foundation of what would become a two-week road trip circumnavigating just over half the country.
Do something crazy I had never done before, in a new country that I hadn’t yet explored? He didn’t have to ask twice. The sun is setting right now on Windhoek as I post this, and the 30-hour trek back to Boston starts tomorrow. There are no words that can describe how a two-week rural African road trip adventure changes your perception of the world.
Since the start of 2018, Rand and I have traveled from Cuba to Antarctica to Africa. He’s not only a killer wingman but an awesome photographer and a good solid man.
Our road trip across Namibia brought us up north to Etosha National Park, northwest to rural places near the Angola border, down to Swakapmound, and even further down to the ghost town at Kolmanskop referenced above.
All those hours on the road trip allowed me to become more interested in capturing the essence of each trip in a more meaningful way and he was there to help teach me. Over the course of the trip, he let me use one of the handful of cameras he brought along. This was the first time I had an opportunity on a trip to use a real camera and not just my iPhone. As the days progressed, I learned a good amount from him and hope it shows in these photographs.
More importantly was the fact that good post-processing — I am using Adobe Lightroom — allows you to do some amazing things with the pictures and really bring out all the elements.
Namibia was awesome. The people were always warm and friendly. It was easy to get around since almost everyone spoke English. Not to mention I learned a great deal about Namibia’s history, their struggle for independence, and the challenges they face in the new century. What more could you ask for from an African road trip?
The huge sense of pride that each Namibian had for their country and the progress they’ve made in recent years was awesome. They all made sure Rand and I knew about every good thing happening and wanted us to go back home to America and tell everyone to visit and see for themselves.
That’s exactly what I am doing here. Enjoy!
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