Hiking

Sunday afternoon, 12:20.  I've been waiting for a hike for an hour.  In this hour, six cars have gone by.  Four were going in the wrong direction.  The other two didn't stop. 

Hiking from small towns (or remote schools like Baumgartsbrumm) to towns is an exercise in patience and fortitude.  If you're lucky it may take just an hour or two.  If not, you may have to try again the next day.  Today, I am lucky.

After waiting just an hour and a half, a pickup crests the dirt road far ahead.  No sound yet, just dust and a hint of metal.  I walk slowly from the shaded tree where I hid to the side of the road.  I put on my smile and get my arm ready.  Maybe this will be the one.  Maybe I will be on my way to town five minutes from now.

This time I'm lucky.  The pickup, being driven by an Afrikaaner couple, stops.

"Going to town?" I ask.

"Ya." A brief response.

"Can I get a lift?" I use the universal code word for a free hike.

"Sure.  Just get in back."

Irene demonstrates a comfortable closed bakkie (pickup) ride. Almost luxury.

I cram my two bags and large body into the small open space at the back of the pickup truck bed.  There is a young man sitting on the other side of the tailgate and an older woman and three children laying under a tarp against the cab.  Thirty seconds later we are moving down the dust road.

I take in the dust air and soak up the cool breeze.  The scene of bushes and trees moves past me like a cartoon backdrop, repeating over and over again.  I look up at the deep blue sky and feel supremely thankful for this hike.  Here, in the back of a pickup, bouncing all over a wash-board road, there is little that could make me uncomfortable.  Just like the "meme" sitting with me in the back who has undoubtedly seen more hike than I, I suffer discomfort gladly to get where I want to go.

About Hiking

Most people on Namibia do not have a method of transportation more advanced than a pair of tennis shoes.  In order to get yourself from one place to another, you have only a few options.  Taxis are available in larger towns and cities.  Donkey carts are around in most smaller villages.  To go farther than one side of town to another, there are Combi's (large vans with 15 seats that routinely pack 20+ people inside), busses and trains. 

But by far, the most common form of transportation in Namibia is the Hike.  A hike is technically illegal, at least if the person hiking pays.  Despite this minor problem, there exists an entire culture of hiking in Namibia, complete with hike-points (places to go in towns to get hikes to specific destinations), set fares and usually a drop off somewhere close to your destination.

In larger towns and cities hikes happen all the time.   Those who accommodate hikers usually insist on filling the car before leaving, which means hiking this way takes time. You can usually get out of Windhoek on a hike within 30 minutes.  Smaller towns a couple of hours. In some remote villages you can spend an entire day trying to get a hike.

Some people are better at getting free hikes than others.  Usually being white and somewhat clean guarantees a free hike.  Being American (or a foreigner) also helps.  For the most part though, Namibians pay for all their hikes.