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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 17, 2012 08:00 PM Through the Namibian outback
It is the end of rainy season but it is still hot and so far we had only short showers in the evenings and nights...
Sunrise time is at 6.30 and at 6.45 we were already on the road.
Just after the checkpoint on the outskirts of the town we strated to drive the C27 gravel road. I was a little bit afraid - we drive the small, cheap VW polo and this is 2WD car. How it will go on the African unpaved roads?
This gravel road was surprisely good. I drove easy 60 km per hour enjoying the wonderful landscapes of green Namibia. Springbok sometimes cross the road. The traffic is minimal (1 car per hour, maybe). The highlight was the view from Gamsberg Pass.
We reached the tiny "in the middle of nowhere" settlement of Solitaire. Time to refill. Petrol costs already 10 NAD per l but our little car does not consume much fuel...
Little and big wild amimals along the gravel road. But wery few farms...
We reached Sesriem Camp in the late afternoon. For 230 NAD the will give you the place for your tent with water and el. power. Time to take a shower and rest... Hiena was loughing cloce to our tent in the middle of the night. Birds were talking all night...
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Feb 16, 2012 08:00 PM Windhoek for a day
I see today few new high buildings in Windhoek but the capital is still like a little provincial city, easy to walk around by foot.
We stay in the Rivendell Guest House - Beethoven Street 40 opposite the Chinese Embassy.
It is the place within the walking distance to the center. Clean, spacy rooms. Pool. Safe parking.
The only disadvantage is very expensive internet (1 NAD per minute) and the high room price - check at hostelbookers.com But it is hard to find something cheaper in Windhoek...
Do not go to the bank to change your money - they charge the commission! In the main street you will find 2 or 3 "Bureau de change" - little private institutions - they offer the best rate - 7,55 NAD per USD.
We were walking to the Alte Feste fort, where Museum of Namibia is located. Great Lutheran Church is worth to see and the garden on Parliament...
Then it was the time to buy food for the coming days.
Tomorrow we drive to the outback!
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Feb 15, 2012 08:00 PM Baboons on the road! Welcome to Namibia!
In Joburg I had only 2 hours to change the plane to Windhoek, Namibia. It is not too much unless you check your luggage directly to the final destination.
Airlines not always want to do that if you use two or more separate tickets (to pay less).
LH was so kind to check my huge backpack to Windhoek so in Joburg there were no reason to go through the immigration and recheck my stuff for the next flight.
There was only one risk: Joburg airport is famous for delayed and lost luggages... May be I will be lucky?
The next flight of Air Namibia was on time and I was surprised that the their service was better then on Lufthansa!
After 2 hours I saw through the window of the plane the green bush of Namibia. When I was here for the first time - some 21 years ago it was dry season and the Namibia was yellow and brown... Now it is green.
I rented the smallest and cheapest car - cat A and drove with my companion 45 kms to the capital.
Left side of the road please!
After some 4 kms a family of baboons crossed the road just in front of us. Welcome to Namibia!
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Feb 14, 2012 08:00 PM On A380 flight to Johannesburg
Why I fly again with Lufthansa?
They fly from Gdansk - my city to Frankfurt and Munich so I can avoid Warsaw (and apriopriate airport taxes) on my route and from time to time they have promotions to the distant destinations. You have to wait and to hunt...
I got Gdansk - Joburg ticket for 2100 zlotys round trip - very good price!
For the first time I fly on huge new doubledecker - Airbus 380.
Once you are aboard you do not feel that more then 500 people in on the same plane - cabins are divided into small ones. And there is enough space for my long legs... Tomorrow, after 11 hours I will land again in Africa!
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Feb 13, 2012 07:00 PM Back to Africa!
My backpack is ready. I set out on a new journey to the exotic country! Twenty-one years ago I was backpacking in Namibia, traveling around by hitchhiking. In those days, few Poles traveled to this corner of Africa. Only at the destination it became clear that in this vast country's public transport is almost non-existent, roads are scarce, traffic is minimal, and in addition, local car owners are afraid to take strangers. I spent many hours waiting on the roads for a ride and as a result I did not see much. I knew that someday I will return to Namibia - a country of great natural beauty and amazing landscapes. It is the time!
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Feb 09, 2012 07:00 PM Getting ready for Africa :)
My Wojtkowka cottage sleeps under snow...
Strong winter arrived in January to Poland. I like it, it is so white and so clean around. But I definitely prefere the warm side of the globe. Departure in just couple of days but still many things to organize and so many problems to solve.
Internet helps a lot. Credit cards too, but there is Africa - different world. Lodge owners for some reason cannot charge from my card the deposit for the booked campsite - can you imagine? Why? Because they are in Africa! I am optimistic!
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Dec 23, 2011 07:00 PM Have a Merry Christmas dear friends
I consider this day the most important during whole calendar year.... Here in Poland all families are getting toogether to sit around the christmas tree to sing the carolls and to enjoy the peace and wonderful atmosphere of this evening. We also think about our friends, some of them are far away from us. So Merry Christmas my friends, whereever you are!
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Dec 16, 2011 07:00 PM Sunday in Berlin
I am in Berlin. Why? I plan to come back to Southern Africa soon. Namibia still require a visa... Nearest embassy is in Berlin. And.... Low cost Polish airline JetAir just opened a direct connection from Gdansk to Berlin. I took my chance to buy cheap ticket (less then 20 euro!) and to come to arrange my visa... It will be tomorrow - they open the embassy at 9 am.
Today I have the time to wonder again around the central Berlin. To see Banhof Friedrichstrasse - years ago I was crossing there the border between DDR and West Berlin... Today Berlin is more expensive: in the tourist information office near Brandenburger Tor they charge 1 euro for the tiny, one-page map of the town! Local Mc Donald restaurants in my country have free wi-fi hotspots. Not in Berlin! Finally I found one free hotspot in Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz...
2-hours ticket for the city public transport costs already 2,30 euro...
There are many Christmas markets on the streets. Probably the biggest one on Unter den Linden. I like this atmosphere...
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Dec 12, 2011 07:00 PM Flying home...
The morning was clear, and little twin-otter from St. Marteen arriver on time to pick me up... People say that the thrilling plane take-off on the short Saba runway is one of the main attractions of the island. Yes, it is!
On St Marteen I checked-in for the next flight to Newark. It was Continental/United flight. Unpleasant surprise: they asked me to pay extra 25 USD for the first piece of my checked luggage! The weight was normal! Do you know other regular airline who charge such a fee?
We landed in New York already in the evening. Terminal B of the Newark airport has wi-fi network. Initially they ask you to pay for the connection, but in the bottom of their page you will see the gift from American Express: 20 minutes of free internet - go on!
On the next day it was sunny when I landed in Warsaw. But where is the snow? No snow... The same in my Gdansk... I hope that it willbe snowy for Christmas.
Another interesting voyage is over. I already started to think about the next one... :)
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Dec 11, 2011 07:00 PM Saba - the diver's paradise
Saba Island has no beaches. But it has a great reef from the Caribbean Sea side and people say that it is one of the best places for divers. Sorry, not for me - the cost diving is hard to afford for the budget travellers. I snorkel, but on Saba to get to the snorkeling place you still have to rent a boat. I did not find anybody to share the cost. In general: Saba is expensive place. Even in my last expensive "El Momo Cottages" they add 5% of tax to my bill and 1 USD per day for the National Park.
But Saba is worth to see. It is very different to the rest of the Caribbean: you won't see here casinos, resorts, shopping malls and nightlife, but well-marked walking trails through rainforest-covered mountains.
Sorry. It is the time to pack-up and to return from the sun to the cold Europe...
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