Into…”Out of Africa”

The journey from St. Petersburg, Russia to Onkoshi Rest Camp in Etosha National Park, Namibia took seventy-seven, hours, basically 3 days!  Grueling in a way but yet fascinating as we transitioned from advanced historical civilization to about as far away from civilization as one could possible be.

After an extended layover at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, we travelled on Air France’s Airbus 380 first class overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. First class service it was, including lay-down beds after a fine French supper (at midnight) and ending with an African breakfast served prior to arrival right on time at 10:00 a.m. We decided to stay at a hotel right at the airport since we were flying the next morning on to Namibia and so we had an evening to kill. Although we had been through J’burg two times before, we had never felt really comfortable to venture out into the city. Since last time though, they have built the "Gautrain", a high-speed beautiful modern train right from the airport into central J’burg so we decided to find the Hard Rock Café for a pin, beer and burger, Great choice as it was fast, easy and the train dumped us out a block away from the HRC. Admittedly, we passed a lot of slums along the way but the central city was modern, safe and clean. In bed by ten for a needed good night's slumber.

Our flight to Namibia left at noon the next day and was an easy two-hour flight. This country borders South Africa to the east and south and is on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Angola is to the north but it is a cesspool of failure and poverty and they seem to always be at war with their neighbors. Our little airport is only thirty miles from the border but we are driving south and away from all the misery. Only 1.8 million people, Namibia is about the size of North and South Carolina combined and is known to be among the safest, most beautiful countries in all of Africa. Without dragging our readers through the history of the country, we'll only say that it has a significant German background before the country gained it's independence in the 1950's .Consequently, there's a German feel to the place...architecture, language and food. Anyway, after a chaotic two-hour clearance through passport control, our pre-arranged driver Louis was dutifully waiting for us and took us to our hotel in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Had a GREAT dinner at Joe’s Beer Haus and turned in early for the 4:00 a.m. wakeup call for our flight north to Ondangwa where we rented a Hertz car to start our journey south into Etosha National Park.

First stop was to get provisions for our six-night stay in the park. The Hertz lady advised NOT leave our car unattended at the grocery store since the windows would immediately be smashed and contents robbed. OK…welcome to Africa! After a coin-flip, Bill guarded the car and Andrea went in and did the shopping. Turned out there were armed guards roaming the parking lot but better safe than sorry on losing our entire luggage and trashing the car. After a pleasant shopping experience, we’re off for the 120km drive south to Onkoshi Camp. It’s this drive that gives us the true since of rural Africa. Mud and tin huts everywhere and as we drove through the several small communities there were people everywhere just hanging out, drinking beer under shade trees and butchering meat (goat?) and hanging the bloody pieces on clothes lines to dry. Also saw many ladies carrying goods, bananas, etc. on their heads walking to markets. Different world, but it is their world and we clearly are visitors!

Etosha National park is one of Africa’s world-class parks and is centered around an ancient salt-water ocean that is now a lake that fills in the rainy season and dries to a salt flat in the other seasons. Visible from space, it’s about two hundred miles by eighty miles and the vast majority is unexplored land full of all kinds of wildlife, reptiles, flora and fauna. The Namibian government operates “rest camps” which are basically facilities for tourist to overnight as they transverse the park. Each has beautiful accommodations, a restaurant, fuel and basic provisions. We are staying at four different ones over our six-day visit in the park. Right after entering the park, we were greeted by a heard of Zebras in the road that seemed totally unimpressed that we were on their road and trying to pass them.

Our first camp is Onkoshi Rest camp which overlooks the salt flats (the “Pan”) and since today is our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary we are splurging and staying in the honeymoon suite. The view is spectacular and the night stars are just beyond description. Had a surprisingly excellent meal and service in the camp restaurant and came back to our villa to a welcome basket of fruit and Champaign. Tomorrow…our first game drive!

The Honeymoon suite!

Sunset on the evening of 5/15

Welcome basket

A day of travel

We checked out of our hotel and waited on our scheduled UBER driver (we scheduled the pickup the day before), and we waited, and we waited, and we waited.  Andrea watched him on her phone come up the opposite side of the street and then pull down a side street.  She was texting him also trying to explain where we were.  On his second pass by, we stood in the street waving our arms.  Well, he was so confused that we ended up carrying all of our luggage across six lanes of traffic so he wouldn't have to circle the block again.  We were already 18 minutes behind schedule and didn't trust this guy to find his way out of a paper bag.  So we get in the car and we are on our way and he asks "Where are you going"??  We were dumbfounded.  We scheduled with the UBER app where we were going.  Andrea wanted to jump out of the car..but the much calmer Bill said "to the airport"  to which he responded "which airport?" Again, dumfounded..UMMM...theres only one.   He proceeded to put an English speaking woman on the phone and we communicated that we needed to go to the international terminal, terminal #1 at the Pulkovo International Airport and away we went again.  He said he did not speak any English (so he said) and was of Iranian and Turkish decent and also spoke Afghan. This is not a good combination for a couple of Americans so we quickly gained Canadian citizenship. Andrea was tracking him thru the UBER app and on google maps to make sure we were headed in the right direction.  After a 45 minute drive going about 90KPH at times we start the last mile of travel to the airport and the driver slows to 60KPH and his gas light is on.  Andrea can see this from the back seat and says "OMG Bill we are out of gas".  Well, miraculously our driver now speaks English and says "No, we have to slow to 60KPH here because there are cameras monitoring our speed".  So now, we start thinking back through our entire conversation where we might have used the words 'jackass', 'incompetent', 'this guy is crazy'...etc. etc.   OOPS... Well, our nightmare is almost over and we pull up to the terminal and he looks at Bill and says  "Is this it?".  Now, Bill rarely comes unglued but when he does its not a good thing.  The guy all of a sudden can't speak English anymore and gets "the woman" on the phone that says... "there are two airports, are you at the right one??"  Bill exclaims: "It's a fine time to be asking that question!!" Now, we are in a panic along with the driver who is asking everyone if we are at the international terminal, terminal #1.  We finally get a big "yes" and grab our stuff out of the car and pocket the tip we had for him.  Andrea gave him a one star rating and a bad navigational skills comment. Only bad experience we've had with UBER ever...we should have aborted the trip when he couldn't find us.

After we settled down, we got to endure 4 separate baggage security checks along with 3 passport checks.  We're ok with that, the more security the better! It took us two hours to get from our  hotel, which was apx15 miles away to our boarding gate.  We had time to have a nerve-settling glass of champagne and OJ\cold beer in the business lounge before boarding our flight for Paris.   Beautiful Aeroflot lounge, by the way. We were the only two people in the first class cabin on the ride down to Paris and were able to spread out. They served us pickled salmon and caviar for lunch. 🤢

We are currently sitting in the business class lounge  at Paris De Gaulle airport  waiting to board our 11:25pm flight to Johannesburg.   On Sunday we fly to Namibia to start the Africa leg of our tour.  Excited for some warm weather and new scenery!! Check out this big bad boy...the biggest commercial ride on the road today...Airbus A380! 

A different kind of Russia

Wow. St. Petersburg, Russia. It's a beautiful, world-class city!

Our two-day schedule included one so-called down day to do laundry but we are learning that with a little planning and a lot of luck at communicating, we can squeeze in some sight-seeing on our laundry day. Which, we did.

We sniffed out the nearest laundromat the afternoon we got in to the city. About .5 km walk from our hotel...it was in a rather dingy basement of a rather dingy building but as in Irkutsk, the little laundromat was clean, bright and efficient. Manned by a helpful lady whom we were able to google-translate with...no problem. Get this: with Andrea's I-phone and sim card, we were able to UBER down there with all our dirty laundry for $1.74. Amazing, this technology. Got nine days of clothes recycled while we watched movies on our I-pads and by 1:30 we were UBER-ing back and ready to hit the streets. First stop was the Kunstkamera Museum, an oddball collection of Peter the Great's studies, relics and superstitions from around the world as a young man. Interesting, but after seeing rooms full of deformed creatures pickled in formaldehyde from three-hundred years ago, we were ready for some fresh air.

 Skelton of calf with two heads,      and here it is stuffed..      

Box of extracted teeth, which we thought about breaking into since Bill has already lost a crown on this trip. Luckily, the tooth has had a root canal and we won't have to endure the nightmare we faced in Turkey on our last around the world trip! 

So, we ended up strolling back along Nevsky Prospect, the main thoroughfare where our hotel was located and viewing the mind-boggling assortment of beautiful cathedrals, buildings and monuments along the two-mile walk.

These large structures were shipping beacons used for navigation when the oil was lit. The Rostral Columns are situated on Strelka, the eastern tip of Vasilievsky island. In 1733 the port of St. Petersburg was set up here. The port grew quickly as trade with Western Europe increased. The columns were built as beacons to guide the constantly growing number of ships during St. Petersburg's long dark nights. We are posing with the male and female river Gods.

 Peter and Paul Fortress

Hermitage from river bridge view

 The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood (below). This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881.

Just a pretty flower box along the way

Another architectural beauty

They call it the Venice of Russia...for obvious reasons!

We had pre-planned to stop at a quaint little Irish Pub for a few chillies and then stepped right next door to the restaurant "Oh, Cuba"...obviously a Cuban restaurant and it was a great choice! Two Cuban dudes serenading the patrons with a guitar, maracas, and great voices! Tasty food, too.

We opted out of eating in the cuban car but it did look like fun! 

On Thursday May 11, we got an early start (took a bus like the locals) to The Hermitage...the winter palace of Peter the Great and now a museum. This place is just beyond words. Located right on the Neva river,  it is a 300-plus room palace that is eye-popping in it's own right...not to mention the world-class artifacts and masterpieces from Monet, DeVinci, etc. It would take months to see and study it all. With the help of our handy Frommer's book, we did a four-hour fly-by of the absolute highlights with a promise that if we ever are in the area again....

First stop Palace Square in front of the Hermitage.  To read about its importance in Saint Petersburg history, click here. Palace Square

Just a random chair in the middle of the square😁 

Some of our favorite pictures inside the Heritage. It truly was a marvel!

The Jordan Staircase; Breathtaking

The living quarters:

The library

A sitting room

The Crimson Room

The Music Room

One of the door knobs, FANCY!

Hall of Busts 

The White Room for weddings

The Palace Chapel

Portraits of famous men

We looked like this after getting lost several times! 

The famous Peacock Clock

Mosaic floor in the room that housed the Peacock Clock.

A wine urn!

Vase

From there, we crossed the bridge (St. Pete is actually a series of islands built from swamp and bogs) to see the Peter and Paul Fortress, a fort built by Peter while his big 'ol palace across the river was being built. This thing was an eclectic but meaningful collection of historical buildings including a prison that held many of the "criminals" from the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. Quite depressing to tour that prison and try to relate to what it must have been like when operational. The real gem, though was that the cathedral there holds all the tombs of Russian royalty and Tsars from Peter the great through the Romanov dynasty including Nicholas II and his family (See earlier blog on Bill's high school term paper). The remains of the Tsar, his wife and their five children were moved from Siberia to here in 1998 and a special chapel was built to memorialize them. For Bill, it was very moving to see the Grand Duchess Anastasia's (supposed) final resting place.

We've come to recognize that our knowledge of Russian history was nonexistent before we got here and just a little bit improved now. The history of this country is truly fascinating and is complex and deep. Not to mention, it goes back nearly seven-hundred years so there's a lot of stuff that's happened and is documented in these places we've seen.

In summary, St. Petersburg is a spectacular place. Completely different in appearance, feel and appeal from Moscow, we thought. There are no buildings higher than six stories (that's the highest we saw). The place is spotless, friendly, easy to navigate (we never even took the subway), historic and restaurant\bar options are endless. And....having said that...on our last night in this fascinating country...we really do feel that we've seen the whole of Russia from sea to shinning sea (Pacific to Baltic).  We've seen the poverty (in our minds) in the bowels of Siberia to the world-class streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The days of suspicion, oppression, and shortages appear to be a thing of the past. Economies are booming, spending is everywhere and friendliness abounds.These Russians are just ordinary people, hard working, as curious about us as we are about them. We salute them, and the country of Russia for allowing us to visit!