David's Bridal Sale Dates

I - binge deserts and strange characters

We are here again!

In the three weeks we rented a car to tour Namibia, we have only one ... but this is all much more remote, uninhabited and disconnected that South Africa, so we thought to take this stop at one of the last "big people" we'll be playing by the end, to send news, because it will not return to arrive at least half a month (if not more).

As I say, Namibia is very different from South Africa. Although they have a very similar recent history (in fact, completely intertwined, and belonged to South Africa to Namibia until 1990), here the consequences of apartheid are almost nonexistent. The percentage of whites is also much smaller, which obviously must influence, but something else must have to here the "psychological normality" has recovered much more quickly. I think the European settlers here were not only less numerous but also less settled, the history of Namibia is very curious, and basically any country of several that have owned (this has sounded quasi-pornographic, Cuen ;-) I did it for over 70 years ... which are 2 TV news, come on. So, over these generations of foreign control, probably the only ones who felt this country as theirs were from here, so that when the political situation was not normalized but a reflection of majority sentiment towards this earth .. . including the feelings of whites in Namibia. For whites from South Africa that is his country as much or more than for blacks, there was apartheid so pure, while here was mixed with colonialism ... and finished second, was also completed first, and both have been forgotten and gone (to some extent of course) the general feeling.

Namibia is far less developed than South Africa. This is more of Africa, to get me. The infrastructures are light years away, and without going too far a majority percentage of kilometers we're doing is by gravel roads. In their defense it must be said, however, that although the lack of development is palpable, yet it is a very clean country (a difference of Tanzania, for instance close and we know where underdevelopment and filth went hand in hand). Also, for a country with one and a half the size of Spain, and only 2 million inhabitants, it is clear that much ground asphalt is a luxury. That if tourism is a powerful industry here, and in general everything is significantly more expensive than in South Africa.

Anyway, after a couple of days in the capital city (Windhoek) considering the alternatives on the ground, we decided to rent a car and tour on our own. Although it is a big boy car for what we are accustomed, has gotten out of money when renting a Car Rental ASCO .. which, of course, we hope not live up to its name :-) Also, to offset the cost, we have also rented a shop and do a lot of camping ... but here are some campsites total luxury with your private bathroom and barbecue!

In this first week we have soaked the most authentic Namibia: the desert. This site is very, very dry and the desert is as yours, that independence decided that their new country took its name from its most representative desert, the Namib. In one of the many tribal languages \u200b\u200bspoken here, Namib means "vast land and dry" ... Me'ca and that right! The names "Indians" (whether African, American, Asian) are always highly poetic, right? The Namib, the Serengeti (Endless Plains "), and many more ... clear that sometimes the muse abandons them, and then they come up with names such as Ngorongoro, as they remembered the sound of cow bells that the Masai had been there to graze =

:-) Anyway, I dispersed. As I say, mostly desert this week. Both of the picturesque, spectacular as could be (have been in the Namib and Kalahari, most photogenic sites out there, I think) and also the desert "brutal": 150-200 kms of road through anything, miles and miles of flat sand without a dunite to throw at the camera, and definitely no signs of civilization. It is difficult to convey the beauty of the desert with the "tower" that sticks except first and last hour of the day. But these sites and not just the dead silence and stillness that conveys the "absence of things" but as I say are so beautiful deserts, with their land and their oxidized deep red color (Kalahari)

or orange (Namib)

that ... In short, I refer to photos. Nothing to do with the typical "color desert than we imagine, for example the Sahara in Egypt.

In contrast with this, curiously, it is not desert is all very green, being rainy season, and much greener than what we will see all it travels north.

And besides deserts, has been a week especially prolific in "curious fauna." I am not referring to the typical African wildlife, which will see much in the north of the country, but we can not complain that we've seen quite interesting bugs: for example, the huge nests of so-called "sociable weaver birds, which real cities are mounted for the poor birds in trees (sometimes, of course, yield). Or that we have called lizard "I burn", who lives in the dunes of the Namib and in the heat of the day, when the sand burnt, is supported alternately on two of its four legs (strake is see change support legs!).

But no, actually I am talking animal characters are so unique that we have met this week, some very interesting ... and others, well, just that very peculiar :-) In Windhoek, we stayed at the house semi-Kristinn particular, a German architect, much of the world (5 years in Madrid, without going too far) and landed in Namibia on business and here is out, alternating architecture with tourist hostel and other tasks. And now is a Namibian couples, the Damara tribe, soon to be a star in Spain: watch the premiere of "Magic Tale" (a magical history), in 3D, a Catalan director and in which this type is the protagonist! Also in this particular hostel we met Martin, another young German and most turned out to be a real expert (almost a geek) in many natural parks in Spain, as Doñana, and soon to be part of the doctoral study at the University of Sevilla. In the Kalahari we met Peter, an Angolan who worked at the camp and whose story can only have if you were born in such countries: recruited by paramilitaries at age 12, he escapes and wanders without a job for several countries in southern Africa, until he finally found his place working first as a tour guide in South Africa, then in Zambia and now in Namibia, and now dreams of finally back to their country and start his own business tourism by the sea.

And make so many interesting people in the hostel where we are now we also met two German brothers (much German in Namibia, if), farmers of a micro-village in Bavaria that do not stop drinking beer and canutos smoking at all hours, and of course no one understands them when they "pretend" to speak ... and that there where you can see, the very champions managed to convey that they are completing a journey of 20 months in your own 4x4, having gone through Russia, from North to South America and now Africa. They are amazing these two, because they are totally antithetical to who I imagined doing a trip like this ... but it has also been enlightening to know, of course, and have given us many pearls on how we will feel as they progress during the months of travel, see how many hits! Short and close

from Namibia, part one.

Chao! Juan & Eva

Kumho Kl71 Tread Wear

Southafrica I - dentists, microclimates aftermath of apartheid and penguins on the beach

Greetings from Namibia! We

2 days in our second country, and this is likely to be a tonic on the trip: after days or weeks of "tourism sack" for your site Specifically, he plays a couple of days rest, take a breath, do laundry, and organize what's coming. So after 8 days in South Africa, took a bus for almost 24 hours to the capital of Namibia, and here we have regrouped to take the next impulse. And in this "oasis of calm" between weeks of travel will be when contacted with the global world and we can put stuff in the "glob" ... is that for many will be insufficient, but the alternative would lead a "blueberry" (another techno-occurrences of Eva :-) and not plan.

Well, as the first entry after a trip indeed, touches also make a difference. Do not have much intention of dilapidaros with details to be found in any travel guide ... if someone is interested in knowing that there are to do with any of the countries we visited, has a lot of information at your fingertips, and certainly much better start than what we show here. For this let the pictures directly, and whoever asks for details that, for our part, you know that will start long and not stop. No, rather try to convey feelings of all sorts, anecdotes, encounters and (hopefully most of the first than the latter) ... in short, that passes through our head as they are accumulating on Saturday in a rucksack.

From the first moment we feel, although I expected, is the slow who spends his time. Clearly understanding how positiffffa, VERY positifffa. When every day you know places and new people, and there is even a minute of your time in that you knew in advance that you were going to spend (which becomes the routine, come on), it is wonderful what gives of the time. We just week and a half away, but our feeling is that it could be 10 times that. Anyway, as I say, for us there is a feeling unknown (we going on a weekend in the mountains), and I imagine it will not for many so I do not roll up more about it.

So, how to summarize these days in South Africa?

Ah, of course, first the end of the story of the dentist! Well, it was confirmed that this is a good dentist where South African Vitaldent is removed (say, it was my dentist, but could have been). The day of the first consultation, I immediately made an X-ray shows me on the computer ... taking different views (black and white, color histograms, etc) gives me all sorts of arguments about the filling so that recientito had not been made of the best: - / In short, the nerve like shit and was complaining I would do more and more, so "this is to brush" (said with accent ... Afrikans and English, of course), "and must be done before you lose sight of civilization" (that you will understand better more below). He gave me another appointment with the specialist in endodontics, and the two days up and apañao pa'tos the year (I hope). I saw 366 Saturday eating soups, as hinted a friend, so I am more than grateful to South African health ... private health care, of course, so I can not issue a ruling on the universal public health in this country. What I can, and I was crap in my dentist's teeth, an expression never used = :-) best

Once forgotten your mouth, we set out to enjoy Cape Town and its spectacular surroundings (the Cape peninsula of Good Hope). Southafrica we have found extremely curious but familiar ... Because it has many similarities to Australia! Drive on the left and road signs are almost identical, the traffic lights to pedestrians last only 5 seconds (you have to run much as pedestrian), many of his English slang terms are also shared (cheers, mate, CBD = Central Business District, Dowtowns instead of Americans), the taste of meat, fish and vegetables is different (in general have more taste of things), and there are a lot of vegetation "exotica" that they had seen before in Australia. Indeed, in terms of food the truth is that it ate wonderfully and very cheap, so we have given a tribute by one every night :-)

Moreover, Cape Town also reminded us to another city only, San Francisco, mainly because of its incredible geographic location ... And its microclimate! The tag Standing almost on top of Table Mountain, which was aptly called Table Cloth (the tablecloth, is great!), reminded us of the SF fog, independent of the heat that would make a 5 kms from the city, The tag was placed there and could not go on all day. The devilish time the Cape of Good Hope has a similar effect in Cape Town, and especially get up in the afternoon a "brisitas" Antarctic that forced the poor guard our hostel to "leave his office," as he said, and shelter inside. Because his office, of course, was the shabby-plastic chair in the man who spent a full shift in the open.

For the rest, South Africa is an interesting country, especially because it is in a unique moment of a unique history. It is patent. The term apartheid (although, beware, do not really even 20 years, which is nothing), but the mixture of races, unfortunately, is still somewhat artificial and forced. They mix like oil and water, come on, and it really has gone from a formal separatism based on race, another kind of separatism that we will see enough in this year, as a function of social and economic class. It is VERY obvious who has the money in this country, and even blacks still persists excessive "servility" to deal with you. In the minibus in which they travel 100 to'apretaos (as we saw in Peru and Tanzania), and on trains, you only see black ... while in the car individuals, especially in the upper middle range, you only see white. Finally, at peak times has caused some hurt, but in reality we both feel that they have many reasons for hope and, again, in such a short time, are well advanced in the right direction. Have much to do, but above all that the consequences of the past disappear from the subconscious of the present generation (white and black). We had a chance to talk a bit about all this with Frank, an English that had 40 years here and who ran a hostel in the south of Cape Town where we spent 3 nights ... and yet, we do not ask direct questions because it was clear "that weak spots." A good example of the South Africa today Frank's friend, having assumed the change ... but probably not be 100% comfortable with it. And another good example was the dentist, of course, by that of "losing sight of civilization" when I gave my planned route

:-) For sightseeing we did in those 8 days, I refer to photos. Although we can not fail to mention, for all you hallucinate in a single day (very special, of course), beach day we spent together with the penguin colony of Boulders. Being in the sun and have penguins doing the same with you, or try to read a little and lose concentration because you spend a penguin just ahead (with its nice gait, you know) ... in short, for everything else this Mastercard, because that was priceless.

And after all this, we took a bus that toured us around 1400 kms in 20 hours, but not made us heavy. The landscape was virtually uninhabited for many miles, but pretty cool orography, truth, relatively hilly, bushy very colorful (yellow, lime green, red, gray) ... come on, it was not the savanna. The bus also was "lux" with reclining seats almost to lie down and very much "living space". The story consisted of the "movie" that got us, about two hours of religious message (are Christians here) ... followed by a small defense course (!!!!???).

So we are in Namibia, where besides the "eeeehhhh" also caught the phone with a "mmmm" great (as if they got lazy answer :-) And today we take a car and piramos 21 days to explore on our air. Return to contact the back!

to nou-nou ("soon" in Afrikans)

Juan & Eva

PD: Delving a bit in the spirit of the traveler who want to wear, an interesting link for those who be curious about what they call being an "ethical travel" and we fully share -> www.ethicaltraveler.com / guidelines.php

PD2: Many thanks to all / as for your comments on the "glob", we love them!

How To Setup An Aloha Pos

Without leaving the door is known the world without looking out the window is the way to heaven .

unexpectedly went a day without any apparent direction without warning. I just take my blog of notes and my camera. He hoped to find answers to many feelings were about that for a time my heart. Mow every traveler yearns to find that place "magic" where you can find that little piece missing. During the trip appeared answers pieces, but eventually I understood that phrase with which I started the post that read
"Without leaving the door is known the world without looking out the window is the way from heaven "

As you know anyone who shares his feelings, motivations, experiences, culture, fiin, who has a blog, this has to be imbued with love energy. And being faithful to each post I've written so far, today I would like to share with you some poems of a great writer Rabindranath Tagore.

today Forgive my impatience, my love.
is the first rain of the summer and
River Grove is jubilant, and Kadam trees in bloom, the winds
tempt passengers with glasses of wine aroma.
Look, in every corner of the sky lightning Darden
their eyes, and wind through your hair stand. Forgive
today if I surrender to you, my love. The walks each day
hidden in the vagueness of the rain, all
works have been stopped in the village, the meadows are
abandoned. And the coming of rain has been found in your dark eyes
music, and July, to your door expected, with jasmine
for your hair in a blue skirt.
I think, my love, before daybreak
life you were standing under a waterfall of sweet dreams, filled with liquid
your blood turbulence.
Or perhaps your path going through the garden of the gods, and the cheering crowd
of jasmine, lilies and oleanders
fell into your arms in droves and, entering into your heart,
riot was made there.
Your laughter is a song whose words are drowned in the scream
melodies, a rapture of the smell of flowers
not seen it is like the moonlight
to break through the window of your lips, when the moon is hiding in your heart
. I do not want more reasons, I forget why.
just know that your laughter is the tumult of life in rebellion
Zolsaihan: Online conscience, today and probably publish this post "something" will invite you to enter. ^ ^ "To all those who greet you entered, which is not well. I wish you happiness always be with you every time respiréis.

Moms Tits Indian Sarre

... and initial thoughts so early reflections

Nothing, that, that ... Saturday we already the world!


In fact, exactly 3 days (if we except the first, which was traveling alone ... but not so devoid of emotion, I tell you now), but among the backlog that we had (write those last thoughts before you leave), nor is it a matter of spending 3 hours a day doing the blog (I get bored) ... because until today.

And to start, Africa! It became clear immediately that we were on this continent that makes us fall in love 3 years. And if I could have been perfectly because it is clear what the "main color" ... but no, it was for other details. No longer remembered, but in native languages \u200b\u200bon the continent (at least those who have known us as the Swahili that we love as it sounds, the Masai, or Xhosha speak for South Africa) seem to all use the same postscript affirmation in the talks. We, our "yes, yes" or "I" or "worth" ... and that for them is a super nice "Eeehh" as told by a hippie to the bars of maria :-) It's hard to explain, but fireworks is heard it, and as we hear nothing but two women get to passport control, because I said, we immediately knew we were in Africa.

In particular, we have begun our journey as far away from Spain going down in a straight line. Although the flight from Madrid was in Johannesburg, immediately took a connecting flight to Cape Town in the southern tip of Africa. And in fact, that first day of travel we can obtain a preliminary confirmation that these countries as "exotic" (synonym for late for many people) we will be visiting deserve respect.

I realize that this progress was one of the pre-game thinking we wanted to have shared, and I fear that I did ... but the extension is still valid, so here goes. One of the illusions that we have on this trip is to confirm that we are huge and mistakenly influenced by what the media tell us in general and in particular that which transcends international news. Virtually any "good news" is news, but only the events come to the covers. And again, we think this is even more striking if we talk about news from abroad. Thus, it is almost inevitable to form a totally terjiversada all that escapes from our "comfort zone" (as the Americans say). Well, completely bare chest (we are not immune to having a mishap on the way to make us swallow our words), we would love to continue to confirm as we have done on other trips that the world is not as dangerous as we imagine, and that not everything that is not the G-20 are banana republics. Anywhere in the world, "the dumbest makes watches, and hopefully go out there compared to what in many cases native to stay until it wrong.

As told, the first on the forehead. Our dear Iberia left us in Johannesburg with 2 hours of delay on a flight that left at dawn and did not accumulate previous delays, was simply shot while clearing snow and ice on the plane before leaving ! Well, we had a connecting flight with one of the lines from South Africa cheaper areas (very colorful and name Mango), which we took almost as lost ("started well", we think) ... when, against all forecast in half an hour we landed in Johannesburg, we Immigration, collected luggage, pass customs, and arrived at the last minute to shipment. In other words, thanks to fluidisimo Jo'burg airport operations, as called here in Johannesburg, we make the parting gift from our beloved homeland airport operational.

But the second is that there has been a long time. Still not finished, so no whole unto you not to gafarla ... but I come forward, after thoroughly checked to the dentist before leaving the first day of the trip I can hardly sleep toothache!! The next day I had to visit a dentist in South Africa (to more than one is are putting the willies of imagining what will be, secure :-), and tomorrow I make the final workaround, I hope ... so I will tell you also that such dentists are standing in front of the house from here.

And nothing, from the following entry and start with stories and pictures from the trip itself. At the moment we left here, having reached the first destination without "too many" setbacks and taking confidence and ease in what will be our ritmillo of life this year. Sala kahle

(up soon) from Cape Town! Juan & Eva

Tetas De Milena Velba

Latest from just before ... Logistics and preparations

Finally, the date the most clever podreis deduce that this last entry of reflection heading to ... Not had time to write it! Rereading

preparations summary of this writing, it is clear that we underestimated what it would cost us to leave our house ready (ie, empty) for tenants who rented us this year. Yes, we probably minimal compared to the average ... but we have far too many things. So, while all other preparations continued his expected rate, packaging it seemed would never end, and kept us so busy that we only got ourselves to that and the other essential items before leaving. Write a blog post last, as much as we felt like (it was much, really), they could wait ... so that we now (on our first day of travel).

Well, these weeks before departure have been a good Prolegomena to what we expected: very intense experiences and emotions. It was a real pleasure to say goodbye to so many of you in person, and with some "dedicated", although we've had some days of real gymkhana. This species is said our (human) that we are social animals ... and pa'mi that Eva and I are very animals :-) But even with the marathon of events that we got, still left out some of you with whom we could not give a last hugs, I hope you may know we forgive.

We get in the minds and hearts of all good wishes, and also some completely spontaneous and unexpected gifts that will make us be even more present: a Swiss penknife (which, oddly enough, we did not), a "wig" is not even a clock but a "wrist instrument for External because it's compass, altimeter, barometer, and if, given the time!; a pen "lux" for writing the drafts of blog entries, a couple of travel books and a couple of shirts with personal reasons, the 3 backpacks and sleeping bags we have given, not given away :-), my sister & cuñaaaaaooooaoaoa, a travel case to protect adequately the above mochilonas; ... pet owners and our trip, after we had been time and could not find, so it's been a great gift. We have named Sabaticus (Sabi, for friends), and here I present it:


will travel with us throughout the world, and you will have documentary proof of that. Following intensive

Christmas with family and friends had left us the last short week in Valencia to finish organizing. As we said at the beginning, everything was more or less well (with little sleep, but good), but the bull caught us in a bad way to "cleanse" the house. So much so that we can say that we have come to the hairs . The trip to Madrid we did really like the Moors, and we had to be called to any judge of the Guinness Record to vouch for everything that fits in our little Opel-otilla (our policy, we). To make matters worse, gives for snow in Madrid as he had not done in years ... Nosecuantos but, fortunately, was the day before and when we were on the A3 the worst had happened. Overall, we present in Madrid to 6 hours of flying and with much bulk to leave home for the long-suffering parents of Eva, with many issues to discuss with them "in case of emergency" ... And with this hair! Anyway, to me and I have seen rapadito (and is that the more hair I lose, but I have head :-), but Eva remained in this manner in the hands of his mother

And almost shaking off the remains of the shave, the 366 began Saturday!

We wanted to have had much more time to distill a few hours we felt we begin our adventure dream, but part of what we will experience a flood (improvisation and adaptation to circumstances that will bring us day after day) began prior to departure. With so much buzz, it's not like the previous hours have been very reflection, or internalization and assimilation of what awaits us ... but, to sum up, the truth is we do not have big words to express what we expect from this year we want to be spectators, but with the greatest interaction possible, we want to know other ways of living and thinking, and question our own beliefs each further contribution, we want to spend time with other travelers from our style, they are often atypical and very interesting people, and above all, frankly, we want to enjoy every day of our year's holiday, because after a long time dream and prepare ourselves for him, has finally arrived!

A big hug for everyone from the first Saturday of the 366. Juan & Eva




PS: From now on, you know, find foreign accents keyboard is a task for Chinese, so please forgive our lack of accents. The 'ñ', "ensinembargo" is something not too country to make the pine-bridge and what is necessary, but there will be :-)