We spent some time "seeing the sights" in Outapi. One day we went to the war museum and learned about a war that went on there in the 70s.
There were rooms set up like a hotel now.
This is Titus, who runs the museum as well as other businesses in town. He and Beverly were very excited to meet each other. Her husband Randal had been on 3 previous trips, and Titus had asked Randal about taking in his oldest son so he could go to school in America. The process has now begun to get his son to America - so exciting!
This is Rosa, a seamstress I met in the marketplace. She used to be a teacher, but said she can make 1000 Rand a month teaching, or 1000 a week sewing. (1000 Rand is around $150.) She spoke English pretty well, and we found out we had a lot in common. She has 3 children, 2 boys and the youngest a girl, and we both used to teach. She is going back to school now to be a social worker. At the end of the week, I gave her a bracelet that told the story of Jesus' life, and she was thrilled. She asked when I was coming back, and told me to be sure to visit her.
This sweet lady made a dress for me to take back for Reese.
An older lady was carrying a 40 pound bag of sugar on her head. Jo asked if she could try it. When she asked if I'd like to try it, at first I said no, but then I thought, "When else will I ever try this?" so I gave it a shot. It was SO stinking heavy!! I finally got it balanced on my head, and they told me to walk - I said, "I can't move!!" The lady who carried it like it was nothing is in the picture behind Jo, with the white cloth on her head. She had to be around 60, a skinny little thing, and with neck muscles that were amazing!
I LOVE this picture. This sweet lady had been fishing and was pushing a giant wheelbarrow carrying her net and her fish. On her back she had a precious tiny baby. The contraption she's holding is the what she uses to catch fish. She slammed the basket down in the water, and then would reach through the hole at the top to grab any fish she may have snagged inside.
Laurie was a little smitten with a baby another lady brought.
This lady was expecting, but still working hard.
We went to Jossy's dress shop one day and picked out clothes - I got a super cute skirt, and Beverly couldn't pass up this green ensemble!!
We went to this tree that had been hollowed out and the inside -
used as a church! It is not used anymore, but is a tourist attraction.
The pods that grow on the tree are huge, and when slammed on the ground, break open to reveal something similar to dried apples inside. (The man on the left worked at the tree, and Richard is on the right - our incredible guide.)
Richard took us just outside of town where the graves are. It was so incredibly sad, I almost hate to share the pictures, but it was a grim reality and part of what gave some real perspective while we were there. So many of the graves were tiny, obviously babies, and most of the graves were unmarked and just covered with thorny bushes to keep the animals away.
Others were marked so we knew just how young the children were. The mortality rate is disgusting. There are so many who die because they just can't receive the medicine they need. We encountered a couple of people who told us about family members who had died from "poisoning" and we later understood that to mean food poisoning. The food and water is so dirty, it's not hard to imagine how they can get so sick.
Another huge tree, and our group!
Just across this water is Angola.
These angel wing leaves were so pretty.
We had the rare privilege of meeting and taking pictures with a Himba lady and her children (for the bargain price of 10 Rand!) She was so beautiful, and it was just amazing to me that there are people who live as she does, just miles from modern conveniences.
All over the place, you could see these giant mounds. It turned out they were termite mounds - this one was pretty huge, but not even the biggest we saw.
We had all been hungry for ice cream, and one of the gas stations finally had some!!
One day we got to see one of the traditional family villages - this is the outside, and inside were maybe a dozen huts that a large family lived in.
The huts were small but cozy.
Inside, a lady walked us through the process of making mohango. She poured the grains into this hole in the ground.
Then she and our guide sang a song to keep rhythm as they pounded the grain with these heavy posts.
I took a turn too!
Once it was fine, she added it to some boiling water and cooked it a bit. Then she passed it around for all of us to have a taste. It was very bland, a little like a thick oatmeal.
Next she took us to the blanket where she had her goods spread out for us to admire and buy. I bought some jewelry, baskets, and a doll from her. I loved the dolls - they were made from 2 round brown nuts, then they added the simple dress made from the pink striped Ombalntu fabric.
We also got to tour this mission - I can't remember exactly where we were, but it wasn't near Outapi.
These little ones came up to our van while we were at a gas station. They had no shoes, and their clothes were tattered. But they had giant smiles. They were thrilled with the candy we shared.
It is crazy to go from one extreme to the other, but we did it all week. The next place we stayed was beautiful...
and relaxing...
and the sunset was unreal.
We tried Rock Shandy's at Richard's suggestion and they were tasty!
David got escargot as an appetizer, and after trying so many other new things that week, I figured I may as well try snails too. They smelled so good. And, it turns out, they tasted really good too!! No one was more shocked than me! It reminded me of a buttery shrimp!
We feasted that night (our last night in Africa) on all kinds of wonderful things! I got the wild game kabobs. They were either oryx or kudu, and they were delicious!!
Everything we experienced added up to an amazing, awesome adventure.
