In the tv series ‘V’ there’s a scene where they show Tiananmen square(a large city square in the centre of Beijing). I remember watching it and thinking how cool it was that I could say I’ve been there.
I had that same feeling of ‘coolness’ and excitement when in 2011 I went to Johannesburg for the first time(outside airport transit trips) and I stayed at a hotel in Hillbrow because a South African group ‘Jozi’ called ‘Far from easy’ and in there they sing about the hardships of making it on the streets of Hillbrow. So as I walked the streets of Hillbrow (and lost about two dresses), I too felt like “Yes, I know making it on the streets of Hilbrow was far from easy.”
Jo’burg gave me my first minibus taxi experience and I was amazed by how chaotically systematic taxi fare was passed from hand to hand until it reached the conductor, and change back from the conductor, hand to hand until it reached the rightful owner. Such levels of trust… Something I generally did not really associate with Johannesburg, thanks to all the crime stories the city is notorious for.
I was really overwhelmed by how big Johannesburg is, which over the years as I visited other countries, has been a recurring reminder on just how small we are as a country. On a good day, I could take someone around all of Windhoek, in one day. Johannesburg alone, could be all of Namibia and would probably need a good couple of weeks to go around. I was overwhelmed and nervous, I hardly remember doing much on that trip, save for buying some really pretty cheap dresses, because the streets of Hillbrow had all sorts of things at a really good range of prices. While cheap dresses are nice, as far as I’m concerned, clothing alone is no way to remember a trip, so that wasn’t a very memorable trip for me.
Thankfully though, South Africa and I got a second chance when that same year I got the opportunity to visit Pretoria with the University of Namibia’s Debating Society(UDEBSO) for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) National Debate Championships. The event was hosted by the University of Pretoria, so we were housed in the student residences there. The organisers had planned quite a number of trips for us and we got to visit the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, which was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA world cup. We also got to dress up for a fancy gala dinner at The Union Buildings, which have since been declared a national heritage site, complete with a giant bronze statue of Nelson Mandela.
Save for the planned executions by org.com, I didn’t see much of Pretoria, but I did not need to, to know that I loved it. Hatfield Square(the University area) alone, had everything that I wanted in a city, within walking distance. The year 2011 was also my vegetarian phase (yes, I had one of those because I’m one of those ‘try everything at least once’ people) and there’s this spot called ‘Uncle Fauzi’s’ in Hatfield, where I had the most delicious falafel. As this column grows, you will come to learn that I love city lights, a love that came to be because Windhoek is really beautiful, so I must also mention that the Pretoria city lights were really breathtaking.
Someone close to me recently told me they would like me to give more “practical” travel trips (as opposed to my usual ‘if you can travel, travel’ advice) and thanks to my Pretoria trip, I think I’m able to give at least one practical tip. On the day we were leaving, we paid a courtesy visit to the Namibian High Commission in Pretoria, just to let them know there were Namibians around. So this is important: When you are in another country, always know where your country’s consulate, embassy or whatever national representation is, where you can make a turn and introduce yourself. I’ve learned that often people just like to see and receive people from ‘home’, but it’s also a sign of good faith, and should anything happen to you on your travels (God forbid, ‘touch wood’, whatever you believe in), it will be easier for you to get assistance if your country’s representatives are aware you are there to begin with.
Size aside, Namibia and South Africa are not too different, in fact, we’re almost South Africa’s fifth province, but you’d be surprised(if you are me, also a little annoyed) at how little some South Africans know about us, so the advice there is the same: know where you’re coming from, you’re an ambassador for your country, whether you are aware or not, whether you accept the responsibility or not.
If I were to give one last “travel tip”, especially to the youth and university students, I think it would be to identify and pursue the things you’re passionate about, quite often, they will present you with great opportunities and open great doors. With that, I’m referring to my love for debate and how save for a small registration fee for the tournament, I had a fun trip where I hardly had to pay for anything at all.
Munukayumbwa Mwiya, commonly known as ‘Mimi’ do not quite consider herself a writer but love to write because writing is her escape and refuge, where she runs to find herself and it is how she best express her innermost thoughts. Writing is very personal for her which is why she journal a whole lot more than she writes on any other platform including sharing a lot of her thoughts on Facebook, and sometimes blogging at ramblingsofapotentiallycrazyperson.com. She also loves travelling and try to do so whenever and wherever possible.