Namibia

After we touched down we entered an unprepossessing room at Windhoek Airport. For some unkown reason all the travellers went to the right side of the room and were hunched over a counter. There were absolutely no signs and I saw three stone faced women sitting behind another counter just ahead of me.

They did not move and their faces were expressionless. I wondered whether they were african carvings. I went in their direction behind three young ladies who had been on the same plane. We walked through iron bars toward the three statues. When I approached one, her mouth moved and I  heard something like 'forms,' after I had asked her to repeat herself.  My mouth was dry, a combination of plane travel and a bone-dry atmosphere. I gazed at her out of my dry red eyes and managed to come out with "what forms?" Her gaze shifted to where everyone else was.  I walked over to see that everyone was filling in forms. I took one off a pile and looked for a pen. Someone handed me her pen and I filled in the form. I asked the woman who handed me her pen what the date was, as by this time I was unaware of what date, time, or day it was.

"The date of my wedding anniversary," she replied, "but my husband is dead."

Eventually I completed the form and took it to the queue which had now formed in front of the three statues.  I handed my passport and form to the statue on the right.  After reading through it she asked me where I would be spending my first night.  Again I tried to speak. Eventually the words came out "I don't know."  After staring at me wordlessly I gave her the name of the travel agency. Although she was apparently not quite satisfied, she let me through.

And so began my journey into the magical, primeval, awe-inspiring, vast, dusty, dry, wonderland - I will upload photos as words fail me.