"birds, overtaking, waving and Over-Landers" Namibia Transportation Tip by smirnofforiginal

Mostly you will have the roads to yourself - although every bird in the country will try to bombard you as you drive - I am sure they sit there on the roadside "ahhh oncoming car let's play "chicken" with it - you fly left - you right and you, you fly head on'. I sadly believe there is probably not one car that goes through Namibia without killing at least one beautiful bird. I got two that I am aware of and was so up - we had to reverse and give them a bush burial!

If you do encounter other drivers, 9 out of 10 times they will, regardless of whether they are local, tourist, black, white....) smile and wave to you. I think a lot of tourists, especially the ones in more dubiously able cars, are simply just relieved to see another automobile.

We met one 2WD that was stuck in the sand and with the help of us and another car (it was obviously a busy section of road to have 3 cars congregating!!!) we managed to get them out and (nervously) back onto the road. Most cars slowed down if we had stopped - doing the old 'are-you-stopping-for-a-wee-or-because-you-need-help-check', and we soon got into the habbit of doing the same. I always felt that if we did need roadside assistance, we would get it.

Lorries are very polite drivers. Overtaking is not always easy 1) because of the bright and glaring sun, 2) because of the levels of sand, dirt and grit that is hurtled fromt he ground as the vehicle in front plunders over the road surface & 3) because of the possible pot holes, donkeys, goats, people, sudden dips (that could take the front of your car out) etc... We found pretty much all lorry drivers would slow down, pull tight over to the left and then indicate to show it was safe to go past. Unlike their British counterparts, they do not seem to care about being overtaken! Always indicate to thank them :-)

The Over-Landers GRRRRRRRRR (Huge lorries of varying levels of comfort, full of smelling European tourists, crammed together to get from POINT A in Africa to POINT B, usualy with a South African tour guide and a local driver) do not seem the need to show any kind of courtesy to other road users (and if I rant I could say that in our experience the inhabitants of these Over-Landers feel equally that they do need need to show any courtesy to other travellers!). I was frequently annoyed and aggitated by these tours!!!! I was delighted when they all seemed to vanish around the Etosha area!

I guess what I am saying is, other than suicidal birds, the goats, cattle and donkeys that I have not mentioned and the Over-Landers who are just annoying, the roads are pretty safe and easy going.

Mode: AROUND
Type: Car/Motor Home