People along the way

The people that one meets while traveling are interesting. There are those that one would not miss, those pain in the (neck?) kind of people.

 

One Friday and Saturday I met interesting people that I would like to mention. Friday night it was Mr and Mrs Werner Goetz from Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. They were on their first visit to Southern Africa and I believe not the last. It was fun chatting with them for quite a while.

 

Yesterday at De Oude Koffiehuis I met Markus Kuehnemann and Sabine Krause (photograph). We chatted for quite a while, and again I admire those people coming to our continent on their expense, using their talents and qualifications to help us Africans. Markus and Sabine used a puppet play firstly to entertain the Namibian kids, secondly and hopefully to let the Namibian primary schools realize how valuable a puppet play can be during education. Truly admirable people.

 

Then I met the Frenchman on his BMW GS 1200 Adventurer.

 

I saw the bike last night and as all motorcyclists do, went over and had a look at it. It had a French number plate. Otherwise the bike was a shiny example of German technology.

 

This morning with breakfast I had him as my neighbour, hearing him chatting in English to the waiters and telling them about his trip across Africa. Immediately my ears went like radar dishes. What a chance to meet this gent!

 

I walked over to him and we started chatting. I asked him about his route and he mentioned Spain and Morocco. I asked him about the East and West route, and the following countries after he had left Morocco.

 

And then something strange suddenly happened.

 

He lost the ability to speak any English. He couldn't understand or replied on any of my questions.

 

Strange. What do you think could be the reason?

 

I think it is the heat.