Chillin in Rundu

Address update yet again - send ALL mail, letters and boxes to:

Tim and Lindsey Habenicht

P.O. Box 114

Rundu, Namibia

That’s right, send them all to the same address :)

Last Thursday, all of the volunteers in Group 36 (there are 35 of us) were sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers. There were several American and Namibian ambassadors in attendance, as well as the host families, and some community members of Okahandja - so there was probably around 150 people there. Many of the volunteers had to leave directly after the swearing in ceremony was over, but we didn’t leave for Mayara until Friday morning. Now comes the funny part.

Lindsey and I have been in Rundu for one week now. We have not actually made it to site in Mayara yet because our furniture and amenities (like a stove and refrigerator) are not quite ready. Last Friday, all of the volunteers staying in the Kavango region were traveling together to our respective sites, and Lindsey received a text message from our principle saying that we needed to stay the night in Rundu - and we have been here ever since. We are staying at this little place called House Bavaria (a lodge owned by a PCV that served in the 90’s. He married a Namibian and never left-pretty interesting), and it has hot showers and a TV; both are things I wasn’t expecting to have for two years. So it has certainly been nice to have a break from bucket baths! I still have no idea how long we will actually be here...... if we don’t get picked up today, then it is highly unlikely that we will get picked up over the weekend (because no one works on the weekends), so it is looking like we will be here for at least a few more days. The whole situation of our huts not being ready is rather laughable, considering that our school has known the exact date that we were supposed to arrive in Mayara for at least 4 months. Luckily, the lodges serves a free, hearty breakfast every morning with eggs and cereal, because that is our one good meal of the day. Since we are staying in a lodge, we don’t have a kitchen and can’t cook anything, so for lunch and dinner we have been eating PB&Js. I have never had so many PB&Js, and hope that I never have to eat so many again haha!

On Monday for my birthday, Lindsey and I went to another lodge right on the Kavango River, and enjoyed some wine with this AWESOME view.

The view from the Kavango River Lodge deck.

We have been relaxing, sleeping in, reading, walking around Rundu, sleeping some more, eating PB&Js, and taking multiple showers a day - not because we need to, but because we CAN!!  That basically sums up our past week. Until we meet again!

-Tim