The Swakopmund Hotel, our home for the next four days.  Up until now, we’d been staying in “boutique” places.  Small, charming, rustic, kid-friendly.  When our reservation was lost in Swakopmund we initially weren’t sure if the upgrade to the city’s classic Colonial institution was quite our style.

We are not fancy people, and prefer to avoid living spaces that include wallpaper and chandeliers.  But with the kids and the cold weather, it was soon clear that we’d scored on this deal.  Carpeted floors!  Heat!  Bathtubs!  Welcome drinks!

And a breakfast buffet that could rival Las Vegas.  Fresh oysters anyone?  How about a T-Bone? 

Who says you can’t have a cheese plate and fresh mussels for breakfast…

The four days we had in Swapko flew by too fast, but not before we went quad-biking through the dunes, explored the Kristal Gallerie of gemstones, watched movies in the hotel room, watched France vs. Germany in the World Cup, had Happy Hours of gin and bitter lemon, played Chance, ate grilled calamari salads for lunch (Kelly and I did anyway, heaven!), and spent warm afternoons running in the waves along the Atlantic Ocean.  I guess this would be the other Atlantic Seaboard?

Sand Castles too!!

We had cappuccino at a sidewalk cafe,

Admired our newly acquired treasures,

and explored the city’s German heritage.

TWO liters?  In one mug?  Or is that a boot?  Do they wear boots in Germany?  (look at the 2 drinks in the background)…

The Tug, Secret Garden, Room Service, Weird Laundromat, Pancho’s, Crazy Mama’s, wet boots, wet boots again, Germans, “Don’t Touch!”, fried Camembert cheese, twenty jars of Barilla pesto, Naia and Jake playing “Cuddle Bunny.”

The waves are crashing and the sun is shining for the first time in two days.  The kids are all barefoot, playing chicken with the foamy ocean.  Jason is reading his book, Kelly and I are relaxing on a bench, and Mike is carving trenches and towers out of the cool, wet sand.

When we planned our trip to Namibia, I don’t know that we realized we’d be getting apple strudel, gift shops, cobblestones, and great pizza.  Is this still Africa?  No matter, we’ll take it!