Swakopmund, Namibia

As a respite from the terminally long narratives that we have posted recently, we figured that we would give you a pictorial glimpse into our lives in Swakopmund, Namibia, a town that we have been in since last Monday (July 21) and will leave on Wednesday. We have had a blast, particularly since we met a trio of extremely cool Londoners whose worldliness, intelligence, and knack for degeneracy belies their late teenage years. Our next stop is Etosha National Park to the north, but first, a look back:

Like Indiana Jones, I am petrified of snakes, so having this South African Python around my neck was a big step for me.

Lauren on the palm-tree lined promenade that skirts the Atlantic Ocean, made frigid by the Benguela Current swirling up from Antartica.

Lauren enjoying (my) pint of Erdinger beer at the Swakopmund Brauhaus.

I see the baaad moooon arising...
I see trouble on the way...(The Siding is an extremely sketchy after-hours bar. Of course, we visited it twice in eight nights)
I see earthquakes and lightnin'...
I see bad times today....(Saturday was a bit rough. We didn't leave our compound until the evening and Max spent most of the day either chundering or laying in his sleeping bag on the ground).

Sandboarding on the dunes of the Namib Desert outside of Swakopmund
Lauren with her sand sled. She attained a maximum speed of 71km/h (about 44mph), besting me by one km/h.Lauren and Joff at our digs in Swakopmund, the Desert Sky Lodge. This area was the site of the boys' tents and the playground for Leah and Tigger, the resident dog and cat.Catching the Atlantic sunset...Striking a pose (same sunset)....
After 20 seconds in that water, I could not feel my feet.
You can never have too many sunset pictures, right?
Yes, that is a scarf that I am wearing. Lauren and I at the Gruener Kranz, one of our favorite bars in Swakopmund.
Fortunately, this hippo was most likely not a disease carrier.
Lauren posing in the Swakopmund Arcade following our visit to the Kristall Gallerie. Passersby were quite amused by her antics.
Lauren doing calisthenics with the aid of a tall tree outside of the Swakopmund Aquarium.
T.J. lounging in a portal that peers into the main tank of the Swakopmund Aquarium. In addition to smelling worse than T.J.'s feet, the Aquarium's offerings were less than impressive. We had a good time making fun of German tourists though.
It's hard to get enough of German food, especially in Africa. Here we are back at the Brauhaus with our mates on their last night in Swakopmund.
Sharing some beers and shooting some pool at the Gruener Kranz with Joff (far left) and Tom. Max didn't stay out late as he was still struggling from the night before.
The intrepid travelers about to embark on the 25 hour ride to Cape Town. Joff is on the far left next to Tom and Max is on the far right. We were definitely sad to see them go, but know we will meet up again, either in Colorado or London or both.