A Guide to Hitchhiking in Namibia

How to get a hike in Namibia!

A. HIGHWAY METHOD
Go to highway. Go to side of road in direction of destination. Hide your bags in bushes. Takes turns waving at:
1. Bakkies! (We love them because you can always fit a few more people in).
2. Really nice cars! (Makes for a great hike!)
3. Any other car that is not one of the following:
a. Lorries! (Unless no one else is stopping and you're willing to go really slow).
b. Cars that look like they are about to break down. They probably will.
c. Full cars.
d. Military vehicles.
e. Combis or taxis.

When car stops:
Greet. Ask "Where to?" Negotiate price if necessary. Get in and go.

B. PETROL STATION METHOD
Go to last petrol station in direction of destination. Ask drivers where to and negotiate price. Get in and go. Alternatively, say where you are going really loud to people around you or service station attendants, who will then help you to get a ride.

C. HIKE STRATEGEMS: Tips for getting better hikes more quickly.
1. Be a white girl.
2. Show a little bit of skin.
3. Walk along road so it looks like you are in middle of nowhere.
4. Tell the boys to hide in bushes.
5. Separate yourself from other hitchhikers.
6. Make sure you are at a good place to pull off.
7. Get service station attendants to help you.
8. If alone, tag along with other hitchhikers.
9. Go in small groups.
10. Understand the hand signals for "car is full," "I'm just going around the bend," and "where to?"

TRADEMARKS OF A GOOD HIKE:
1. Car is in good condition.
2. Driver talks to his/her friend, so you can talk to your friend in back. OR Driver has very interesting conversation with you.
3. Comfortable ride (you have a seat, seatbelt, and maybe even air conditioning!)
4. Free or small fee
5. Driver drives fast, but not too fast, with a minimum of stops.
6. Driver does not hit on you.

MY BEST HIKES
1. Wendy & Cam: Four of us got a hike with a couple who was heading back to their Etosha Lodge. They then invited us to stay at the lodge the whole week with food and game rides included. You can't beat that!

2. Jan: Ashley and I got a hike from Keets to Paarl in South Africa with Jan. He bought us lunch and coffee and arranged for us to stay at a nice guesthouse in Paarl for a huge discount. Wonderful!

3. Hikes from D-town with farmers: Two in particular were really interesting to get some of the history of my village and their views on Africa, politics, etc.

MY WORST HIKES
1. South African Separated Rich Guy: The first time I hiked alone I went with a really rich South African to Windhoek. Turns out he had left his wife the previous day with the intent of driving down to Cape Town. He didn't realize til he got to the border that he had not brought the correct passport. When I got in he had been drinking all night and driving for about 13 hours. Scary.

2. Various open-bakkie rides where the driver was going way too fast and I was afraid of falling out.

3. Various closed-bakkie rides where Damara mama's full weight is on my legs.

4. Various lorry rides where the going is slow, the guy hits on you, or in one special case, the guy pulls out a prickly medieval mace and says he's going to kill so-and-so who owes him 2000$. We got outta there pretty quick.

Hitchhiking can be a pain because of the uncertainty--you never know how long you will wait or who you will eventually go with, and safety is always on your mind--but it can also be really liberating, interesting, and adventurous (not to mention quicker, more comfortable, and much less money than public transport).