There seems to be no hurry in Africa – hakuna matata. As Africans, more so as Namibians we have taken the phrase ‘there is no hurry in Africa’ to heart. Even nature seems to painfully remind you as shrubs bearing robust recurvate thorns known as the Marigold Wait-A-Bit ( Ziziphus mucronata ) trees or Blinkblaar-wag-’n-bietjie bos in Afrikaans literally hold you back when you are in a hurry or running through the bush.
The name of the village of !Gochas in the Hardap Region of Namibia which is endemic to this tree was named after this tree in the local Nama language.
Interestingly, on both sides of this Wag n Bietjie Bos or !Gos in the local Nama language and after which !Gochas was named, two German soldiers' graves are found as if they were conspiring with the marauding Nama soldiers under Hendrik Witbooi's leadership and holding on to the enemy until the Nama soldiers arrive and kill them on the spot.
The Marigold Wait-A-Bit shrub sandwich by twin graves of the German soldiers at !Gochas
As Latitude wound its way through the Hardap Region in the southern part of Namibia me and my friend were surrounded by the beauty of the semi-arid desert, and as Latitude travelled along the Auob River, we came to, literally, the high point of our journey where we were created by this meteorite like rock formations in the village of !Gochas.
This is the most important advantage I had to realize when travelling through the length and breadth of this vast country of contrast, a learning process that's so exciting.
The meteorite like rock formations
The red linear sand dunes of the Kalahari and white calcareous rocks formations along the dry river valley form part of the spectacular scenery as you approach !Gochas, which has been the main settlement of the /Kharakhoen (Fransman Nama), a sub-tribe of the Nama people, since 1889.
German soldiers and the Police were stationed here during the raging war against the Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi and his right-hand man Simon Kooper, which also characterised by the many graves of fallen Germans soldiers found along the dusty road.
!Gochas is found 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of Mariental and 64 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Stampriet while in transit to the Mata outskirt post to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The small village lies on the banks of the Auob River 1,150 meters (3,770 ft) above ocean level. The territory is at the focal point of a lot of Kalahari Desert rise cultivates on which cows and sheep munch.
Derived from the Nama word of !Gos meaning place of many Marigold Wait-A-Bit ( Ziziphus mucronata ) trees, also known as Blinkblaar-wag-’n-bietjie bos in Afrikaans language is practically found all over southern Africa.
Please don't be confused about the ! before a word. Namibia's San, Damara and Nama people speak what are recognised as some of the world's most ancient and complicated languages. Even the linguistically blessed are likely to struggle to get their mouths around these words - as not only are they unrelated to other languages outside southern Africa - they involve speaking with clicks!
PS: More travel pictures and videos coming soon.
NB: My apologies for posting two similar introductory articles. I am just joining the platform and really still all about learning the ropes at this point.
