How many people , have sat at their desks or on their sofas daydreaming of life away from the humdrum of their daily routines ? Very few people though are brave enough to take that leap of faith , especially when it takes them somewhat into the unknown , 12,000 km away from the comfort of their homes and families to another life and another culture .
According to the Lonely Planet Guide “ There are few countries in Africa that can match Namibia ’ s sheer beauty . From the sand , sea and perfect dead tree valleys at Sossusvlei to the other worldliness of sand dunes plunging down to the sea at Sandwich Harbor and the Skeleton Coast to the draw dropping Fish River Canyon with rivers and wetlands and the endless grass plains of the Kalahari ; its difficult to think of an iconic African landscape that Namibia doesn ’ t possess ”….. Add to that its reputation as one of Southern Africa ’ s elite wildlife watching destinations as well as the opportunity to interact with the many indigenous people that call Namibia home including the famous Bushmen of the Kalahari and it is easy to see why some-one could come here and totally lose their heart and their soul to this raw , exotic African nation .
And so begins the story of Ingeborg Hernes , a Human Resources Manager for a company in The Netherlands . In 1999 she came to Namibia on a 10 day vacation , her last stop before returning to Europe was the Okapuka Ranch on the outskirts of Windhoek . The rest as we would say is history ; it was a trip which ultimately changed her life completely .
An experienced rider and lover of horses that started riding at childhood , for Ingeborg , Okapuka seemed like a great place to end her vacation . “ I was a bit disappointed when I arrived that I couldn ’ t go riding the very same afternoon as the horses were not in ”, little did she know that this was not a traditional set up where the horses were already stabled and waiting , as she was soon to discover . The next morning the owner of the farm and Ingeborg took off in a Land Rover , after a 30 or so minute drive they negotiated a Koppie and the owner switched off the engine . Ingeborg expected to see a stable or something somewhere , but there was nothing in sight except for a breathtaking 360 degree view of stunning bushveld . Binoculars in hand , the owner said “ oh ja , I can see the horses ; let ’ s go !” Ingeborg didn ’ t have a clue where he saw them , but hopped back into the vehicle . A few minutes later the owner stopped , pointed to a herd of horses and said , “ there ’ s your horse , that chestnut ”, and put a saddle and bridle on the ground . “ I ’ ll see you later at the
When Lightning Strikes
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