round in circles…
Luke and I decided to make the rounds of the different government ministries in Katima today to see what type of information and data we could find about the study region. It’s funny the way things work here -, the first ministry we went to there were a couple people just standing outside. We walked by and said hello and continued on to find the reception area only to back track after realizing no such place existed. To which we were scolded for walking by and not telling them our business b/c they were who we needed to speak too. Uh, oops, sorry. Fair enough – should have known to announce our business with any and every possible person we run into b/c you never know…so after apologies we speak to this guy who then says he cannot be of help today and starts telling us a really sad story about someone getting killed on a combi (mini-bus), someone else in a coma, etc. and they are getting ready to go to the funeral. Um, so now really uncomfortable b/c rudely walked by and now getting the in-depth story of something that at the end he goes, life happens. Oooohhh-kkaayy – moving on, sympathies shared, potential meeting set up for later to maybe set up the meeting and on we go. We get directed to this compound where Land and Resettlement is located except it’s also where the post office, court house, police stn, and up-teen other ministries are also located – it’s one big maze of disjointed buildings and it’s through trial and error that you find your way b/c no signs. We wandered into some Ministry door and asked where the Land and Resettlement Ministry building was located to which we were given blank looks. It’s hard not to laugh – I mean, c’mon, really? It’s got to be within a couple hundred yards radius of here. So off we go with another set of turns and twists…we wander by one guy that is sitting in a one room office and say hello only to realize later that his office was the intended office. We were both already dehydrated I’m sure from lack of water, and the walking all over creation with no cloud in site which left me on the verge of giggle attacks at the absurdity of it all. We came up to a and on the front of it there was a very clear sign that said “Please no copies” and another one that said “Please keep the door closed.” Ok, no problem. So Luke opens the door and whoomph, drops down like two steps b/c there is not a sign to warn anyone that the room is actually sitting below the doorway. I just about lost it – I still laugh thinking about it and I’m sure the lady thought I was crazy b/c I couldn’t stop laughing as she finally held our hand all the way back to the door we had just passed a few minutes earlier. We go in and politely explain who we are, why we are here, and if possible sir, do you have a soils map for the Caprivi area? So, he asks us to wait, goes into the other room and starts rummaging…five minutes later he calls us in and strewn across the floor are a bunch of old, crinkly random topographic maps that aren’t quite the thing we were looking for – he finally says, well maybe I should just take you to the GIS room. Uh, what? You actually have a GIS room? Brilliant. Onwards and upwards we go – so he leads up down the outdoor hallway and into a newer looking building and to a door at the end of the hallway that music is blaring out of…opening the door we are faced with two very young Namibian men in suits, gold chain necklaces, one with a gold front tooth, and some very nice looking computer machines – by far and away the nicest Ministry office I’ve seen here or in Windhoek and the guys in there were incredibly nice and helpful. So, we’ll see how it all goes – secondary data incredibly useful but hard to get if only b/c meetings have to be set for meetings to make sure we have the right date to come back and collect the requested data. And even then you never know what that day might bring so a back-up date is probably a very good idea.