I may be the oldest in my circle of friends, but my friends are also getting older. Now we baby boomers are turning seventy or soon eighty years old. At this age, people celebrate their birthdays more intensely than before. You are grateful when you can celebrate your birthday with your friends in good health. (Even if there are tweaks here and there – you live and enjoy life!)

On December 3^rd, 2023, René, a long-time friend of mine with whom I went on a trip through the Sahara to Benin, celebrated his 70^th birthday. For this occasion he went on a tour through Namibia with friends and supporters of the Jojoba for Africa project. At the end he invited us all to dinner in Swakopmund. However, this did not take place in a **** hotel but under a starry sky.

We met at 6 p.m. at the Strand Hotel. From there we drove half an hour into the desert for an aperitif. The location was breathtaking, as we could see the bizarre lunar landscape and the Swakop Rivier from a hill. After a lot of laughter, small talk and toasting we continued…

…  and then we stood at the entrance to a small valley and couldn’t believe our eyes. It was simply magical what presented itself to our eyes. And the buffet, the wine, the service and the musicians who played in the background were fantastically good. (Bacchus would have liked to be at the party that evening…)

PS: René supports this project in Namibia: Joyoba for Africa. If you also want to do that, click here.