NALA at the Border (painted by Nonhlanhla Mathe, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

Today I arrived at the border to Zambia.

Outside zebras walked across the zebra crossing, hihihi … how funny!

The customs official couldn’t see me when I was standing at the counter, until someone brought me a footstool to step on.

When he saw me he was astonished and asked me a thousand questions….

Where are your parents? How did you get here? 

I told him my story, from my bicycle tour beyond the mountains. He marveled at my story with big eyes and open mouth … and eventually stamped my passport.

And on I go, see you later!

Yours
NALA

NALA and the big Bus ( painted by André Pilz in Lilongwe / Malawi ) for Zimbabwe

I am almost at the border to Zambia and can see one of these over-loaded, old, scruffy, sooty busses again, that speed down the road.

Oh how it smokes and stinks, puuuhh.

Can you see what it is carrying on top? Beds, cupboards, chicken in cages, many colourful boxes,

a fridge, suitcases and bags, two bicycles, bags with charcoal and maize flour, damages tires, bales of straw, tables, chairs, a ladder, mattresses and so on

Usually one guy sits on top of that all and sleeps.

But look ... something fell off the bus ... a teddy bear?

No, it's not a teddy bear, it's a little Punch.... and it's for me!

NALA is happy ...

See you...

NALA and the Hippo ( painted by André Pilz in Lilongwe / Malawi  ( for Kariba / Zimbabwe )

Hello friends,

hush …. please whisper ...

I finally arrived in Kariba.

On the way I met very nice people again who spoiled me deliciously and thus I somehow got stuck for a little while. At Liz’ and Lodie’s I got to eat juicy steaks and drink lots of fresh cow milk

… I love milk!

Anyway … many hippos live here at Kariba Lake … hippos like the big thing you can see here right behind me. This big lump relaxes in the water most of the time, but I have seen it already with its mouth wide open.

It’s big teeth scare me, but luckily I am not a vegetarian and that’s why I am probably not very tasty for it… uhh

I will stop here for a few days and then go on cycling towards the border to Zambia.

Greetings from Kariba,

Yours

NALA

NALA in the Souvenir Shop ( Pencil drawing by Tafadzwa Mitchell Gatsi, Windhoek / Namibia )

Hello friends,

I'm on my way to Kariba, where the lake is and many big Hippos live. On my way there I stopped a few times to have a look at all the souvenirs that are being sold by the road side. There are beautiful stone carvings and pottery which I would all love to buy, but unfortunately the stuff is too big and too heavy.

What a pity, but maybe next time…

I will write again from Kariba.

Yours

NALA

NALA in the Maizefield ( painted by Zandile Masuku, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

I am on the road again, back in nature. Harare was interesting, but way too much traffic and too many people.

Now I am cycling north to Lake Kariba and later crossing the border to far away Zambia.

Actually, the soil here is brown and dry, but in the rainy season it turns into a green carpet full of juicy grasses and many colourful flowers. Oh… how wonderful it smells.

Along the roadside you can buy fresh worms and busy people are tilling their fields with cows.

Corn crows everywhere and in the villages, which consist of round mud huts, one can buy grilled corn on the cob.

Hmm ... that’s delicious!

And if such a corn cob falls down, the kernels fly through the air like popcorn.

I enjoy the freedom, the silence and the fresh air.

Chat later

Yours

NALA

NALA and the Jukebox ( painted by Brian Kumira, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

I am still in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

Yesterday I met some of my friends before I go on travelling to the north. I dressed up nicely with my new white dress which I had bought recently.

A Jacaranda flower which I had picked from a tree was decorating my hair.

There was a jukebox in the bar where we met but without any songs from Sade. That made me so sad and I changed this immediately.

Mission accomplished!

Now I can go on cycling. You will hear from me again on the way.

An old grandma gave me the ball as a present while I was waiting for my friends, but what am I supposed to do with it?

Cheers,

NALA

Little NALA   (Poem from Glenn Sibbald, Sacramento, CA / USA  in Harare, Zimbabwe

Little Nala, eyes wide open

please tell us what you do.

I´m cycling far away from home

to come see all of you.

Little Nala, eyes wide open,

please tell us where you go.

I`m rolling up through Africa,

to places I don´t know.

Little Nala, eyes wide open,

please tell us what you see.

I´m looking at the friendly faces

who´re smiling back to me.

Little Nala, eyes wide open,

please tell us how you feel.

I´m loving being on the road,

so happy I could squeal !

Glenn Sibbald

Sacramento / USA

in Harare / Zimbabwe

NALA goes shopping  ( made by Tafadzwa Gwetai, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

It’s time to get some new clothes again because my old things have holes all over from cycling and from the sun and I have nothing to wear when I want to go out somewhere fancy.

But I don’t even know what to buy because there is simply too much to choose from. I can’t make up my mind … shall I take the blue, green, orange or white dress? What do you think, which dress looks better on me?

Come on, I need some advice …

See you

Yours

NALA

NALA and Mr.Baobab  ( made by André Pilz, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

Hello, here is NALA again, and this time with a new friend, Mister Baobab. This one has become quite big and can certainly tell a thousand stories.

On my journey through Zimbabwe I have seen many, many trees, but this one I like very much, because on him live some blue and yellow geckos, one chameleon and pink birds that sing a song of joy.

People here are cutting down many trees, which I don’t really like at all. Where are the birds supposed to live then?

The wood is being burnt to make charcoal for cooking … hmmm.

I will go on towards Harare, the big city where there is much to see.

stay curious

Yours NALA

NALA is feeding the chickens (painted by Stanley Sibanda, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

Well, I'm back, and as you can see, again with chickens.

I like chicken, nicely fried with pepper sauce…

Well, these ones are not for eating, they became my friends which I must feed every morning … on a small farm, in a small village with great people. There are also many geese, goats, rabbits, tortoise, 3 horses and Elvis, the donkey.

I like it here again, so I'll stay for a while.

Oh look, there are some baby chickens… hihihihihi…very cute!

See you!

Yours

NALA

NALA buys cheese ( made by Dumisani Ndlovu, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

As you know I am in Zimbabwe right now, where the cows are eating green grass again

instead of old brown cardboard. That’s why you can buy delicious fresh milk by the road side and fresh cheese from farmers, of which I have just bought 2 kg. It’s heavy, smells bad, but is so very yummy.

The cheese was a special offer and I am tucking in with great pleasure.

From the milk I got quite the runs and that’s why I decided to stay one week here in Bulawayo.

PS: The cheese is running out of my bag now, so I have to hurry.

Well, till then

Yours

NALA

NALA in the rain ( painted with their feet ) by Nompilo Nkoma, Bulawayo / Zimbabwe )

Hello my friends, there in your cosy homes ...

I have arrived in Zimbabwe, amidst the heavy rainy season. I have gotten completely soaked a few times already, but luckily I have rainwear, which is of course at the bottom of my luggage, even beneath the lollipops and sweets… hmm, I think it’s about time I get the weatherproof clothes out, but in those I sweat like a pig.

Fortunately I have rain gear, which is of course at the bottom of my luggage, among the lollipops and candies ... hmm, well, I will probably extract the weatherproof clothing soon, but in it I sweat like a pig.

Oh no, there is another fat black cloud coming towards me. I will wait underneath the banana leaf; this way I stay dry and can enjoy the fresh, clean air.

I am on my way to Bulawayo now.

There I will meet an artist again and visit a National Park.

Hope you stay dry ...

Cheers,

Yours NALA

NALA say´s good bye to Namibia (painted by Sue Beukes, Windhoek / Namibia )

Here I am... at the end of my Namibia journey.

It was beautiful here and I met many friends and lovely people. Now it is time to say good-bye to the plants, to the small and the big animals and...

I will go on traveling to another country. Stay curious because I will keep you updated. Some of my experiences I will scribble in a book later, but this will still take a lot of time.                    

Right now it's time to go to Botswana and Zimbabwe where certainly more great adventures are waiting for me.

I am looking forward to a letter from you. (letters to NALA)

Well, bye for now and talk to you soon from another country, over the hills and through the woods of course.

Take it easy.

Yours, NALA

NALA feeling cold ( made by Selma Iipinge, Windhoek / Namibia )

Well, what can I tell you … I don’t feel well at all. I am cold, I am freezing my butt off.

Perhaps it is because of the mountains where I am right now, or am I a little bit ill?

Anyway, I got myself a woollen jumper that keeps me very warm.

It is actually starting to rain now… bloody weather. It is the beginning of the rainy season and I have got to get some weatherproof clothes.

The air is so nice and clean, it makes me want to dance in the rain.

Finally a little refreshment after all the dusty roads and the suffocating heat… but nonetheless it is nasty outside.

I am going to have a nice hot cup of tea now!

Thank you for reading.

See you,

Yours NALA

NALA at the Himbavillage ( painted by André Pilz, Ruacana / Namibia )

Uhhmmm ... well,

I have told you already that I made a teenie-weenie detour to Himbaland, where the women wear those thick clotted braids and the rusty coloured skin.

Since I am a very curious girl I just wanted to quickly check out what is going on up here in the Northwest of Namibia.

But “quickly checking out” turned into several days again and again I had to tell my story and explain my dream to travel beyond the mountains.  

There are many mountains around here. And since I am here now, I will go and see the waterfalls in the very North of Namibia and they are called Epupa Falls.

After that I am definitely going to head east… I promise.

Until then,

Yours NALA 

NALA leaving Owamboland ( painted by Frans Uunona, Windhoek / Namibia )

Hello my friends out there,

here you can see what the houses look like where all these nice people live. I liked it here, but I have to say good bye. I had a wonderful time here in Owamboland, but I have to continue my journey.

I am sure there are many more adventures and experiences waiting for me out there. I am heading east now, always along the river with crocodiles and happy hippos. But maybe I will take a tiny detour to Himbaland, where the people with the rusty coloured skin and the thick clotted braids live.

Well ... stay curious and keep well.

Yours NALA

NALA at the Owambo wedding ( painted by Fillow Nghipandulwa, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

Today I went to a traditional Ovambo wedding. I can tell you, that was a hustle and bustle that I will remember forever. Everybody was dancing, blowing whistles and eating a lot.

The women were handing out the presents to the bridal couple and I was invited to join them.

In my basket there were lots of sweets, lollipops, sticky liquorice and many colourful gummy bears of which I secretly ate some beforehand (please don’t tell anybody).

I like Owamboland a lot and I plan on staying for one week. I will help the people to collect firewood and to get water from the well.

Maybe I even get to ride one of the furry mopeds (donkeys)?

Stay curious.

Yours NALA

NALA and Trianus  (painted by Trianus Nakale, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

Hello friends,  

Today I am sending greetings from Owamboland, far away from Windhoek, the big, colourful city.

I am in the north of Namibia now. It has been a long and lonely trip up here, but I have seen a lot although the road went straight on all the way.

I met Trianus here, how showed me his village and I could see how life goes up here.

It is very different from home.

People live in mud-covered wooden huts with wooden fences all the way around.

Water has to be carried in buckets on the head. You have to fetch it from a well far away.

They cook on a fire in the open and people mill Mahangu so they have something to eat.

There is no electricity in the villages and no toilets, you have to dig a hole to do your “business”.

It is very dry and sandy here and there are many palm trees, many, many donkeys and tall hills full of tiny ants. Unfortunately I haven’t seen them yet.

I got dressed up with my new Owambo dress and I have to hurry because I am going to a traditonal wedding today.

I will write again soon because there is so much more to tell.

Bye for now !

Yours Nala

NALA on Tour ( painted by André Pilz, Windhoek / Namibia ) 

I saw so many things on my way up to the North. I always stopped for a while and observed everything very closely. Many thoughts went through my mind….

White clouds were my permanent companions. I like the clouds. They give me the feeling of freedom.

Hello Flower,

how this small and frail flower can grow in this hard, stony and dry soil?

Hello House,

one accommodation for everyone because there are so many vacant houses where no people live…

The house must be very sad …

Hello Cow,

many cows with so many different colours with big horns and small ones, searching for grass which is rarely there. In some places they eat cardboard just to survive.

Hello Digger,

this one stood rather still because the builders always took a break, weird …

I never saw anybody working there.

Hello Sheep,

huui …there were hundreds of them on the fields. Like the goats they were marching all relaxed along the street. It was really funny sometimes. Some of them even farted …

Hello Tree,

I saw so many trees…small, tall, thin, big and very big and some warped and twisted. Some of them are very old. They could tell so many stories (if they were able to talk) hihihi.

...so keep your eyes open!

Yours NALA

NALA is dreaming ( made by Selma Iipinge, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

Oh I had a weird dream last night, I am telling you … I still feel really strange.

I dreamt that I was living in the water and had grown fins. I swam through the desert and surfaced in the ocean, touched the stars with my own hands and all of a sudden there were many birds, fish and antelopes at the same time.

They all knew who I was and I was able to play with them and talk to them … well, I can do that anyway.

It was very noisy because many rabbits hopped through the tent and they were all singing and partying.

That’s when I woke up … and it was all quiet. Nothing, no noise, only the wind rustling through the leaves on the trees.

What a strange dream!

Now I am on my way north and I will write you again once I arrived.

Sweet dreams.

Yours NALA

NALA want to dance ( by André Pilz, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

Last night I went out to party, I even got a whole new outfit for it.

When I enterd the dance club they were just playing that silly modern music you hear everywhere these days.

Nobody can move their butts to that, can they?!

I like the 80's music that even my mom used to listen to. But the noise, what they call music these days, really hurts my ears.

Well, no thanks. I am going to have hot chocolate now.

keep well 

NALA

NALA with Otjikaiva  ( made by Tafadzwa Mitchell Gatsi (Tafy), Windhoek / NAMIBIA 

While I strolled around with Alvina, I was approached by an Artist who wanted to form me out of clay, because he said, that I look so cute in the Herero costume. I followed him to his studio and I have to sit

on a chair for a very long time without moving, but that was not possible.

My legs starting to shake because I wanted to explore all those nice little Tools in his Studio.

He said “stay seated quietly , not fidget around!  and what shall I say to you,

he was right and now I even have my own little sculpture.

and what do you think?  it is not great?

next time I will show you how it is looks in windhoek.

stay curious

NALA

NALA and ALVINA (painted by Heather Erdmann, Rehoboth / NAMIBIA )

This is my friend Alvina (left) who I met in an old car wreck while cycling along the dusty dirt roads.

I hardly recognised her in her traditional Nama – Damara dress, which made me want to try on such a dress as well.

At last, I removed the old smelly clothes and tried on the colourful Herero dress.

...what do I look like?

And now we shall explore the city. Hurray!

More information about Windhoek will follow soon. We have to go shopping now!

See ya!

Yours NALA and Alvina

NALA´s new girlfriend  ( painted by John Kalunda, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

When I broke my back to get up the hill, I noticed, down a steep slope, an old rusty car rotting away amidst the scenery.

Then, all of a sudden, I saw something moving inside the car and when I took a closer look I realized it was a little girl.

“Hello!” I called, “I am NALA and who are you?“. The little girl seemed very shy and timid, but when I moved closer, she blinked out of the wrecked car.

“I am Alvina.” she answered quietly and with a soft voice.

I walked over to her and we talked for quite some time. I told her about my adventures with the chickens, my visit to Ostrich Country, the game of hide-and-seek with the pig, the adventures in the desert and about my dream to travel beyond the mountains.

She told me that she likes to play in this car near her village and that she had been waiting for her aunt for 4 days so they can go to the big city, which she had wished for many times.

How much had I wished to get to know to a friend and now I had found one, for now at least. I stayed there for one week and we had lots of fun together.

We laughed, cooked, played and got to know each other, until her aunt came and they left for the big city, which was called Windhoek.

I want to go to Windhoek as well and I can’t wait to see what it’s like. I am sure we are going to meet again there.

Well … stay curious and see how the story continues!

So long … Yours NALA

NALA on the gravel road  ( painted by Tafadzwa Mitchell Gatsi, Windhoek / NAMIBIA )

Well … now I am sitting here, taking a break after the exhausting stage today.

I can still feel the sand gnashing between my teeth, because a big truck had just passed and blown this fine “sugar powder” on my self-made liver sausage sandwich.

No … that’s not funny…

I have swallowed enough sand today, because on the dusty gravel road many speedy cars had passed me and fairly covered me in dust.

I even had to push my purple bicycle quite often, since over and over again deep ruts and pot-holes in the road blocked my way.

One time I swerved from the right to the left, the other time from the left to the right, just to pick the best parts of the road. Sometimes the surface was as hard as a Hungarian Salami, then again sandy and, in between, quite humpy. But I conquered it, for today, and now I enjoy the silence of the desert.

It is going to be dark soon and I am looking forward to seeing the thousands … hundreds of thousands … no, millions of stars in the sky.

Good night my friends, until the next time…

Yours, NALA

NALA in the Namib (painted by André Pilz, Windhoek / NAMIBIA)

Today I send you sunny greetings from the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world.

The way to the desert  was very long, rocky, dusty and sandy but I managed and I'm happy that I have arrived.
My little purple bike has easily survived  and even an antelope accompanied me for many kilometers.
The desert is beautiful. The air is clear and pure and I have seen many shooting stars and made a lot of wishes. It is very quiet here and the dunes glow golden in the morning sun. In the fine, soft, dark red, almost brown sand I saw many tracks of small beetles, geckos and tiny little birds. I like to run through the warm sand. I feel comfortable and free and I do not feel homesick at all.

yours NALA

NALA in the Lemonvalley (painted by André Pilz, Clanwilliam / SOUTH AFRICA)

Since my departure from the Ostrichcountry to here, to the Lemonvalley, a lot of time has passed. The ride has very tiring, but connected with many beautiful experiences. I've also experienced a lot, met very nice people and I must tell you that there really is another world beyond the mountains, as at my home.

However, behind the mountains is before the mountains. And in between are also still some. Maybe I'll tell you all my adventures in a book, but for that you have to wait a bit ...

Well, now I'm in Lemonvalley. Sounds funny but is so. Always here, I always wanted to see the lemons, where they grow. So I pedaled on a farm and what's been there? No lemons, of course, but many oranges.

When I ran to the tree behind the barn on the right, looked at me a little pig and grunted something sad. "What's the matter, little pig?" I asked. "Oh yes, I dream only of Mrs. Piggy." "Well yes, I can not help you more, but we can play hide and seek." "Au fine." Since the pig was happy and I let it out of its cage. "Wow eh! That was a mess there ...."

When I was hiding under an orange tree, dropped me a orange on my bulb. Ouch, that has hurt.

And lo and behold, there was also already equal to 'ne bump. And then pig is packed full of lust to the tree and there's more oranges came up to me ...

I quickly brought the Pig back into his piggy mess and walked whistling my way back ...

and psst...

don´t tell the Farmer

keep curiouse

yours NALA

NALA in the Ostrichland (painted by André Pilz, near Oudtshoorn / SOUTH AFRICA)

In a small corner near the hen house, I discovered on an early morning walk, a little yellow snake. She was beautiful to look at and her skin glistened in a delicate gold.

I called softly, "Hey, wake up little snake, it's already light" But the snake was not at all ready for the day.

She said that she had eaten a fat mouse and now had a thick neck so that they just want to sleep.

I told her the story of the chicken eggs that I had pilfered and now carry around in my pocket.

She told me then that I must go into ostrich country, if I still want to have larger eggs. There are birds that can lay huge eggs. But beware, it is not easy to get them .. Au fine, the ostrich country, yes I am going!

Certainly word quickly spread around the village and voila, the neighbor came and offered me a ride in his tractor. On the long journey he told me stories of the ostrich country. I was looking forward to seeing the big birds that cannot fly. Hui was funny. Ostriches can also see 4 km and run incredibly fast.

In the evening we arrived at the ostrich country. There I got to know Kurt, a farmer who runs a small guest farm with his wife, Susanne. They welcomed me with open arms and gave me plenty of food, fed me pancakes, cake and delicious homemade ice cream with orange sauce until I felt as if I were about to burst.

The next morning I visited the ostrich family. Hoi, but are they big and how stupid they look. They're really funny, just standing around and staring. In the heat they always have their mouth open.

I slipped on the grass and tried to snatch an egg. But guess who came after me? So fast I could not run. Finally, I crawled under a ton and waited until they were gone. Lucky, they were. Well, I unfortunately have no egg, too bad.

At least I've seen one. A great thing because there fit 24 chicken eggs inside.

My chicken eggs I still have in my pocket. hehehehe

I'd rather see the ostriches from a distance. I call it from now on the long-necked cerebellar yokels.

See you soon

yours NALA

My first Passport Photos  (painted by André Pilz, Cape Town/ SOUTH AFRICA)

My Brother Nelson and me (by André Pilz, Cape Town / SOUTH AFRICA)

This is me, with my brother, Nelson.

We went to the big city today, to get myself a bicycle, but we could not find the right one.

I am still searching for one. Everything is so exciting and new for me.

And I am very curious about the adventure on my big journey.

But psssst, don´t tell my mom.

Copyright © 2012-2014 by André Pilz, All rights reserved.