Sundays in Namibia: A state of things, a state of mind. Cancellations, drift, empty streets, fog, Closed for the Day placards. Elevators to nowhere.

"This is Africa," the locals would say, a blanket term for every snafu, a caution that rippled beyond Namibia through four other nations. Even so, despite T.I.A. (and maudlin self-pity), the ledger included vistas from Table Mountain, penguins at Simon's Town, cinematic echoes in Spitzkoppe, a thousand honking seals on the Skeleton Coast, the thundering magnificence of Victoria Falls, berry-sorting cherubs on the Zimbabwe highway, dog fights in Livingstone . . .

And that was just the Sundays. Other days totted up the tranquil wonders of the Okavango and Zambezi, the great dunes of Sossusvlei, white rhinos in Zambia and elephant stomping in Gwango. Toss in the mystery of Mack's Garage, vicious picnic tables, cheeky girl band monkeys . . . and the final tally made for an extremely full calendar and an unforgettable experience.