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NAMIBIA
'It is not the goal but the way there that matters and the harder the way, the more worthwhile the journey.'
Sir Wilfred Thesiger
9th June
Leaving Vioolsdrif and South Africa behind us, we crossed the bridge and the Orange River into Noordoewer and Namibia. Formalities at both borders had gone very smoothly and we were now on one of Namibia's many grey and dusty gravel roads.
Everywhere was still incredibly green after the earlier rains and in some places, the flat landscape at each side of the road was a carpet of yellow and purple flowers, which we could smell as we drove along.
Our first campsite was Ais-Ais which means 'scalding hot' in Nama, as it is well known for its thermal baths that originate beneath the riverbed. A rather touristy place and extremely expensive if you were not Namibian or South African. However the World Cup had begun and most of the men were glued to the TV watching the match between Germany and Costa Rica, Bill included!
10th June
We drove to the viewpoints at the top of the great Fish River Canyon near Hobas. This enormous gorge winds a distance of approx. 160 kilometres through the Koubis Massif to Ais-Ais and in parts has a depth of up to 550 metres. It is one of the natural wonders of Africa and reputedly the second, largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon. The Fish River (Namibia's longest river) has been gouging out this gorge for thousands of years with dramatic results and at the end of its journey, to the north of the canyon, it joins the Orange River. The Canyon probably started to form about 500 million years ago, not just by water and ice erosion but also by huge fractures in the earths crust rifting and tilting and creating canyons within each other.
Early San people had a lovely legend that the Canyon was gouged out by a snake, frantically escaping as hunters chased him into the desert.
The main viewing area gave a wonderful view of the canyon's 'Hell's Bend', the view that is usually produced for books and brochures. We drove further along the flat plateau to look from different view points, all spectacular.
We decided to drive to Fish River Guest Farm in the Canyon Nature Park for camping. After turning off the gravel road and driving a further 22 kilometres through numerous gates, we were greeted by Gertie and her beautiful, wild, African cat called Bika that had been reared by hand.
Gertie made us feel as if we had just arrived home. She made us tea and coffee and we dunked some of her delicious rusks in our drinks. She showed us all the guest rooms and the dining/braai area, where doors and windows were completely open to appreciate the wonderful views of the remote landscape.
We joined Gertie and 9 other people that evening who were all going on a 5-day hike down through the canyon the following day. We all put our meat on the braai and had a great evening.
We slept in our tent just down from the house by The Stable. A completely silent night full of stars and an almost full moon.
11th June
Gertie has invited us for lunch, a springbok casserole that sounds wonderful! Pauline and Fef from Cape Town, who have been camping down at Gertie's secret Koelkrans Camp in the canyon for 2 days, will also be joining us.
Gertie suggested that we let Bika take us for a walk in the surrounding hills, something that she loves to do with visitors. We found her just walking back up the track, returning from an early morning hunt but with a little encouragement, she set off with us again, trotting in front and waiting for us if we got left behind. At times of course, as cats do, she deviated to sniff and investigate a bush or a rock, or she would lay down in the shade to rest and just look around her. She was always incredibly alert and if we walked on slowly she would always catch us up. Quite an amazing animal and very beautiful!
We were out for about an hour with her and when we all got back, she was given her customary reward, a dish of full cream milk!
The springbok casserole was delicious and like sitting down to a Sunday lunch with old friends. Gertie has a wonderful gift of making everyone feel completely at home.
We agreed to drive back with Pauline and Fef after lunch to also stay a night at Koelkrans Camp. Gertie was concerned about a very steep detour that we had to make to get down to the canyon floor, after the rains had washed away the original track. She was happier that we were all together to negotiate the climb back up and out the following morning, as Fef had a big trailer to pull up behind his Toyota. At the last minute Gertie decided that she would come down to the camp with us for a while so that she could show us where to look for small pieces of garnet, a petrified tree and some petroglyphs in the black volcanic stone.
She also showed us where the huge slabs of beautiful, coloured rock were obtained for the new addition to the farmhouse. Only cement was required as the rock and sand were there for the taking!
The slope that led down to the canyon was very steep, just as Gertie had warned us and soft sand and stones slid down with the vehicles. We crossed the rocky, dry riverbed and found the camp, hidden under a towering cliff of solid rock. There were hot showers, chairs and a table, a stove and a sink for washing up. Some separate huts had simple camp beds, as this was also the last stop for hikers before they returned to the farmhouse.
We had a great braai with Pauline and Fef, gin and tonics and glasses of wine flowed and there was the added excitement of a huge, new moon that slowly appeared over the top of the canyon walls. An amazing place, completely at one with nature and absolute silence.
12th June
We were up early as we all had to get back up the steep slope out of the canyon and we all had mixed feelings! We were all concerned about the trailer and after 2 failed attempts we had to decide on another strategy. Success was reached by Fef driving his Toyota to the top and attaching a rope to the trailer and hauling it up slowly, as we tried to keep it straight and stop its wheel at the front from digging into the soft sand.
We had debated whether to unload some of the weight from the back of Moby before attempting the climb but decided that this may actually help to give some grip instead. Moby went up like a dream and we all breathed sighs of relief that we were all up without mishap. Fef brought out the beers and we all toasted our success! Then it was goodbye to the others as they had to leave and move on. Many thanks Pauline and Fef for your company and the great meal. We wish you safe travels on your way back to Cape Town.
We decided to stay one more night but to remain above the canyon floor where the sun could reach us, as it was still quite chilly early morning and evening.
We went for a lovely walk following the Fish River and were glad we had not driven back down into the canyon when dark clouds gathered and a strong wind began to whip up the sand. We really thought it was going to rain!
13th June
It took nearly an hour to drive back to Gertie from the canyon. She had coffee and delicious pancakes and jam for us on our arrival and we sat sharing family photographs.
Our goodbyes to Gertie were sad, she was such a delightful and kind person who would loved to have had us stay with her longer. We were almost tempted after having had such a wondeful time there and in such a wild and remote place. However, there was more to see and another hours drive to the gravel road again, so after a photo session and hugs for Bika, we set off once more. We decided that we would not reach Keetmanshoop after our late start and so stopped at Seeheim and took a room in the hotel as no campsite.
We met John and Wendy there from Cape Town and enjoyed their company over dinner that evening. They gave us lots of useful advice on places to visit which I'm sure will be useful. Many thanks and we hope you both enjoy the rest of your holiday before returning home.
14th June
We drove into the town of Keetmanshoop for shopping etc. but the local children were a real nuisance, especially outside the supermarket and we weren't impressed.
We decided to visit Brukkaros, formed millions of years ago by volcanic explosions with a 2 kilometre wide crater that you could hike up to. It dominated the skyline between Mariental and Keetmanshoop.
There was meant to be a campsite at its base but the steep track up to it was so bad that we began to wonder if it was still there. Our thoughts were confirmed when we arrived to find it deserted but we decided to stay however, as we had our own water supply.
A huge, orange moon rose up over the hills in front of us later that evening but the wind was getting up and we gladly zipped up our tent against the cold. The wind buffeted our tent continually in the night. It was so strong that at times it felt it would rip it from the roof rack and we got very little sleep.
15th June
The sun was very welcome when it rose over the hills and tried to warm our spot. We decided to warm ourselves by climbing the 3.5 kilometres up into the crater along a steep, winding path with many shiny, quartz formations embedded in the rock. Rock Dassies dashed down the slopes as we disturbed them and some large, eagle type birds circled high above us. The crater floor, when we reached the top, was still quite green after the rains and there were a number of quiver trees. We spotted a massive nest of sticks perched way up on a craggy outcrop.
We returned to Moby and then headed for Aus via remote and dusty tracks to Bethanie and then a tarred road to Klein-Aus Vista, a lovely campsite where we stayed for 2 nights. We met Danie and Nitzi there from Nelspruit and chatted about our travels. They very kindly told us to keep in touch and to visit them if we were in the Nelspruit area.
16th - 17th June
We drove into the town of Luderitz today, isolated on the coast beside a bay between the desert and the ocean and therefore exposed to the strong, Atlantic winds as well as sand storms from the desert. The thick, morning cloud and mist that had rolled in from the sea still hung over the town obscuring the sun.
The Portuguese explorer Bartolomou Diaz put into the bay before becoming the first European navigator to continue round the southern tip of Africa, as he searched for a sea route for trade with India. He named the bay, Gulf of St. Christopher after his flagship. On his homeward voyage to Portugal in 1488 he once again dropped anchor in these waters and erected a stone cross on a rocky headland, now the Luderitz peninsular. A replica now stands on the spot.
After the German merchant Adolf Luderitz had sought to purchase the bay and nearby land in 1883, it no longer remained an obscure anchorage on a barren part of the African coast, as it had been for nearly 400 years after Diaz stopped there. It changed forever and the townscape today still reflects German architecture of the colonial past.
We drove back to the 'Ghost Town' of Kolmanskop, a short distance from Luderitz. It was the first mining town built in the Namib after diamonds were discovered in 1908 at a railway siding and it gradually flourished out in the desert, although conditions were harsh. The town had its own school, hospital, post office, police station, bakery, butcher, general dealer and a soft drinks factory and for social life there was a clubhouse called the Kasino with restaurant, bars, gambling saloons, a skittle alley and a hall for concerts and plays. Kolmanskop thrived until the mining company moved its headquarters further south in 1943,resulting in the Kolmanskop mine closing down and left to the harsh elements and vandalism. It soon became a ghost town as it is today, with a silent, eerie feel about the place. Many of the buildings are still standing but have been invaded by the dunes. The Kasino today however, houses an excellent coffee shop!
Driving back to Klein-Aus we turned off the main road to stop at the 'hide' at the Garub Pan to watch the feral, desert horses. These horses wander the desert plains west of Aus, their source of water being a huge drinking trough that has been built for them and which is fed by an artificial bore hole.
They all looked extremely well due to the abundance of grazing. There were some foals and many stallions who were frequently challenging each other whilst keeping watch over their groups of mares.
Being late afternoon it was an ideal time to watch the herds coming in for water. Every so often there would be a thunder of approaching hooves as another herd came galloping in, the leading stallion making sure that his presence was noted by squealing, rearing and prancing. It was lovely to watch and we stayed for some time. Some of the horses were bold enough to approach the Land Rover but not to be touched. When we finally left, the sky behind us was aglow with a brilliant, red and orange sunset.
18th - 19th June
We drove to the Nubib Nature Camp today along a road that raised clouds of orange dust instead of grey. The beautiful Tiras Mountains followed us on both sides of the road, clothed in soft, feathery grass and opening up wide valleys for remote, livestock farming.
Our destination, owned by Rust and Antoinette, sounded as if it was in a wonderful setting with nature and indeed it proved to be so, only the sounds of birds and occasional wildlife. Rust had a tremendous knowledge of the history, farming and wildlife of his country and the beautiful Namib area in which he farms. Over cups of tea kindly supplied by Antoinette, we learned such a lot of interesting information from him. Rust also had a passion for photography and his photographs of the wildlife and plants that he showed us on his computer, were wonderful. We took a drive along one of the tracks on the farm through the valley and saw gemsbok and springbok. We were fascinated by the nests made by the Sociable Weaver birds which resembled large haystacks in the trees, with hundreds of entrances into separate nesting chambers. One nest is constructed for an entire colony, although it has plenty of guests that make use of it too! A wonderful example of extraordinary, architectural effort and a remarkable show of cooperation from these little birds! In the evening we were kindly invited to dinner by Antoinette, together with another couple who had just arrived from Johannesburg. Antoinette cooked us all a delicious meal, which included a main course of kudu mince served with vegetables and rice. Thank you Antoinette and Rust for a lovely stay at your beautiful Nature Camp, for your interesting company and sharing your photographs over many cups of tea! What an amazing paradise you have and we do hope that one day we will return.
20th June
We arrived at the campsite at Sesriem and were shocked again at the prices for camping, plus vehicle, plus permit to enter the dunes at Sossusvlei. Another touristy part but one cannot visit Namibia without seeing the red dunes and the Dead Vlei. We made camp under a massive, old, camel thorn tree but found the ablutions to be poor and hot water hard to find for such an expensive site.
Most people want to photograph the famous dunes at Sossusvlei at either sunrise or sunset when colours are strongest and as everyone else looked quite settled in the camp, we presumed they were all probably intending to visit the dunes at sunrise. We decided therefore, to visit late afternoon and were glad we did, as we had the Vlei to ourselves to photograph!
Sesriem and Sossusvlei both lie on the Tsauchab River, one of the two large rivers that flow westward into the great dune field of the Central Namib but never reach the ocean now because of the dunes. Both rivers end by forming flat, white pans amongst massive, red dunes that tower above the valley floor. The pans rarely hold water, unless there have been exceptional rains that enable the river to gather enough water and momentum to make its way as far as the sand sea. Sossusvlei is the biggest of 4 pans in the area.
It was a 65 kilometre drive from Sesriem to Sossusvlei along the Tsauchab Valley with huge dunes on either side of the road. We passed the most accessible of these, Dune 45, so called because of its position, 45 kilometres from Sesriem and 45 dunes from Sossusvlei. You can climb this 150 metre dune if you wish.
Once we had arrived, a 20-30 minute walk across the dunes took us to Dead Vlei, a stark, white pan 1 kilometre across, 610 metres above sea level and surrounded by massive, red dunes, at one point just over 200m above the pan floor. Big, Camel Thorn trees, dead for want of water, still stand erect. They grew there until about 900 years ago when the sand sea finally blocked the occasional floods. The huge dunes protect the pan from strong winds, the desert air is too dry for the wood to rot and there are no small insects or micro-organisms to devour the wood.
There was just an immense silence as we stood in the Vlei taking photographs in the late afternoon sun, the last light of the day changing the colours and shadows quickly.
21st June
Nearly the whole camp could be heard leaving in the early hours to get to the dunes by sunrise. How glad we were that we had already visited the famous Vlei the afternoon before and had it all to ourselves! We decided to visit the canyon at Sesriem, created millions of years ago by the Tsauchab River. Nearly 3 kilometres long and 30 metres deep, the canyon can easily be walked. The name Sesriem dates back to the times when it used to be a stop-over for ox-wagons travelling in the area. The drivers needed '6 reins' strapped together to lower a bucket into the gorge for water.
Leaving Sesriem we took the road to the remote settlement of Solitaire for camping and where we had been told to stop at the very interesting and well-stocked shop to sample Percy's famous apple crumble! Percy, aptly known as 'The Moose', has been there for the last 16 years. The apple crumble recipe is his and he will serve you a generous portion and it is absolutely delicious!
There were excellent facilities at the campsite, lots of hot water and a wonderful view from our tent to the hills beyond, plus a beautiful sunset. The clear, southern night sky has been wonderful for some time now away from cities and other sources of light pollution, with stars stretching from one side of the horizon to the other and the southern cross clearly visible. We met Franz and his wife Martine and enjoyed their company and interesting conversation over an evening drink in the bar of the lodge, where there was a huge, log fire. We hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Namibia and the planning of your next trip to Australia goes well for you both!
22nd June
We left Solitare for Swakopmund but not before buying some more apple crumble for our journey and a loaf of home-baked bread full of nuts and linseed.
Once through the Kuiseb Pass the landscape continued as a dry, gravel plain, that hardly changed for many kilometres, until the dunes began just before Walvis Bay. These high dunes rise on the landward side and their encroachment on the town is a permanent and costly problem. We continued up the sand-blown road to Swakopmund where we camped at Alte Brucke with our own brick-built bathroom, braai, washing up facilities and light and power point, what luxury!
We really liked the town of Swakopmund, everywhere was very clean, there were interesting shops and a real German influence, very obvious in many of the buildings.
Land Rovers were everywhere with their enthusiastic owners. For once they seemed to have taken over from Toyotas!
23rd - 26th June
We had lunch at the recommended Cafe Anton today but with unfortunate consequences. We can only think that this resulted from a dodgy, toasted ham sandwich that Bill had ordered. By the evening he was feeling very unwell. Our special, brick bathroom must have been fate as poor Bill spent most of the next couple of days in it!
27th June
We took a drive back to Walvis Bay as Bill was feeling better. Many palm trees have been planted along the roads as you enter the town but today it was a town blasted by sand, due to the cold, strong winds. We visited the huge, natural lagoon there with its abundance of sea birds. It is regarded as one of the most important wetlands along the west coast of Southern Africa and has been listed as a Natural Heritage site. There were many flamingos and a few pelicans out on the water.
On to Henties Bay, another remote and bitterly cold and windswept part of the coastline. We decided to give Cape Cross and its seal colony a miss and to head inland to get away from the strong, cold winds. Not much fun when you are camping!
We arrived at the Brandberg Mountain, Namibia's highest mountain at 2573 metres and stayed at the excellent White Lady B&B and Campsite, complete with a pond and ducks.
We met Doug who called in briefly. It would have been very nice to have been able to spend more time chatting with him and sharing travels but we hope you enjoyed the rest of your journey before returning to Cape Town.
28th June
We met Nico today from The White Lady who has two main passions in life, his Landy and his microlight! After sharing in his enthusiasms we both arranged for a flight with him and now know what it must feel like to be as free as a bird and be buffeted by the wind. A wonderful experience and we were both completely hooked! I can think of many places that we have visited in Namibia that would have appeared even more spectacular from a seat in a microlight! Thanks Nico, hope you live out your dream one day of getting that bigger bike and travelling the world!
29th June
Driving north to the oasis at Palmwag Lodge, the gravel road took us through a landscape of pale, yellow grass, low trees, bushes, dry riverbeds, hills and mountains. For the first time since we began our trip, we were told the campsite was full, so we took a room and had an excellent meal in the restaurant and a great breakfast the following morning too!
30th June
We continued north to Sesfontein where we hoped to fill up with diesel but they had run out of fuel. Fortunately, we had enough to get us to the very remote campsite at Purros where we planned to visit a Himba village and then hoped they would have some on our return.
The long journey to Purros was by a very rough track, stones, sand and bad corrugations, which took over 3 hours but it was certainly worth it. The scenery was wild and spectacular, hills and mountains at each side of the road in various rock colours, folds and formations, a great variety of trees, some bent and twisted into amazing shapes and miles of silvery, yellow grass. We crossed numerous, dry riverbeds and saw giraffe and large herds of gemsbok and springbok. This amazing landscape just went on and on! When we finally arrived at the campsite we were greeted by Gordon, a Himba from a nearby village. He took us to a big site close to the open plain with our own shower, toilet and sink, all built under massive camel thorn and tamarisk trees. Gordon lit a fire later in an old, nearby geyser, so that we could have hot water for a shower. A lovely place with a night sky full of stars and so quiet. Hopefully we will see some of the 'desert-adapted' elephants tomorrow.
1st July
We discovered a small group of 6 elephants with a baby near the dry riverbed this morning, as we were going to visit a Himba village with Gordon. The village was situated in a vast expanse of grassland, surrounded by a corral of woven branches. The Himba people are a self-sufficient tribe, living mainly off the milk and meat of their cattle and goats. Cattle are seen as an important symbol of status and wealth. They are different from any other tribe, in that they cover their bodies, their hair and the animal skins that they wear, with a deep, red-brown mixture of animal fat and powdered, red ochre. Their homes are made from a wooden frame and then covered in a mixture of cattle dung and sand which bakes hard in the sun, making them dark but very cool inside.
We were introduced to the elderly chief and his wife and were shown the stockade for the animals and the sacred fire. We were the only people there and were allowed to take as many photographs as we wished. Bill gave the chief some tobacco before we left and we also bought some of their small crafts, an elephant carved from local wood, a little basket woven from palm leaves from the nearby oasis and a necklace made from wood and ostrich shells. What a wonderful experience we have had to meet with this unusual tribe of people and in such natural surroundings.
After leaving the Himba village, we drove to the top of a nearby hill, where the different views were spectacular. Three elephants moving slowly through the dry riverbed, cattle drinking at the edge of the Hoarusib River where it still flowed in a narrow channel, the oasis with tall makanani palms and then the vast expanse of dry grassland,with the Himba village that we had visited in the far distance.
2nd - 3rd July
We found a small, yellow scorpion in our sink this morning and carefully moved it to a new home in the bush before washing. We said our goodbyes to Gordon and began the long journey back to Sesfontein where they had fortunately had a delivery of diesel.
The scenery changed dramatically once we turned north to Opuwo, to a hilly landscape covered in dense trees, with a section of beautiful and very large baobabs. I don't think I will ever tire of looking at these spectacular and unusual trees.
Opuwo was a large town with a hospital, post office, supermarket and Himba villages on the outskirts. The garage was full with huge Toyotas and trailers mainly from South Africa and Namibia. July and August are their holiday months as it is drier and cooler and we had also hit the school holidays in South Africa. Himba girls stood around hoping to be asked for photographs and earn some money and locals continually hasseled to buy Himba crafts and jewellery. What a change from the isolation of Purros and how glad we were that we had visited a Himba village in such a natural setting and not waited until later. We also saw women from the Herero tribe in their amazing clothes.
We camped at the lovely, thatched and timber Opuwo Country Lodge, high in the hills with an infinity pool looking out to a spectacular view and beautiful sunsets each night. This was an excellent campsite and we stayed for 2 days, catching up on lots of jobs and treating ourselves to coffee and cakes at the restaurant inside the Lodge.
4th July
We took the road to Ruacana on the Kunene River, camping at the Ruacana Eha Lodge. We visited the nearby Ruacana Falls, which must look very dramatic when plenty of water is flowing but today we found only a small fall of water and the river only partly full. However the hydro-electric project there, now supplies over half of Namibia's power. The border post for Angola was just by the viewing point and three, poorly clad guys were sitting in the shade of a small, partly ruined building. In contrast on the Namibian side, a barrier was lifted by two men in smart uniform, so that we could get a better view of the Falls, and was lowered by a woman in immaculate, army uniform. Their building had been painted and was well kept.
5th July
The road east to Opuwo or Ombalantu had well-organised fields of maize and sugar cane, lots of surface water and long, irrigation channels. We passed small villages with conical, thatched huts surrounded by high fences, many palm trees with the occasional baobab and lots of grazing for the cattle, goats and donkeys. Piles of bricks lay drying in the sun and tall, pointed, termite mounds were everywhere, their colour determined by the soil.
Bottle stores and Bars were everywhere in the villages with lovely signs like 'Come Together Bar', 'Be My Guest', 'Happy Bar No1', 'Paradise Bar', 'Welcome My Friend' and 'Nice Time Shabeen'. Empty beer bottles lay in glittering heaps in the sun. Outapi was a large town and once housed a South African army base. It was dominated by a huge, baobab tree which in the past had various uses, such as a cattle shelter, a turret to ambush invaders, a chapel, a coffee shop and even as an interrogation chamber for POW!
The irrigation channels continued all the way to Ogongo and beyond. It was lovely to see the areas of water shining in the sun amongst the trees, at each side of the road. The animals also seemed to choose to graze at the edges of the road but the donkeys preferred to stand in the middle, seemingly dozing and completely oblivious to passing traffic making detours around them! After Ogongo we arrived at Oshakati, a very useful town to stop at. It is obviously growing fast with numerous, modern garages, a huge, well-stocked SPAR with a great coffee and snack bar and even a new Cymot Camping shop, as well as the local markets. The numerous scrap car markets were very interesting, with wrecks either neatly arranged in lines one behind the other, or in great mountains thrown on top of each other but it seemed a thriving business! Could all the wrecks be a result of the many bottle store drinkers I wonder?
We arrived at the eastern side of the Etosha Pan in the Etosha National Park and camped for one night just outside the gates, at the very beautiful Onguma Safari Camp. There were luxury, en-suite tents as well as 6 camping spaces complete with your own bathroom!
We visited the bar there and had an interesting talk with Julia, a local girl from Ondangwa but who now worked at the Lodge after struggling to keep up with her schooling, in between fetching water, pounding millet and looking after younger brothers and sisters. She did however, confirm our thoughts about the big drinking problems in the villages and towns, as well as the huge AIDS problem. Although she had modern thoughts about this, she stressed how difficult it was to get people to change their ways.
6th July
We were told at reception that lions were often heard at night as they were just outside the gates of the camp, having got through the Etosha Park fence! Their roaring woke us about 5 a.m. close by and continued until daylight. A wonderful sound!
A short drive from Onguma Camp brought us to the Namutoni Gate on the eastern side of Etosha, where we picked up our 24hr entry permit and were lucky in obtaining the last camping space on the Namutoni Rest Camp, with its whitewashed German fort.
Until about 3 million years ago the Etosha Pan formed part of a huge, shallow lake but which was later reduced to a complex of saltpans when the Kunene River that fed it, changed course and began to flow to the Atlantic instead. Etosha is the largest of the pans and is nowadays only filled with water when sufficient rain falls to the north in Angola, to start floods flowing southward. The name Etosha translates as 'The Great White Place of Dry Water.'
During the dry season, huge numbers of animals converge to drink at the various water holes beside the pan and most of Africa's big game are found here. The Park is designed for visitors to drive themselves around the numerous tracks but a map from the garage at Namutoni was a useful guide we discovered, as many of the signs were in need of a repaint! We saw an enormous amount of wildlife, many different types of antelope, herds of zebra just waiting to be photographed, a jackal and giraffe. We saw our first lion, a female, walking through the bush a little way from the track and watched elephants drinking at one of the waterholes in the late afternoon sun.
7th - 8th July
We were up very early as we had to be at the Park gate soon after 8 a.m. as we only had a 24hr permit. From Etosha we took the road to Tsumeb and then Grootfontein, both well-kept towns to stop at for supplies. On the road north to Rundu we stayed at Roy's Camp, another great place to stay with a bar and a restaurant, where we had an excellent meal. We met Heady and Gaisford there from Durban and enjoyed sharing travels together. Also Sylvia and Rainer from Germany, who have been travelling for many years and have built up a great knowledge and love of Africa which they now enjoy sharing with others through their travel agency. Many thanks to you all for your suggestions.
Bill heard on the radio today, that armed gunmen had opened up with automatic fire on a Land Rover and then a Toyota travelling on a stretch of the Caprivi Strip. The driver of the Toyota (which eventually rolled) sadly died but his two passengers managed to escape and hide in the bush. The Land Rover fortunately escaped without any of the passengers getting hurt and the driver was able to inform the police. We had been planning to take this remote strip to enter Zambia but have now decided to change our route and plan to turn south into Botswana at Bagani. We can then enter Zambia to visit the Victoria Falls from Botswana.
9th July
We caught our first glimpse of the great Okavango River as we neared the Popa Falls and then camped at the N/goabaca community run campsite with our own shower, lapa and braai area. We even had our own wooden deck overlooking the Falls. There was a full moon again, our first since Fish River and we could see and hear the water rushing over the Falls.
Our last night in Namibia and we have once again visited some wonderful places. Distances between places have been vast and the fine, grey dust on the gravel roads caused us many a headache and cleaning jobs inside Moby. Wild camping has been difficult because much of the land is fenced off or there are 'no-entry' signs. Some of the more tourist places were a bit crowded and expensive and at times it seemed that a permit was required for visiting even the simplest of sights. Our highlights were in the very special, remote wildernesses that we discovered, where no permits were needed and you could explore for hours, such as our stay with Gertie at her remote Fish River Lodge, the wonderful Nubib Nature Camp and the long drive to Purros with its amazing scenery, desert elephants and the little Himba village in the midst of the yellow grassland, that stretched away as far as the mountains.
Our microlight trip with Nico, will always be something to remember, as will be watching the wild horses at Aus as they came galloping to drink, in the late afternoon sun.
Namibia has been a country of spectacular contrasts. A huge sky full of stars and vast areas of absolute silence and there is still a lot that we haven't seen!
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