Namibia

After an early start (made easier because we didn't have to take down our tent) and an extended boarder crossing (due to a family member having an issue with her visa) we were into Namibia which would be our home for the next 9 days. 

In the late 19th century Namibia was colonised by the Germans and was later ruled by the South Africans and the influence of both cultures can be seen throughout the country. Namibia only achieved its independence in 1990 but its currency is still tied to the South African rand. 

After the flatlands of Botswana it didn't take long before we started to see a change in scenery with more hills and variation in the rock formations. Our first stop was Windhoek, the country's capital city. We had a short guided tour taking in the German style church from the early 1900s, the parliament building, the main high street (where the German architectural influence could be seen) the national museum (which had great views of the city from he restaurant on its top floor) and the national bank (these last two were both funded by the North Koreans!). 

Highlights of Windhoek

Windhoek panorama from atop the national museum

This was an accommodated night for everyone so we arrived at our accommodation (a game farm about twenty kilometres out of town) and once again we didn't have to put the tents up! It was also a night off for Riccardo so we had to fend for ourselves. A group of us decided to head back into the city to the well know Joe's Beerhouse. 

Joe's Beerhouse

The story goes that Joe's started as a result of a couple of friends who were travelling through Africa had visa issues and couldn't travel any further. They used the Beerhouse to display the various items they collected whilst travelling in Namibia and there were random items hanging everywhere! The menu provided a wide range of beers (local and international) and even a local wine along with a choice of most of the game animals that can legally be eaten including zebra and crocodile! I had a deliciously tender oryx steak while Nick had a "symphony of succulent meat" which included kudu, springbok and oryx and a shot of schnapps. The restaurant was packed and it was a lively night starting with a round of "springboks" - a shot of amarula (African Baileys equivalent) with creme de menthe on top. On arrival Norman had helped us organise taxis for our return journey, however, when we got outside after dinner the driver of the larger taxis had got tired and left. As a result 10 of us had to squeeze into two small cars. With 1 person in the boot of one car and 4 of us on the back seat of the other car it was a cosy ride home! 

The next morning we had two new arrivals on our tour (Nomad tours work on a flexible basis and there are lots of collection and drop off points along each route). There was a friendly cry of "not more Germans" when it was discovered they were two friends from Munich.  With the Swiss, Austrian and German contingent German was now the most common first language on the tour. Nomad has a lot of German speaking clients and even runs some trips solely in German. We had a return trip to the town to stock up on water and to allow the family member with the visa issue to return to the embassy. 

Once the visa issue was resolved it was a race against time to get to Etosha (a national park of over 22,000 square kilometres/8,600 square miles without fences and lots of game) before sunset as this was when the campsite would be closed. After a minimal number of bushy bushy stops and lunch by an African craft market (Nick and I continued to make the excuse to stall holders that we didn't have room in our luggage for any purchases - so we hope you aren't expecting presents!) we made it to the campsite with just a little time to spare.

Just made it in time!

We had two days of game driving ahead of us and we were keen and raring to go leaving the campsite shortly after sunrise on the first day. We were doing our game drives in Whitney, who is not a delicate creature, with windows down and 20 of us inside so I was a bit cynical about how much game we would see. However, we were not to be disappointed! The day started with the usual zebras and giraffes, progressed to ostriches and (tasty) oryx and then on to a pair of lions! It was a youngish male and female and at one point they got up and walked straight towards us, only to sit down in the shade of a tree. At last we had completed our big five sightings!  

Wild ostrich

Our dinner from the other evening

Game drive regulars

Our big 5 is complete!!!

Nick was still missing his hired camera lens from Pilanesberg. However, with his hunter's eye he spotted a rhino in the distance much to the excitement of the rest of the group, many of whom hadn't seen rhinos before. Nick proceeded to keep the rhino in a trance (or something like that) and make it walk closer and closer until it crossed the road directly behind Whitney (with a few people holding their breath until it was clear the rhino wasn't heading directly for Whitney) to provide an excellent view.

the horn was cut to help prevent poaching

Whilst the animals were resting in the shade during the hottest part of the day we mimicked their behaviour and went to another campsite to eat lunch from restaurant Whitney and have a swim in the pool. Then as it was cooling off and the animals were getting active again we headed back out into the park. There were more of the usual antelopes, giraffes and zebras. We also drove into Etosha pan, a large salt flat and, as a rare treat, we were able to get out of Whitney. 

No animals were sighted out here

It was time to start our journey to our campsite for that night, again with the requirement to reach it before sunset. Chook, the family's favourite Aussie, was on the look out for a cheetah as he was yet to see one. Suddenly he spotted one playing in the type of long grass that cheetahs love. We stopped and watched the cheetah for quite some time, but with Norman checking his watch it was time to move on. Then Nick's hunters eye hit gold again with another pair of lions. This time it included an older and larger male, but they were rather inconveniently positioned for photo taking opportunities! We stayed as long as we could hoping they would move and then had to race the falling sun to the campsite.  

A cheetah in the distance

On arrival Nick, Chook and I had 15 minutes to put up our tents and eat some dinner as we had opted to take part in an extra night game drive. The drive started well when we spotted two jackals before we had even left the campsite! We then set off with the guide scanning the land with a large red spotlight hoping to catch the eyes of some animals. We were constantly on edge not quite sure what we would find round the next corner. As it would transpire, the answer was not very much! We did see some springboks, a desert fox and oryx. Much to our amusement, and a little cruelly, the oryx were scared of their own shadows. Each time the light was shone on them they would see their shadow and try and outrun it, then quickly double back only to find the shadow was still there!

The highlight of the night was the sky and the stars! In the middle of such a large area with no light pollution the galaxy was shining brightly. Our guide valiantly tried to find some cats or bigger animals, but without success. I will confess that I may have nodded off towards the end of the drive. We got back about 11.30pm just in time to fall asleep under the stars which we could see through the mesh window of our tent. 

We were up and at 'em early again the next day. After the success of the previous day the morning game drive was a bit slow and a hyena and a puff adder were the highlights.

We were then back on the road off to our next destination. A quick stop at a supermarket allowed Nick to make an exciting purchase - a puzzle book! This would provide many hours of entertainment for individuals and the group as a whole and it is still going strong as we travel to Nepal!

Some puzzles were harder than others. Crosswords became a group effort.

That evening we had rare (but slow) wifi access, a picturesque sunset and a delicious dinner of steak and roasted squash stuffed with corn. We also had entertainment in the form of local singers who stopped by our campsite for a short performance with beautifully harmonised voices. Nick also provided entertainment to the whole group as he started his African Computer Repairs business and opened up his laptop to try and repair his partially broken keyboard with a head torch and a penknife. Unfortunately, the head torch kept attracting bugs which then fell into the laptop and the keyboard still isn't completely working (which is why you may see a few words missing 'y's and 't's).

One of many beautiful African sunset

The next day was an easy drive and we stopped along the way to visit a Himba tribe village. The Himba people traditionally lived nomadic lives with the men tending to cattle whilst the women lived in simple mud huts. The numbers of people living in this traditional way has fallen in recent years. The village we stopped at has become more of a tourist attraction and I found it a little uncomfortable a group of us turning up and intruding on their lives. Whilst some of the inhabitants, particularly the children, were happy to interact with us others seemed more reluctant, but it was hard to know whether this was shyness or dissent! The women were adorned with animal skins and intricate jewelry which formed part of their daily outfits each with different meanings, for example married women wore a headdress and large ring around their neck. They showed us how they prepared their hair using a mix of ochre and fat to colour the top part of the hair and to attach extensions which they brushed out at the end. Traditionally the extensions would have been made from animal hair, but we were told more people now buy synthetic extensions from the shops. Women do not wash but instead clean themselves with smoke! The small village contained a number of huts, the sacred fire and enclosures for the cattle. After about an hour the women all sat in a circle and displayed craft items for us to buy. I haggled with a few, sharing my sales around, using finger signs to communicate amounts to purchase a couple of bracelets. I asked what one of the bracelets was made from thinking it would be some kind of natural material only to be told it was made from plastic! 

Amazing hair!

Just your everyday outfit

Himba huts

"Negotiating" for some wares

After a quick picnic lunch we were back on the road and had an early arrival at the campsite for that night and we were treated to another beautiful sunset, tasty chicken schnitzel with mashed squash (I'd helped prepared dinner which resulted in a blister from cutting and peeling so many squashes) and then a dance performance from a local group which ranged from the ages of 7 to 67 and were dressed in various animal skins. The children were particularly enthusiastic dancers and had broad smiles on their faces as they performed. I was dragged up to join them for one dance, but I think the video evidence failed to make it out of Africa.

More live entertainment

The next day was another long driving day and we started to see the scenery become rockier and more arid. Nick opted to take a prime seat upfront in the cabin with a family member and Fadzai. His position paid off as his hunter's eye spotted some of the rarer desert elephants which can survive for long periods without water. However, they can cause havoc and destruction for the local communities as they search for water. All the telephone line poles had a large collection of stones around their bases to keep the elephants away (they have sensitive feet) and to stop them using the poles as back rubs! 

Caution: elephant crossing

Long and winding road to Spitzkoppe

Our first stop in the Namibian desert was at Spitzkoppe where a giant rock formation made from granite which is over 120 million years old with ancient cave drawings dating back thousands of years. The sun was beating down and reflecting off the sand coloured rocks as we had a tour of the area. After a quick lunch in the small area of shade we could find we were back in Whitney.

A change in scenery 

Ancient cave drawings of a rhino sighting

Our day's drive ended in Swakopmund, a heavily German influenced coastal town situated next to some large sand dunes. It was once again time for everyone to be in accommodation - and this time for two nights in a row. The next day was free and we could do whatever we wanted. The energetic members of the group signed up for sand boarding (like snowboarding but on sand dunes) and 4 x 4 driving in the dunes. We decided to have a quiet day instead! It was then time for everyone to let their hair down and head to the local Italian restaurant where I had a delicious oryx pizza. One family member was leaving the tour the next day and someone had told the restaurant it was her birthday (which it wasn't) this put her in an awkward position when all the staff paraded out of the kitchen with a candle in a dessert singing happy birthday! She opted to keep quiet and enjoy the free dessert! We moved to the adjoining bar with dance floor and DJ. It was a great opportunity for everyone to show off their dance moves and request their favourite songs - no one else in the bar appreciated my choice of Chesney Hawkes' I am the one and only! The large number of Norwegian tourists in the room meant that the 2010 Norwegian Eurovision winning song was played at least 3 times!

After a leisurely start the next morning we had a tasty brunch at the Village Cafe which had giant slices of homemade toast, a VW van to eat in and a separate menu for dogs. We were joined by some other family members and at the end saw some bruised family members who had just returned from sand boarding. After brunch we explored Swakopmund by foot, walked along the sea front and Nick tested out a flight of beers from the microbrewery at the largest hotel in town. He declared it to be good enough to return to the restaurant, Brewer and Butcher, that night. Having done everything as part of a large group for the last two weeks we decided to have dinner by ourselves, only to discover some of the family turned up at the same restaurant shortly after us! They decided to leave us alone, but were shown some paparazzi style photos the next day! 

Happy brunch!

Inside the Brewer and Butcher

Date night

It was back on the road the next day with a freshly cleaned and serviced Whitney. We had a short stop at Walvis Bay, the next town over, to view a large group of flamingos and then we were off further into the desert where the scenery continued to change even more. Our journey took us over the Tropic of Capricorn, a good photo opportunity which led to a discussion about whether the tropics are relevant to anyone who doesn't sail. 

Walvis flamingos

We made it?

After lunch we were taken on a tour of the desert by Frans, a bushman. He had an entertaining and lively way of describing things which involved fast hand movements and lots of clicks with his tongue. He explained life as a bushman was tough, if you were slowing the group down you were left behind. This even applied to children and Frans said women mustn't look back if that happened and that night they would sit by the campfire and it would be the smoke that would bring tears to their eyes. He explained that if you caught a large animal while hunting you had to cut its tail off and take it back to the tribe, this would stop other bushmen claiming the animal and then your people would know to come with you and collect the animal you would then eat until you were full and then dance to make more room for eating until there was nothing left. He also showed us how plants and animals survived in the arid conditions, including the small beetle who stood on its head when it was raining or there was moisture in the air so that the water could run down its back and into its mouth. We also saw desert zebras which have different colourings to the zebras we had seen in the game parks and various types of gazelle. We were surprised to see rain clouds appearing in the distance as this area hardly receives any rain. 

The Namibian bush

On arrival at our campsite for the night they had a number of large cats which, we were told, had been rescued over the years and now live in captivity. Nick and some of the group went on a big cat walk and were able to go into the cages with some of the cats. The cheetah was particularly tame and if it approached you you could pet it. It didn't like the look of Nick, but did approach some of the other family members. Nick had a scare later that night when returning from the toilet his torch caught the eyes of the cheetah which was staring back at him, but it was too dark to see the fence and he thought it had escaped! Luckily the cheetah was still behind the fence and Nick lived to tell the tale.

A very curious leopard

Oscar the friendly cheetah

We left the campsite at 5am the next morning (but fortunately we were staying there again that night so we didn't have to take the tents down) to head to the part of the desert which is home to enormous orange sand dunes. The gates to this area opened at sunrise and we saw the sunrise at the gates where we the 7th vehicle in line.

We headed straight for Dune 45 which is the dune that can be climbed. Walking up along the side of the dune was surprisingly hard work as for each step forward you slid back half a step. The sand is super fine and quickly worked its way into your shoes. The views from the top were amazing with the shadows on the dues changing as the sun rose higher in the sky. After some time admiring the view and taking many photos it was time for an easy descent - running down the side of the dune. It took less than 30 seconds to bound down the side. At the bottom (after we had emptied our shoes) we were treated to a delicious cooked breakfast from Whitney to fuel the rest of the day.

long walk up

We made it. Getting down was much easier!

A rewarding breakfast

We then drove further into the park and moved into 4 x 4s to drive the last few kilometres to Deadvlai (we passed several beached cars along the way). This is an area where a river used to run through but the sand dunes cut off the water access. Without water the trees in the area died, but hundreds of years later the dead trees are still standing and create an eerie scene backed by the orange sand dunes. Whilst it was only mid morning the sun was already beating down on the dry and arid area. For any American readers there was a sighting of Carmen Sandiego in the form of a committed fan who was carrying around a costume.

Deadvlai

For the American readers

We had a brief lunch stop and then headed to Cesrium canyon close to the entrance of the park which showed the route water used to run through this area. There was a few rumbles of thunder as we headed down into the canyon and even a little bit of rain which got heavier as we headed back to our campsite where we had fortunately left our rain sheet covering the tent. We were treated to a traditional dinner of pap (like polenta), hunters' stew (made in a pot that looked like a cauldron over a fire) and cabbage fried in peanut butter. It was delicious, but we were not very successful at eating with our hands (the traditional way) and quickly resorted to knife.

Cesrium canyon 

After the previous busy day we had a slow get up and then driving day with the usual garage, toilet and bushy bushy stops. One garage stop included a quirky cafe that would not have been out of place in a seaside town with cups and saucers hanging out the front and various items for sale with quotes on. We sampled a slice of delicious chocolate cake, whilst others tried "the best carrot cake in Namibia"! Lunch was a bit damp after once again rain appeared in this arid area just as we were about to eat. We arrived at Ai-Ais where it was still really hot at 5pm with time to visit the natural hot spring pool which was a bit too hot at 60 degrees Celsius! However, once the sun had gone down we did return after dinner to dip our feet in the pool under the stars. 

A hidden gem in the middle of Namibia

We had another early start and were up at 4:30 am to take the tent down and a dark and bumpy ride to Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. We arrived at the canyon to see the sunrise and for the sun's rays to slowly start hitting the back edge of the canyon lighting up the different rock strata and finally illuminating the whole canyon. The canyon was amazingly deep and we were told that the temperature in the canyon was 20 degrees higher than the temperature at the top. To be able to hike in the canyon visitors had to provide a doctors certificate to show they were fit enough to survive then hike. After breakfast at the top of the canyon we went for a gentle walk along the canyon's rim to the start of the hiking trail but we did not hike down. 

Sunrise at Fish River Canyon

The sunlight catching the far end of the canyon 

The second largest canyon in the world

Thanks Namibia!

Then it was back in Whitney, next stop the South African border! 

Namibia is a varied country with many different natural gems waiting to be explored which photographs don't do justice to (no matter how many we took!).

-Jess (photo captions from Nick)