I am well prepared for the trip after 4 months of backpacking through South America. These bumpy roads are not that bad after Bolivia. Camps are 5 star hostels compared to Bolivian hostels with no heat or hot water in altitudes above 3500 m. I am truly enjoying the drive. Every hour or so the landscapes slightly change – another hill, more stones, burnt yellow grass... I seem to find beauty in all of this. Namibia is an absolute paradise for desert terrain lovers.
Chameleon
We are leaving Swakopmund where some of us spent Sunday quad-biking or sand boarding, but I - updating my blog about the overland. We drive inland towards Spitzkoppe, a 1728 m high mountain that we see from a 1000 m base. Today we camp practically with no facilities. The campsite, run by a local community, consists of fire areas and two long drop toilets in the middle of the field with 3 walls around them. The 4th non-existent wall opens a view onto Spitzkoppe.
In the afternoon we explore Pondoks – enormous granite domes around the campsite. The Natural Bridge reminds me of Arches National Park in Utah. Bushman’s Paradise is an overhand with an ancient rhino painting.
We do not pitch tents – we are cave people today. We sleep in one of the rock hollows or a “cave” between boulders with the fire in the middle. Our roof is a humongous rock sitting in-between. An absolutely magic place.
More pictures on Flickr
4 comments:
the chameleon is absolutely charming:)
Speaking of cave-bunking. How does it gets cold in the caves in the morning?
No, only the first 3 night it got cold. Other nights were nice and cool vs unbearable heat during the day.
I knew other deserts and dunes in the world, but for me The Desert and The Dunes are in Namibia. It is magic as you say. The photos are splendid.
FFC
I see by your road map that you are going to Botswana, bordering the Kaprivi Strip, and for sure you will not miss the Okavango Delta, probably one of the most spectacular places on earth. No words. You need to see, by land and air if you can afford, as also in Vic Falls where they have what they call "The Flight of the Angels". I do not know with the actual huge crisis in Zimbabwe if the planes take off, but is unbelievable to see the power of water falls by air. One recommendation, have breafast after the flight...
Good luke !
FFC
P.S.- In Zimbabwe try to see the "Great Zimbabwe", the ruins of an ancient civilization that lived on that area. Also no words for to describe it.
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