Today we cross into Namibia, the youngest country in Africa. It got its independence only in 1990 when South Africa finally gave in to mounting international pressure and gave up control of the territory.
We are in the Kalahari semi-desert driving towards Fish River Canyon on the gravel road. We feel the first wave of heat. The landscapes are empty, flat and uninhabited.
By the time we stop by our first Quiver Tree (Kokerboom), which is actually a plant, I am just radiant. It is so quiet and distant.
The afternoon is spent hiking along the rim of the impressive Fish River Canyon. In the silky sunset light even grass looks amazing.
One can hike into the canyon only during three coldest months of the year. Our guide told us the 85 km Lowenfish hiking trail is the second most difficult in the world because of harsh conditions.
Day 4 – 610 km
It is the longest drive of the trip – 610 km to the next camp. We start off early – at 5:30 am the air is chill and the sky is pink. We see our first animals – zebras, springbok (gazel), oryx (antelope), kudu, and ostrich. The big red ball of sun is rising over the desert.
Never-ending desert plains for the next 10 hours of driving and only the shade of our overland trucks changes with the movement of the sun above. No wonder Namibia’s density is only 2 persons per sq. km. The word “namib” means empty.
In the afternoon we arrive to the amazing area of Sesreim. The camp is surrounded by fields of dry sun burnt grass and Naukluft mountains in the background.
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