NSFC in December

So another film club weekend has passed, and we really set the bar high, having watched 6 films over the weekend, plus time for eating and sleeping (plus a nice lie-in). The films included:

Lars and the real girl (establishing relationships can be hard, but a real girl definitely helps! - I love Mrs. Gruner in this film for the way she makes everyone see that we all do a few strange things now and again - great story - I shed a few tears each time I see it!)
REC (virus going around - don't catch it!)
Shaun of the Dead (zombie comedy - a classic)
Let the right one in (very good zombie movie - Swedish original)

and I'm not sure I can remember the others at the moment. I just realised that there was a serious zombie influence in the film list last weekend! REC was probably the weakest of them all, and the fact that it is recorded on a hand-held camera, I felt nauseous within the first 10 minutes. We wanted to start out with a feel-good film, and therefore decided on Lars and the real girl. All of us had seen it before, but I actually forgot how good it is.

Per usual, Esben and I headed home with a stack load of films to watch from the NS selection - good thing it's winter and very cold and dark in the evenings!

Looking forward to the next NSFC in March :)

Winter wonderland in Berlin

Last weekend we travelled by train to Berlin to visit our friends Simon and Nora. Esben had never been to Berlin before, and it had been 10 years since I visited the city, so we were both really looking forward to the trip. And the fact that we'd get to meet up with Nora and Simon again (who had lived in Aarhus the previous year). The train trip was very relaxing, and after changing a few times and even travelling some of the distance by bus, we arrived on Thursday evening into Berlin main train station. Nora and Simon live in the area 'Mitte' which is very central and easy to get to and to get to other parts of the city from. Berlin has a great underground system, so even though it's a big city, it's never too difficult to get around. The first evening we had a great opportunity to catch up on everything, and the next day, Esben and I ventured out on our own. Once I was in the city again, a lot of memories came back, and I remembered many of the places that I had seen on my previous visits. The weather was perfect for walking around - fresh snow on the ground, blue skies, and sunshine. First of all we headed towards Strasse des 17. Juni, which is the main street up through the Tiergarten, and one of the main streets in Berlin as it is the continuation of Unter den Linden from the East of Berlin running into the West. While walking up this street towards the former East part, you meet the impressive Siegessaeule (the Victory Column), and once you climb up to the top, you get some great views of the surroundings. After climbing up and down, we continued our walk along Strasse des 17. Juni and under the Brandenburg Gate. The sun was still shining at this stage, so we were able to take some lovely photos in this area. We continued walking towards Potsdamer Platz and enjoyed some mulled wine at the Christmas markets. It had been 12 years since I had visited Potsdamer Platz, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw it this time - they have been very busy developing this area, and it certainly is impressive. It was also great to be in Berlin during December, as we got to visit numerous Christmas markets during our stay - and when it comes to Christmas markets, the Germans really know how to do them properly!

On Friday evening we went to a vegan restaurant Kopps run by head chef Bjoern Moschinski. The food was amazing and I would definitely recommend the restaurant to anyone on a trip to Berlin. Make sure to book in advance though - it's really popular with vegans and non-vegans alike (the egg salad to start is so yum!!)

On Saturday and Sunday we walked around many different parts of the city, enjoying the atmosphere and most notably on Sunday we enjoyed a very delicious vegan brunch - I think the four of us rolled out of that place. They had everything you could imagine, and more! Over the weekend, we managed to get some shopping in (stocking up on winter clothes/boots), and sample great food and drinks all around the city. In the evenings we caught up on the German detective series Im Angesicht des Verbrechens. Given that we had been hooked on Forbrydelsen (The Killing), we thought we should also watch some German-produced drama, and yes, it was very addictive!

Nora and Simon also shared their wonderful news - they got engaged! So more celebrations in Berlin next November...roll on the next trip :)

The Rumour Said Fire @Voxhall

One of my favourite bands is a Danish band called The Rumour Said Fire, which we have seen once before last summer, and they returned to Aarhus this year just after the release of their new album, Dead Ends. Voxhall is a great venue in the city centre because there is always a very intimate atmosphere when bands play. And we weren't disappointed by this concert - they played a good mix of some old favourites and songs from their new album, which we had listened to many times before and knew most of the melodies at least! It's a pity they were only allowed to play for 2 hours - I could have listened to them all night! Looking forward to the next gig already :o)

Baking weekend

Over the weekend I decided to bake a few things, because we were going to a friends house for dinner, and I thought it might be nice to bring along dessert. So once again I took out Make, Bake, Love by Lilly Higgins (might as well use the book since I bought it!), and made pecan brownies, white chocolate and raspberry bars, and an old favourite of mine from my childhood - jammy dodgers. Between visiting our friends for dinner, and inviting more friends over the next evening, we managed to eat our way through everything. Of all of them, I think the white chocolate and raspberry bars tasted the best, but that said, the jammy dodgers came a close second. I think I might put the book away for a little while - my sweet tooth is seriously hurting right now!

J-Dag in Aarhus

Every year on the first Friday of November in Denmark, the Christmas beer (julebryg) is served. This day is called J-Dag (for julebryg day). The first pint is allowed to be poured at 20.59, and this year it was on 2 November. Our Icelandic friends Ásdís and Berglind called over to our apartment for some of Esben's wonderful cooking and to 'hygge' together, before heading into town to taste some Christmas beer. I love the fact that the Danes take their beer seriously, and produce Christmas and Easter brews - and they taste really good, usually a little darker than the regular brew and somewhat sweeter. After Esben's yummy food, we ate some traditional Icelandic skyr dessert - skyr is a type of natural yoghurt, but thicker, and has lots of protein in it. And the dessert had a biscuit base, skyr on top with fresh strawberries mixed in. So good! And then it was off into town - we tried the Christmas brew at two basement bars: Thorups Kælder and Cheers. Both were really good, and we had planned to go on to our favourite bar in town, HeadQuarters, but it now closes at 3am on Fridays and not 5am. Oh well....it was probably time to go home anyhow!

Coffee and Cake

Last week was semester break in schools and universities in Denmark, so everyone was travelling all over the country - except us (well, we did just get back from Jessie and Gar's wedding!). Instead Esben's parents came to visit us for the weekend. And because we had visitors, the baking utensils came out - you know me, any excuse. I have been looking forward to making some recipes from Lilly Higgins' book Make, Bake, Love, which I bought over a year ago. This was the perfect opportunity, because it is part of Danish culture to drink coffee and eat cake - and I don't want to be the one who starts breaking with tradition  now, do I? I opted for the coffee cake - one of my favourites, and it goes well with coffee. How did it turn out? Put it this way: my in-laws are still talking to me, and they even took some home with them! Actually, they said they loved it, so that's a good sign. I think it was a good first attempt, and I can always tweak the recipe next time :o)

Jessie and Gar's wedding in Hamburg

We're just back from a fab weekend in Hamburg, where we celebrated the marriage of my cousin Gar and his beautiful bride Jessie! I had visited Hamburg 12 years ago, while on Erasmus, and I remember it being an amazing city then. Well, 12 years later and it's even better. The harbour area is still as beautiful was it was 12 years ago, but now other areas in the city have all been developed, and they have done a great job of mixing old and new architecture to make it one of those 'wow' cities in Europe. Of course the reason we were there was to join in the wedding celebrations of Jessie and Gar. Jessie is from Hamburg, but has been living in Ireland for about 15 years (or perhaps a little more). Esben and I were able to get the train from Aarhus (a relaxing 5-hour trip with no bag-weight restrictions), which left us right in the city centre quite near our accommodation. We had been looking forward to the wedding, and our trip away for the weekend, so it was lovely to meet up with family when we got there. Esben and I took the underground train, which also went overground, to the registry office, and it was one of the most beautiful journeys through a city - the sun was shining, blue skies and a little cold out - my favourite weather. We arrived at the registry office, which was situated in a lovely, leafy suburb, and I spotted Jessie immediately - she was wearing an amazing purple coloured coat, and I could get a small glimpse of her dress. I was excited! Once we got nearer, I could see the dress up close - amazing dress! It was white lace, 50's style, with a magenta-coloured ribbon around the waist, and a kind of peticoat underneath to give the bottom of the dress more volume. There was also a magenta coloured layer showing from underneath the dress. She looked beautiful! And my cousin Gar looked very dapper in his wedding suit (I'm not biased!). The lady conducting the ceremony was very friendly and put everyone at ease, so there was lots of fun and laughter in the fairly-packed room. Afterwards we went on a bus-tour of the city - this was a great way to see all the sights, to meet more of the wedding guests, and to relax a bit before the dinner later on. In the evening we all met up at "Die Turnhalle" restaurant, and the evening was brilliant - great food, wine, and company! The speeches were very funny, and we danced into the early hours of the morning. We're already thinking about the next trip back to Hamburg!

Wishing Jessie and Gar all the very best for a wonderful life together! xx

NSFC in September

We're just back from a great Nørre Snede Film Club (NSFC) weekend at Kristina and Ole's. Not only did we get to see some great films, we were also spoiled all weekend with yummy food and freshly baked bread (thanks Ole!). Some recommendations from the weekend include:

Inside Job: want to know how the crisis all started? Well, this is a real eye-opener











Land of the Dead: Want to look at Simon Baker for a few hours and enjoy a really good zombie movie? Then check this out!













Fish Tank: Great writing and Michael Fassbender :o)

Esben's cooking: part 1

I had always known that Esben liked to cook and now and again he would make something for a special occasion (e.g. birthday celebration). But I didn't actually know how good he is at cooking until I arrived in Denmark. I have featured some of Esben's amazing food before, but I plan to put up some photos which I have taken of the food over the past year. I suggested last night that he could enter 'Come dine with me', but I don't think he'll go ahead with it. So in the meantime I get the benefit of tasting all this amazing food! Here's what he cooked last night:

Avocado with crayfish, creme fraiche and basil

Beef (top) and broccoli, apple, bacon salad topped with Chinese radish

Our Travels: Part 6

Our Travels: Part 1|Our Travels: Part 2|Our Travels: Part 3|Our Travels: Part 4|Our Travels: Part 5


Day 26: Saturday, 18 August 2012

Hobas, Namibia – Namibian border crossing – Kalahari Trails camp site, near Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa

We were up early, and had some small for breakfast while watching the sun come up. Our first stop was the roadhouse, and we thought we might just get a cup of coffee, but when we found out they didn't serve coffee on its own, but only a very good value breakfast buffet, including coffee, we went for that. Esben definitely gets his value for money when eating at a buffet. They had everything on offer – it was such a change for us, as we usually just have porridge and museli. They had all the standard cereals, yoghurt, fruit, meats, cheeses, sweet buns, toast and hot food including bacon and eggs. And to top it all off, the best coffee! 

The roadhouse itself was great to walk around and to take photos. They had numerous old cars parked in the eating area, and many old signs from railway stations, and the like. They even had a Murphy’s sign by the breakfast buffet. One of the locals (the cat seen above) seemed to like to hang out on or in the old cars :o)

An hour and a half later we were back on the road. Luckily, the drive wasn’t too bad. We knew that we would be on C roads, but they were in good condition. We passed through Keetmanshoop, and then headed east towards the border. When we reached the border, we got our passports stamped on the Namibian side, and as we were heading back to our car, the border police asked us some questions. And then he said: do you have any firearms you want to declare? This question seems so alien to us, as we would never be carrying a firearm. So we said: no! And he said: are you sure? Us: Yep, we’re sure! Him: okay then, have a good trip! Phew, passed that one.

Got to the other side and got the passports stamped no problem. Next task – customs. We saw the police looking through another car in front of us, and it all seemed very serious. They took some firewood from them (not sure why you aren’t allowed this), and were a good 15 minutes going through stuff. Our turn, and we answered all the questions. Then Esben had to show him around the car, but before he did, he asked Esben: do you have anything illegal in your car? Esben: no. Police: are you sure you have nothing illegal in your car? Esben: eh, no! Police: okay then, let’s take a look. 10 minutes later and we were on the road. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to border checks – I’m nervous each time, even though I haven’t done anything wrong!!

The road from the border in South Africa was very nice, and we made good time getting to the campsite, given that SA is an hour ahead of Namibia. We were just about hungry when we got there (given the size of the breakfast), and the lady at the campsite suggested bringing a drink up to the dunes to enjoy sunset. And that’s exactly what we did – South African red wine, naturally! The campsite we booked into is only 30km from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier NP, so the plan is to drive there tomorrow and to stay the night, and then to come back to this campsite and do a game drive and morning walk. It’s nice to be back surrounded by wildlife once again.

Day 27: Sunday, 19 August 2012

Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa

We arrived at the Kgalagadi NP early, checked in, pitched the tent and then started to drive around in our own car. It’s handy that the roads in this NP are suitable for a 2WD, although we think that we might do a night game drive later with an organised tour. We haven’t done a night drive before, and there might be a chance that we would spot a leopard or other predators. Given that this NP is very near the Kalahari desert, there are many red dunes about, and given that it is very windy at the moment, there is a lot of sand blowing everywhere. You can tell that the animals aren’t too impressed with the sand either! While driving around today we spotted numerous ostriches, sprinkbok and wildebeest. And then we came across a few cars parked on the roadside, and they said that there were lions up on the side of the dune. We could just about see them, as they were lying down, sleeping, of course! But then all of them got up and moved location, by about 10 meters. It was great to see an older and a younger male lion, and two females. And then they all sat down again and relaxed in the sun.

We headed off up the road to visit a few more waterholes, and it was great to see an owl in an tree – I am convinced that the owl turned his head 360 degrees – can this be right? The sand was annoying him too!

The NP is very big, and given the 50km/h speed limit, you can’t get too far in one day. So we turned back at around 2.30pm, and enjoyed looking at the numerous animals wandering across the veld (most of whom we had seen on the way out). We stopped again at the lions, and they were all sitting in the same position. I love watching any members of the cat family, and it was a joy to watch them again. When we were almost back at the campsite, we drove over (the car, not the tyre) a puff adder (snake), and drove back to take a look. It was really impressive to see one, and read about how dangerous this species can be. Then it started moving under our car, and we were afraid that it would attach onto the car. But the people in the car passing us by directed us away from the snake, and we saw him move quickly into the undergrowth. I’m not sure I would like to find him anywhere near my tent!

Once we got back, we were able to organise a night drive (starting at 8.30pm),
 and cooked dinner while watching the lovely sunset. The night game drive was brilliant. We were the only two on the trip, and we had two guides, Sarah and Mariska. Esben and I had a spotlight each, and we were advised to shine it up high at the ridge, and down low to try to spot some animals. The animals’ eyes would reflect in the light, making them easy to spot. During the trip we saw springhares (they are mix between a hare and a kangaroo – adorable!), bat-eared foxes, elands, springbox, genet, African wild cat, black-backed jackals, and mongoose. The springhare in particular is a nocturnal animal only, so we wouldn’t get to see it at on any other trip. We didn’t see any predators like the lion or leopard on the night drive, but it was very enjoyable all the same. We slept soundly that night after a long day.

     

Day 28: Monday, 20 August 2012

Kgalagadi transfrontier park, South Africa - Kalahari Trails camp site

After packing up the tent, we set off again today driving around the park in our own car. We went back to the spot where the lions were the day before, but there was no sign of any today. By the way, we could hear the lions last night – makes you realise you are staying in the wild! Today we took a different route across the park, where the landscape changed quite a bit from grass to red dunes. We spotted many birds, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok and ostrich. We also saw a whole group of suricats and mongoose. There were also quite a few black-backed jackals mingling among the wildebeests. We didn’t see any lions today, and still never spotted a leopard, but it was a very enjoyable day of watching wildlife. At about 4pm we got back to the Kalahari Trails camp, and went on a sunset game drive around their farm.

As it is a restricted area, and there are no predators on the farm, so we were able to get out of the vehicle to take a closer look at bird nests (the sociable weaver builds a really cool nest, and there is a network of entrances and exits), and tracks in the dunes. We saw evidence of an African wild cat, a mouse, a secretary bird (and saw some of these on the farm too), and a hare. Some of these are nocturnal animals, and you can get of an idea of what’s going on during the night from the trails. We also saw about 10 vultures sitting on top of a tree at one stage, and also some of these in flight. It was interesting to hear about the vegetation, how the animals get water, how the aardvark builds his various homes, how they return snakes to the wild if they catch them in the house, why some trees are really green, how the animals breed and about the mating dance of some birds. We tasted some springbok sausages with our dinner, and set up camp for the night soon after 9pm. Tomorrow, we are going on a walking trail with Prof. Anne Rosa (a zoologist) to learn more about the activities of the wildlife in the area, and to learn more about the flora and fauna. Back to watching those twinkling stars….

Day 29: Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Kalahari Trails camp site – Upington – Kuraman

Woke up early to see sunrise and to get ready for our morning walk around the dunes of the Kalahari Trails camp. Prof. Anne Rasa has been living here for over 25 years, and has many more years experience, researching in the area of zoology. She was a guide for the morning, and we were joined by another couple staying at the camp, Andrew and Tamara from Jo’burg. This guided walk was to investigate the tracks that had been left the night before by wildlife. From the minute we left the main house, Anne spotted a trail – an ant hill that was built and moved the previous evening, most probably due to the fact that a predator had disturbed them. The walk was simply fascinating – we saw so many different tracks across the dunes. While we were sleeping, so much was happening around us, and we never even knew :o)

 

The geckos were out in full force, and from the tracks left, Anne could work out that they were mating during the night. The dancing lady spider was also busy during the night – she leaves a really pretty imprint in the sand, kind of like the shape of a daisy. We saw the footprints of a spotted pole cat, an African wild cat, and a striped genet. A thick-tailed scorpion was very active, as well as the beetles and mice (pygmy and large-eared). And all over the dunes, we saw footprints of the spring hare. This walk allowed us to join all the pieces of the puzzle together, and we were now able to identify the tracks of many of the animals which we had seen during the night drive.

We also learnt about the vegetation of the Kalahari and how it was formed. It was a great end to a visit to this part of South Africa. Anne printed off a certificate with a list of all the trails we saw, which is a very nice souvenir to bring back home!

We got on the road at about 11.30am and headed in the direction of Jo’burg. It will take us two days to get back, so the plan was to drive as far as possible and then stay in a campsite, before driving to Jo’burg the next day. The drive to Upington was pleasant, on a nice road, and we saw some salt pans on the way by. Anne had told us that we would pass some, and 60km east of Upington there is a working salt mine. Over 90% of the salt made in SA is exported, with a lot of it going to Europe to use on the roads during winter. We made a quick stop in Upington to grab some lunch and a few supplies for meals over the next two days. We managed to find a throw-away BBQ, and bought some braii (BBQ) meat, and coupled that with a bottle of South African red wine. The final destination ended up being a campsite just east of Kuruman, and we should make it to Jo’burg by tomorrow lunchtime. It will be nice to spend some time in Jo’burg, before flying out Thursday evening. That reminds me, we better check-in online tomorrow, or else Virgin will re-allocate our seats :o)

Day 30: Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Kuruman – Germinston (suburb of Johannesburg)

  

When we were going to bed last night (at around 10pm), the party in the bar at the campsite was just getting going. The music started to blare out, and it was like we had pitched our tent in a nightclub. I fall asleep quite easily, but this was seriously over the top. The campsite was a little strange, to be honest. And it was super expensive! We think that most of the tents there were pitched the whole time, or all through the holidays, and that families or older couples spent the weekend or longer socialising with the rest of the people at the campsite. When the music got to an intolerable level, Esben headed up to the bar to find about 15 middle-aged people singing their hearts out to hits from the 70s and 80s. He wasn’t their favourite person when he asked if they could lower the music a bit.

And then the next morning at 6.30am, we were woken by loads of people chatting outside our tent, and the noises coming from the work yard next door. I chatted with a lady who worked there, and she wondered if we were staying for the weekend – the look on my face probably said it all, but I smiled and said, no, we had to get to Johannesburg.

The drive to Johannesburg was constantly disrupted by road works, which involved stopping at a stop/go sign for 15 minutes at a go, and then driving about 4km, and then stopping at the stop/go sign. We weren’t sure if we would make it all the way to Johannesburg the way things were going, but eventually we did. We entrusted the planning of the journey with our GPS, and all was ok until Vryburg, a big enough town on the way to Johannesburg. Then we wanted to know how to get out of the town, and as I was driving along a narrow enough road with numerous potholes, I mentioned to Esben that the road was quite narrow for the main road to Jo’burg. And then it dawned on us – our GPS had directed us along a secondary road, filled with potholes (there were signs to tell you that there were potholes) and at random intervals on the road, the tarmac would disappear, and we were on a bumpy gravel road, and then the tarmac would reappear. So we had the chance to drive through provincial towns along the way. While driving through Kleindorf, we saw a sign for the same ‘doctor’ (Dr Mama-Fatuma) as the one in Zeerust, who is willing to deal with many issues, including penis enlargement, promotion at work, solving court cases and bringing back lost lovers. This is the kind of woman to call in an emergency!

And so the drive continued through the ever-changing landscapes of South Africa. It’s amazing to see large open spaces, with no people or houses for miles and miles, and just the mountains in the distance. We had no idea where to stay in Jo’burg, and didn’t have a guidebook to help us out. So we just picked an area south of the airport, and asked the GPS to recommend names and addresses of B&Bs. We wanted to stay in a B&B so that we could get our things organised, pack everything away, and to clear the car out. So I saw one listed called ‘Museum B&B’ – sounded interesting, and off we went. We arrived into Jo’burg via the motorway, and had a really good view of the CBD on the way in. We pulled up outside the B&B – Esben went in to check about accommodation. 10 minutes later we were checked in to a lovely apartment with two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a sitting room. Everyone was very friendly, and while we were unpacking the car, one of the owners (they are a couple) came by and said we were very welcome to join them for dinner. There was a big group staying (who come back frequently, so we assumed they were passing through on business), and the BBQ was lighting.

It was a really warm evening (22 degrees), so we were more than happy to join them for dinner. They set up a table for us in the courtyard, and we enjoyed a lovely dinner, comprising of soup for starters, BBQ meat, rice and vegetables for main, and ice-cream to finish off. This was all washed down with great SA red wine. After dinner, the husband asked us if we wanted to see the museum. Of course; this sounds very interesting. He is a doctor, and his surgery is situated in the building that we were staying in. There are three parts to the building – the main house, and a wing on the right and a wing on the left. It is a house built by a Greek couple in the 30s, so it has a lot of  the features of a palatial Greek home. Our apartment opened out onto a lovely balcony, and when we were brought on the tour of the house, we saw the most interesting pieces all over the house. It is a museum based on donations from people who come to see the doctor. He has a plate that was used by Napoleon Bonapart, a piece of Elizabethan cloth, which is over 300 years old, the first Bible that was brought over to South Africa in the 1600s, and he even has a shillelagh from Ireland. The collection also included old typewriters, telephones that you need to wind up, and old china sets. The list is endless. It was one of the most interesting things to come across, and he said that they are in the process of declaring the places as a World Heritage Site. We spent over an hour going around looking at the collection, but we could have spent much, much longer. The doctor and his wife had to go home after a long day, so we also turned in for the evening. We couldn’t have asked for a better B&B – the people were so welcoming and friendly; it really made our last night in South Africa special.

Day 31: Thursday, 23 August 2012

Germiston (Johannesburg) – London – Dublin 

We both slept soundly (the novelty of sleeping in a bed), and were served a lovely breakfast at around 9am. The staff had said that we could take our time packing, and could stay on longer if we needed to. We weren’t sure how long we needed to get the packing finished, and in the end, by the time we were finished, we didn’t have enough time to go and do anything in Johannesburg. We hadn’t even planned to be in the city, so this wasn’t disappointing at all. With the help of the GPS, we did a little tour of the city (this is the home of seriously crazy drivers; I thought Vietnam was bad), and opted to head out early to the airport. You never know how long a short journey will take, and with all the road works and traffic on the roads, this was the best option. All went well at the car rental place – yes, we had a damaged hub cap (from a pothole on day 2), and there was a dint at the side of the car (we have no idea how this happened and never saw it until the guy pointed it out to us), but as we had full cover, so there was no issue.

8202km later, and we had arrived back in Jo’burg airport. And so the trip ends….well, we still have a few hours of films to enjoy on the plane :o) We have so many great memories from our honeymoon – how on earth are we going to pick out the best photos?!

Our Travels: Part 5

 Our Travels: Part 1|Our Travels: Part 2|Our Travels: Part 3|Our Travels: Part 4|Our Travels: Part 6

Day 21: Monday, 13 August 2012

Sesriem, Namibia

We got up for sunrise, and it was interesting to see the traffic jam of cars waiting to get into the park. They were streaming in, one after the other. We joined the line of cars driving towards the dunes for sunrise. However, we turned off early to go to the dune we had visited the evening before. The dunes looked amazing all lit up by the sunlight. After breakfast, we set off into the national park in the direction of Soussvlei. On route, we stopped off and climbed up dune 45, so called because it is 45km from Sesriem. It was so windy, and people’s caps were blowing away. We could hardly look up when we were climbing up, and it wasn’t possible to take a photo near the top. We didn’t walk up all the way – it was just so difficult to see where you were going , and given my fear of heights, the wind wasn’t helping in this situation. Everyone was experiencing the same problems, and no one ventured to the top.

After that, we continued on towards the 2WD carpark. Here, you can walk to hidden vlei, another dune with a low lying plain. We decided to first get the 4WD shuttle 5km away to dead vlei and soussusvlei. Our first stop was dead vlei – a commonly photographed spot in Namibia, and probably what most people think of first. It was a 1.1km walk through the dunes (and wind), so not too bad! Even though there are many people about, you honestly feel like you are the only ones there – well, actually, after a while, we were the only ones there. We noticed this as the day went on. Most tours and private vehicles tend to stream into the park before and at sunrise, and then leave surprisingly early. So at 2pm, we were practically alone in dead vlei – it was brilliant. Total silence…until the helicopter arrived. You can do a scenic flight over the dunes, and out of nowhere this helicopter arrives, hovering really low over the flat pan. You almost expected someone to start speaking through a megaphone at us.

 

We walked back to the shuttle bus stop and took the next shuttle to Soussvlei, a few kilometres away. We decided not to climb the dune, but instead walked around the small lake in front of the dune.

It was quite unusual to see some water – everywhere else is just sand, and it gets everywhere, believe me! We arrived back at the carkpark (after a fun-packed 4WD trip through the sand), and Esben decided to walk to hidden vlei. The whole area was so quiet now – there were only about 10 other people around. I decided to stay at the car park and wrote some of the blog and to enjoy looking at the surrounding dunes. Esben came back in just over an hour, and he had taken some amazing photos of the dunes on his walk. He said that there was no one else around – just him and the dunes, which was something we couldn’t believe. The colours are truly amazing at this time of the day. We set off back to the campsite at about 4.30pm, enjoying the sunset on the drive back. That morning we had cooked lunch and dinner, so it was nice to get back and have dinner ready. It was a very enjoyable day to see the dunes, climb some of them, and to take in the beauty of the very harsh surroundings. It will be an early night , I think, as we plan to be up for sunrise, and have a good bit of driving tomorrow. Next stop: Lüderitz.

Day 22: Tuesday, 14 August 2012

Sesriem, Namibia – Lüderitz, Namibia

We woke up for sunrise again, and drove to dune 45. It was very cloudy this morning, which was probably only the second time since we’ve been travelling. Therefore, it was difficult to see the sun, and the dunes were only partly lit up. That said, the dunes were still breathtaking to look at! When we arrived at dune 45 we noticed something a lot different to the day before. There was practically no wind. Some tour groups had already started to climb the dune, and some were already at the very top – something we were unable to do yesterday. It was nice to just sit and take it all in, and to watch the sun move along the dunes. By 9am we were ready to get going. We set off on some gravel roads, and even thought most of the journey was on C roads, they were actually quite good. We drove from dunes, through valleys, around by the mountains – the scenery was constantly changing, and it was simply stunning. The clouds had cleared, and we had clear, blue skies once again. We stopped a few times to stretch our legs, and we were quite surprised to see some water on the road in two spots. Luckily, it wasn’t too deep on either occasion, and we could drive through it easily. The final part of the journey (150km) was on a really good tarred road, which made driving a lot easier. We passed through a town called Aus, and then the next stop was Lüderitz on the west coast.

About 20km west of Aus, there are some ‘wild horses’ that live in the desert. Through interested parties, an artificial waterhole has been created, and it is the only source of water for the horses. We stopped off at a viewing point, and were lucky to see four horses drinking from the waterhole, and wandering around the area. Supposedly, they can go without water for 5 days, which is quite unusual for a horse. There are different stories about where the horses came from, some saying that they were the horses belonging to the German army in the early 20^th century. Anyhow, they are slightly smaller than standard horses, thinner (in general), and can survive in extreme conditions. There had been talk of taming the horses, or removing them from the desert, as some people thought that they were destroying the desert ecosystem (not sure I understand this one!), but they have been allowed to stay.

And after a short stop, we were back on the road to Lüderitz. There were warning signs for sand and wind the whole way in, and the sand started to blow across the road, but it wasn’t until we were 2 km from the town and saw the sand ploughs on the road removing the sand, that we fully understood the kind of harsh place this really is.
 

 We were camping at the aptly named ‘Shark Island’ very near the harbour, and had an amazing view of the sea and the harbour – we were perched out on a peninsula, and with that came a strong wind! After setting up the tent we drove back into the town to get some dinner, but thought that this might not happen, seeing as the town seemed to shut down at 6pm sharp. Luckily, we found a bar/restaurant that opened at 6pm called Barrels, and were happy enough to enjoy a Winhoek lager and to order home-cooked food from the menu. I had read about one of the dishes – Eisbein and sauerkraut. It’s the leg of a pig with crackling – and I had heard it was a meal for two; they weren’t wrong! Luckily, we could get the rest to take home, because even after his fish dish, Esben wasn’t able to finish it off! Oh well, at least we had lunch for tomorrow. When we got back to the tent that night, the wind had picked up, and the tent was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn’t seem to fall asleep and while looking up at the tent, it seemed like there might be two gorillas standing outside just constantly shaking the tent. I must have finally drifted off asleep, but when I woke during the night, the tent was still shaking in the same manner. Will this ever stop?? Oh wait, I think that’s rain too :o) And only for the second time during the trip.

Day 23: Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Lüderitz, west coast Namibia

Rain had stopped and sun was shining the next morning. We were going on a trip to the old diamond-mining town, Kolmanshoop, which is now nothing more than a ghost (tourist) town. We had purchased the permits the day before, and the tour began at 9.30am. Security is very strict around these parts, as some of the area is still active mining territory, but most of it has moved more to the south at the border with South Africa. Our tour guide was great; he even played and sang a song on the piano to demonstrate the good acoustics in the casino hall. We were shown around the old town, and then afterwards we could wander around to the different buildings ourselves. It was quite eerie to wander into houses which are now half filled with sand because of the surrounding deserts.

 

By 1956 everybody had left the town and the diamond mining town had already relocated. It was very interesting to see the ice factory, butcher and bakery buildings, and how they carried out their day to day duties, which would be conducted very easily nowadays.

We left at about 12.30pm and headed back to Lüderitz town. On our way back to the camp site we passed by a sign for fresh oysters, and both of us were a)hungry, and b)in the mood for seafood. So we stopped in, and ordered some fresh and grilled oysters. The great thing was that it was an oyster bar in a working fish factory, right at the sea, so you knew that the oysters were definitely fresh! They tasted yum, and we couldn’t believe how cheap they were!!

 


After our seafood stop, we headed out along the peninsula to go for a walk in the sunshine. First, we stopped off at Grosse Bucht where there was a small shipwreck and a good reason for this – the waves were huge and fascinating to watch. We then headed for Dias Point, where there is a lighthouse and a cross to mark where a Portuguese explorer (Dias) had stopped in 1428. This whole area was breathtaking, and we could have watched the powerful waves crashing against the rocks all day. We got back into town just in time to grab a cup of coffee and to share a huge slice of yummy caramel cake – we have noticed that cake slices are so big here, and half the price. Dangerous territory! This evening it wasn’t windy at the campsite, so I think both of us slept a bit better.

 

Day 24: Thursday, 16 August 2012

Lüderitz, west coast Namibia – Hobas, Fish River Canyon, Namibia

We left Lüderitz via the coffee shop (!) and headed east towards our next stop – Hobas, which is the campsite at Fish River Canyon national park. This canyon has been described as the second biggest in the world (after the Grand Canyon in the US), so we were both looking forward to seeing it. Esben hadn’t seen a canyon of this size before, but I had been to the Grand Canyon twice and Colca Canyon (Peru) once. I enjoyed each of these trips before, so I was sure that I would enjoy this trip too. We drove along a really good road most of the way to Hobas, and to be honest, there weren’t many cars or people about. That was one of the things that I was looking forward to on this trip – the huge empty spaces that you just don’t find in Euopean countries. The last time I encountered it would have been in 2007 in the US when we were in Arizona and Nevada, or in Australia in 2005 before that. At times when we are driving around Namibia, it feels like we could actually be driving up the centre of Australia. The landscape probably changes every 30-40km, and each time I’m intrigued by what I see (you can tell from the number of photos we’ve taken!!).

We turned off the main road at Seeheim, expecting it to be a small town, but actually it just consisted of a hotel, located deep in the valley. We headed down (looking for a petrol station), but ended up staying for lunch and a cold beer (and coke), and were told that petrol was available 80km along the road and a themed road house. The town of Seeheim was quite a busy place when the railroad opened in 1928, but after world war 2, things changed, and most people moved on. However, the hotel remained open until 1970, and then closed until 1990, when it once again was up and running. Given the size of the country, it’s not surprising that there are such isolated hotels and road houses, but I really don’t know how people do it. I guess you just get used to it.

We headed off from Seeheim, and arrived in Hobas campsite at around 4pm. This allowed us to set up our tent, and to drive the further 10km to the canyon. The sun would be setting about 20 minutes after we arrived, and they say this is a bad time to see the canyon – we understand why. The sun is shining right in your eyes, so it is very difficult to actually see the canyon. However, once you do, it takes your breath away.  We walked up to a ‘sunset’ spot, and once the sun went down, the clouds were a lovely red colour. We drove back soon after (the 10km bumpy road) and enjoyed some South African wine.

Day 25: Friday, 17 August 2012

Fish River Canyon, Namibia

We had a leisurely morning, as we had the whole day to spend at the canyon. Most people just have a look at the canyon and then travel south to Ais-Ai, where there are some hot springs. Unfortunately, you cannot do any day hikes or leisurely walks into the canyon, after a hiker died in 2001. There is only the 4-day hike available, and we didn’t have enough time on the trip to do this. But there are some walks along the rim of the canyon, where you can enjoy various views, and we wanted to do this. We also needed to be near Hobas so that we could set off early tomorrow for our drive over the border into South Africa. So between all the driving involved, we decided not to go to Ais-Ai. We prepared some food in the morning that would last us the next few days (lunches/dinners), and then spent the day at the canyon. The walks were very enjoyable, and we had great fun taking many different photos of the canyon and the wildlife/flora and fauna in the area. On our way to the canon, we didn’t get time to stop in at a roadhouse that is done up in an old style, with old cars and signs everywhere. So the plan for tomorrow is to stop in to break up the long drive ahead. 
Read more at Our Travels: Part 6