Our Travels: Part 5

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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