We woke with a slow start, we hit up the supermarket to gather supplies for the next three nights on the road. With just a brief lunch stop at solitaire, the entire day was spent on unsealed roads so we were stoked to finally arrive at Namib Naukluft around 4 to set up camp at Sesreim. A group of us then decided to head down to Sesreim Canyon to explore, sighting a beautiful sunset and the most magical full moon over the distant mountains. Back at the camp, a big feed of chow min later we called it a day and headed to bed.
We woke to the alarm at 5, darkness still surrounded us as we packed down our tents and staggered up onto the truck. About half hours drive down the road we pulled into a car park at Dune 45 and began to climb the massive sand dune amongst many other tourists. We were climbing up the spine of it as sand tricked away from under my feet I began to feel uneasy and stopped half way to take in the majestic sunrise whilst Sean rallied to the top. The sky was alive with a variety of colours, & after we descended back down, we threw down breakfast & were back on the road. 
We weren't done with dunes however, our next stop was the picturesque Deadsvlei - a massive salt pan sprinkled with 900 year old bare 'petrified trees.' We had to take a 4x4 across the sand to get to the carpark, & follow it up with a walk over gently sloping dunes to reach Deadsvlei. The pans were surrounded by giant dunes, the highest of which, Big Daddy measures over 300 metres! We walked around admiring the world's oldest ecosystem, & decided we needed the birds eye view. So we agreed to climb up a steep, massive dune the hard way, & our legs burned as we made our way to the top. What a workout! Reaching the top ,- & somehow not collapsing - we took in the incredible views, snapped a few photos & then we were suddenly running down the dune as fast as we could without toppling over!
We moved on to the next sight, Soussvlei, which was unfortunately not as pretty, however it's said to be best seen during the wet season, when there's water in on the pans. Returning to the truck, we were quick to take off with our next stop Fish River Canyon & Ai-Ais, however not before a transit stop at an eerily empty camp just outside of the small town of Brittanie.
We were only a few hundred metres from the camp when we came across a car accident on the side of the road. The badly injured man told Vee that one of the wheels on the ute he was driving popped unexpectedly, & the whole vehicle flipped off the road. He was incredibly lucky to not only survive, but to come off without any serious spinal damage.
We arrived at camp just as the sun was setting, quickly pitching tent & enjoying a nice hot shower. Sean cooked an amazing - if a bit spicy - venison curry on mashed potatoes. After a bottle of delicious Malbec & a game of Monopoly Deal (a new card game Chloe taught us all,) we called it a night early, & were straight to bed.
The following morning we were up & ready to go by 8am. We were on the truck, & within a few hours we made it to Fish River Canyon. The canyon is said to be the the second largest in the world after the Grand, however, there is controversy as it could technically be called a gorge. Either way the place itself is incredible. It's amazing that geological processes millions of years ago could leave such a significant gash in the earth's surface! The width of the canyon spans 27km, & the depth is 550m, at the bottom you can make out the winding green fish river.
After strolling alongside the cliffs of the canyon, stopping to take some heart stopping pictures, we reached the rest area where the truck was parked & decided to eat our delicious tuna salad lunch. Not long after that, we were back on Eeyore, & ready for some geothermal therapy in the hot pools of Ai-Ais.
Mid afternoon rolled around and we eventually pulled into a massive valley camp, surrounded by giant rock slopes. The place was rammed full of tourists, there were kids everywhere, our peaceful dip in the hot springs certainly looked to be compromised! We set up camp near the hottest spring, the water temperature reaches 65 degrees celsius, needless to say we couldn't swim in it! We could however swim in the indoor pools for a small fee, & as we walked through the doors we breathed a small sigh of relief as there weren't as many children inside. Most of the group, Sean & I found a nice spot to lay back & let the water work it's magic, & after an hour or so, we decided to check out the cooler, yet still warm, outside pool which we splashed about in for a little while before it was time for a hot shower & for me to start helping with dinner.
Dinner consisted of traditional German sausages, mashed potato, & sauerkraut (a vinegary cabbage that came in a can.) Both sausages were delicious, however the company not so much, & Sean & I decided to spend some alone time in the campsite bar. After a few cold draught beers, we decided to call it a night & head back to our tent for some shut eye. It wasn't long after our heads hit the hay that we were asleep, ready for our last day in Namibia the following day.
Arising early the next morning, as the sun begun casting its glow down the slopes, we were back on the truck shortly after a simple breakfast.The drive to the Orange River was fairly easy & didn't take too long, even after a detour to a supermarket past the camp we were to be staying at, & we pulled into 'Felix Unite' just before lunchtime.
Our afternoon was occupied by helping Vee clean down every tent in the truck, & also washing our clothes. We then went for a short walk down to the lovely Orange River to hunt for some pretty stones. After a couple of ciders at the bar, & one over a dinner of veggie pasta, we were showered & in our tents within no time, ready for an even earlier start & to cross over into South Africa.
We woke drearily the next morning to the sound of our alarm ringing out at 5:15a.m. Rising out of bed slowly, we routinely packed up, devoured brekky, & were on the bus by 6. The crossing of the border into South Africa was the easiest thus far. Needing no visa, we were stamped & straight into the country that promised more beautiful landscapes, & also the conclusion of our African journey!
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