Sand dunes & canyon moons, Namibia

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!

Himbas, sleeping under stars and Swakopmund, Namibia

The following frosty morning, we had a warm cooked breakfast, bid the lonely cheetah farewell with a rub & packed up, ready to hit the road again. Our next stop - the ancient Himba village followed by the vast rock formations of Spitzkoppe where we were to spend the night. The himba village was only about half an hour down the road and we were welcomed by a man who was to be our guide. 

Most of the himba tribe live in more remote areas, however this community was created when a man took a woman from the tribe to seek medical care as she had cancer. She survived thanks to treatment and they married, however she was unable to have children so they started adopting orphaned or poor children from the Himba village. It grew from there with more of the traditional ladies coming to visit and staying on to help. 

Like a lot of other African countries the men seek multiple wives, however the cost is 5 cows which is a pretty hefty sum. As soon as we walked through the gates we were greeted by many smiling children, one of which was a little lady who was dressed in traditional women's afire. The women are usually topless and wear a little skirt surrounded by heavy metal and leather belts. Lots of chockers and body jewellery is worn, as well as thick anklets showing the number of children by how many lines it has. 

Girls wear their hair plaited forward, until they are old enough to coat their head in fat and have fluffy extensions at the bottom. Their beauty was captivating and they definitely had a particular smell about them. We were taken into a small round hut which sleeps 5 people, and shown how the women clean themselves. She used smoke from the stenchy fire and lifted it to her arm pits and breasts, then rubed animal fat on her body. To do the whole process of the body it is said to take an hour and a half every day.. It was a very pungent smokey fat smell that they wore. 

We then had a chance with the assistance of a translator to ask some questions, as having read that 1 in 4 people in Namibia and South Africa have HIV I asked what precautions were put in place and if they did practice safe sex. He answered that they are educated about the virus but no one ever gets checked, like other cultures men don't like wearing protection even through its available to them and women don't generally object. Then when someone dies of malaria they call it just that, instead of delving further to work out in a lot of cases they were infact HIV possitive which is why their immune system was so vulnerable to other diseases. 

Running short of time and eager to get out and breath in fresh air we browsed their local markets before jumping back on the truck. The road was dusty, bumpy and unsealed, besides a quick lunch at a petrol station, browsing some semi precious stones, the entire day was spent in the truck. The further we travelled the more the desert rolled in and wildlife rolled out. The ground was sparse, homing few shrubs and pricked bushes, which contrasted the merging massive rock formations which scraped the sky. 

We finally arrived at Spitzkoppe at around half 4.. Just enough time to explore the massive rocks and climb to find an area to sleep under the stars. Sean and I ventured to the highest one and found a flat at the top to lay our mats amongst the rock hyrax.. (Who looks like a large rat but in fact its closest relative is the elephant)! 

After a cold beer in view of a gorgeous sunset we descended back down to the truck to cook a delicious gamey feed of oryx (very tender and tasty) with salad! Quick to climb back up and get cosy in our sleeping bags, we fell to a deep sleep gazing at the shine of the moon and wishing upon shooting stars. 

We woke early the next morning with the stars still scattered across the newly dark navy blue sky. We jumped out of our makeshift bed and climbed to a higher rock to watch the sun rise over the pastel sky before heading back down to the truck for breaky. Back on the dirt road we hesitantly farewelled Spitzcoppe and all its mighty to delve further into the desert until we reached the west coast. 

The air became salty and water lurked the horizon, until finally we reached the Atlantic Ocean. Our first stop on the coast was the Cape Cross fur seal colony. We pulled up & were immediately taken aback by the smell! There were hundreds of thousands of seals on shore, & more splashing around in the freezing sea. Once you got past the unappealing scent of seal, they were actually quite entertaining. They made cries that you'd swear were sheep, whilst males sat proudly perched on the highest rocks and  many jealously tried to get them off. We came across a tiny pup, separated from it's mother. Our hearts broke as we watched it unsuccessfully call out & search around. Our time soon came to an end & we were all back on the truck. 

Rushing on we drove another hour south, following the sea until we reached our destination; Swakopmund, which was to be our home for 3 nights. Excited to be sleeping in real beds we all checked into 'Grüner Kranz Hotel,' white linen ticked a box but the mould that crawled the ceilings didn't. Craving a real coffee on this sleepy Sunday, Sean and I headed in to explore the German Settlement city. Wide clean streets mapped the town, coffee shops, beer houses and overpriced trinket shops chased the streets and the lack of people made it feel eerie and a little unwelcoming. What's more, we soon learnt that this town virtually goes to sleep on Sunday, & we found a minuscule amount open for business.

The next few days in Swakop - as it is affectionately known - were as uneventful as the town itself on Sundays. We went out a few times, found a fantastic coffee shop 'Cordes & Co,' which also had decent WiFi (not to mention the only real friendly staff!) as a bonus. The last night was spent with the group over a delicious pizza dinner, followed by a instantly regretted free strawberry milk & tequila shot at their dive next door. Needless to say, we didn't hang around long, & were in bed was soon as we reached the hotel.