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Diary - Namibia – Windhoek to Border (6th Jan to 10th Jan)
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After a great night out at Joes Beer House, having been dragged out by the young South Africans from Etosha we decided it was time to head out of Windhoek. The surrounding area is fairly mountainous and in order to get anywhere south you have to travel through one of a number of passes. We had decided to go via the Gamsberg Pass, but as we approached the rain began to drive down onto us and the surroundings. This not only meant we couldn’t see the beautiful view but we also got the obligatory wet foot from our leaky landy!
We have recently been given some great advice about making the most out of every moment we have left. So huddling around our camp fire in our thermal undies, we watched as the rain cleared and gave us a show of multiple storms all around us. This included rainbows and lightning but also one terrifying roll of thunder that just went on for almost half a minute. The spot was so isolated and the camp high on the escarpment that when darkness fell the sky became one of the biggest starry skies we have seen. Making us both look up in wonder at just how many more they seem to have than at home.
After stopping on route in Solitare for fuel and the well known apple pie for elevenses we arrived in the middle of the heat at the Namib National Park. This area of the park is the home to enormous sand dunes that form a sandy ocean covering a huge distance as far as you can see. It is also the home to Sossesvlei and Deadvlei, the latter being the iconic image of Namibia and the five hundred year old dead trees in dry pan that is surrounded by monstrous glowing orange sand dunes. We did end up cheating a little when walking to Deadvlei as our first attempt to follow the markers proved that there weren’t any and that we were wandering around in a desert with no real clue. Our second attempt made use of the ever faithful GPS, but we also picked up some other lost tourists making us feel nervous about getting it wrong.
Deadvlei is as magical and mysterious as the pictures portray and once we had caught our breath from getting there it was wonderful to wander around the stillness and lifelessness. Sossesvlei on the other hand is the opposite and is the end of the current dry river making it full of greenery and animals hiding in the shadows. Katie getting worried as we wandered about seeking out Gemsbok or chasing Ostrich. After the elephant episode she likes to keep a good distance.
The following morning we decided to do the normal tourist thing and wakeup in the dark and go climb a dune to watch the sunrise. We were the third car to arrive and set off to climb the well known Dune 45. Thankfully it is far from the biggest dune in the area, but possibly one of the more photogenic as the dune has a beautiful sweeping motion to its shape. Even in the darkness at 6am the climb is draining as your feet slip deep into the soft sand, whilst either side of you becomes a steeper and steeper drop. Trying to balance on the crest of this massive dune is no easy task. It was well worth it though and once we reached the top we sat down in time for the sun to creep over the other dunes and watch all the late comers racing down the road. Needless to say we took the easy way back and raced straight down the face of the dune, with every footstep plunging into the soft sand giving an almost weightless moon walking feel. The experience goes to prove that a little effort is always greatly rewarded.
Leaving the park behind we set of for Luderitz feeling satisfied by our morning accomplishment. Gweneveer had other ideas though and rebelled on some dirty fuel causing us a headache trying to work out what the problem was and why we could barely go anywhere. We did the normal things and still didn’t resolve it completely. Luckily one car offered to tow us to the nearby ranch. Due to the remoteness of Namibia, ranch owners tend to be handy mechanics or at least have a mechanic/handy man. This little ranch was home to a very welcoming Namibian family who kindly sheltered us through the storm until the Dad returned to sort the car. Luckily we got there just in time as minutes after the sand started to swirl high in the sky and head across the fields towards the house, bringing with it an immense wind that would sweep you of your feet. Turns out that we had done everything correctly and had just not pumped the fuel pump enough after we had bled it and we were back on the road in minutes. Another lesson learnt being a Land Rover owner. |
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Ever fearful of another problem we arrived in Luderitz, what we dub the ‘windy city of Namibia’. The wind was just phenomenal and even stronger on our trip out to Diaz Point to see the stark conditions that seem to have been so mineral rich over the past century. The fact that some people live out here is amazing as it is not only barren but the weather is horrific. Of course for the African Penguin residents that are on one of the little islands you can understand their enjoyment.
We ended up staying at the Backpackers in the car park just to have somewhere that you could stand still without the risk of getting blown out to sea. It proved to be perfect and we spent an enjoyable night swapping stories with another English couple who have spent a year travelling southern Africa. It is never nice to hear others have had Land Rover problems, but it is reassuring!
The morning involved a trip to visit Kolmanskop, a ghost town from the old diamond rush of the early twentieth century. The buildings that were impressive in their time are now made even more magical with sand pouring through doorways and piling into every corner. From elaborate houses, to a massive hospital, dingy looking workers quarters, a butchers, an ice store, even a grand theatre and entertainment building the town looked as if it was ‘the’ place to be during it’s hey day. The tour was interesting and made the trip out to Luderitz worthwhile.
The southern part of Namibia has involved some big driving days, most being at least five hours long if not more. Unfortunately the landscape of the south is barren and uninteresting making the time in the car drag by. On route to South Africa we made a stop at the Fish River Canyon to see what the fuss is about. Although it is interesting, it isn’t somewhere to while away a few hours as not only is it incredibly hot but the scenery is not that impressive, just a variety of browns with the odd plant. We guess it is back to the whole build up and we were expecting something to rival the Grand Canyon. Maybe the travelling has tired us out but we were hoping for something more breathtaking to match the reaction to the rest Namibia, sadly it wasn’t to be.
You get a real sense of how vast a country is when trying to get out of it and the road to the border was a long one. Not that Steve would know as he decided to fall asleep for most of the journey. Within minutes of reaching the border we were across and cheering that we had reached the final country and our minds instantly relaxed that we had driven all this way. |
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