FUN-travel: Namibia – Part 1
November 15, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Namibia – Part 1
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
AA = Awesome Adventure
BB = Big Bummer
OO = Outrageously Overpriced
RBB = Really Big Bummer
TA = Totally Awesome
TAA = Totally Awesome Adventure
VG = Very Good
Day 28 – Thursday, September 30 – Windhoek, Namibia – cool 60’s to hot 90’s
Sesriem
- A – 6:45 am good hot coffee, followed by real hot shower, full breakfast
- A – 8:30 depart w/stop in real town @ mall for souvenirs, snacks & wine (feels like SA)
- A – smooth, paved roads!
- A – 160 miles to Desert Homestead in Namib Desert – terrain is granite mountains, dry grass
- B – wild fires create thick haze
- A – 1st 90 minutes paved roads
- B – next 3.5 hours gravel roads (at least they’ve been graded)
- A – mostly dry, sparse vegetation w/green trees by dry river beds fed by ground water
FF (FUN–Facts) – Desert Homestead consists of 20 thatch-roofed, whitewashed walled bungalows w/private verandas overlooking plain w/craggy mountains in every direction, beds come w/mosquito netting so you can leave windows open at night
- B – very cute, but no AC & very, very hot!
- A – have cool plunge pool
Day 29 – Friday, October 1 – Namib Desert – low 70’s to hot high 90’s
Sossusvlei Highest Dune
- A – quick coffee before heading out to Sossusvlei & Sesriem
- A – 6:30 start, get to main park gate @ 7:00 – still cool
- A – only 20 miles of gravel road & then 35 miles paved
- A – stop for walk up sand dune
Dry River Bed
- B – still have vertigo – very steep, narrow walk & windy – too dizzy & feel unbalanced – turn around
- AA – Sossusvlei has highest sand dune in world – over a1050’ high – dunes go on forever
- A – take a 1.5 mile round trip walk to dead pan – dried up river bed & dead trees caused by sand dunes cutting of water source
- A – Sesriem is a mini grand canyon – take a walk down to the bottom – very narrow & cool due to some water – see where huge boulders have broken off from top and blocked path – realize this is not the place you want to be in an earthquake
- C – spontaneous African after dinner singing & dancing by staff
FF – The dune colors are varying ranges of red, orange, brown & change throughout the day depending on the position of the sun and the shadows that it casts. The sand starts out very cool, then to warm & then to hot by mid morning.
Day 30 – Saturday, October 2 – Namib Desert to Swakopmund – cool 60’s to hot 90’s to cold low 60”s
Oliver the Ostrich
- A – depart 8 am for drive to Swakopmund
- A – 1st stop Solitaire – town consists of one lodge, gas station, bakery & camel rides
Oryx
- A – experience 4 different terrains on way – terra cotta colored brown/orange/red sand – jagged, then rounded, then flat top mountains – dry wheat colored grasses turn to soft yellow & deep golden colors – trees scattered on dry river beds
- A – 2nd stop lunch – see oryx, ostrich & springbok
- A – 3rd stop Kuiseb Canyon – see layered rock formations & dry river beds
- B – 4th stop Welwitschia Plains – not much to see but odd looking plant that lives 2,000 years and sprouts a single pair of leaves that lie in a tangled heap on the ground
- A – 5th stop Moonlandscape – expansive view of canyons – more different shapes & colors created by water over 1000’s of years
- A – arrive Swakopmund Guest House 3:00
- A – have internet after 12 days of none
- B – very slow & intermittent
- B – no hot water – office closed
- A – dinner @ Eric’s – seafood, very German (80% of town speaks German)
FF – Namibia “Big 3” is oryx, ostrich, & springbok