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Saturday, September 9th, Desert Rose Time Share, Henties Bay, Western Namibia
At the crack of dawn last Sunday (2nd Sept), we were packing to depart Luderitz on our way to Sussusvlei, about (as it turned out) 550Km away. We pause, only for a quick shot of Kolpmanskop, the old diamond mining ghost town just 10K outside Luderitz. The desert air was moist, in fact it rained most of the way across - about 125 Km. No desert horses this time through, we move on. Just pass the hide we spot a couple, and also the local version of a picnic site. In this area of the world, with no polutants to cover the scents of the world, you actually smell a gas vehicle after it passes! It stinks. Incredible to think of all those millions of vehicles doing the same back home, and you hardly notice the total stench of it.
Stopped off at Aus for a double fill up - Diesel (which is available everywhere and so far has not been any problem), and pies. Our host at the "One Stop" café, garage, hotel and general store, tells us that the remaining distance is 400Km. It's only 8:30AM, so we are ready for the hack through the vastness. On the way, we stop behind a tourist 12 seater bus who's contents are studying a huge lump of hay in a tree. We find out that it is a social weavers nest, maybe housing 100's of them. The driver tells us we have missed our turn off (probably in the dust cloud), but there is another one 10Km ahead. We thank her and head off. Three Km after our turn off, we have our first flat. I try to fix it while it is still on. Not a great success, but it gets us to the next outpost purporting to have a garage. Well, it does, but apparently not on Sundays. I get underneath and change the tyres, thanking Jimmy that it was a good job he did, and it's still inflated (thanks Jimmy!)
Ended the afternoon in Maltahohe.. The locals went to great lengths to get the tyre fixed - even getting the owner out of his lounge chair to open up the garage to fix it. It was a pretty bad rip and they used some hi tech (yes!) Inner puncture kit - far beyond me at the side of the road. Seems that the last guy to fix this tyre (in Cradock - yes the same one!) Did not do a great job, and the slow leak deflated the tyre enough to allow the stones to slice it up. At 4:00PM, we decided to stay at the local hotel, which has consistently won the "Best Hotel in Namibia" award for many years. After a shower, pot roast of Kudu was my selection for the evening meal - hmmmm - delicious, highly recommended, and several pints of local Namibian draught, the world and it's potential for vicarious unlimited potential of adversities, calmed down again. Even after the various tyre fixes that did or did not take place, we still clocked - 350Km out of Luderitz - not bad for the day.
On the way, we see (yes you guessed it) more desert, some Gemsbok (also called Oryx), various antelope and ostrich, all living off of practically nothing out here in one of the driest places in the world (Namib rainfall between 2 and 12 millimetres per year). Sesriem is the camp just outside the Namib park where there are 26 camp sites (not having reserved, we got #26 - the last one), and, of all things a Movenpick hotel - yes, that's what I said! We set up the tent and watched more Gemsbok in the desert park and then passed a few hours in the pool, also watching the animals about a km away. Our permit allows us to be in the park until 19:45, we head off the 65Km to Sossusvlei, the centre of the park. After 60K, we need 4 x 4 drive, no light comes on, we are still in 2 x 4. Turn around and get stuck! Oh SHIT! Eventually, a Land Rover with a tow rope arrives, and amid much hilarity (for those of you not in the know, you are either a Rover or a Cruiser fanatic, and never the twain shall talk to the other), and photo's, we are out. Being able to drive is good enough for me, no bruised egos to nurse here!
It's very dark when we get back. Our camping/ cooking facilities once again prove quite adequate. An aside to national parks in Southern Africa: All the ones we have visited, have at least a few cans, and usually some frozen meat and bread. This means that even if you arrive without any food, you can stay (barely, it's true) solely on canned beans, berrianis, rice, lamb chops, boerewores and long life milk. It's worked for us on several occasions, and probably will do so again. Next morning, we are up early for the sunrise at Dune 45. The dawn is breaking, and we head up the dune until dawn. At 250 metres up, there's lots to see, if you like deserts. It's a lot easier to climb when its cold and damp, and there are at least 15 others up here already. How about a perspective? Here is the missus climbing down.
The trip to Sossusvlei takes about 15 minutes. Once in, we see the huge dunes, and of all things, the lake (vlei) at it's centre. The vlei has been drying out, and the very fine dust it leave on the ground swirls around us, it finds folds of flesh and pores we had long since forgotten. Ilge has had enough sand crawling, and sits out our climbing experience. Here there are probably 100 - 150 people crawling over the dunes. People and huge dunes are all around us. Very awe inspiring, and also, very dusty and sandy. Aiden & Kayla roll, cartwheel and generally burrow into the dunes. By 10:30, we have climbed 2 huge dunes (the kids did one twice), taken what feels like 15 rolls of film, are hot, dusty, dirty and ready to call it a day.
Back and pack, GOD it's getting hot, not to mention dusty. Where to? It's 450Km to Walvis Bay, across the bits of Namib twice again. At 12:30PM, it sounds like a hell of a drive. Come sunset, we are driving into the sun after a real dash across the 160Km of Namib, plus 200Km of other extremely barren desert like areas; stones ruts, dust and all. After 350K of this, we do not have air so the windows are usually open, everyone is plastered with sweat and a fairly thick layer of grime - "It feels like I have a cap of dust on my head": Ilge We survive the outrages of desert travel again. After finding a great place to stay in Walvis Bay, a wonderful restaurant (Aiden discovers medium-rare pepper steaks!), and an equally wonderful breakfast, we are able to take our time heading to Swakopmund. The lagoon is full of flamingoes and pelicans - no one is bothered enough to notice! Swakopmunt - just as I remember it, but bigger. Last time I was here 20+ years ago, I could only afford camping, this time we stay in the "A" frames run by the municipality. It's still damp and cold with lots of fog. After doing some shopping, the cruiser cuts out, and of all things, we coast to a halt outside the Toyota dealer. I needed a service any way. Thursday, and the spluttering is diagnosed and "fixed" (??), the 4 wheel drive is back in action (a rusted pipe caused that), serviced and ready for another 5/ 8,000 Km. Well, we will see through the Kalahari. Catch up with some e-mails, the web site seems to be 6 weeks behind - where is my web dude and what has he been at lately?? Business seems to be ticking over qute happily without me, and Val tells us that school has started for the kids. Friday, and we are off to Walvis for a harbour tour. It's grey, cold, and we nix it before we even arrive. Instead, we chase flamingoes, salt works and have a lazy breakfast. There is a gymnasium here, and we get the details. Maybe we can do another trip here next week. On the way back, we stop at the roadside quadbike (4 x 4 ATV buggys) area abutting the desert , and take the edge off the day roaring around the desert. As it's still missy, the sand is kept to a minimum. Great fun that is over all too soon. Pausing back in Swakop only to top up our vittles and replace the 100 - 300 mm lense (see previous entry), we arrive at "The Desert Rose" time share at Henties Bay. We finally get a full evening and day of getting the kids to do some schoolwork, and, well, at the risk of boring you........ "As I sit here gazing out of the window onto the surf thundering away as it beaches no more than 100m away, direct from South America, I spot a seal slapping out onto the beach in front of out time share......". Yeah, yeah, you've heard it before, but unfortunately its true yet again....... Sunday night, pepper steaks ready for the braii, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon at my elbow, the sun setting in the west, Well, maybe this coming week will be a little more boring, er, I mean restful, than the last 10 weeks. Distance travelled this entry: 1250 Km. Distance moved on trip this entry: 1100 Km |
What a hectic dirty, dusty, hot, dusty, extensive, dirty, travelling week!
Of course, this ability to smell everything around is not always a good thing in a vehicle on a long trip with two kids in the back...
(Who was that?)
140Km up the road, there is another outpost. I hold my breath, and check the tyres every 20 - 30 Km for inflation. Believe me,
travelling through the outer reaches of nowhere, on a stone infested road where we only see 2 vehicles the rest of the day, with no
spare tyre, can be more of a stress than most Monday morning pages I've had.
Tuesday, 4th, Our 3rd. Month dawns bright and clear (yes again - we have not had one bad day of weather yet!), and after a leisurely
German flavoured breakfast (lots of old German families from old, old old colonial time before the wars), we are off to the REAL
On the way back, light fading, 
After an hour, and a few gymnastics from the kids (various carwheels and flips), its down to the 2 x 4 parking lot. For N$150 (about
$CAN35.00) we take a beaten up ancient land rover into the Vlei. This is heavy duty 4 x 4 country!
We call it a day.
