Southern Africa Part 2: Namibia

Part two of the three-part Southern Africa series (don't forget, Sabrina's typing in orange)

I cannot say enough positive things about the Namibia, the second country on our three-country road-trip tour of Southern Africa.  I get the impression that Namibia is mostly undersold to western tourists and doesn't get the attention it deserves because it is right next to it's famous neighbor to the south.  But honestly, Namibia and South Africa share parallel narratives.  Even though it was first colonized by the German's back in late 19th century, a little thing called World War I happened and Namibia found itself as a protectorate of South Africa who subjected it to the same apartheid segregationist rule until it gained it's independence in 1990 and did its own thing that point onward.  From this short history blurb, it's easy to understand the diversity of people and cultures that make up this country (one of the things that gives it its charm).  Namibia has been my favorite country so far...with a couple more to go...but still, it is just plain amazing. The people, the food, the environment, it is all just lovely!

Another great feature of Namiba is its diverse landscape.  Driving from the southern border almost to the northern, we got to see just about all of it.  Along the way, we made some friends to include kudu, oryx, and many many many springbok (pretty much the dear the southern Africa).

Oryx on the side of the road

More Oryx...

More roadside Oryx

Kudu! (female)

Of course, between animals sightings, there was open space and roads.  Lots of roads.  Some of it paved, but most of it sand and gravel. Ryan is being nice with saying that some were paved.  I think on our thousand mile road trip of Namibia less than 1/4 was paved.  We were wicked excited to turn on to our first dirt road, but after the first 100 miles your but hurts and you just want to see a line painted on the road! The kind of wide open space that most people think of when they think "Africa."  A place with no cell phone signal, not emergency call boxes, not another car in sight.  Just you, nature, and breathtaking views of the arid scrub brush with the Naukluft Mountain Range hovering in the distance.  Just make sure that if you're using a GPS, always check the route that it doesn't try to take you on any adventurous "short cuts" and get you lost in on a dirt track road that cuts across private property. Ok. so about that last sentence.  I think that Ryan is trying to skirt his biggest GIS booboo of the entire trip.  So there were were, trying to get from Sosussvlei (see below) and trying to get to Windhoek, the capital.  With the research Ryan and Jess did before our trip, it was going to take six hours.  Doable.  When I put in the address of the new hotel, with Ryans coordinates, it said 3 hours.  Score!  We were all excited.  Started driving.  Watched the windmills, and cows, and Oryx...la la la just another driving day in Namibia.  We were on a 'main' road (still not paved but had road signs!) and the GPS told us to turn right.  Ok, we did.  Then there was a gate, and a sign in Afrikaans that we assumed said "Please make sure gate is closed after driving through"  So we continue driving.  The road becomes more narrow with every mile, more gates with signs...no worries.  But then we actually start off roading.  Like giant boulders, Acacia bushes scraping off paint and just a faint pair of road tracks that we had a hard time following.  All this time from the back seat Ryan kept saying "Keep going, we are ok.  The highway will be along soon" Yeah, sure.  We drive and drive at about 7 mph for a while.  An hour and a half actually and then there is was.  A fence.  Running right through the trail.  Jess and I about lost our minds. So, we had to turn around drive the almost two hours BACK to the 'main' road, and start our journey over. Low and behold after about 40 miles on that road, we found the main highway.  Sorry hun, but your GPS skills failed that day.  But we did learn a very valuable lesson, if the road name has the letter D before the numbers it means it is a district road, which pretty much means just a road to someones house/property.

Big dirt road, little man

This was our first official dirt road experience.  Obvs we were excited enough to want to take pictures, but it sure was pretty. 

Bessie, or noble stead just taking it all in

This was in SA, with Namibia in the background.  

For our stop, we stayed at the Desert Homestead Lodge.  This is an example on how Namibia is capitalizing on its vast natural beauty by promoting eco-tourism with just the right mixture of comfort, ruggedness, simplicity, and isolation to draw in visitors from all over the world as well as within the country itself.  We stayed in a well-furnished little cabin/hut which we had all to ourselves.  The views of the Naukluft Range and the flat lands beneath were breath taking and animals would come within 100m to drink from the watering hole with nothing between us and the open veld.

Our "Little House on the Veld"

Just a short ways down the road from our hut  is the Nauklut-Namib National Park where we spent the day exploring the massive sand dunes in the world's oldest desert, the Namib.  Leaving early in the morning really paid off.  Not only did we get to see the sunrise over the massive dunes, we were able to see how the dunes actually changed color throughout the entire day. Our day trip took us through Sossusvlei, an Afrikaans name referring to the salt and clay pan surrounded by the local red dunes.  While in the Sossusvlei area, we enjoyed a nice picnic amidst the sand.  Our guide, Immanuel, was amazing and very knowledgable.  I dont know if anyone reading this will ever head to The Desert Homestead, but if you do ask for Immanuel!  

About the summit one of the larger dunes: "Big Daddy"

Chilly morning on the start of our drive.  Knox couldn't be bothered for comment quite yet.

The gang with our guide, Immanuel

This might be my fave photo from the entire trip.  

Sand dunes of the Namib desert

Heading up "Big Daddy."  It's harder than it looks

The kid just enjoying the sand

Our stay in the capital city of Windhoek was uneventful and a nice stopover on our way north to Etosha National Park where our attention turned from sand to fauna.

We drive three hours north and, at our "camp" waiting for us was the definition of "glamping": a canvas tent under a wooden shelter but fully equipped with electrical and climate control, not to mention a semi-private toilet and shower under the stars en plein nature as it was meant to be.  Glorious.  The hotel was called the Etosha Village and is one of the closest to the national park.  Supposedly you can some times hear the lions roaring from the camp.  But there is a really big fence between the two, dont worry! The glamping experience was awesome.  The tent was the perfect size bc there is so much to do that you are never really in there but to sleep or get ready for the day.  There is a kitchenette, outside, with picnic tables and a grill.  I inquired about the locks on the mini fridge and it was not to keep the guests out, its too keep the honey badgers out.  I guess they enjoy adult beverages just as much as some of us humans!  One of my favorite parts of this hotel, as like the Desert Homestead, was the watering hole.  It was a little bit of a walk from our tent, but I sat in the grass for hours waiting for the wildlife to show up.  It is so very exciting, and I got to see the biggest warthog I have ever seen in my entire life! (He was not as excited to see me!)

Our game drive in Etosha National Park turned out to be one of the all time highlight of the trip, and if the park was a highlight, then the highlight of the highlight had to be our once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the extremely endangered black rhino just meters from our car. Can you tell we liked it just a little?  I'm so glad the three of us got to see these animals while we can.  Conservationists are doing the best they can, but sadly animal poaching is extremely lucrative in this part of the world and the longterm future of these beasts is still uncertain.  I do hope that we some day have the privilege to live some place like this so that I can help in some sort of way with this problem.  I would GLADLY go poacher poaching.  We had a wonderful time though and I'll let our pictures speak for themselves:

Ok. so can I brag a little?  Well, I am going to do it anyway. We are driving around the park in the truck and I could tell that the guide, Ramon, was getting frustrated that we didnt see anything besides a couple of zebra.  We take a turn and I am watching a jackal running towards the brush.  And then he stops.  So I said, Ramon I think that there is something in the grass and he said Yeah, its a spring bok.  No, Ramon.  I dont think that a springbok would make a jackal stop dead in his tracks.  I stare for about three more seconds as Ramon continues to drive, and finally I see her and yell (well, whisper yelled) LION!  Ramon still didnt believe me. And then he saw her too.  That magnificent beast of a giant cat.  She wasnt too keen on seeing us, bc we were obviously getting in the way of her routine but I am happy that we ran into her and that I spotted her before we left the area.  

So that is they thing in this park, and I am sure many other parks, is too see the pride.  I totally understand, seeing a lion is pretty epic. But every truck we past they would ask have you seen the pride?  Where is the pride? Sheesh people, just leave them be!  You are on their turf.  If they want to be noticed, they will let you know!  I guess that is just me being me, but I wish others wouldnt get entertainment by disrupting nature. And dont even get me started on "herding" animals while on safari.  ::PSA over::

I could also brag a little here about how I found the Black Rhino family in the brush.  But I wont, or did I just do it?  ;)  Anyway, I think that I should be a guide.  I would be damn good at it! Plus, I think I am pretty personable. Ha hahahahahah!

The running joke of the day was that I could find the animals that no one else could see but I could not see the 20 foot giraffe standing 50 feet in front of me.  Its true.  I couldnt find the dang giraffes. 

Lots of action at the watering hole

Pointing out "Olifants" at the watering hole 

All in all, Namibia was a success.  We were sad to leave, but eager to continue on to yet another country on our trek: Botswana.  Rest assured though, we will be back someday.