Gosh, what a trip.
Namibia has given us so much. Sadn dunes, salt pans, Elephant, lions, great people, and some weather. Superb.
We suggest anyone with an adventurous spirit, even if not very, should come to Namibia.
We will be back…..
Etosha National Park – wow. Entered via Okaukuejo staying at a Lodge very close to the watering hole. Regular visits from wildebeest and springbok day and night. No driving before sunrise or after sunset. Up and out by 5:30, herds of zebra, impala, wildebeest and springbok with their young. This is the time of feast while the rains are here. Stately giraffe gently nibbling at the ferocious thorn bushes. The salt pan is vast, a white backdrop to everything. But this time of yer the area is green and lush.
A large herd of springbok darting across the plain caught our attention… three femaile lions and one young maile staliking. Small herd of zebra with a young colt clearly very twitched. Peculiar thing is they inched closer and closer to the shaded lions. Why? Wouldn’t you head off to another watering hole? Fascinating to watch the behaviours and contemplate what is actually going on. One female lion very bloodied already so possibly not quite ready to put in some action….
Etosha is vast. Flat. White. And when it’s been raining green and yellow with flowers. But it is easy to drive for hours. And it’;s life isn’t given up easily. You have to look. Hard. And even then have some luck. We did. Look hard and huge luck. The loins were great. Happy for us to be fairly close. In fact most of the animals whilst not being used to cars, don’t seem to care. Unless you do somethjing silly. Like cough! Or start the car…
Etosha is glorious. Harsh but so beautiful. Abd did I mention harsh??
Tomorrow.. another early start. 5 ish, and a night drive.
Namibia is quite addictive. Fab!!
Our second day in the magical Huab Lodge. We try again to see the desert addapted elephants. And… yea! We (ie Deon, the owner and guide) manages to find them in 250,000 hectacres. Phew. And a group he doesn’t see often. So glorious. A privilege.
The trip was down the now dry river, maybe a total of 30km, a few Km’s tracking fresh footprints – easier in mud! – and then 35Km back. With lunch under a tree. What a day.
A bit of a dash back as the clouds were starting to billiow up over the mountain sides. Not a good place to be in the steep sided valley when the rain comes rushing down, as it can do in moments. There was a light shower, always welcome but not enough, yet.
The first day was a bit frustrating. We started to look for desert elephamts in the totally fab Huab river valley, but we were held back by… too much rain! In a desert, with 10mm rain a year. Apparently the river floods about every 3 years, and today was the day! Hey ho. Still great birds and other stuff. Deon, our guide and lodge owner says “I never get fed up with water damage or damage caused by elephants. We need them both. Too much will never be a problem”. Good call, but a tad frustrating.
What a drive from Deadvlei to Swakopmund, about 500km, all gravel roads, some ‘bouncy’ – Namibian massage! – but always something to look at. Always the chance of an ostrich, a zebra or local tribe members trying to get you to stop and buy ‘gems’ or just give them money. A hard decision to drive on, as we want to help but suspect that just giving money isn’t the best way.
The next morning having spent the night atop our camper van, we start a day od pure fun! Mola-Mola safaris were superb. Morning of paddlinf around the bay, 1,000’s of seals and thyen a BBQ on tyhe beach – crayfish and steak. WOW!!
Then the afternoon of sand dune driving. What an experience.
On the way back we stopped to see 100’s of lesser and greater flamingoes. A sight to behold.
Suoerb day and more tenting experience to come.
Totally glorious. And all with just us and our guide. Thanks Mola Mola. Worth every NAD.
Our fave flamingo photo!!
Gosh, what a day. Drove to Sesriem from our ‘Guest farm” saw Sesriem canyon, climbed up Elim dune and then hidden vlei, also stopping at dune 40, dune 45 and a few other ‘un-named’ dunes. The names relate to how far down the road they are from the entrance to the national park. So no prizes for how far dune 30 is away from the entrance. The advertising budget for Namibia is small. Very small. But the dunes are huge. The photos do not do them justice. The canyon only has water for a few days a year, and it floods with an hour’s notice. We survived.
The Oryx is desert addapted such that it only needs to drink every few days, and its urine is so concentrated itt comes out like a thick honey!
Deadvlei is a post apocalypse scene, 900+ year old dead trees that are too dry to rot all on a salt pan. Madness, but amazing. A 5am start, and we stayed in the national park such that we could get to them for dawn. Great hotel, but only one night. Dead valley lodge. Recommended.
Now we drive 500Km to Swakopmund, and flamingoes. And dunes, and seals, and camping! All on gravel roads. Yea.
Day 1
Our first few days looking around Namib-Naukluft National Park. The journey to our guestfarm was a bit hard work, rutted gravel roads sponsored by many local dentists, and the directions we not even up to Hampshire standards. In fact the roads had many similarities to Hampshire: pot holes, poor maintenance, but no cyclists. A great experience and glad we had our trusty Toyota. Or at least we hope its trusty. Time will tell.
The wildlife around our homestay is glorious. Recommended.
Amazing that such a diverse list of plants, animals and birds all manage to eek out a living in a desert. And thrive. Well, except the sheep that used to be produced by our farm. They have all been replaced by their only produce now: humans! Their only income now. But as a result they have over 1,000 springbok rewilded on the ‘farm’, so that humans can look at them. Previously they had all been shot. A result for all.
It is going to be amazing!!
Love, Paul and Linda
Sad to be leaving Brazil, but our time is up and we need to get back to other bits of our lives. Brazil has given us so many lasting images, mainly glorious wildlife, diversity and fun. A bit of sadness around the ripping out of jungle to make way for cattle or soy. At times we give up on humans and their need to expand. We do what we can. By seeing these things and supporting local industry we help, if only a bit. Cristalino would not exist as primary forest withoiut tourism. The gate into the reserve was the dividing line between barren fields and jungle.
This trip has made us question so many assumptions, about humans and lives.
We were sad to miss the coverage of Elizabeth 2nd’s passing. A big thing.
We are ongoingly sad to hear what other countries think of the UK. The local politics of Brazil seems to be as divided as the UK, but with a lot more poverty. Complicated.
A glorious trip.
A brief blog as we have been up early before dawn for the mist and mellow fruitfulness Amazon style. 50m tower by 5am with the most glorious views, noises and smells. The pictures really do not do it justice – no noise or smell!
The Cristalino Lodge is so fab. Remote and supports a whole community of locals. Friendly, fab food and to be recommended.
Paul and Linda Cycle 