Category: 2019-05 US Namibia

We enjoyed our stay in Swakopmund very much. We went to the beach promenade this morning and went to the Jetty to the lookout point. The fog from the early morning had lifted. A few seals were swimming in the waves.

There are German names on every corner in Swakopmund, as the town was built during the German colonial period (founded in 1892). Really pretty houses and streets. We then hit the road again and drove 514 km to Outjo to Modjila Safari Camp. We have a nice spot and are the only campers here today. For dinner we made a delicious barbecue. It is windless and pleasant and a few bats are buzzing around.

Silke

The first view out of the tent showed an Oryx antelope right in front of our site. Fun blue-headed guinea fowl were also walking around the property.

After breakfast, we hit the road again. We drove 310 km exclusively unpaved roads towards the coast to Swakopmund.

On the way we have reached the Tropic of Capricorn, (the Tropic of South). On this circle of latitude the sun is at its zenith once a year at the summer solstice (21.-22,12,). We made a break on a gigantic rock in the middle of the desert, the bird feather mountain. In Swakopmund first of all the food was restocked. We decided today for a “firm” accommodation since it is quite fresh and landed in the Villa Sohrada. We have here a complete huge house with open fireplace for us. The parents of our hosts, family Schwietering (“Haus Westwisch”) come from Thedinghausen. We took advantage of the kitchen and fried pancakes.

Silke

At sunrise we drove into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. At the first view point we already got a nice impression of the desert landscape and especially the huge sand dunes. A hot air balloon could be seen in the sky. Then we walked up to Dune 45. A wonderful view, great colors and contrasts. Since there were also several tour buses at the parking lot, people first ran like ants in a row up the dune crest. That has then but “cleared”, the further you got away from the parking lot. Once around the dune, we had real breakfast appetite and built our table. There was fried egg with (German) brown bread. A small starling kept us company. On we went to Deadvley, a dried up lake with whimsical tree skeletons.

Here we hiked the “Big Daddy Dune” trail. A loop trail that goes through deadvley up a big dune (Approx 4.5 km).

Also the car ride there was adventurous, because it went through deep sand and over dunes. There the 4×4 proved itself well and fortunately everything remained intact.

On the way back we drove a young German couple (Fine and Henning from Munich) to their camper. They preferred not to do the off-road route through the sand and walked the additional 3.5 km. Since the sand has become hot in the meantime and their water was already all up on the dune, we first refilled their bottle, cleared our back seat and invited them. A short side trip we drove still to the Sesriem Canyon. Then we left the park and went about 50 km north to the beautiful campsite Weltevrede (again with its own bathroom). For dinner we had noodles in cheese sauce and salad at sunset.

Silke

his morning we found out that the left rear tire has a flat.

Fortunately, right next to our lodging was a car repair shop that, after checking back with Bidvest, our car rental, by phone, put on a new tire. After that we continued, 430 km, mostly off road, to Sossusvlei, Sossus Oasis Camp. We saw great trees and desert landscapes.

Some trees house giant bird nests, but they are not home to a giant bird but a flock of small birds.

Goat herders herded their flocks across the road. We could see a sandstorm in the distance. Jackals were hunting across the road. An oryx antelope also jumped over the chain link fence. In the Namib Rand Nature Reserve there were some dead animals lying on the fence. After we set up our tent, we cooked ourselves a rice dish.

Silke

On Shark Island in Lüderitz we woke up today with a sunrise from the window of our roof tent. After breakfast we drove to the ghost town of Kolmanskop, a former German diamond mining town. In places the sand is knee-deep in the houses, which have been abandoned since 1956, but are otherwise still in surprisingly good “shape”. A museum has been set up in the main building, an inn with a bowling alley. There is a former hospital, a bakery, an ice factory ( Linde ‘s ice machines), and the railroad ran as far as Lüderitz.

After that, we spent some time looking at the inhabited and very pretty port town of Lüderitz. If it weren’t for the sand and palm trees, it could be a place in Germany. There is a Vogelsangstrasse, a Bergstrasse, a Kirchweg, … . The houses are called Haus Grünewald, Haus Eberlanz, zur Waterkant, … . From the rock church we have seen dolphins in the sea. Without further ado we jumped into the car and drove there. They were cavorting just off the coast. Reiner took the opportunity and went swimming to them. Several times a dolphin passed him by and when Reiner “clapped” in the water, the dolphins responded with a clap.

Then we drove to Diaz Point, a headland with a lighthouse about 20 km from Lüderitz. There was also an abandoned camping site there. On the way we passed a shipwreck and many flamingos. Finally we drove about 2 h inland to “Aus”, where we camped today on a very comfortable campsite. Every place has its own bathroom! We cooked a vegetable stew and had a nice evening.

Silke

At 6:30 am we spontaneously decided to drive to the Fish River Canyon for sunrise. Some neighbor campers had already left and so we quickly rolled up everything, did a “cat wash” and drove off. It was definitely worth it.

A short walk led from the main overlook to the entry point for the multi-day hiking trail. A few groups set out on the trail. We drove our Toyota to the cliff edge and had a great breakfast with beautiful scenery. A bee came out of nowhere. She liked our jam. We talked to some tourists, about 80 percent of whom were German. At the Roadhouse, a nice rest stop with gas station, very imaginative interior (vintage cars, license plates, …) we stopped briefly and sent a WhatsApp home. Our way led us further towards the coast. Past different desert landscapes. We saw giraffes and antelopes. But also wild horses grazed at the roadside. Whereby one came curiously to us and was probably not so “wild”.

Unfortunately, there is not much fresh grass growing there. The landscape always looks fascinating. Sand dunes, termite piles, rocks, isolated trees ( including quiver trees) and dry shrubs. Partly the horizon “flickers” from the dust and the sun. Shortly after six we reached our today’s destination Lüderitz – Camp Shark Island. We sat down to eat (noodle soup with schakalaka) in the car, because the wind is quite fresh. Day 25 degrees, night 13 degrees, sunrise 7:37, sunset 18:13.

( Achim day 19 degrees, night 13 degrees, sunrise 5:05, sunset 21:34)

Silke

In bright sunshine with fleecy clouds we are “on the road” again. An ostrich said goodbye to us.

The roads go dead straight through sand and dust and far and wide not a house in sight. Fascinating how many different colors sand can have. At a dam we had to drive briefly through water. About 30 percent of our today’s 430 km long route led over unpaved roads. Our Toyota Hilux 4×4 drives but very quiet and safe.

At our destination, a camp near Keetmanshoop, in the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park, we then unfolded our roof tent for the first time. Very comfortable! The second roof tent will stay packed soon. The car is actually designed for 4 people. Finally we had a nice barbecue.

Silke

We bought two shopping carts of food for our camper and then headed south to the Kalahari – Desert.

Great red dunes and a small waterhole awaited us at Bagatelle Game Ranch. Unfortunately, the campsites were all occupied, so we ended up in a room with half board. Unfortunately, because we wanted to test our roof tent of course. But the room is very nice, with a four-poster bed. We still went through the red sand to the viewpoint. The sunset there was worth seeing. Antelopes and a donkey family quenched their thirst at the waterhole.

The food in the open air restaurant was very tasty, buffet with appetizer, various grilled meats, cauliflower, rice, zucchini and salad. There was a choice of two desserts. A fire bowl provided “Africa Feeling”.

Silke