Namibia

Quiver Trees

Namibia has some of the most spectacular desert ecosystems in the world. Our hopes are to explore the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, visit Etosha National Park one of Africa's great wildlife park and photograph the seals and birdlife along the Skeleton Coast. The Skeleton Coast with its relentless winds, rocky shore and strong currents has a reputation of being the world's largest shipping graveyard.

QUIVER TREE FOREST AND GIANT ROCK GARDEN

Quiver trees grow in harsh semi arid regions, usually singularly or in small clumps. The thought of a Quiver Tree Forest intrigued us and we headed for the Quiver Tree Forest campsite. At the campsite a strange yet delightful threesome, two friendly dogs, and a
Hakuna Mutata warthog greeted us. Our curiosity in Quiver trees was however, diverted, to Kumba the pet warthog. Rescued, as a baby orphan by a couple who took him home, Kumba was bottle fed and raised as a member of the family. Warthogs can weight up to 100kg and certainly, Kumba did not for lack food and was the biggest warthog we had seen. Warthog’s tusks are actually teeth and are used as a defense weapon. Warthogs are the leopard’s favourite food. However, warthogs give leopards a good fight and can to rip a leopard open with their tusks, even killing the leopard.

That evening we climbed up a ridge to watch the sun setting over the Quiver trees. Settling under a large tree our attention was drawn to the sounds of gregarious sociable weaverbirds in the tree. These amazing little birds build huge
Sossulei communal nests. Despite the size of the weavers, the nests can weigh up to 50kg and the branches unable to support the weight will break off. While watching an African sunset and entertained by activities of the weavers, we had a memorable evening.

EXPERIENCES CONTINUE TO BUILD UP

The following morning we headed for Sossusvlei; Namibia’s prime tourist destination. It was to be a long day of traveling and we hoped to reach Sossusvlei before dark. It was getting late and drugged by the heat and the long dusty road we were getting tired. Suddenly I had difficulty controlling the car as it weaved and swerved across the gravel road.

“We’ve had a blowout,” Tom exclaimed. Slowly I brought the car to a safe stop. It was worse than we thought as both back tires had blown out. Both tires needed to be quickly changed as the sun was about to set. Fortunately, we had two spare tires. The tires are difficult to release quickly because the hijack lift had to be first removed and the bolts securing the tires unlocked.

Tom struggled under the weight of the cruiser to jack up the heavy vehicle, and I very quickly realized I would never be able to change a tire alone. The wheels themselves are too large and heavy I would be unable to pick them up.

Towering Dunes

Working as quickly as possible, the blazing heat and dryness of the air, soon had us both covered in sweat and Namibian dust. As the sun dipped behind the horizon, and with both tires changed we packed up. It had taken us 2 hours to change the tires and we still had 60 km to the next stop.

Tom took over the driving and it was not long before the car once more become difficult to control. Stopping to check the wheels, we discovered we had another flat tire, our third within 20km. Not having a third spare, we continued to drive on stopping regularly to pump the tire using our compressor. After travelling 30km, we saw a sign to “Little Sossus Lodge 3 km off the road.” With no hesitation, we drove to the lodge.

It took 2 days before we had all the tires repaired. The local inhabitants simply shrugged their shoulders after hearing a story of woe and said,
Life on the Edge“This is Africa, sh… happens.”
Our experiences just continue to build up!

WORLD’S OLDEST, DRIEST, LARGEST, HIGHEST

Covering 4,976,800 ha, the Namib-Naukluft Park is one of the world’s largest game reserves and a geologist and naturalist’s paradise. The Namib Desert is the oldest desert with one of the driest ecosystems in the world. The Naukluft portion of the park is mountainous with craggy peaks, dry riverbeds, and interlocking gorges. It seems that every geological rock and phenomena is clustered into this park.

Edge of the World

The breathtaking landscape of soaring dunes of the Namib Desert captivated us with its amazing spectacle of intricate shades of browns, reds, and yellows. Colours were constantly changing in the sunlight, shapes constantly altering in the winds. We felt we had reached the end of the earth and Calgary was a lifetime away.

We spent the day amongst the dunes, enjoying the peace, hiking up the dunes, and waiting for sunset. Parked under a lone tree we were amazed when a flock of sparrows descended on our lunch, consuming all our bread. To add to their delight I put out a bowl of water and so they too could enjoy a very special day.

Together with fellow overland Africa traveling friends we climbed famous dune 45 to watch the sunset over a stunning landscape we were not disappointed. Nothing can capture the feelings I felt as I watched the sun dip behind the distant horizon. It was magical.

Pink Leggings

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER

Perhaps one of the most special moments in one’s life is to encounter a wild animal in the wilderness; to look eye to eye and know he has all the power and control of the moment. The sun had set and the evening was filled with a full moon and millions of stars, which shone brightly. I was returning to the Cruiser when I heard that unmistakable sound of branches breaking and I knew I was in very close proximity to a large animal. Turning my flashlight in the direction of the noise, I saw a large male elephant about 20 feet from me. I was ecstatic to see an elusive and rare desert elephant of which there are no more than 500 in the world.

Motioning Tom to join me, we spent the next hour watching this lumbering, and impressive animal. We followed him through the sparse vegetation hiding behind the scattered scrub bushes. We were close enough to see his eyelashes and witness the strength of his trunk stripping the branches of the bushes. These fascinating and unique elephants are found only in the northwest section of Namibia where they have adapted to desert like conditions. They can go without water for up to 4 days and will walk up to 60km from their feeding grounds to reach waterholes. They are careful in utilizing their food resources and the key to their survival is their intimate knowledge of the harsh desert. It is truly amazing that these elephants can survive in such a forbidding wilderness.

Pelicans to the Same Beat

The desert elephants differ from the savanna elephants and have longer legs and a smaller body. We estimated the height of the elephant’s shoulder to be about 3.5m.

We felt so fortunate to be alone in the company of such a unique animal and having the opportunity to share this special time with him.

In the morning all that was left were the broken branches and the mosaic patterns of his large footprints in the sand. This experience is now one of the highlights of my life.

OPEN AIR ART GALLERY

Twyfelfontein, located inland from the Skeleton Coast is Africa’s largest collection of rock engravings. Among the jagged outcrops and boulders are over 2,500 petroglyphs some dating back 6000 years.

In the blazing sun, heat and dryness we explored the area with our guide Engelhardt. He was a wealth of information sharing both his knowledge of the petroglyphs and of his life growing up in the area.

Going Fishing

The rock engravings were painstakingly chiseled out by nomadic Bushman depicting animals from all over Namibia; a clear indication of their nomadic lifestyle. We marveled at how realistic and well proportioned they are. The engravings are truly amazing and while standing on the same rocks they must have stood on while chiseling the rocks I wondered just how different their lifestyle was to mine. I cannot even begin to imagine and I wanted so much to be in the company of an anthropologist who would shed some light on this amazing society.

Twyfelfontein is shrouded in mysteries, a magical place.

OVERLAND AFRICA, A RITE OF PASSAGE

There are times when driving it is necessary to stop suddenly and reverse.
Mom Meeting New Pup I seem to have a little bit of bad luck when I am driving. First, the tire blowouts and now I reversed into a rock. Another loud bang and on the ground lay a broken left back fender, I had managed to rip it completely off. The road was deserted, there was nothing except one rock, and I had managed to hit it.

This resulted in a change of our plans, as we had to head for an auto shop. A mechanic in the little town Outjo informed us it could not be fixed and the part had to be ordered from South Africa. Sensing my dismay, the man turned to me and said, “This is Africa, sh... happens and if you are going to Cairo, it will probably happen again.” He suggested we simple “Just glue it back on.” However still thinking in a first world frame of mind, we decided that wasn’t such a good idea.

Tom began the arduous task of phoning a Namibian Toyota dealer to arrange for the part to be ordered and sent to Namibia. It would take a week for it to arrive so we arranged for it to be sent to the town Rundu where we anticipated we would be in a week. They are right. This is Africa and things are different here.

FLAMINGOS GALORE

Sandwich Bay is a birders paradise. It is remote, accessible only by 4X4. We decided to explore the area with a qualified guide because of its infamous reputation of quick sand, which can swallow entire cars. Moreover, one can only drive into Sandwich Bay when the tide is out since the last ten kilometers requires driving along the beach. It was an impressive drive between the blue icy cold pounding surf of the Atlantic and the towering (200m) yellow burning dunes of the Namib. What an incredible ride.

Itchy Ear

Bruno picked us up at camp and we headed for Sandwich Bay located 30kms south of Walvis Bay. Walvis Bay’s lagoon is most well known for the thousands of flamingos and pelicans that reside there. Flamingos, graceful and placid birds with bright pink long legs wadded in the shallows. Their reflections in the water were briefly glimpsed when the wind paused long enough for the water to stay still. Alongside the flamingos, pelicans swam in harmony, “herding” the fish towards the bank of the lagoon. There they skillfully scooped up the fish in their large bills. They turned around in synchronization and repeated the task. A spectacular show.

Driving to Sandwich Bay across huge dunes, we were extremely pleased we did not attempt to drive ourselves. Any previous tire tracks had completely disappeared under the moving and blowing sand, the dunes are moving constantly, and with them the route. It became readily apparent how easy it is for one to become disorientated and lost in a desert. The strange concept of quick sand, a reality with reports of tourists
Cape Seal Point losing their car to the quick sand only three weeks previously. The entire car had simply disappeared beneath the sand within a matter of hours.

In the quietness of the dunes, we enjoyed a gourmet lunch prepared by Bruno before heading off to experience true dune driving. Traveling at high revs, we raced across the dunes, a wild ride. Pausing at the top of a huge dune, Bruno switched off the car engine and we began to slide down the dune. The weight of the car sliding down caused an avalanche effect and a roar the sound of a jet engine filled the air, a roaring sand dune. What a thrill and a beautiful day with a great company.

STINKY COMPANY

Cape Seal Reserve is said to the smelliest place in the world. With tons of guano and tens of thousands of seals basking on the rocks, playing in the pounding waves, bull seals protecting their harem and their pups it was in deed a smelly place. Why the seals have chosen this location for their colony is not yet understood.

Skeleton Coast

Walking towards the rocks, I noticed seal acting strangely behind some rocks. Moving closer I saw she had just given birth, the tiny pup squealing still attached to the placenta. The mother seal turning slowly around and towards her pup. She gentle touched the squealing pup and the beginning of the strong bonding began. Seal pups and their mothers are known for the strong bond they develop. I spent an hour marveling at the scene and the wonders of Mother Nature.

25% of all pups do not make it. The brown hyena and jackal predators kill the old, sick, and young seals. Due to the crowded beach and rocks, many pups are simply crushed to death. We watched this spectacle scene and behind us lurked the jackals, waiting and watching.

Ship Wreck

SHIPPING GRAVEYARD

Heading further north we reached the Skeleton Coast. It is a treacherous and daunting desert, stretching along the dangerous coast. Pounded by the frigid Benguela current, usually blanketed in fog and with high winds, it was eerily daunting; a coast known for the many ships that have been casualty to the hostile sea and dangerous coastline. Over 500 ships have been a victim to this coast. Human skeletons of sailors of shipwrecks who made to land only to die a painful death in the desert. No water, no food, and no shade. There is simply nothing except the remains of ships and a road marked by rocks. It is a place of no horizon, as the land and sky become one. It simply is an astonishing place.

Rock Art

ETOSHA

Etosha is regarded as one of world greatest conservation parks. Covering as an area of 22,300km 2, it is home to several rare and endangered animals. Etosha means “place of emptiness” due to the vast dry saltpan covering over 5000km2. The pan seldom has any water (if any) as it is not fed by any reliable rivers but rather by the rare rain. When it does rain, the incredible high rate of evaporation leaves the pan dry once more. In the heat of the day, the dried out pans glisten like a sea of whiteness and mirages trick one into thinking there is abundant water in the distance.

Yet Etosha begs to be explored. Countless wildlife congregates around scare waterholes and we watched with keen interest the social behaviour and interactions of the animals that come to quench their thirst.

Etosha Saltpan

The elephants get the most respect and others had to wait their turn at the waterhole. With no threat of any predators, the elephants took their time drinking and throwing water over themselves to cool them off. The rhinos also lingered but moved on when the elephants appeared. Even the lions waited for the rhino and elephants before they moved in for a drink. There was a real sense of hierarchy and certainly the lions were not the “king of the jungle,” that honour definitely belonged to the magnificent elephants. Interestingly these elephants escaped the slaughter during the ivory trading period. Due to the deficiency of minerals in their diet, their tusks are brittle and were of no use to the ivory traders. Buck, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, waterhogs, kudu, jackal and the ostrich, all prey of the lions, cheetah and leopard, approach the
Relief from the Heat waterholes very tentatively watching for any danger. The largest of a herd is sent out first. He slowly scouts the area, taking a wide berth around the waterhole. Only after he approaches the water does the rest of the herd join him. Even then, there are always those on lookout. Once they have all had a drink they very quickly leave the waterhole.

The zebra are the choice of food for the lions in this area. Yet we watched a pride of lions amble past a herd of zebra that were following every step of the lions yet did not attempt to leave. They must have known the lions were not hungry and all the lions wanted to do was laze about. Lions are lazy and only kill when hungry, which is only on about every 3rd or 4th day. I cannot explain how the zebras knew the lions were no real threat; it was simply amazing to watch.

To sit and watch this incredible proliferation of life was an amazing experience.

Escape Route

OOPS, HERE I GO AGAIN.

At the camp parks, it is important we find the best campsite. It must be as level as possible so that Tom and I are not sliding around at night in our tent, preferably have an electrical plug-in to keep the fridge and freezer running without using our battery, and some shade. Therefore, we drive around in search of a site and when we think we have found one, one of us gets out guiding the driver into the site. This particular time I was driving and Tom was guiding. The site was not quite right, so he waved me forward, suddenly the Cruiser was more in the air than on the ground, struggling, or so I thought to go over some rocks. Suddenly Tom started yelling for me to stop and noticing his hands on his head, I knew it was not just some rocks. I began to reverse and once more Tom threw his hands on his head and yelled, “No!”

Too late, I was off the obstacle. Climbing out of the Cruiser, I was met with gushing water. I had managed to go over the cement barrier and destroy the tap behind it. Tom ran to stand on the water flowing out hoping to stem the flow.

Resting

Tom with some resignation in his voice asked me to “Go get help.”

Once more, we were entertaining our fellow campers. I rushed off and returned with the maintenance man. By then Tom had screwed the tap back onto the water pipe back in the ground. We decided to move to the site opposite. Shortly afterwards another group of campers moved into that campsite. They settled in setting up camp and making supper. We watched a woman approached the tap to wash her dishes and hen she reached for the tap.

Suddenly she was holding the tap in her hand screaming as the water gushed out. The men in the group scrambled to her rescue, but they could not stop the water. Tom to the rescue he casually walked over and to their amazement, he screwed the tap back onto the pipe back (once more). Standing around in the large puddle of water the campers thanked Tom. They were so impressed, if only they knew.

WAR AND PEACE

I am sitting in the morning sun on the banks of the Kavango River, which forms the Namibian border with Angola. Across the river
Quenching their Thirst hippos are grazing. Angola has known more war than any other African country. It is a country of bloody war, bloodier diamonds, and bubbling crude, and a country where an entire generation have grown up in conditions of death and devastation. There was peace accord was signed in 2002 and now a fragile hope of peace exists. One can only hope and trust the Peace Accord will hold.

Tomorrow we say Goodbye to Namibia, country of contrast, of beauty and a vastness that swallows one up. A country we fell in love with and who knows perhaps one day we will be lucky enough to come back.