Between the dunes and the deep blue sea
Hello from Namibia!
I am in Swakopmund right now, a lovely little beach town on the Atlantic coast of Africa. We're on the Skeleton Coast right now, which earned its name because many shipwrecks have happened here. If you were unfortunate to wreck along the shore of Namibia back in the day, you were out of luck. There really isn't any water here, just lots of sand dunes.
We drove north from Cape Town last Sunday, through the north half of South Africa, and now we are midway through Namibia. Tomorrow we head north again, and east towards Etosha National Park and some game drives, followed by the Okavango Delta in Botswana. On May 10th, we arrive in Victoria Falls.
This trip is an overland adventure - which is really just a road trip across Africa. We are riding in a lovely truck with huge windows in the back for the passengers. Please note - it is not a bus, it is a truck named Janis. I have spent a LOT of time with Janis, and she is lecker (that's South African for good or great). There are 16 of us on the tour - plus two guides. Walt does the driving plus most of the talking and explaining of things along the way. Lorina is the cook and she is gifted, let me tell you. We are eating well. As for the rest of us - The youngest is 20, the oldest is 78. We have 2 Americans, two Austrians, two Brits, two Dutch, two Danes, one Swede, one Korean, one Israeli, one Japanese, one Australian, and one Argentenian. Quite the mix, eh?
We're all camping in two-man tents for most of the trip. Once we arrive at our camp, we all set up our tents while Lorina gets dinner ready. At this point, we are a well oiled machine.
Namibia is an incredibly beautiful place. Walt swears that it is the most beautiful country in Africa, but he is biased since he is Namibian... I have to agree, though, that this is some of the most amazing scenery I have seen in my life. The basic landscape reminds me of Montana, but on a bigger scale. We stopped and saw the towering red dunes where Brangelina had the photos taken with their kids, and we also went to Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert to see the dead trees set against the red dunes and the white desert floor. Spectacular.
Aside from the scenery, we have also been on many hikes, went canoeing, learned a Namibian dice game, went quad biking and sandboarding. And of course we're learning a lot about the other countries represented in the group. Plus we got up and hiked up a dune to see the sunrise one morning. It was definitely worth it.
Unfortunately I don't have time to load any pictures right now. But never fear, I am taking plenty and I can also get copies from my new friends here. I'll have internet access in Vic Falls on the 10th, but will be out of touch until then. Swakopmund is the last civilization in the northern part of Namibia. So I will be in touch with everyone on the 10th!
I am in Swakopmund right now, a lovely little beach town on the Atlantic coast of Africa. We're on the Skeleton Coast right now, which earned its name because many shipwrecks have happened here. If you were unfortunate to wreck along the shore of Namibia back in the day, you were out of luck. There really isn't any water here, just lots of sand dunes.
We drove north from Cape Town last Sunday, through the north half of South Africa, and now we are midway through Namibia. Tomorrow we head north again, and east towards Etosha National Park and some game drives, followed by the Okavango Delta in Botswana. On May 10th, we arrive in Victoria Falls.
This trip is an overland adventure - which is really just a road trip across Africa. We are riding in a lovely truck with huge windows in the back for the passengers. Please note - it is not a bus, it is a truck named Janis. I have spent a LOT of time with Janis, and she is lecker (that's South African for good or great). There are 16 of us on the tour - plus two guides. Walt does the driving plus most of the talking and explaining of things along the way. Lorina is the cook and she is gifted, let me tell you. We are eating well. As for the rest of us - The youngest is 20, the oldest is 78. We have 2 Americans, two Austrians, two Brits, two Dutch, two Danes, one Swede, one Korean, one Israeli, one Japanese, one Australian, and one Argentenian. Quite the mix, eh?
We're all camping in two-man tents for most of the trip. Once we arrive at our camp, we all set up our tents while Lorina gets dinner ready. At this point, we are a well oiled machine.
Namibia is an incredibly beautiful place. Walt swears that it is the most beautiful country in Africa, but he is biased since he is Namibian... I have to agree, though, that this is some of the most amazing scenery I have seen in my life. The basic landscape reminds me of Montana, but on a bigger scale. We stopped and saw the towering red dunes where Brangelina had the photos taken with their kids, and we also went to Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert to see the dead trees set against the red dunes and the white desert floor. Spectacular.
Aside from the scenery, we have also been on many hikes, went canoeing, learned a Namibian dice game, went quad biking and sandboarding. And of course we're learning a lot about the other countries represented in the group. Plus we got up and hiked up a dune to see the sunrise one morning. It was definitely worth it.
Unfortunately I don't have time to load any pictures right now. But never fear, I am taking plenty and I can also get copies from my new friends here. I'll have internet access in Vic Falls on the 10th, but will be out of touch until then. Swakopmund is the last civilization in the northern part of Namibia. So I will be in touch with everyone on the 10th!
posted by Kt at
9:35 AM
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