.JPG)
In Windhoek I joined a tour with Wild Dog, as short of renting a car, organized tours seem to be the only transport to godforsaken deserts and other places of interest in Namibia.
A long day's drive took us to a delightful campsite in Quiver Tree Forest. These unusual looking trees get their name not by quivering, but because the bushmen made their quivers by hollowing out lengths of branch.
The second day was another long drive, broken at lunch time by a short walk round a stretch of the rim of the Fish River Canyon. This is an amazing place, beautiful in its barrenness, its sheer size. Our time there was sadly far too short, but it would be wonderful to go back some time and do the five-day hike into and through the canyon itself. We camped that night by the Orange River, which marks the border between Namibia and South Africa. In the morning our route followed the river, offering wonderful views for those who could cope with hunching down to see out of the windows of our somewhat small and cramped minibus.
It was a relief to arrive at Aus, as there had by that point been far too much driving and not enough of anything else. We arrived early enough for an afternoon walk over rocky hills with vast views of more barren emptiness. I enjoyed walking with Mike, a rather sweet American pastry chef, then on my own, and best of all just being away from the group. I took my time coming back, admiring the effect of the sunset on the rockscape, then settled down for a beer by the campfire.
In Luderitz I pottered about while the others went on a boat trip, then we all went to Kolmanskop - a "ghost town". It was founded as a small town with the discovery of diamonds, but by 1956 was deserted. Most buildings have now been taken by the desert, dunes banked up against walls both inside and out. After a short and interesting guided tour, we were free to wander throughout the village. A gymnasium, skittle alley, bar and one house have all been kept in order, but what I enjoyed most was wandering around inside eerily empty houses, hostels, shops and the hospital, all full of sand, some of them still including odd pieces of furniture which made the whole thing even more strange and evocative. In some buildings I entered through the door, climbed a small dune and left through a high window.
Our next campsite was at Sesriem, where a small dry canyon was worth a brief visit, most of all for the opportunity to stretch the imagination far enough to imagine it full of water, here in the desert. Early the next morning we drove to Sossusvlei where we joined other sunrise tourists for a hike up Dune 45 - the designated sunrise dune. The challenge was to get a photo or two without footprints spoiling the line of the dune's spine, with one side golden with sun, the other darkly terracotta. This whole area is just how I'd imagine desert, dune after dune stretching and curving into the distance, the reddish sand glowing in the sunrise.
After breakfast at the foot of the dune, we drove to another spot where we began our walk to the Dead Vlei. Walking over dunes and cracked, baked river beds we seemed to be almost alone in the desert - a wonderful feeling. At Dead Vlei we were less alone, but it was stunning. The atmosphere pressed on you insistently. On the floor of the vlei, a flat, circular space surrounded by dunes, the wind seemed suddenly to still. In this theatre, dead trees reached up their crooked, pale fingers. Nothing else but red sand, blue sky.
A long day's drive took us to a delightful campsite in Quiver Tree Forest. These unusual looking trees get their name not by quivering, but because the bushmen made their quivers by hollowing out lengths of branch.
The second day was another long drive, broken at lunch time by a short walk round a stretch of the rim of the Fish River Canyon. This is an amazing place, beautiful in its barrenness, its sheer size. Our time there was sadly far too short, but it would be wonderful to go back some time and do the five-day hike into and through the canyon itself. We camped that night by the Orange River, which marks the border between Namibia and South Africa. In the morning our route followed the river, offering wonderful views for those who could cope with hunching down to see out of the windows of our somewhat small and cramped minibus.
It was a relief to arrive at Aus, as there had by that point been far too much driving and not enough of anything else. We arrived early enough for an afternoon walk over rocky hills with vast views of more barren emptiness. I enjoyed walking with Mike, a rather sweet American pastry chef, then on my own, and best of all just being away from the group. I took my time coming back, admiring the effect of the sunset on the rockscape, then settled down for a beer by the campfire.
In Luderitz I pottered about while the others went on a boat trip, then we all went to Kolmanskop - a "ghost town". It was founded as a small town with the discovery of diamonds, but by 1956 was deserted. Most buildings have now been taken by the desert, dunes banked up against walls both inside and out. After a short and interesting guided tour, we were free to wander throughout the village. A gymnasium, skittle alley, bar and one house have all been kept in order, but what I enjoyed most was wandering around inside eerily empty houses, hostels, shops and the hospital, all full of sand, some of them still including odd pieces of furniture which made the whole thing even more strange and evocative. In some buildings I entered through the door, climbed a small dune and left through a high window.
Our next campsite was at Sesriem, where a small dry canyon was worth a brief visit, most of all for the opportunity to stretch the imagination far enough to imagine it full of water, here in the desert. Early the next morning we drove to Sossusvlei where we joined other sunrise tourists for a hike up Dune 45 - the designated sunrise dune. The challenge was to get a photo or two without footprints spoiling the line of the dune's spine, with one side golden with sun, the other darkly terracotta. This whole area is just how I'd imagine desert, dune after dune stretching and curving into the distance, the reddish sand glowing in the sunrise.
After breakfast at the foot of the dune, we drove to another spot where we began our walk to the Dead Vlei. Walking over dunes and cracked, baked river beds we seemed to be almost alone in the desert - a wonderful feeling. At Dead Vlei we were less alone, but it was stunning. The atmosphere pressed on you insistently. On the floor of the vlei, a flat, circular space surrounded by dunes, the wind seemed suddenly to still. In this theatre, dead trees reached up their crooked, pale fingers. Nothing else but red sand, blue sky.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment