DAY 7

It is a cold, bitterly cold morning. Wrapped in coats, mufflers and wearing thick socks and gloves, we try to warm ourselves by wrapping our hands around our steaming mugs of coffee. With our teeth chattering, none of us are able to get much breakfast in. Winter nights and early mornings in the desert can be very cold-hard to imagine that as the sun comes up, we will be pulling off our layers of clothes as the day becomes hotter. Soon, only a T-shirt is bearable. The extremes of weather as can be experienced only in the desert.

We stop at the town of Solitaire-the smallest town in Namibia. At the only café in this town, we have the most divine apple crumble. The generous portion is welcome to make up for going without breakfast that morning.

The Tropic of Capricorn passes through Namibia and we cross this imaginary line on our way to the Walvis Bay.

On our way to the town of Swakopmund, we pass what is known as the moon landscape. The landscape is made up of eroded hills and valleys and is called the moon landscape because of its resemblance to the surface of the moon.

We drive into Walvis Bay and we could be forgiven to think that we are not in Namibia. Beautiful houses line both sides of the street-the style and colour very appealing to the eyes. The idea is to catch sight of some flamingoes that frequent the Walvis Bay but the thick mist that shrouds the town has probably driven the flamingoes away. It is difficult to see much further than 10 metres across the Atlantic Ocean.

Our destination for the day is Swakopmund, a town in western Namibia. When our truck enters the town, I get a feeling of déjà vu as if I were in Munich, Germany. The town has a very German feel to it with brightly painted houses and bakeries with names like Konditorei- a relic of its German colonizers. The name Swakopmund is German for “mouth of the Swakop”. The Swakop is a major river in the western part of Namibia and it reaches the sea at the southern edge of the town of Swakopmund.

We stay at Villa Weise-not a very comfortable place. But we are focused on planning our itinerary so as to make the best use of the time that we have left on the trip. Tomorrow is our last day in Swakopmund and in Namibia. After depositing our luggage in our rooms, we head out to explore the town. The fog that we had encountered in Walvis Bay follows us here. We decide to grab a cup of coffee at the Swakopmund café as much to really have coffee as to get out of the cold. The spinach quiche at the café is very delicious and so are the scones.

That night, while going out for dinner, we walk in a group; Jojo tells us that it is advisable to not walk about alone at night. Our group is the only people that we see for most of the way to the restaurant. What a marked contrast to Mumbai in India or even Cairo in Egypt, where I am presently living-there are always so many people around.

My fellow diners sample the oryx and the springbok meat for dinner; Adi and I stick to a pasta and pizza fare. Being vegetarian in Namibia is proving to be quite a challenge!

DAY 6

The alarm goes off and I come awake with a start –today is the day for visiting the number one attraction of Namibia-the Sossussvlei dunes and I cant wait to get started. We dress quickly in the numbing cold putting on layers of clothes to keep ourselves warm. There is no time for breakfast and we carry our breakfast boxes out to Peter Torche to have it on the way. After all, we will need our energy to climb Dune 45, the most accessible of all the Dunes and so called because all the dunes in the Sossusvlei are numbered and it is the 45th in number. Early morning is the right time to climb it because later in the day, the heat and the footprints of the earlier climbers will make the ascent tough.

On the way, the rising sun plays peek-a-boo from behind the hills. Parts of the desert landscape are bathed in the wintry morning sunlight and the desert hosts – the springbok, the oryx etc are out grazing the grass and getting their water fix from the dew drops still clinging to the grass.

We reach the gates leading to the Sossussvlei Park before they are open but a couple of cars are already there. We sit in the truck impatiently waiting for the gates to open. Once inside, we speed towards Dune 45 which is 150 m high. It is hard work going up the dune but the promise of a fantastic view from the top keeps us going. By the time, I am two-thirds of the way up, I am completely out of breath. The ascent is not only tough but also slow since I kept admiring the changing landscape. The red colour of the sand is due to the rusting iron present in the sand grains.

As compared to going up, the descent is a cake-walk as we take the short-cut and slide down the wind-swept side of the dune. I have so much fun doing it that I want to do it all over again but the difficult ascent deters me.

The desert may appear barren but it supports a unique ecosystem as we learn later from Frances, our guide, who takes us for a walk in the desert and the dunes. He is a Nama and totally at home in the desert. He explains to us how the moisture carried by the fog and the bits of plant matter deposited by the wind nurture life in the desert. Though the surface temperatures may exceed 50 degrees centigrade but below, the sand particles allow air to circulate freely and provide a cool shelter. Beetles are aplenty in the dunes and the beetles known locally as toktokkie have an interesting way of deriving moisture for drinking-by condensing the fog on its body. What was particularly fascinating was the tunnel house of the large dancing spider. Frances found one such tunnel house and opened its door with a stick and started funneling sand into the tunnel. Within seconds the spider was there to shut the door!

We then pass the Crazy Dune-so called because it is an extremely tough dune to climb. At 388 metres, it is the highest dune in the Namib desert and hence the highest in the world. But there is no dearth of people attempting the ascent of the Crazy Dune.

The Dead Vlei with its cream floor and dead trees provides ample photographic opportunities.

After a very enriching session with Francis, our last stop for this eventful day is the Sesriem canyon, which is the smallest canyon in Namibia. After having seen the second largest canyon in the world, this is obviously not that breathtaking but the excitement and the danger factor comes in when Jojo our guide almost steps on a poisonous snake. But Jojo being seasoned with the ways of the desert hears the hissing sound just in time. We overnight at the Hammerstein.

Tourism infrastructure in Namibia

Namibia is a country in Africa and Africa is the Dark Continent -debt-ridden, strife-torn, disease-prone and with high mortality rates. But the infrastructure in Namibia came as a complete surprise. To begin with, Namibia has an excellent network of roads and highways. The tarred roads connecting the major towns are kept in excellent condition and while you are cruising on them, it is difficult to remember that you are in Africa. Even the gravel roads are regularly visited by the road crews. In fact “overlanding” in Namibia is a joy.

The towns en route are well equipped to handle tourists and have all that may be required by travelers. The gas stations in the towns are the focal points where you can fill gas, use the toilets, stock up on snacks and beverages at the supermarket and also grab a coffee and a quick bite at the café on the premises. Travel light and you can stock up on all you need as you go along.

The toilets are clean and come with toilet paper and flushing toilets. No wet floors and no need to screw your noses and hold your breath.

The lodges that we stayed in were all aesthetically done up with hot water in the showers. Even the one star and the two star lodges are well appointed.

Along the roads and highways, benches have been provided under the shade of trees for the travelers to catch a quick lunch. Pamphlets and booklets that are well written and well illustrated with a wealth of information on all that is to see and do in Namibia are available at airports, cafes, lodges, restaurants, hotels and shops.

Truly first class infrastructure in a third-world country.

DAY 5-BUSHMEN AND AN INTERESTING PIT STOP

The Stampriet guesthouse is aesthetically built with the one storey rooms being named after the famous towns of Namibia. The lobby has a number of interesting books on the African continent and is very tastefully done up, with clippings from old newspapers laminated and used as table mats to keep you occupied while you wait for your made-to-order eggs to be brought to your table.

After a hearty breakfast, we leave for the “Bushman walk”. I am very excited at finally meeting “THE” bushmen about whom I had read a story while in school. Unfortunately, the Bushman walk is a disappointment in more ways than one-more on that later, but yet it is fascinating to hear them in speak in their “click” language.

Lunch in the town of Mariental. With a huge tree providing the shade and a chilled Diet coke for company from the freezer in “Peter Torche”, we enjoy a quick “working lunch”. On our way to the town of Hammerstein, where we are to stay for the next couple of days, we stop at the town of Maltahohe for a “pit stop”. Hotel Maltahohe had an interesting sign put up –“No Pee for Free”. But the sweet lady at the front desk allowed us to go ahead and use the toilets without a charge.

Our home for the next two days-the Hammerstein Lodge is situated close to the Sesriem Canyon and the gateway to the Soussusvlei Dunes . We reach there around 4.30 p.m and after depositing our luggage, we have a steaming mug of coffee while watching a spectacular sunset. Once the sun had set, the temperature quickly drops and we know the biting cold of a desert. At dinner that night, everyone sits with their chairs very close to the bonfire to get away from the chilling desert cold. With the delicious pasta inside us, we are sufficiently warmed to try our hand at roasting marshmallows. I had wanted to do this for a long time – roast the marshmallows, then sandwich then between chocolate bars and bite into a slice of heaven. A childhood desire fulfilled.

Though we were having a lot of fun, we do not linger long since we have an early start the next day. We are to visit the Sossusvlei dunes, the world’s most picturesque dunes. The Sossusvlei Dunes are on protected land and we want to reach the gates before they open at 6.30 a.m. and hence the need for an early start.

Books and Sites for a trip to the African continent

For my trip to Cape Town and Namibia, I read a number of books and also surfed the net extensively for information. Some of the books that I have found to be extremely helpful are the Lonely Planet series, including “Africa on a Shoestring” and “Southern Africa”. These books can serve as the stepping stone for you to freeze on which countries you want to visit in the African continent, depending on your interests. Lonely Planet also has country-specific books like those covering Namibia and Botswana


The “State of Africa” by Martin Meredith is the most complete work on the African continent that I have read-it traces Africa’s history right from the time when the colonial powers divided it among themselves, then the African people’s struggle for independence and the corruption, ineptitude and greed of the African rulers which pushed the continent further into the depths of misery.

“Tropic Of Capricorn” by Simon Reeve is an account of a journey tracking the Tropic Of Capricorn around the globe. Capricorn cuts across Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar in the African continent. While tracking the Capricorn, the author has ventured into very remote areas in these countries and has talked about the social, political, conservation and humanitarian issues plaguing the region.

The “Sheltering Desert” by Henno Martin is an account by two German geologists of the two and a half years that they spent in the Namib desert during the World War II and their fight for survival in the desert landscape.

Of course, having a detailed map of the region that you are traveling to is indispensable. You feel more involved and it is more fun if you can trace your route on a map, especially if you are going on an overland tour. Bartholomew’s ‘Africa World Travel Map’ – covers the entire African continent on one map.

The internet is of course a minefield of information and must definitely be tapped for information right from the necessary vaccinations (www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica.htm ) to the tips, travelogues, must-sees and must-dos.

DAY 4-QUIVER TREES AND THE DESERT LANDSCAPE

Slept really well..after a breakfast of eggs, juice and fruits, we set off. Our first stop is the “Fish Bridge” over the Fish River (what else?).

Spot some cheetah in areas fenced off by barbed wire. Namibia has the largest population of wild and healthy cheetahs but they are in danger from the farmers who lay traps to kill them to protect their livestock from them. In order to protect these cheetahs from extinction, those that are captured on these farms are turned over to cheetah sanctuaries. The other extreme is the abundance of elephants in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. There are an estimated 14000 elephants in the Kruger National Park and some conservationists and park officials believe that culling is the only way to control their numbers. Their increasing numbers represent a threat to the vegetation and the water supply that support the other rare species.

To fill up on gas and buy some other essentials, we stopped at the town of Keetmanshoop. It seems to be an important town for travelers, having many gas stations and gambling seems to be a favorite pastime of the people here. We passed many buildings in the town that read “gambling house”! Check out the photo!

Next on the itinerary is the Kokerboom forest. The Kokerboom trees are also called quiver trees-so called because their branches were hollowed out and used by the Bushmen as a quiver for their arrows. These trees are indigenous to Namibia and South Africa and the Kokerboom forest region where they grow in abundance is a national park for the conservation of the quiver trees. The quiver trees have no commercial use and coming from India and more particularly Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country where the real estate prices are one of the highest in the world, I just could not imagine all the area of the Kokerboom forest being utilized to preserve trees that are not particularly useful-the place could have been better utilized to for a mall or housing complexes. I know this thought of mine was scandalous and “capitalist”. Then I thought that only if the efforts and the will that can be seen in Namibia to protect the wildlife, flora and fauna could be seen in India too-our tigers would not be on the verge of extinction. Being winter, some of the quiver trees had yellow blooms and lent some colour to the desert.

The social weaver birds build nests on the quiver trees that can house upto 400 birds. The entrances to these nest face downwards and the huge nests are a marvel to watch.

On our way to the Stampriet Historical Guest House, we stopped at the town of Mariental. Just outside the toilets there was a picture that showed a flooded Mariental in the year 2006. Jojo told us that these floods took place because of human error-the gates of the Hardap Dam were not opened to allow the water into the Fish River for a period of seven days! What a tragedy!

Today is the first time that we also passed through the Kalahari Desert which covers Namibia, Botswana and South Africa and is home to the San people or the Bushmen.

DAY 3-CANOEING AND A NATURAL WONDER

Yippee!-today we canoe down the River Orange. Get up at 5.45 AM to catch the spectacular sunrise over the River Orange. No photograph can do justice to the beautiful sight.

Shorts and flip-flops, our attire for the canoe ride. We sign that dreaded indemnity form again! Spend an enjoyable three hours on the River Orange. The fiber glass boats have three buckets that are to be used to throw out water if your boat overturns and fills up with water. We use them to store our camera, camcorders, sunscreens and drinking water, hoping that we don’t have to use them to throw out water.

Rowing is an awful lot of hard work. Most of the time you row on both sides; however if you want the boat to turn in one particular direction, then you need to row only on the opposite side. A couple of times Adi and I ran into weeds and then had to “reverse row” to get out of the weeds. At times, we let our fibre-glass boats idle to observe some unique flora and fauna of the River Orange The last stretch before we hit “home” had very fast flowing water with a huge rock right in the middle of it. One of the boats carrying our group members overturned, discharging the occupants. But luckily, the water was only waist deep and they were soon “rescued”. But it was definitely a moment of panic for the group.

After a quick lunch, we leave for the Fish River Canyon to reach it before sunset. The Fish River Canyon is the oldest canyon in the world and also the second largest after the Grand Canyon in the United States.

En route, we stop to admire the beauty of the desert-the silence in the desert can be “deafening”. We sit in the middle of the never ending desert road to enjoy the solitude but we soon have to get up at the sound of an approaching car. Even the desert is not untouched from the effects of modernization. The Namib Desert is the oldest desert in the world and home to a large variety of wildlife-Kudus, which are deer-like creatures, springbok and the oryx which is the national animal of Namibia.

The entire road to the Canyon is gravel road-not easy on our joints and bones but some excellent driving by JoJo gets us through without much damage.

The first view of the Fish River Canyon is awe inspiring. We do not bother taking pictures for the first 15 minutes-my eyes are trying to take in every topographical detail of the canyon. Since it is winter and the dry season, the river bed is almost dry; there are some puddles of water. A place still untouched by the effects of commercialization. We walk along the rim of the canyon, stopping every couple of meters to see the play of the setting sun on the canyon and admire its beauty from a new angle. Nature at its powerful best!

Darkness falls and we have to tear ourselves from this natural wonder-we have miles to go before we sleep and all on a gravel road too! Our lodge for the night is Seeheim Hotel. It resembles a castle out of a fairy tale. We lose our way in the dark and cannot find our room situated at the top of a steep flight of steps. Conservation of energy is important in this place in the middle of nowhere. They use solar energy and the guests are advised to take showers in the evenings when the water is nice and hot.

Dinner that night is at the restuarant of the lodge. Though everyone is tired, the delicious dinner soon has everyone talking nine to the dozen. This is the first night that we all get to each other a little more thanks to the "gypsy"