Rafting the Mighty Zambezi, Zambezi River Festival, Livingstone, Zambia

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Me with some local kids at the river

It's funny the things that you happen upon whilst traveling.  At Jollyboys Backpackers, I overheard mention of a kayak festival in town and simply asked 'How can we get to watch the fun?' Next thing we knew, we were signed up to join in the festival and white-water raft the Zambezi for 7 days!  And  at a bargain basement price of $195, it was just too good to turn down.  It also included 7 days accommodation, and a few free meals.  Not to mention many other little perks and extras, including hanging out with a cool, fun group of partying kayakers for 8 days!!!

It was a week of fun and challenges. Beneath Victoria Falls, the Mighty Zambezi really is exactly that - truly mighty!  Its white water is incredible,

Kayak Gorge Swing

massive, and not to mention, dangerous! There are 25 rapids beneath Vic Falls and these take a whole day to raft which we did the first day. With each day came a different kayaking event, either racing or slalom or rodeo, and we would raft ahead and pull into an eddy to get off the river and watch from the sidelines. The un-fun bit was on the three days that we rafted from rapid #1 to rapid #10, the climb out of the gorge was just awful at 10. Not only was it a long hike out, it was a climb on rustic ladders that were steep and precarious. On the first hike out, the sun was just beating down on us and it pretty much killed me. Later, I discovered that the temperature in the gorge had been over 50 deg C! No wonder I hadn't been happy!

The most ridiculous event of the week was the kayak bungee swing where a kayaker is strapped to their kayak and then drops 120m from the bridge at the halfway point between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The kayakers raved at how awesome it was, but I was very glad to be just watching from the bridge.

Windas with an old school rodeo move - in the teeth

The parties were always good in the evenings and I was definitely sore one morning.  Unfortunately, this was the morning of the raft race, where everyone got split into teams, and I ended up on the serious raft - the one with kayakers who wanted to win (to add to their overall score for the week). This meant they didn't stop to rest for all ten rapids. I was exhausted even though I tried to sneak in a few rest strokes. Martin's raft on the other hand, were busy playing around with the third raft and swapping guides every couple of rapids. They also had a few man-overboards and a lot of swimming!

Andy's winning rodeo move - crazy

To top off our week, we won a one-night stay in a luxury hotel in Livingstone - a prize we won for always 'going big' on the rapids i.e. getting our guide to take us down the most challenging /dangerous lines.  It was fantastic to sit and chill-ax all day and enjoy the pool and our large room with a proper bed (a nice change from the tent and dorm beds of the last few months).  The next morning we stuffed our faces with the all inclusive breakfast and then managed to sneak a variety of food from the buffet to tide us over for the rest of the day for traveling into Zimbabwe.  It was a great way to end a really excellent week with a really great crowd of people. Thank you Waterbynature! * Mush

Us in the Raft going in to rapid #5 - Stairway to Heaven

Carnage in Rapid #5

Things I will remember:
1. The fun organisers, Hamish and Eve, from the UK-based WaterByNature. Plus Hamish has the same nickname as me, Mush
2. Some of the kayakers were really amazing and it was very cool to watch their talents through the rapids. And even though we were only 'rafters' we were made to feel welcome by all 20+ kayakers.
3. Ant, one of the kayakers from SA was always the instigator of the parties and would pull out 'the boot' - literally a kayaking wet boot - for bootie beers. Eeewwwe! (Thankfully we weren't subjected to that penalty!)
4. Mikey pulling down his shorts at Fez Bar on the last night, and Barbara, the hostel receptionist who randomly just happened to be at the bar with friends, sticking her camera down low to capture the shot from below and then just rolling around laughing. Oh dear Mikey.

And finally, 5. the world-renowned Zambezi with its incredible walls and holes of water at each rapid, and ploughing through the sheer volume of water. Wow! *Mush

Us in Rapid #5 again

Rapid 5 with Windas Riding the Bull on front

Dance with the Devil, Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Zambia

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M with Thomas, Kim, Sonja, and Leesa, Meghan and Justin by the pool

From many a traveler, we have heard that Livingstone, Zambia is a tough place to leave.  It is the town in Zambia closest to Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.  With it's counterpart town Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side, they are the gateway to view this spectacle.
With very little notice, our guide on the Acacia tour informed us in Botswana, that the Zambian side of the falls is barely flowing due to it being the dry season.  As our tour was scheduled to finish in Zambia, not Zimbabwe, there were a few angry tourists on our truck.  A pretty major thing to spring on us at the last minute, especially since most had already contributed the $20 USD park entry fee for the Zambian side.  To his credit, Sam did make some options available to those who may want to head straight in to Zimbabwe, see the falls, and then head in to Zambia from there.  It would cost them an additional $75 or so.  Sometimes, the people here, even the guides, think we are just MADE of money, and don't realize that for some, that cost is still significant.

Very close to a giraffe

Anyway, it didn't affect us too much, as we planned to go to Zimbabwe anyway, after Zambia, so would just wait to see the Falls - or so we thought.
It would be our final night with our Acacia group, at a place called the Waterfront.  A nice camp, over-run by pesky vervet monkeys, but right on the Zambezi River.  It was an enjoyable night, with a few late evening swims, and then Thomas found himself a guitar.  He was pretty amazing, especially at picking up songs just by listening to them on the iPod.  Apparently, he plays in a band back in Belguim, and their name translates to "Tight Pants"!!  Accompanied by Bella (at times), they put on a quite an impromptu performance.  Of course, we all joined in at times.
A couple of chill days in Livingstone followed, including a trip to the Royal Livingstone Hotel for High Tea.  We wanted to see how the 'other half' live, so we splurged on a recommendation from our previous guide Emma.  A highlight was actually on the walk in as first we passed statues of zebra, then real zebra and then a giraffe - literally 10 feet from us.  Still wild, but used to humans I guess.  That's definitely the closest I've been, especially walking!

Michelle behind the cakes at High Tea

High Tea was in a fancy room, and there must have been about 30 or 40 types of desserts.  Now, I have a sweet tooth at times, but I felt pretty sickly after gorging myself with sooooo many cakes.  There wasn't enough savoury food unfortunately, but I guess they don't usually have budget backpackers attending, trying to eat a whole meal at High Tea!!  But we did, and then got to enjoy the grounds and pool, overlooking the Zambezi River just above Victoria Falls - you could see the mist floating up in the air downstream!
So, as it turns out, there is something special you can do in the dry season at Victoria Falls. 

Martin Jumping into Devil's Pool

There is a pool at the very edge of the falls called Devil's Pool, that you can swim in when the water is low.  We figured that this would be a fantastic way to see the Falls, so we joined a small group of 4 American girls working in Africa, and with our guide Leonard, we started walking out towards the pool.  It is quite bizarre to imagine the Falls in wet season, because were walking across dry riverbed that stretched for hundreds of metres!  This would all be raging water in wet season.  Leonard took us to many viewpoints along the way and the girls had a lot of fun.
Then on to Livingstone Island...the place where the English explorer David Livingstone first viewed the Falls with the natives back in 1855.  On the island, we stripped down to bathing suits and swam across the water just above the falls, to a little island.  Just beside this island is the Devil's Pool. 

Sitting in Devil's Pool on the edge of Vic Falls

As you can see from the pictures, it is RIGHT ON THE EDGE of a 107m drop.  I must say, a little freaky indeed jumping into the water, especially since I am afraid of heights.  But it seemed totally safe, and there was very little current.  We spent about 30 minutes or so in the pool, with our guide actually hanging us over the edge at one point, whilst holding on to our feet.  CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY.  The people on the Zimbabwe side, overlooking the falls must have thought we were nuts, and it did feel that way.  I can't explain the feeling of sitting right on the edge with the water raging just beside us.  Leonard actually sat, dangling his legs over the Falls.  Quite and experience and the REAL way to see the falls.  If you are coming this way in dry season, the Devil's Pool is a MUST.  *Stub

Michelle hanging over Victoria Falls

The group sitting on the edge with Leonard hanging legs over

This shows the location of Devil's Pool top right, above the falls - this photo taken from the Zimbabwe side

Elephant Sized Problems in Chobe National Park, Kasane, Botswana

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Wild Dogs at Chobe

It was a long and hot 600km from Maun to the Kasane, the town closest to Chobe National Park.  We skirted the Makgadikgadi Pan, but unfortunately didn't get very good views of the park.  Upon arrival, we had a well deserved swim at our camp to escape the heat briefly.
Chobe National Park apparently has a problem - a very BIG problem…. as in there is an overpopulation of elephants - approx. 30,000 of the behemoths!  They cause a problem because they knock over tons of trees and cause lots of damage.  Of course the animals are protected within the park boundaries, so not sure what they plan to do about the problem.
We visited the park on a game drive early in the morning.  We actually expected to see more elephants than we did, but I guess they come down to drink at the river later in the day.  We did see a few new animals for us - Sable antelope with beautiful long curved horns, a puku antelope, and the highlight of

Impala pronking while chased by wild dogs

the morning - a pack of wild dogs (or painted dogs as they are now called).  Probably about 15 or so, both adult and young, just strolling along towards the truck and across the road.  A couple of the dogs started to hunt the impala nearby and it was quite a wild chase with all the impala 'pronking' along.  When they pronk, they basically bounce high up in the air but also are moving quite quickly forward.  It was interesting to see all the impala bouncing along and the dogs giving chase.  No luck for the dogs on that chase though, but many happy impalas as they live to see another day!
Michelle cruised into the little town of Kasane for the afternoon, but I was too overheated to bother.  I relaxed by the pool, while Michelle did our shopping in town.  She was surprised to see a warthog just strolling through town - kind of funny.
That evening, we joined the rest of the group on a boat cruise down the river into Chobe. 

Tired Hippo?

It was definitely a good way to see the park, by land in the day, and by river at dusk.  The elephants were all out cooling off, the hippos must have been tired as they were yawning away, and the crocodiles were feeding on a dead elephant floating in the river.  We were on the river that separates Botswana from Namibia (at the Caprivi Strip), so I think we snuck in a small return trip to Namibia.  A relaxing start to the evening, with some sundowner drinks on the boat, while watching tons of wildlife along the riverfront and on the islands.   *Stub

By Sea and By Air, Okavango Delta near Maun, Botswana

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The biggest inland delta in the world is in Botswana.  The Okavango Delta encompasses approx. 16,000 sq km of wetland, lagoons, channels and islands.  The river basically doesn't drain into any sea, ocean or other river, but is swallowed by the Kalahari desert.  Of course, being a delta full of water, it attracts plenty of animals to the area when there isn't water in their usual areas.

Martin's Trim with car battery and fuel tank seat

It's a bit unfortunate that the Okavango has become quite a bit upmarket.  It cost us $120 US to just do a single overnight trip into the delta on a dugout canoe called a mokoro, and we slept in our own tents.  Where is all that money going to??  I am assuming a lot to park fees, but still very exorbitant.  In saying that, the trip into the delta was pretty cool, and it's a can't miss if you are in the area!!
We arrived in the town of Maun, and had a chance to get some supplies.  We passed a local little hut, and the guy asked if I wanted a haircut.  My hair was pretty long for me, and I was dying for a trim, so we bargained him down to 15 Pula ($2) from 20, and he hooked up his 12 volt car battery to the trimmers, gave me a piece of broken mirror to review, and sat me down on an old truck fuel tank to start the trim.  He was pretty

Mokoro Ride in the Delta

rushed, and not the best cut but probably because he was thinking about his next move….  which was to walk me over to another hut and show me the price list.  Then he said that what we had bargained for was a reduction from the 'real' price of 175 Pula ($22).  Being seasoned travellers, we were having none of this nonsense, and even though the argument continued for some time, they were getting no more than 15 Pula from us two!!!  A great 'welcome' to Maun!!!

But things got better, much, much better.  Our campsite had a nice pool and party bar, so was a good social night.  But in the morning, we set off on the mokoros, two to a boat.  Our mokoro poler was the lead poler, and therefore we were the first boat through the channels.  Very good in one way - you are the first to see animals, and get nice views without anyone ahead, but you also clean out all the cobwebs between the reeds for the next boats.  Michelle was not too fond of that!
The mokoro was very relaxing to say the least.  We just sat back in our comfy seats and enjoyed the numerous water lilies, and reed scenery.  Occasional little white frogs, but not too much wildlife.  I think I fell asleep for part of the 2 hour ride.

Mokoro Polers

Setting up camp in the bush was fine, and a good lunch, but then the heat came.  Not much you can do in the stifling heat, but polers Judge and ????  took us out into the delta for a swim.  They assured us there were no crocodiles in that particular area, but we were all a little nervous about it.  Nerves aside, it was REFRESHING, and quite funny playing about in the reeds and lilies.
That afternoon and in the morning, the polers took us out on a walk on one of the islands in the delta.  We immediately came across a herd of elephants, and it was a little strange to be walking around them - not too close though.  We didn't see too much wildlife on the island, but that was not for a lack of animals as we found out later.
A great dinner at the campfire, and the group of polers gave us a good local song and dance routine.  They are all very nice people, and have a good sense of humour.

Watch out for Crocs - swimming in the delta

It was a rude awakening in the morning for the walk, and then the mokoro back to town.
Michelle and I had decided to treat ourselves for my birthday, and with my parents and grandmothers present money, we did a 45 minute scenic flight over the delta.  Our friends Jenny and Sean had highly recommended this, so we took the plunge.  Seeing the delta from both the water and air were two totally different experiences.  The pilot flew at about 150m high for the entire 45 minute journey, and had some high g-force turns when he spotted some animals.
There were loads of animals out there.  Hundreds of elephants, swimming hippos, running giraffes, massive herds of African buffalo, and tons of other antelope. 

Giraffes from Above

And the delta scenery was very impressive - beautiful wetlands, lagoons and islands.  What an amazing flight.  A couple of the seven of us that flew were a little queasy after the flight, but we all wondered why no more people did the flight option.  It was a great birthday present.  Unfortunately, we heard that a small tourist plane crashed a couple of days later, killing 8 of the 12 passengers on board.  A little too close to home for our liking, but it could happen anywhere I guess!!   *Stub

Bushmen of Botswana, Ghanzi

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So, looks like our 2 week break from the overland truck has come to an end, and we returned Peekay to Windhoek.  We met our new crew at the Cardboard Box hostel, and joined them for dinner at Joe's Beer House.  Now, our last group was really quite quiet, and definitely not a big party crew.  Well, we hit a polar opposite group at dinner, as the Scottish guy named Felix ordered the 'metre of beer' from the menu, which was a metre long rack of 13 beers!!  We were pretty impressed and knew the group would be fun.   We had another zebra steak, and were fully satisfied with the night, and the trip to Livingstone to come.

Bushmen making a fire

First order of business, crossing in to Botswana on our way to visit the bushmen in Ghanzi.  Botswana was my 55th country visited on my list so far - Michelle's 53rd.  So many more to go!!  We entered with no issues, and got to camp at Ghanzi in the early evening. 
Now, the bushmen are an interesting tribe of people.  They are very small and skinny, and used to live in the Kalahari area of Botswana.  When Diamonds were discovered in the area, the government made this area of the Kalahari restricted and forced the Bushmen to leave, saying that they were only looking out for the good of the people.  Well, health care, schooling and other government services were NOT what the bushmen wanted and they argued against it, but got forcibly moved anyway.  Recently, the bushmen have won a court case allowing them possession of their land back, so most have moved back, but some stayed in Ghanzi area to teach others about their culture.

Goodbye to the Bush'men'

We had a great little informational walk with 5 adult bushmen, describing all the different plants and animals they use to survive the difficult conditions of the Kalahari.  It was very interesting watching them dig up different roots and plants, and having them describe all the uses in their 'Click' language.  With the help of a translator, we understood, but all were impressed with the 5 or 6 different types of clicks in their language.  They even put on a fire building demonstration using just sticks, that would put all the Survivor competitors to shame!!
They were really lovely people.  Tiny frames... even shorter than me!!  Beautiful faces and skin, with curly, tight hair!  But wonderful mannerisms and a good sense of humour.  Michelle really loved the kisses goodbye from one of the ladies.   *Stub

Unfinished Business, Sossusvlei, Namibia

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The un-exciting Hoba Meteorite

When we left Sossusvlei the first time, I felt like something was missing.  Something more had to be done at the dunes that we didn't have time for on our Acacia trip.  That something was climbing THE biggest dune in the world, named Big Daddy.  At 390m high, it is a formidable mass of orange/red sand.
We took Peekay on a final voyage to Sossusvlei via Grootfontein and then the Waterberg Plateau.  We left Tsumeb on our way to Grootfontein, first in search of a television to watch the England/France rugby world cup quarterfinal match.  A real waste of time based on England's efforts in the game.  But, as we were in the neighbourhood, we thought we would stop by the largest meteorite in the world, still out in a farmer's field about 25km from Grootfontein.  The Hoba meteorite weighs about 54,000 kg, and we thought we were in for something special, or at least informational.  After paying an entry fee, all we found was a large chunk of space debris composed of iron, nickel and cobalt in the middle of a little amphitheatre.  No information boards, no explanations, and NO crater!!  This chunk must have hit with an almighty force, but how is there no crater????   Anyway, the whole trip was kind of a waste of time and money really, so Peekay hit the road again to Waterberg. 
Waterberg is a large sandstone rock protusion, towering 150m above the plain.  The plateau is 50km long and 16km wide, and the top is pretty much a sheer cliff face surrounding the entire plateau.  It is impressive to look at, but quite difficult and expensive to get on top of.  Given our late arrival due to bad English rugby and space debris, we decided to just view the plateau from afar, then retire to a cool, well landscaped campground called Weaver Rock.  We made ourselves a great braai (BBQ on wood and coals) dinner, and actually had a nice grass patch with table and chairs to enjoy our meal at.  We usually just have a dusty old plot of ground, with nowhere to sit even, so this was a treat!

Michelle descending to Deadvlei

The next morning was the long haul all the way to Solitaire - the smallest town in Namibia.  We camped in a cheap place with a POOL, and a much needed swim.  Before the crack of dawn we set out for Sossusvlei, and entered the park at sunrise - already stinky hot!!!  This was just a sign of things to come.  At the end of the park, our only option to Deadvlei is a RETURN shuttle along the deep sand road.  Our driver was quite fun, going no handed and such. 
Chatting with the drivers, we found out the way to the biggest dune, which they call Big Daddy!!   All 390m loomed above us, but we started out across the salt pan, whilst watching a small group half way up.  They seemed to move quite fast, so we were encouraged at the time.  The sand was piping hot, and the best way to climb was in a pair of socks only (OK, we also wore a shirt and shorts). 

Deadvlei trees getting swallowed by sand

As with all, sand dunes, it's two steps forward and one step backwards as you sink in the sand.  We packed plenty of water (4 litres), and rehydration salts, along with some foods with salts!!!  It was tough going, and about half way up, Michelle was not in the best of ways.  It was time for her to head down, as it was getting increasingly obvious she would not make the top. 
As it was a challenge to myself, I pushed on after making sure Michelle got down safely.  And after almost 2 hours of climbing I reached the windy summit.  Nothing but sand all around, but impressed with myself for completing the goal.  Also a great view over Deadvlei and the 900 year old trees!!  On top of the highest dune in the world meant only one thing..... the longest run down a dune in the world!!!!  After taking in the views that I earned, it was time to head back - mainly due to water consumption. 

Self Portrait at the top of Big Daddy with Deadvlei behind

The downhill was fun, but exhausting!!  I tried to do some slalom turns, but got too tired, so had to stop once.  Across the pan at the bottom, it was a long, HOT slog.  I met up with Michelle and we enjoyed some rest time under a tree.  By that time, we were the only ones on the pan, which was fabulous having the place to ourselves.  But, on our return to the parking area, and after the scorching heat we discovered that there was no shuttle waiting for us to take us the 5km back.  We ran out of water waiting for the Land Rover, and were getting quite concerned as Michelle was feeling a bit of heat stroke.  When would they come and get us????
Luckily, for us, there was a couple that came to visit Deadvlei, and we managed to hitch a ride back with them after waiting for an hour.  They gave us some much needed water, and after returning to the main parking area, we had it out with the shuttle drivers, who were all just sitting there!!

Deadvlei Trees

It was extremely dangerous, leaving us out there, and they KNEW full well that we were still there, as our car was parked next to the shuttles.  It was a scary end to the climb, and we even went as far as complaining to the managers of the park.  This cannot happen to people when we were expecting a way back!!  Especially after paying the exorbitant fee for the shuttle in the first place!
Anyway, safe and sound, and refreshed with plenty of water and a swim in their pool.  After a quick trip to Sesriem Canyon, we drove Peekay halfway back to Windhoek, stopping for an amazing sunset, and then camping at a cool little spot called Capricorn Camp - we were the only ones there!!   *Stub

The Draw of Etosha National Park, Namibia

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Cheetah and two little cubs

Looking at our time-frame we decided against going further north to the beautiful Kunene river area that borders Angola, and headed south-east back to Etosha National Park. We couldn't resists the draw of Etosha which has been our favourite park to date. It has an  abundance and variety of wildlife. As we visit different National Parks in Africa, we have to bear in mind that the animals in reality are no longer 'wild'. They live in vast (and sometimes not so vast) areas that have boundaries to protect them from humans and human development on what was originally their wilderness habitat.

Dust storm on the pan

Etosha failed to disappoint and within the first 2km a cheetah mum and two cubs were relaxing under a tree about 100m from the road! It blew our minds! The cubs made it even more special, Cheetah are an endangered species as they are considered a pest to farmers who are permitted to kill them on their land in Southern Africa. Awful! So seeing babies filled us hope. Mum decided it was time to go for a stroll and the two cubs were running and trying to keep up with her. It was so breathtaking to watch it's hard to describe.

From basically dawn to dusk we drove across the park and were rewarded with the now usual game at the waterholes, including another highlight - lion. Cool. Just as if our day hadn't been rewarding enough, to top it off, we saw a lonesome cheetah (yes another!!) sitting upright in the shade of a tree at the edge of Etosha's huge salt pan. We felt very humbled as it was just us and the cheetah. A day full of treasured moments.  *Mush

A lone cheetah under a tree

Hanging with the Himba Tribes of Northern Namibia

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Michelle and the First Himba wife

Feeling lucky that we and little Peekay (our Kia Picanto) had survived the rough roads up to now, we thought we should perhaps not push our luck to head north through Sesfontein to Epupa Falls. After several warnings, Hermann, the lodge manager called ahead and confirmed that once past Sesfontein the roads were passable for our low-clearance Peekay but not before that. Avoiding Sesfontein we headed east through some better roads and pretty terrain. We turned north at the metropolis (or so it looked on the map!) of Kamanjab  - a junction with two shops and a petrol station! At that point the road was, thankfully, tarred and was a welcome break from the stones, dust and shaking.  It was also here that we started to see people of the Himba tribe. Dressed in traditional dress (which isn't much) the women in particular, cover themselves in ochre butter - a beautiful dark rusty-red coloured mixture that protects them from the sun.

Visiting a Himba village

We set up camp in the small town of Opuwo which was bustling with Himba and Herero tribe people chatting on street corners or outside the local PEP (clothing and household0 store. It was nice to see that different tribes were living and working closely in harmony. We would always say hello and wave when we pass, but we really wanted to meet and talk to the local tribes 1properly. Our campsite manager, Western, is Himba, and we discovered his village was very far away. His Uncle's village, however, was just half an hour from town so he took us to visit. As long-term travellers we always try to think about responsible and sustainable tourism, but hate what I call 'fish-bowl' tourism (how would we like someone coming into our house and looking at how we dress and eat?!). Martin and I always get stuck in and interact with the people. We had great time with the kids and the women of the village.

Martin with the Himba kids

There was only one man there, Western's Uncle, the Chief, and the women were all his wives! I 'asked' him how many children he had and his reply was that all the children I see were his! I suspect he didn't really know how many he had! They had no idea that we were coming and we felt very honoured to be welcomed as we did, and I loved sitting and 'chatting' with the women and showing the kids the video and pictures we took. The chief, of course, had been busy, as two of the wives were heavily pregnant. When I asked when they were due, one said her baby was due imminently - at the next full moon. The other had another moon cycle to go. It makes sense that their record of the passage of time would be by the moon, but they didn't really record how old they were. Western himself does not know how old he is.

Herero People

The first wife took a shining to me and we laughed and giggled and exchanged conversation (through Western). It was really special. She, and another wife showed us how they grind ochre from stone into a fine powder to mix with cow's butter to cleanse and protect their skin, and also how they mix and heat herbs for personal hygiene and deodorant.

It was such a great experience for us and we hoped that it was for the village too. Western was certain of it as we said our farewells. Of course, the big bags of maize mealie-meal, tea, herbs, sugar and salt that we took as gifts were really appreciated too. * Mush

A 41st Birthday at Palmwag, Namibia

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The Pool and Bar at Palmwag Lodge

Poor little Peekay - we took him across some pretty lousy, washed out roads from Twyfelfontein up to Palmwag.  It was not a pleasant journey, especially because we were worried about puncturing a tire - then what????  Nobody around for miles, and very few vehicles!!  And just a small doughnut as a spare.
Peekay pulled through with flying colours though!!  Palmwag was just a little settlement, but backing on to the concession lands.  In the concession lands, the animals are truly wild, not like in the parks.  We even managed to spot 6 giraffe crossing the main road on our way there, roaming freely.  At the lodge, there were some beautiful hut accommodation, but, as usual, we went for the camping option.  Our campsite was great, and even bordered a river where apparently elephants come to drink.  There have been sightings of elephants walking through the campsite too.  No such luck for us though, as there had been some recent rains, so the elephants didn't need to come as far.

Desert Elephants

The next morning, we woke to beautiful blue skies, and a morning game drive as a treat for my 41st birthday.  We hopped on the open Land Rover and the driver, Peter, was really great.  The scenery up here is wonderful - a bit South-West US (Utah, Arizona) -esque.  It was interesting to see all the animals in this type of scenery.  Peter seemed hell bent on finding us some elephants, and was doing his 'tracking' thing.  He took us well off-road, and eventually I spotted a couple on the hillside, and then we moved in closer.  Eventually, 11 desert elephants came over the ridge and closer and closer to us.  One huge male, covered in red dirt that he threw on himself, and his harem of females.  They have smaller tusks than normal elephants because they lack the nutrients in their diet to produce the ivory.  Nonetheless very impressive creatures, but we were in their path, so had to hustle out of the way. 
We had been set for a 3-4 hour drive, but returned 5.5 hrs later, so were very impressed.  I wasn't expecting much for the day, but this drive outdid my expectations greatly.  What a nice way to start my birthday. 

Martin's Birthday Sundowner at Palmwag

We decided to have a big braai lunch, so set about making the fire and getting the coals going.  A long process, but eventually we got the chicken and veggies cooked.  Only to sit down and then get swarmed with flies - so annoying after all our hard work.
We enjoyed time by the pool, and a sundowner drink on the deck overlooking the concession area.  That evening we met a nice Dutch couple named Robert and Benedict, and enjoyed some beers with them at the bar.  Also, treated ourselves to a delicious burger at the restaurant, before retiring to the open top tent, to watch the millions of stars.  A good birthday for me!!!   *Stub

Birthday Burger Dinner with Benedict and Robert

Outdoor Showers of Twyfelfontein, Namibia

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Martin in front of Brandberg Massif

Armed with new information and feeling brave in our little two-wheel drive Picanto (or PeeKay as we called it - from Power of One), we headed north up the Skeleton coast and east to Damaraland. We passed Namibia's tallest mountain Brandberg Massif with huge open blue skies. A long travel day through interesting scenery - some flat and scrubby and some tall and scrubby, ending up at Twyfelfontein, a World heritage Site with ancient rock engravings from the San Bushman - the early people of southwestern Africa and between 2000 and 5000 years old. We got there with an hour before closing and we had to have a guide and felt ripped off as the person just took us around for 40 mins just pointing and saying "that's a lion, that's a giraffe, that's a zebra" etc. Anyway, what can you do! Paintings and engravings of course were the Bushman's way of communicating with each other important information as to hunting and water sources.

Sunrise over our camp at Mowani

The fact that they carved penguins and seals in their drawings indicates that they were a nomadic people as we were about x km from the coast.  The San people were also responsible for the clicks and popping sounds that are still around today in the Xhosa languages.

We explored other local features such as the impressive basalt columns of the Organ Pipes and the much less-so Burnt Mountain - super dark black ancient volcanic lava, hence the name! The highlight of the day turned out to be our campsite. Molwani Rest Camp had three large campsites set far away from the main lodge and we loved it. Massive boulders were scattered around the landscape and our spot was surrounded. Climbing up afforded us a great view across the valley (and also into our camp shower!).We sat and had dinner high on the rocks watching rusty reds and golds as the sun went down. It was perfect! *Mush

With Heinrich, the guard at Mowani

The Outdoor Shower in the bush

Swakopmund Take Two, Namibia

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Michelle nearing the top of Dune 7

Where to start for our independent travels of Namibia? It was tricky. We hopped in our small Kia Picante and we headed back to Swakopmund to check out Dune 7 - the highest dune at the coast which we didn't do when we were there before. We camped at the super-cheap (and very basic) youth hostel for  $N20 each ($3 US) (most other places have been 4-6 times that much!). It was great because we shared a braii (BBQ) with the young kids there from Windhoek on a 4H programme retreat (Head, Heart, Hands and Health).

We walked around to explore town this time (we didn't the first time as Martin and I were the support party for the skydivers of the tour group). We ended up at the very posh Sushi restaurant at the end of the pier that stretched in to the sea. The Sushi looked great, but unfortunately out of our league, but our budget did stretch to a beer to enjoy a perch hovering over the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the world's oldest welwitschia plants - 1500 yrs

We did a mini pub crawl around town as we searched for the South Africa vs  World Cup Rugby replay. The following morning England was playing Scotland and we were able to watch it at the Quad Bike centre at Dune 7. A contentious game of course, and you could feel the centuries of tension between them. A good game of rugby with England winning, thankfully. Dune 7 was a little disappointing (sorry Teryk) as it was not as big as we had thought and we climbed up and down it pretty quickly. To make up for it, we took a scenic drive further inland around Moonlands which were stunning. Very eerie, but cool landscape. The rarest plant in the world survives near here - the Welwitschia is thought to be the evolutionary link between flowering and no-flowering plants. At this point the scenic drive was more unusual rather than scenic, but we found the oldest, rarest (and probably the most ugliest!) Welwitschia plant in the world - estimated to be about 1500 years old!

We caught up with Jay, the guide that Martin sand-boarded with on the dunes last week, and he had some good tips and recommendations for our travels through Namibia. After picking his brains we retreated to our camp for an early start north.  *Mush