17 July Wednesday

First time I have had someone playing the piano while I am eating breakfast, a lot more people here this morning and a lot of young people that appear may be coming on our truck. 7.50 am we arrived at the Nomad tours depot just around the corner from our Hotel and in walking distance to find lots more people than we expected, the guides say always be prepared to be surprised here and that seems to be the story.

Turned out there are 2 trucks, one with 23 people camping and one for us who people who are staying in accommodation only 8 of us, that was a relief as we had been told that 18 were on our trip as we know this is going to be rough roads and we wanted plenty of room to move around in and spread out. Lets see how many join us in here after the first night camping, we have been told often they upgrade when they see what they have let themselves in for, time will tell, we have it good at the moment, long may it last.

We have been standing around for some time after having our papers checked by Nomad staff, our truck seems to have some problems getting certification from the authorities and we waited over an hour for them to get a mini van for the time being, no worries for us but I felt sorry for the guide as she has a tight schedule and it must throw her out. A van arrived with a trailer for our bags, the type of set up we use for airport shuttles however it was an 8 seater and we needed a 10 seater so they sent our van away with trailer attached and our bags in it. We wondered if that was going to be the last of the bags. We were told that it would be 5 minutes but it was at least an half an hour before the van got back a 10 seater but being driven by a stand in driver as the tour driver had not arrived. We had been told to expect the unexpected in Africa and we were getting to know our fellow passengers and take in the locals doing their stuff pushing trolleys loaded with gear to sell at the markets and others hustling to go to work.

We moved through town and out onto the motorway freely as peak hour traffic was over and onto the highway north stopping of for a stunning view across the bay of Cape Town with Table Mountain behind.

Next stop a shopping mall to buy stuff and after 20 minutes we were away again travelling north over a flat slightly undulating landscape. Passing nice suburbs and then villages of shacks. The terrain was stony dirt with rough scrub.

We arrived at a centre for the San people where a nice young man explained about their culture and their life as the indigenous people living a nomadic life throughout Africa. These are the people that speak interspersed with clicking and popping noises made by the mouth making the language very complex and each San tribe had a different language and many tribes had a totally different way of speaking. He spoke of the problems of trying to keep their culture preserved, and told, us one tribe had been lost including that tribes language due to assimilation with the European culture. We went on a walk and he showed us the plants they used for eating and making medicine, pointing out a highly poisonous bush that San use to poison the tips of spears and arrows. The san put on lunch for us it was butternut soup and salad .with eland a large Deer made into a lasagne and rice.

The San gave a demonstration of how to make fire and asked some of the party to try. But the San Man had it going in no time none of our group got any fire out of the sticks

Back in the truck and was interested to pass the power station that was powered by nuclear energy, this supplies all of Cape Town. Drove through a basin of farmland with cows sheep canola fields providing a large expanse of yellow the surrounding hills all high around the basin, we had driven through land like our Desert Road before the farmland started. Stopped at a winery for wine tasting basically the wine was like the plonk we used to buy in Europe for a euro eighty a bottle pretty awful and Rhondda and Karen were screwing up their faces and being making jokes and laughing and giggling the staff at the winey were not impressed after all they had just told us how wonderful it was. We were given a choice of a number of wines to taste and all were horrible so we asked to try the Shiraz and that was the best of a bad bunch so we chose to take that and a chardonnay. Past a hydro dam and came across this tree that had bird nests that were entered from the bottom.

That night we stayed at Clanwilliam at town in the Cederberg mountain area.,

it was dark when we arrived and it was off to the local pub for a feed as our Safari truck had not arrived.

19 July Thursday

Next morning we were interested to see if our Safari truck and driver had arrived as things were rather cramped in the van. Sure enough it was there with our driver Dave. Once again it was an excellent breakfast and we loaded up the vehicle starting out at 730am

The area of northern SA was becoming desert with mountains in the background low shrubs and Quiver trees that the San people used to make arrows from. These trees are unique to southern Africa and remind us of the Joshua tree in USA not that they look like them but in the area they grow. Animals sighted were Oraiks, Kudu and Springbok.

On the way we stopped at this gas station to use the toilet and were flabbergasted by the jail like bars to stop unwanted people using the toilet.

Our next adventure was at the boer with Namibia, after a briefing from our guide as to how to behave with the officials at the crossing and a story how someone had tried to produce a copy of their passport our driver ironically was found not to have a current passport, so we were going nowhere.

So we waited till another driver came from the Namibian side to take us to our next hotel. Our driver had to wait on the SA side for a special passport to be delivered to him before he could cross.

There was plenty to watch at the border a large van was stopped and found to have large amounts of cigarettes on board he was still there when we left, another 2 guys were taken a away by the police, do not know what they had done but they sure were having a bad day.

That night we stayed on the banks of the Orange river also known as the Gariep river in bungalows with African thatched roofs and mud coloured walls. They are cool in summer and warm in winter and nicely fitted out in African rugs and furniture.

Our meal was prepared by our guide and her helper from the truck a BBQ..

19 July Friday

In the morning there was no driver so our guide asked a local to drive us back to the boarder to meet our driver. He posed a lonely sight walking some distance across the border. So with the appropriate ragging he told us he spent the night sleeping out with two dogs to keep him warm and he looked like it, then we were on our way 4 drivers and two vehicles within two days.

Our driver walking the sandy mile towards us from the border crossing.

We left the sealed roads into the desert area of Namibia the geology changed to rock formations boulders piled high with light brown coarse sand and sharp stones everywhere as we continued north the geology changed as did the fauna with acacia trees now around us and the Quiver trees and bush the San men used for poisoning their arrows that grew in abundance all over the land in clumps were no longer growing.

The roads are rutted dirt and we are travelling in the usual manner crash, bang and wallop in the hinterland of Namibia with dust flying. The truck is like a mighty juggernaut ploughing on relentlessly for hours with Dave at the wheel.

Some might get bored of this tiring trip but we are fascinated by the changing view and the way the light from the sky changes the view of the landscape.

This area is a off road bikers dream however we have not seen a bike outside of the towns. We would have expected some compressors (BMWs) out here.

We arrived at Fish River Canyon apparently the third largest in the world and walked the rim taking pictures but we are not sure about this.

That night we stopped at Ai-Ais Spa resort, with natural hot springs in a narrow canyon with rock cliffs and a dried up river. There was one hot pool at 65 Celsius and the rest of the pools were tepid so we did not bother with a swim mainly because we were tuckered out.

We had another excellent BBQ prepared by our guide and her helper Felix and the driver Dave who happens to be a trained chief, but more about them later.

20 July Saturday

Breakfast in the Spa restaurant usual excellent standard of more than you can reasonably eat.

We started out at 730 am as it’s a long drive travelling through gravel roads that we corrugated, the truck was vibrating, bumping and ricocheting of rocks plus swaying from side to side. This caused quiet a din inside with windows and doors rattling.

Passing through a number of small towns following a narrow gauge railway line run by the Diamond mines stopping to take pictures and being treated like celebrities by the locals with a wave. We stopped in a small town for lunch and bought some stuff from the café the proprietor was a grumpy old man who was breathing heavily as he moved his bulk around the shop and he spoke sharply to kids that bought a packet of dried Kudu meat that is cut in strips and sold as a delicacy, they paid grabbed their packet and shot out the door. One boy was looking through the iron bars that surrounded the café outside sitting area. He looked about 8 so we asked his name and how old he was. He said he was 12 years old, we asked him if we could take his picture and he said yes. It was then this old bull yelled out to him to clear off. Some people have a long way to go, to understand that the world has changed.

We spoke to a local cop and got his picture, these people are very gentle nice, quiet people. The Cop had a large revolver in a leather pouch on his hip the looked like a Boar war antique and Clint Eastwood would have been proud to wear it. In fact it did feel like we were in a movie on this hot day in this town of a pub, a garage with pumps a couple of other buildings and a light wind kicking up the dust with not a car moving.

South end of town was this group of round houses and a herd of goats

Saw the usual antelopes and huge bird’s nests created by birds called the “Community Weaver”. These nests attract wasps and snakes. The tree was called a “Camel Toe” due to the seed pod. We arrived at another resort Naukluft National Park one of the largest in Africa.

Another BBQ, a wine, Dave and Felix playing Dave’s guitar and singing songs with a beer or two. Dave’s songs were African ballads very much like blues.

21 July Sunday

5.00 am Grunt, pulled ourselves out of bed for a 530 am start we have an hours drive to get to the Namibian Sand dunes and in particular dune 45. These dunes are the tallest in the world and the one we are to climb is 170 metres high.

At the bottom of the sand hill was a park

Our truck sped through the dark it’s like riding an out of control roller coaster, and we got there in one piece, Dave is an excellent driver and very skilful in missing the worst bumps. We arrived just before 7.00 am and there was a queue, 12 vehicles waiting to enter this part of the Park called Sosusviel, when the gate was opened and the official had taken our details and money we were on the way with Dave passing all ahead to get us to dune 45.

The geology in this area is striking in colour of reds, browns, greys and whites and as the sun rose over it casting shadows it was amazing. The Acacias had been distorted by wind, sand and sun they too was amazing. We saw the usual antelope.

Well Karen and Tony set out to climb this beast of a sand hill that was one of the toughest climbs as with every step the sand ran down the hill and you foot moved half the distance you intended, with the sand filling your shoes and shoes bogged in the sand they were gasping for air. They could only move up this steep dune a few paces and then stop for a breath. The day started cold as deserts do but had heated up quick and with heaps of clothes on the sweat was dripping off them. The warming of the air cause the wind to rise in strength to a point where they were finding it difficult to keep up right and with the sand blasting them they did not stay at the top long and we glad to get back down. It took about an hour to reach the top and as “Hillary said to Tensing” “Well we have knocked the bastard off”.

The next activity was Deadviel a part of the park where the sand hills had blocked the river causing the trees to die leaving dead tree trunks standing in a hard flat sand bowl.

At this stage the wind was fair screaming causing a sand storm, we decided to not go as it meant travelling in an open Jeep but Karen and one other of our group went, while we took pictures of the area that had the same dead trees and some jackals came and visited us. These animals are usually very timid of humans but these three came right up to us. It appears they were looking for food and water, Dave was tempted to give them water but could not as it is a large fine to feed wild animals.

When the two that went to Deadviel returned we drove to a small canyon where we explored the canyon while lunch was being made. Lunch was in the truck and after that we returned to Hammerstein resort where This Springbok walking into the area and up to Rhondda.

Tony and I went to see a Leopard but could not enter the cages as it was very dangerous. The keeper demonstrated how the moment she turned her back near the cage the leopard tried to attack her. We walked with Cheaters patting them, they had been saved by a farmer who found them in a trap and were given to the resort to raise them. The resort has a licence for this.

Dinner is another BBQ at the truck.

22 July Monday

6.30 am start we left Hammerstein for Swakopmund this is to be a very rugged and rough road, the distance is 430k’s but will take 7 hours driving not including breaks.

While the road is very rough the area is awesome with rock forms and sand hills with flat tops created by wind and the sand comes from the Sahara.

First stop a private property where we were given an insight into the way the San people could sustain themselves in this arid land by Francis a guide. He explained how the impact of Europeans had totally taken away the Nomads live style as farmers chased them off land, killed the game they lived on and fenced the land. He explained how San people sold a skin for high priced coats and had a good industry going but when society changed its mind about animal skins their business closed over night. This caused a problem for the San people who had also lost the ability to live by the old ways. Special fences have been derived to let the wild animals travel between farms but keep cattle and sheep on the farm. We were given demonstrations on finding things in the desert and how to read signs to navigate by. We saw herds of Oryx and mountain Zebra a species different from other Zebra and threatened.

Next stop Solitaire a road house garage and general store with a great deal of character.

We crossed the tropic of Capricorn

We reached Walvis Bay and walked the beach area, it appears the economy is going well by the number of new houses being built for both the poor and rich. This is a major port for Namibia and ship repair yard with a number of floating docks. After a break we continued to our Motel at Swakopmund.

23 July Tuesday

Swakopmund very small city and we were off in a boat to see in particular a Grey Whale that had come to the bay and decided to stay. We also saw dolphins of two varieties and yawn seals plus the pink flamingos. Added extra was pelicans that were fed as we went along with one even landing on the boat and entertaining the people. The guide said they became very attached to people and in particular the captains son.

A great day at sea with wine and lunch provided and a 5 hour trip plus transport for 55 USD.

After the boating we went for a walk around town and bought some snacks.

Here are the best dressed locals Kiwi Karen and a Herero lady in traditional dress.

Now it’s back at the motel sorting our stuff for the next part of the trip and sending this email. There is so much we have seen that it is not possible in the time we have to record it, we can see why people fall in love with Africa.