No visas, no vaccinations, no problem
Our visit was so well timed you would think
that we planned it that way. The scene was not unlike the 100-year blooms
witnessed in Death Valley and Anza Borrego where the whole desert floor is
awash in color. We arrived in Namaqua to rain, which was responsible for the
flourishing flowers. I must confess that prior to this trip, I have never been
a big fan of rooftop tents, finding them to be expensive, cumbersome, and
unnecessary in the States. As we prepared a dinner of Ramen noodles in a steady
drizzle (crunchies not providing the necessary warmth for the evening), I
learned the value of both the RTT and the Ostrich Wing awning.
The
scene was not unlike the 100-year blooms witnessed in Death Valley and Anza
Borrego where the whole desert floor is awash in color.
The next morning after a breakfast of
instant oatmeal (note the distinctly bachelor culinary theme that would
continue throughout the trip), we took the road less travelled, working our way
north towards Namibia. When given the option, we always chose the most rural
route to get to our destination (another theme that would continue throughout
the trip), avoiding pavement whenever possible. None of these trails were
comparable in difficulty to, say, the Rubicon, but they did provide plenty of
opportunities to relax, slow down, and enjoy the scenery. Much of the drive was
through a dry, harsh landscape, and when we did encounter water, it was often
flourishing with plant life and birds in every colour on the spectrum. Like the
rest of the animal kingdom, we were naturally attracted to these locations as
well. They provided water, shade, and lower temperatures than the surrounding
desert.
I was nervous about the border crossing
between South Africa and Namibia, but as we went through the process, it became
clear that my fears were unfounded. It took us half an hour to fill out the
necessary visas and declarations, and our vehicle was not even searched at the
sleepy crossing. With the necessary paperwork in hand, we continued north to
Ais
I
was nervous about the border crossing between South Africa and Namibia, but as
we went through the process, it became clear that my fears were unfounded.
1. We only had a loose itinerary for our trip and planned the next
day’s progress each night. We did not have reservations ahead of time at any
of the places where we were camping, but since we were not traveling during the
holidays, we did not have any problems finding last-minute spots to set up
camp.
2. According to our guidebook, Fish River Canyon is “possibly” the biggest
canyon in Africa. One of the things we love about the Dark Continent is that it
is still a wild, uncharted destination in a lot of respects. The canyon is
about 100 miles long, up to 15 miles wide, and up to 1,700 feet deep.
The canyon is about 100 miles long, up to 15 miles wide, and up to
1,700 feet deep.
3. This was a fierce race between the turtle and our Land Cruiser. In
the end, the naturally aspirated diesel barely coaxed the Cruiser past the
turtle. Along the way, we learned that Americans are in love with horsepower
and always seem to be in a hurry. We appreciate the former more than the
latter.
4. Weavers are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and make the most elaborate
nests of any bird. They enter through the bottom of the nest to keep safe from harm,
but we still haven’t figured out how their eggs don’t fall to the ground.
5. A heavy, underpowered vehicle with skinny tires? Now we know why KEA
included the shovel and the tow strap with the rental! We aired the tires down
in the sand for more floatation and were careful not to venture too far off the
beaten path. KEA even included an air compressor at our request so we could
reinflate the tires when we got out of the sand.
6. The gemsbok is easily recognized by its distinctive horns. They are
part of the antelope family, and if you want to hunt gemsbok without going all
the way to Africa, you can do so in New Mexico.
7. The dunes at Sossusvlei are numbered based on their distance from
the entrance gate. This is "Dune 40”. Dune 45 is the most famous, and many
people stopped and asked us if this was Dune 45 when there were shooting
photos. Once they found out that it was not, they moved on, leaving this
amazing view to us alone. Sometimes it pays to trust your eyes and leave the
guide book on the dash.
8. The rough translation of “Sossusvlei” means "dead-end marsh”.
Vlei is the Afrikaans word for “marsh”, while “sossus” means “dead end” in the
native Nama language. The sand is rich in iron, which is responsible for the
red colour, just like in Moab.
