No visas, no vaccinations, no problem
Ais for the night. Ais Ais may sound like a
Vanilla Ice song, but it is actually a resort on the periphery of Fish River
Canyon, which was our destination the next morning. Ais Ais has a lodge, a
restaurant, designated camp spots, and even hot springs where weary travelers
can soak their tired bones.
Fish River Canyon is a destination for
hiking and rafting, not unlike the Grand Canyon. Carved out of a flat plateau,
Fish River Canyon is a massive gorge with dozens of varied colour rock layers
exposed by the river’s constant erosion. We spent more time exploring Fish
River Canyon than we had anticipated, which put us a little behind schedule.
“Schedule” is a relative term, but as we flipped through our guidebook we kept
finding our way back to dramatic photos of the red dunes at Soussesvlei that
would become our destination for this journey.
Carved
out of a flat plateau, Fish River Canyon is a massive gorge with dozens of
varied colour rock layers exposed by the river’s constant erosion.
Falling short of Sossusvlei, we stopped in
Nawnub for the night. Much of the currently popular “overlanding” fad can trace
its roots back to South Africa, and after staying at Nawnub and similar lodges,
it is easy to see why. These ranches provide a place to park and camp for a
small sum, and doing so entitles you to all of their facilities, which included
flush toilets and hot showers at each of our stops. We don’t have a similar
framework of businesses in the United States, which is a shame because I could
camp in a rooftop tent and eat Ramen every night as long as I get a decent
toilet and a hot shower.
The next morning we reached Sossusvlei and
its expansive red dunes. The winds of this area create a distinctive ridgeline
at the top of the dunes, which were quite striking in the early morning and
afternoon light when only one side of the dune is illuminated. Once the sun was
high in the sky, we ventured further into the park into sand tracks that were
only accessible with 4WD. At one point, we even got stuck and had to air down
our tires. This weeded out many of the tourists in the national park and gave
us access to secluded dunes and oases.
The
winds of this area create a distinctive ridgeline at the top of the dunes,
which were quite striking in the early morning and afternoon light when only
one side of the dune is illuminated.
Camping at Sossusvlei was busy without
being too crowded. Like Ais Ais, there was a hot spring at the center of the campground
where all of the travelers congregated in the evenings after the sun went down.
We could have stayed at Sossusvlei for an eternity, but unfortunately KEA
wanted their Land Cruiser back well before then. In this regard our lack of
planning worked against us, since every page we read in the Namibia guide book
revealed another destination just waiting to be experienced. In the end, we had
to just set the book aside and face the responsibilities of returning home.
While turning towards home was bittersweet,
it did not mean the end of the journey. Our border crossing returning to South
Africa was as easy as it had been passing into Namibia, with none of the bribes
or hours of waiting that you often hear in relation to African borders. “Easy”
shouldn’t be interpreted as “boring” though, and the highlight of the border
crossing was a ferry ride across the Orange River with our Land Cruiser.
We chose to take an alternate track back to
Cape Town, following the Atlantic Coast while looking for the remains of
shipwrecks and items washed ashore. We found more locked gates and fences than
buried treasure, but regardless, it was still a better option than following
the tarmac and road signs south. And that was the simple goal of the entire
trip: to spend time with an old friend and see something new. We surpassed that
goal with minimal planning, creating memories that could easily be duplicated
by anyone with a valid passport and sense of adventure. So what are you waiting
for?
And
that was the simple goal of the entire trip: to spend time with an old friend
and see something new.
