Skeleton Coast and environs

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We have been using Kombat as our base to do various trips and our last trip before returning to Windhoek was to go towards the Twyfelfontein area, which is the area for the petroglyphs and various other rock paintings and carvings made long ago, and the Skeleton Coast. The Twyfelfontein Lodge was an extraordinary lodge set against a huge cliff face/ mountain and was very impressive - we just went there for drinks in the late afternoon. The little lodge we were staying at was far more basic - although nice in a rustic way - it was made up of tents fully equipped with beds and towels and mosquito netting, or you could go deluxe and have an ensuite - but as we were only there one night, and the showers and toilets were close by, we made do with the basics, though we did go the dinner bed and breakfast. We tried to find Aub Canyons, but we drove around endlessly in tracks fit only for 4 wheel drive at a snail’s pace, in the end we tired of the slow track and exited the park. I must add that the game here was good - oryx, kudu, mountain zebra and giraffe, as well as springbok and other buck plus the elusive elephant and rhino ( which we didn’t see). We headed for the Skeleton Coast. We arrived at 5 just as the gates were closing and the Ranger wouldn’t let us in as we had a long drive and we couldn’t ext the park before dark. We were heading for a place called Tora Bay - but that was only open Dec/Jan, and the next place Terrace Bay had to be booked well in advance. So we waited at the gates in the free camping site until morning. The weather turned out to be very bleak - forbidding, overcast, windy, cold… We saw one wreck and lots of turn offs for the coast, but they turned out to be for fishing expeditions and were very uninteresting. The ground was devoid of all vegetation except for welwichia and ocasional very small scrubby bushes. The dunes were far smaller than we had envisaged. In all, I’m glad to have seen it but there are many more interesting things to see in Namibia. As for Tora Bay - the less said the better - the picture tells the story!!!!
Our next stop was the Cape Cross Fur Seal Colony - an area covered by the seals with their pups - great fun - the wind was in the right direction, so we weren’t blown away by the smell. Lots of pics after a lovely lunch at the local upmarket german lodge. Then away to Henties Bay, and finally the long leg home to Windhoek. Unfortunately, there was a lot of dust in the air and so we didn’t see much of the beautiful Orongo Mountains or the Spitzkoppes.
Arrived home to find that part of the exhaust had fallen off and the air matress in the back of the Nissan was melted!! Great consternation! So our last day in Windhoek, had to be a rest day as we didn’t have a vehicle that was road worthy enough to go out in. Did I mention that I lost my voice and it hasn’t come back until we were about to leave Namibia!! Bummer!!!!!!!

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