Day 10 Sesriem-Namtib


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Africa » Namibia
September 3rd 2012
Published: October 30th 2012
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As we wake up in the morning we are surprised to see two balloons in the distance just starting to rise towards the sky. For one we can see how it is filled with hot air before being launched. Our deck appears to be a magnet for various birds singing or just preening. As we finish packing we enjoy a nice sunrise, this time from our cabin and not from the road as the day before before going to breakfast.







As usual the breakfast consists of eggs and a buffet of various cheeses and hams and fruit juices and is quite good. Afterwards we try to get a porter to carry our bags to the shuttle as we were instructed to do but in the end we decide to carry them as it is easy on the boardwalk instead of waiting. The shuttle is waiting for us and another couple and it takes us to our car.





The first point of interest that we intend to visit is still inside the National Park - the Sesriem Canyon. It is a short slot canyon similar to the ones in Arizona and Utah. We first look at it from above and cannot identify any way to get down, it is steep and doesn't appear to be climbable. We are not the only ones that are looking for the descent as we meet a couple from UK who are asking us if we have seen the stairs..we had no idea that there are any stairs or if the descent is even possible. Finally we find a side canyon that drops abruptly and just when it appears to end we get to THE stairs, just a few hops down and we are in the dry river bed. The canyon is cool and empty of other people however it is full of birds that take advantage of the few puddles of water on the canyon floor. After hiking to the end of the canyon, a couple hundred meters, we return to the car and proceed out of the park.







Before starting on the road however we first buy gasoline from the modern gas station next to the park and some provisions especially water. The road south is in good condition and we make good time. The vegetation changes repeatedly between no grass and dense savannah and to our right always visible are the dunes as a reminder that we are skirting the Namtib desert. There are zebras and ostriches and even oryxes that like to sit on top of some hills that appear to be constructed just for them.









Our second point of interest for the day is Duwisib Castle. It was built in the early 1900 in two years to look like a real castle by Hansheinrich von Wolf and his wife Jayta. The building materials were imported from Europe and transported by ship and ox cart and European crafters were brought in to finish the woodwork and the stonework. We visit it only from the outside as the entrance fee is expensive and we know that it doesn't have any original furniture.







On the return trip from the castle to the main road we stop at a huge weavers nest that we have seen on the way and take a few pictures of the nest and of the birds flitting between the different openings.







We leave the main road on a secondary road that continues to hug the desert. Oryx and ostriches continue to be relatively common but there are no more zebras. The road is almost empty with very few cars on the 100 km of very scenic road till our accomodation.





We are staying the night at the Namtib Desert Lodge which is 12 km from the main road and is a working farm with a few guesthouses. The road is one track, sandy and rutted which makes for different sets of worries..what happens if we meet someone, what happens if we get stuck, what happens if our wheels fall off? In the end all is well and the road brings us close to the mountains where the farm sits in a secluded valley.





The farm looks rustic but it has all modern comforts (except Wifi but that would be a stretch that far from civilization). We park and find the reception and the friendly hostess/farm owner gives us a tour of the area and shows us to our bungalow. There is a nice succulent garden (no native cacti here but for us succulent=cacti most of the time), a large quiver tree in the middle of the courtyard and a few hiking trails through the mountains which was one of the reasons why we chose the accomodation. Moving the bags to the room is fun with a hand pulled cart...no porters here which was great news for us.







There are about 5 guest rooms in a row and all of them have bathrooms that are separated from the main room by an interior courtyard. First time that we see this setup in our travels and we assume that each guesthouse might have been the 2 houses of the hired help previously that were rebuilt so that one is the bedroom and one in the bathroom. The interior of the bedroom is interesting with a German theme as we would have expected given that the majority of tourists in the area are from Germany.







For the afternoon we decide to hike the botanical loop trail. The major reason for this is that it is supposedly clearly marked with numbers that are linked to a large binder with botanical information that the hostess gave us and we are interested to learn more about the flora and fauna of the area. As we make our way to the trailhead we walk along the edge of the farm and have an occasion to spot different fowl raised on the farm especially chicken and geese.







The trail starts with a sharp climb but it is well laid out with great views of the mountains and the farm. As we rest we see the goats coming in for the evening which is quite a sight...almost a stampede with purpose. We miss the initial number in the botanical trail guidebook but then we find the majority of highlighted plants and the information about the uses and dangers of the individual plants is really interesting for us. The sun is also falling towards the horizon and highlights the red rocks quite nicely.







There are even a few flowers on the trail, it is easy to forget that while for the northern hemisphere it is the end of summer here it is the beginning of spring. The trail after climbing to the ridge is following it back towards the dry wash and it is without major altitude changes while skirting or going through rocky areas with beautiful formations.







Birds are flying all around us however we concentrate on the trail as it winds over the rocky terrain. The views are spectacular in the falling sun and we continue to be captivated by the information about the local plants contained in the folder.







After passing the wash we look back and see some movement. Taking out the camera which doubles also as binoculars we notice that there are a few antelopes that are interacting on the top of the opposite mountain. We identify them as klipspringers...a new antelope for us. They observe us but don't appear to care as they decide to descend towards the wash. We track them as they descend first surefooted and then more hesitant on the steep rock but they get down much faster than we could.









It is likely that they were going towards the maintained water catchment that we passed by or that there are pools of water further up. Later we find out that this year was one of the few years that they have seen the river flow for a few days so certainly there is no lack of water yet in the area. The trail continues through the rocky terrain and we are happy that it is well marked as even so we make a few bad turns and have to return to the trail before getting hopelessly lost (no chance of that with the GPS 😊).







Suddenly the mountains give way to the plains and the trail becomes more defined. We can see horses in the distance and the views are still beautiful. Also the plant mix has changed and we are suprised at the number of poisonous plants in the area some being invasive.







The views of the mountains around us remains spectacular especially with the windmill in the foreground.






As we enter the wash and walk back through it toward the farm we notice an interesting collection of beat up cars. We examine them a bit more closely and wonder how the river didn't sweep them away when it was flowing.






The sun has almost reached the horizon and rocks look like they are burning, for us this looks more like a Burnt Mountain than the one near Twyfelfontein.






As we arrive back at the farm in the twilight we walk to the lounge area which is on a smaller hill and allows us a view of the area that the sun has set. There is a small cave nearby and to our surprise it is inhabited. The colors at the horizon are beautiful and we sit down in the chaise lounge relaxing until it is almost time for dinner. The area is lighted by tens of candlelights which while bright in the immediate area let us sit in the darkness with our portable planetarium to gaze at what appears to be an infinity of stars.









Dinner is a personal affair here and is relatively late at 8 pm. We eat with the host family; the food is great with the main course being an oryx gulash. The discussion gravitates towards schooling and land owner rights in Namibia. One thing that we were curious about and find out is that there are no school buses in Namibia and most children who live on the farms are driven to the nearby villages and cities at the beginning of the school year and stay there for the duration of the school semester. Also provisions that are not grown on the farm are hard to come by and they have to make a trip per week to the nearby village to buy stuff and to pick up any accumulated deliveries. After dinner as it is late already we crash in our beds tired after the hike through the area.

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