Blogs from Namibia, Africa - page 2

Etosha is Namibia’s Krueger Park. The park is located app. 420km to the North of Windhoek. It is a wide tared road and driving is comfortable and speedy (as we will find out, only for a few national roads you can say that). As soon as one leaves the area of the capital city, traffic density becomes very low. The scenery is one of farmland changing into savannah. We travel on the Central Plateau from 1'700 to 1'100m altitude, the descent not noticeable at all. Passing through towns of Otjiwarongo and Outjo we reached after 5 1/2 hours the Gundawan Safari Lodge. The estate lies at the edge outside of the National Park. A spacious property build on a hill giving the chance to observe the wide terrain from the bungalows verandah. It is rainy season. ... read more

We woke up nice and early to head out to the last big adventure and the one I was most looking forward to: Sossusvlei! We had a good breakfast on the terrace overlooking the desert with the owners feeding the local squirrels and birds and other such lucky wildlife. Our guides got us in the car to leave by 6:30 and we were off. A 45-minute drive to Sossusvlei. Along the way, of course, we saw some animals, such as a family of springbok before we entered the park. Sossusvlei Once we entered, we saw a bunch of oryx and even kudu hanging out in the dunes. We continued our drive to the literal end of the road where there was a picnic area set up. Here was our last chance to use the toilets and ... read more

After leaving Palmwag, we continued our journey. We saw a couple of mama and baby giraffes early on, but after that, the roadside wildlife was non-existent until much later in the day. The new car had more trouble as the battery then died too! very exciting for their driver, but we fixed it and moved on. We arrived at the Skeleton Coast National Park pretty much on time, used the facilities, and took some photos at the entrance. We saw a few other tourists hanging around too. Our first stop inside was a short hike up a small hill to see Namibia's national plant: Welwitschia mirabilis. Generally the plant can be 1,000 to 2,000 years old and only has two leaves. There are male and female plants. It is considered a "living fossil". We also saw ... read more

We left Melissa's guesthouse after a good breakfast. My travel mates and I were in Shapa's car today, whose name basically means that he was a 'vaccine marker' - essentially, he branded their cattle. He had another name, that I cannot spell, which means "what kind of weapon" which dates back to the German occupation and how their fighters had to use weapons that were non-traditional but available. When he first started out as a guide, he faced a lot of discrimination, including from other guides, for wearing his traditional dress. Little did many realize that he speaks English, Afrikaans, as well as his native Herero language. Along the way, we were passing the western border of Etosha National Park, though not going in for a visit. Etosha is approximately 22,000 square kilometers and it's name ... read more

After a good and hearty breakfast, Warwick and I said goodbye to Nelly and Alain and made our way to the airport. Alain is going to spend the day in Windhoek before heading back toward the Skeleton coast on his own. The roads are safe and he will be fine, but rest assured we’ll be keeping in daily contact with him. We on the other hand are rolling the dice and hoping to get home. We are currently sitting in departures at Windhoek airport. Our flight is on the way and we are checked in, so fingers crossed. Apparently Windhoek closed all schools overnight and may contemplate roadblocks. In addition a military containment unit has sprung up at the airport so things are escalating. You either need to stay put (aka Alain) or get out of ... read more