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Published: October 15th 2012
Today we wake up early, at what has been previously 5 AM, but unfortunately in Namibia it was the night of the daylight savings change and it is actually 6 AM according to the new time. Luckily both our kayaking guide and the receptionist at the lodge mentioned this else we would have been surprised by the change. We get our breakfast pack and start driving towards Sossusvlei, first on the private road of the lodge and then on the paved road. As a background the road between the gate and the end of the paved road is about 50km long and you are not allowed on it until after sunrise unless you stay inside the park as we did. In that case you can leave early and drive stress free and catch the sunrise over the dunes which is what we intend to do. The sunrise is beautiful as we see the sun appear behind the dunes and also the dunes take different shades of red so we stop multiple times to take pictures.
As we continue down the road we pass the Tsauchab River through which valley we are driving and then the dunes come closer and closer to the road until we reach the end of the paved road. From here the only way to proceed the remaining 5 km is using 4x4 either rented or your own. The parking area is empty and quiet except for a couple crows who sit in a tree and make a racket.
Our intended goal for today is Hidden Vlei for which we have to walk about 2.5 km from the regular car parking. We are a bit apprehensive about how we are going to find the trail but it is well marked with posts showing the way through the sand and washes. As we leave the parking lot we walk through sparse vegetation until even that disappears and we are left with dunes all around us while we are struggling walking through the sand.
It is early morning and it is relatively cold while the wind is blowing sand all around us and across dunes. The sounds are quite unearthly and unsettling especially with no one else around. The views are really special with the red dunes surrounding us.
After what felt like a lot of hiking through the sand we arrive at a wash which is good news as we can finally walk a bit on the stone and of course we welcome the change in scenery. We also start to notice the many lizards that flitter on the sand dunes and between the stones in the wash.
After climbing a dune for some time we finally see Hidden Vlei (Vlei=valley) on the other side. Of course we have to climb down but it looks enticing from above so we decide to descend. We also eye a pristine dune for a climb later if we still have some energy left after investigating the Vlei. After arriving at the bottom we go and investigate what appears to be almost a labyrinth of stones carved by the floods. As we do this a crow examines us warily from the top of the stones.
As we return toward the trail we decide to climb the dune at least a bit... it is an interesting and exhilarating experience with one side really steep while the other one being perfect for sliding at the end of the climb. We also find a large bone that surprises us insofar as we didn't expect any large mammals that far in the dunes.
On the return trip we keep an open eye for wildlife, mostly crows and sparrows as well lots and lots of lizards. Surprisingly we also find some flowers which we take as a sign that it rained recently even though no water is visible.
The parking lot is full on our return and we are happy that we were not boxed in and can exit the parking spot. In the light of the day we see Dune 45, 45 km from the park entrance, one of the better known dunes in the park which is climbed regularly by tourists as we can notice when we pass by.
On the way back we stop at the Tsauchab Wash to walk a bit and examine the different trees. Some trees were flowering but we couldn't enjoy the area as much due to the abundance of flies in the area that didn't allow us to stop for long in one place.
Before returning to the car we also notice our first camelthorn tree .. the most interesting feature are the moon shaped pods that are used in quite a few artisanal objects that we noticed before and after Sesriem.
We also notice one of the interesting and supposedly unexplained features in Namibia - the fairy circles. A full mountainside is full of them, circles where no grass grows without any plausible cause. As the vegetation reappears the animals and birds become more common especially ostriches and oryx. As we approach the lodge on the private road we get again a great view of the individuals cabins.
In the remaining daylight hours we prepare for the next day and relax after the very early start. The dinner in the evening is again very good with springbok and pork on the menu. After that we again watch the stars for some time and then retire for the night.
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