A Northern Girl in Namibia

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Day 1 - Touching down in Luderitz

10th March 2015

After months of meticulous planning, days of travelling and an uncomfortable coach ride, I finally picked up my rented Land Rover and headed off in search of my first adventure. Because I had decided to camp for the majority of my trip, I had to pack light and I kept running an incessant checklist through my head of any essentials I might have forgotten.

I was spending my first night at the Shark Island campsite in Luderitz, which is perched high up on a rocky peninsula, so the views are amazing. Once I’d pitched up my tent I took a quick drive through Kolmanskop Ghost Town and along the nearby coast, which is awash with flamingoes enjoying the deserted beaches.

I arrived back at the campsite around 6pm and unfortunately, because of its location, it was getting quite blustery. Thankfully, while I was doing my research into camping in Namibia I came across a fun article which was full of camping hacks - so I’d packed plenty of extra layers for when it got chilly. It was rainy season in Namibia and the forecast had predicted hot and humid weather so I was looking forward to some sun. There were some suspicious-looking rain clouds overhead but I was hoping they’d have blown away by morning.



Day 2 - A 9 hour trek to Sossusvlei

11th March 2015

I woke up really early on my second day - in fact, I didn’t sleep all that well. The rain I hoped wouldn’t make an appearance started during the night and didn’t let up. Although the campsite felt very safe, I was nervous spending the first night alone so far away from home, but knew I’d have to get used to it.

The facilities in Luderitz were pretty good so I had a shower and some food before packing up the car and setting off in search of Sossusvlei. I’d marked out my route on a local map and the people on site were really happy to advise me on the best rest stops - which was great because Sossusvlei was around 8 hours away!

The drive to Sossusvlei was anything but smooth sailing! The constant rain had muddied my route and I ended up off-road and stuck in a shallow river made by the rain! I was turning the engine over for around 20 minutes when another car came by. I’ve never been happier to see another human being! The man (I forgot to get his name amidst the drama!) was very kind and had me back on dry(er) land in no time.

After an eventful trip, I arrived in Sossusvlei just before 4:30pm and after so many hours on (and off!) the road, I couldn’t wait to stretch my legs. The Sesriem campsite is quite overpriced and the facilities weren’t as great as back in Luderitz, but I was more concerned with exploring the local area. I was tired from the drive but the rain had finally stopped and I decided to go in search of the Sesriem Canyon. At just 1km long, it was a great way to wind down after the long journey and by the time I got back to camp I was ready to refuel.

Dinner was a mixture of local veggies that were roasted on the campsite fire and some beers I’d been saving. I met some other travellers who had been making their way around Africa and we swapped stories about why we were so far from home. They were heading off on a long hike the next day and invited me to join them. It sounded like a challenge so I turned in early to make sure I had plenty of energy!

Bio:

This is the blog of Kate Atkinson, from the north east of England, bringing you snippets of her time spent travelling around Namibia. From marvelling at the towering red sand dunes of Sossusvlei to overcoming the worries of travelling alone, Kate’s honest account of her time in Africa is guaranteed to tug on your heart strings.

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