Winter Break in 40 Clicks: Namibia

Our first trip out of Angola since arriving was to Namibia. We spent three full weeks making a clockwise loop around the southern half of the country. We were off-line and away from our devices much of the time, but managed to take a good amount of photos, forty of which have been selected for this post. 

So what must I say about our time in Namibia that the photos do not? Well for starters, Namibia is easy (for us) to get to, just a two hour and not-very-expensive flight away. English is the official language of Namibia which was handy since we were ready to take a break from (not) speaking Portuguese. It's easy to navigate, with very few - yet very well-marked - roads, some tarred and some gravel. The people we met throughout our travels were lovely, and there are only two and a half million who call this gigantic country home. The small population means scenery that is a never ending spectacle of wide open and uninhabited spaces, big blue skies, and glimpses of uniquely African wildlife. This was not meant to be a safari, but we did see a few zebra, a zillion gemsbok, some baboons, kudu, springbok, and ostriches while on the road. Also, the night sky - impossible to photograph with the cameras we have - was the most incredible we've ever seen. 

Fantastic food was to be found everywhere, with plenty of goodies available at grocery stores and even the small gas station markets which sustained us on the longer driving days. And when it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere but in need of a break to stretch our legs, a perfect little oasis would appear offering up a bakery or homey restaurant with - also very importantly - cold drinks and clean bathrooms. Just a wee bit of history: Namibia was very briefly colonized by Germany and evidence of that era can still be found in the cuisine - apple strudel and very good beer aplenty. 

And though this trip was for sure an outdoor adventure, it wasn't really that adventurous. I mean, camping is pretty easy when the tents are on top of the truck, a fridge is in the back of the truck, and there is zero chance of rain. Maybe there were even showers at most of the campgrounds. Maybe. 

A general map of our route, starting in Windhoek, then to the South Africa border, then north-north-west to Luderitz, Swakopmund, and back to Windhoek.

Setting up our tents:

The Quiver Tree got its name because indigenous San people hollowed out the tubular branches to make quivers for their arrows:

Finding fossils where the desert was once covered by the sea:

Adorable and very informative mesosaurus fossil guide and artist. We bought this painting:

Wanted to say goodbye to the campground hosts and jump on the in-ground trampoline once more but instead found the resident warthogs having their breakfast:

The view overlooking Fish River Canyon and our framily of five:

Near the Orange River, in search of petroglyphs:

Base camp, Orange River. The boys dare each other to swim across to South Africa:

In case you are also looking to catch up with dear friends, either from Delhi or some place else, five days canoeing on the Orange River is a great reunion plan. Nothing to do but paddle, swim, chat, eat, drink, chat some more, and sleep.

Day one on the river, paddling into strong winds:

Arrived at camp in time for a pre-sunset hike:

Five years together in Delhi and in an instant, the two and a half years since they last saw each other - forgotten:

Much less wind on days two and three, leaving plenty of time to swim:

Breakfast at camp:

Christmas stockings:

After saying goodbye to the canoe crew, we were back on the road. Pit stop in the small town of Aus, just across from where we found amazing fish and chips and cheeseburgers:

Exploring the abandoned diamond mining settlement of Kolmanskop which is slowly being buried by the surrounding Namib Desert:

The next day, a very welcome climate change; chilly and foggy morning boat ride out of Ludertiz. On the lookout for penguins, seals, dolphins, and flamingos:

Post boat tour lunch in this sweet restaurant garden where the owner told us that we missed the cast and crew of an upcoming movie titled "Red Sea Diving Resort" by just a few days (Ben Kingsley!):

Up the street from our Luderitz apartment, Asa enjoyed the endless stretch of seaside rocks:

With the landscape constantly changing, one of many photos taken from the back seat. This was as we were heading from Luderitz, toward the big dunes around Sesriem:

On New Years Day, we awoke before dawn to explore Sossusvlei:

Not far from where we were staying, a farmer charges a nominal fee to access a swimming hole on his property. Great fun and much appreciated relief from the heat:

Could not resist this photo op as we headed north:

Last stop of the trip -- Swakopmund. Normally, I would be skeptical of a hotel with an overdone nautical theme, but this place was perfection:  

Swakopmund is the hub of activity for adrenaline junkies. We opted for quad-biking (watching Liam at the wheel sure gets the heart rate going), sand boarding, and kayaked up close to a colony of 50,000 seals. 

Jonah and his flare for drama, captured on video (you'll either want to crank up the volume or hit mute):

So many seals. And yes, there were smelly. A bonus that it was pup season - lots of furry little ones:

So, I believe that this catches the essence of our trip. We really cannot wait to get back to Windhoek and pick up another camper truck to explore more of Namibia. I can say with certainly that this is the first time we have ever missed a rented vehicle, and this says something that perhaps the photos don't convey. But if the goal was to share only just how much we adored that truck, I would have simply posted the forty (and that's a low estimate) pictures that Jonah took of it.

Until next time, Namibia!