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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 01, 2012 08:00 PM The largest meteorite?
Namibia. Driving through Tsumeb and Grootfontain we reached the little farm where you can see the largest known meteorite - the Hoba.
It is located some 18 kms off C42 road in the countryside.
They charge 20 NAD entry fee.
Can you imagine the block of metall 3m by 3m by 1 m? It is made by the nature from iron, nickel and cobalt...
Impressive!
back on the main road we drove north on B6 highway. There is veterinary control in the village of Mururani. They don't harm foreign drivers. But this is also a border of the landscape: you are going now to the Africa of the small villages, mud-made huts and poverty...
In the little, hot town of Rundu we passed through the police post (take care, it is dangerous region!)and we met Kavango river. On the other side of the river is already Angola. Going east to Caprivi Strip it is worth to take not the new, tarred B6 highway but the old , gravel road along Kavango - there is still a real life, real landscape of the old, traditional Africa. I enjoyed it very much, stoping, talking with the people and enjoying the landscape. I have another funny village name to my collection: Vungu-Vungu!
Night in the bush hut in the Ngepi Camp on the bank of Kavango River - the 4-km access road is horrible for 2WD car like our!
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Feb 29, 2012 08:00 PM First elephant and a tropical storm...
We reached Namutoni Camp in Etosha National Park. It is very nice place: the camp is located around the former German fort, built in 1905. It looks like a white castle in the middle of the tropical bush.
During the afternoon game drive we saw new herds of giraffas, plenty of antelopes and our first lonely elephant wandering through savanna.
The night was hard and the heavy tropical storm arrived aroung midnight. Our tent survived but in the morninng we found ourself in the middle of the little lake...
Another adventure!
And time to say goodbye to exotic park of Etosha...
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Feb 28, 2012 08:00 PM Black rhino came for the dinner!
Etosha National Park - Namibia. We took the Rhino Drive to get from Okaukuejo Camp to Halali camp. The park roads except the main one are in the bad shape. We did not have so far any rain but after the passed rainy season about 50% of park road is closed during to the waterholes and mud. But it was still great drive - few tourists, very few cars. And slill a lot of roads to drive...
We met kudu, warthogs, steenboks, and one white rhino was visible from the distance... Huge herds of wildbeasts were also present.
After hot huurs in the car (we do not have a/c) we were happy to reach the second camp - Halali.
Wow! They have 24-m long swimming pool here! What a pleasure after such a hot, hot day!
Just after great sunset we went to the waterhole at the outskirts of the camp. Can you imagine? Big black rhino arrived to the water and decided to sleep just nearby in the bush. - He came for the dinner!- said my companion.
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Feb 27, 2012 08:00 PM Jackals' night in Okaukuejo Camp
In the world - famous Etosha National Park there are three camps you can stay. But first you must be registered at the park gate and pay the entrance fee - it is 170 NAD per 2 people and car per each day.
High giraffas were greeting us just few kms after the gate. Once at the camp we got our campsite, put our little tent there and went out by car for the game drive.
Western part of Etosha gives many opportunities to see wild animals: it is mostly savanna so the view is wide. We met impalas, springbooks, zebras and a lot of birds.
Unfortunately you cannot go out of the car for pictures.
Great sunny and very hot weather.
Back in the camp we saw few jackals wondering around the tents. In the night they were wowing very close. I did not sleep much. But what a day!
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Feb 26, 2012 08:00 PM Those painted Himba ladies...
The landscape has changed. Green hills are all around! Driving on the gravel we reached today Kamanjob township in the northern Namibia.
In the afternoon we visited with a local guide the village of Himba tribe. The Himba woman do not use water to wash themselves. They use smoke... and everyday they paint their bodies. They wear little clothing, but the women are famous for covering themselves with otjize, a mixture of butter fat and ochre, possibly to protect themselves from the sun and insects...
Interesting culture! Their huts made of mud are similar to those in the equatorial Africa. They live from the herds of cows.
I took a lot of pictures of woman and kids. Tropical storm forced us to come back to the guesthouse...
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Feb 25, 2012 08:00 PM Along the Skeleton Coast
Petrol in Swakopmund is the last expensive in Namibia. 9,75 per litre. I bought full tank. Destination: Tarra Bay on the Skeleton Coast. We were driving at the beginning on the salt road - they use salt to improve the surface of the roads here. Not bad - it is better then gravel.
We made a stopover on Cape Cross to see huge fur seals colony. Can you imagine 80000 fur seals in one place? What a experience! I saw them before in Antarctica but not such a mass in one place! It is worth 40 NAD entry fee...
Then we passed the gate of Skeleton Coast NP. They registered us. How is the road to Torra Bay? No problem for 4WD car! But we travel on a small 2WD!
The gravel was bad. From time to time we saw the Atlantic coast, but mostly the gray desert. The landscape changed when we turned inland at Torra Bay. We reached in half an hour the area of unspoiled bauty: Great Table Mountains. Red rocks like giant tables. Savanna with some animals was at the bottom of the mountains. We camped at the first available camp - they charge as usual 110 NAD per person and you have a power, water and shade at your site...
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Feb 24, 2012 08:00 PM Welwitschia in the desert
Swakopmund - Namibia. In the Namibian desert you can see one of the oldest and biggest plants. It is welwitschia.
First you have to go to the NWR office on the Bismarck street to pay for the visit. 50 NAD per person and 10 per car. They will issue the permit and give you a detailed map, because it is not easy to find this unique plant.
We were driving through the desert road some 40 kms to get to the biggest known welwitschia. It has diameter of some 3 m and they say it is 1500 years old.
I did not see such a plant before!
Moon landscape on the way...
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Feb 23, 2012 08:00 PM First flat tyre!
So far we were lucky and our brand-new vw polo had new tyres. After some 3000 kms mostly on the gravel roads just 22 kms before Swakopmund we experienced flat tyre. No problem - we have spare one. But to change it in the middle of hot desert is not easy thing... I did already half of the work when a truck stopped by.
I did not ask for that but two nice guys disembarked and helped me. Thanks a lot!
It is very important to make sure that you have the tyres insured on your rented car in Namibia. Most of the roads are gravel roads. It is very common that you will destroy few tyres. It was a little hole to repair - all tyre was destroyed! Thanks God: Yes I have insurance!
Swakopmund has still a colonial German flavor. We have been also to Walvis Bay to see pelicans near salt works (they collect piles of salt from oceanic water) and the highest sand diune in the area - Dune no 7 - 340 m high!
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Feb 22, 2012 08:00 PM Thunders above Quiver Trees Forest
We camped on the private farm in the Quiver Tree Forest. This unusual trees are one of the Namibian specialities...
You will find them in all southern Namibia, but usually they stay lonely. Here, near Ketmanshoop you have whole forest to take great pictures of this phenomena of the nature. They look especially nice at sunset.
Just after sunset we experienced tropical storm. Do you know what you fill in the little tent in such circumstances?
After stormy night we had a hard day - driving more then 900 kms in our non-a/c car to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. It was rather logistic day, but we still saw some wild animals and great African landscapes along the road... Two drivers... Well done!
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Feb 21, 2012 08:00 PM The second Canyon of the world?
Fish River Canyon. Yes, they say that this Canyon in Namibia is the second in the world after Colorado. 90-160 kms long, up to 550 m deep...
I saw it for the first time 21 years ago and I was impressed. Now I have more time to explore... It is 10 kms distance from Hobas camp to the main view point. Very bad road! They charge 80 NAD per person entry fee but do not care much about this road...
Driving slovly we reached the rim - view is still great an still the same, but they offer also some exhibitions about the history and nature here... At the main view point canyon is 440 m deep and few kms wide. Can you imagine? The river down there is full of water (it was dry when I was here 21 years ago). Fantastic!
From the main point you can drive by bad road right 2,5 kms to the Hikers' Point or left 3,5 kms to the Edge. River goes like a snake, so every point offers a new perspective - I saw all of them...
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