Have you ever been sand surfing in a 4 X 4? This morning we had a tour to the Namibian outback in a     4 X 4.  We were not sure of exactly what we would be doing when we signed up for the trip. The description simply said we would be driving through the desert to view some wildlife and see the dunes and a lake. It turned out to be one of the most interesting and exciting trips we have had.

The Great Namib Desert is one of the driest places on earth. Two years ago we visited the Atacama Desert in Chile and were told that IT was the driest; however, there may be some rivalry going on here… The Namibian desert covers about a third of the country and from our brief desert sojourn, we now want to see more of Namibia. It seems like a fascinating country. I already mentioned in the last post that it is very sparsely populated. It is, however, rich in natural resources and if they can keep the “African Disease” (read: corruption) out of government, they could have a bright future.

Our foray into the desert began with a short ride through the town on Walvis Bay (an Afrikaans corruption of the German for “Bay of Whales”) where we stopped to see a flock of migrating flamingos. There were thousands of them! We thought we had seen flamingos in Florida, but these literally covered the earth.

We then drove along the beach, almost like Daytona, but closer to the water, steeper slope, and a far, far longer drive. Our goal was to get to Sandwich Harbor, about 30 miles south of Walvis Bay. This is a natural small harbor that was home to much bird life. The ride along the beach was preceded by a short inland trek over some small dunes. Along the way, our driver/guide, Kurt, pointed out a number of local flora that are unique to this ecosystem. We also stopped for a chance to wiggle our toes in the sand and look for small animals. Oh, what fun … We (really it was Kurt) found a dune gecko who promptly dropped his tail. They do that as protection, but are then vulnerable until a new one re-grows.

 

The top two views are the desert. The bottom left is the dune gecko that I mentioned. At bottom right, Kurt demonstrated one of Namibia's natural resources. He dipped that big hand-held magnet into the sand and then shook off the excess. What is left are natural iron particles. They feel like soft fuzz or down.

After reaching the entrance to Sandwich Harbor, we found that it is one way in and one way out. If you stay too long and the tide comes in, you can’t get back until the next low tide – about 8-9 hours… Fortunately, for us, we had planned to return by an alternate route – up and over the dunes. What fun!

 

Two panorama shots of the Sandwich Harbor dunes.

Sandwich Harbor was not itself not very exciting except for the masses of birds and the refreshments that magically appeared from the lead 4 X 4. Oh, and the opportunity to climb the dunes – if you could make it in the soft sand. The dunes in this area are about 60-70 meters high (180-210 feet). Only two of our people made it to the first crest. I made it about halfway up. Actually, I would liked to have had a piece of wood or cardboard so I could sand surf back down. I did some sand surfing in Australia last year and it was easier getting to the top by going along the ridge line as it rose. Here, we only had one option – straight up the side of the dune.

After our dune climbing and birding, we piled back into the 4 X $ for the journey back to the ship. We knew that we would be going back via the dunes, but we expected some sort of road or trail – NOT!

About ten minutes into the ride, after we realized that this was indeed off-roading, we climbed to the crest of a large dune. We all thought that Kurt was going to present us with a magnificent view of the dunes, the sea, and the city in the distance. Oops…

As soon as we got to the top, we headed straight down the side of the dune – about a 50° angle in soft sand with no brakes except the loose sand up to the axle hubs. It was just like getting to the top of a roller coaster’s initial chain-driven climb and then letting gravity take over. We spent the next twenty minutes of so going up and down the dunes via the shortest routes possible – straight up and straight down. Then, just for one last kick, Kurt came up to a tall dune, immediately reversed the 4 X 4, and we descended backwards!

Then it was back to the ship and time to catch our breath, get an adult beverage, and clean up a bit for our dinner in the desert. We were going back into the desert for a very special dinner. The route was different from our morning drive and we soon found ourselves in a literal moonscape. 

We had entered the area of the Great Namib Desert that was used as a training ground for the early moon astronauts and more recently as a location set for the upcoming “Mad Max IV” film due out this summer. What a sight! As far as one could see, all you could see were hillocks, craters, dunes, and not a living, breathing thing – not even a plant.

After wending our way through this deserted desert, we came into a broad dry river valley and – Shazam! There, laid out in front of us, was a typical African “boma” or reed enclosure. Immediately outside the boma there were several local men with camels giving camel rides. Just inside the boma, tables had been set up complete with linen, napery, silver, crystal, and candles. There were even heavy cloths on the ground so that the tables and chairs didn’t scrape dirt or rocks and we could walk more comfortably. Speaking of comfort, they even had a set of Port-A-Potties discreetly set off to one side of the boma – outside the boma. Naturally, during the evening, I had to make a plumbing inspection and the P-A-Ps were the cleanest I have ever encountered.

 

Top left was what greeted us as we came to the dinner. Top right was inside the boma and the youth chorus. Bottom left was a shot I couldn't resist - one of the driest places on earth and we got a rainbow from a distant shower. Bottom right was after dark in the boma.

At one end of the boma, there was a clear space, set off by more ground cloths, in which a local youth chorus was singing and playing for our entertainment. These kids were wonderful! SO wonderful that Bonnie and I used all of our remaining South African Rand (they take either Namibian or South African Rand in Namibia) to donate to the organization and we scored two music CDs for our donation.

The dinner was served as a buffet, but what a buffet: local delicacies like kudu steaks and spicy chicken; an assortment of cold salads; an assortment of hot vegetables, including one of the best butternut squash casseroles we had ever had; and, an assortment of desserts. Of course, the wine flowed like… well… wine.

During dinner, a local corps of fire twirlers came out to demonstrate their prowess with flaming torches and flaming batons. Cool, but frankly, we enjoyed the youth chorus more.

 

Bonnie and me at Sandwich Harbor on left. At the apex of my dune climb in the center. Yes, I tried a camel on the right...unfortunately, it didn't work because I got a back spasm as soon as I swung my other leg over and I had to dismount. Next time, I will try to use a small stepladder...

By that time we were ready to say our goodbyes to the desert and return to the ship. All in all, one heck of a great day in Namibia. It made us want to see more of the country and was such a surprise after sleepy Luderitz the day before.

We now have, thankfully, three sea days to recuperate fully from our African adventures. The downside is that just brings us closer to home. It is not that we are not anxious to get back and see our friends and get back to our routines, but this has been such a fantastic cruise that we really don’t want it to end.

Our next two ports are St. Helena and Ascension Islands. These are two tiny specks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that do not get much cruise ship traffic. Stay tuned…