3 December
A couple of days back, I eventually managed to find a single engine Cessna to fly over the delta. As impressive as the views were, I had not realised it was going to be such a stomach churner; I just about held onto my breakfast! Yesterday I rode up to the Namibian border at the western end of the Caprivi Strip (and no, that's not a girlie bar!).
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| Caprivi Strip, Botswana |
Final memories of Botswana were unfortunately of the thousands of cows and donkeys that literally live on the roadside. You'd have thought they had got used to passing traffic. Oh no, they scramble around in a mad panic as you approach them (even when slowing down!). I had at least 3 'heart stoppers' yesterday!
Finished the day at the beautiful Ngepi campsite, camping on the Okavango river bank. Their jungle toilets/showers are renowned, as is the croc cage, the only safe way to swim in the river!
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| Ngepi Camp, Nambia |
Today, I am heading for Grootfontein, site of world's largest meteoric. Got totally drenched in a thunderstorm (again!) at Rundu on Angolan border. Riding through the lightning storms is pretty scary, but essential to keep to the schedule. It's dry now, will plough on...
5 December
The Hoba meteorite was just big block (55 ton) of iron/nickel. dont really know what I was expecting... some kind of extra terrestrial experience?!
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| Hoba Metorite, Namibia |
Yesterday I was unable to rent any car to go into Etosha National Park (bikes not allowed), so decided to ride towards park and just see what turns up. A luxury camp just outside the park: Mushara Lodge had a Landover leaving in 5 min; I quickly checked in and jumped on. Etosha is one of Africa's classic safaris. Thanks to extraordinary vision of guide, we saw 'everything' - even elusive black rhino and leopard. So glad I decided to go with a pro guide-tracker. Now feel satiated with wildlife, but can see how people get hooked. Dinner that eve was Kudu, a magnificent creature, whether walking across the plains or medium rare. Today
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| Leopards, Etosha National Park |
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Black Rhino, Etosha National Park  Kudo |
I started riding towards Damaraland, a stark wilderness with 1000s of prehistoric bushmen paintings/engravings and rugged but beautiful landscapes.
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| Damaraland, Namibia |
Am staying in lodge outside Outjo tonight, aiming for Twyfelfontein area tomorrow. Local languages around here are fascinating to hear, notes/ sounds unlike any I have heard before. Namibia is very big for red meat. Today I finally invested in some braai (bbq) kit, campsites here and in SA are so well geared up for it. Also, meat is well reared, tender and affordable. In fact, Namibia feels lot like SA. Very similar racial and socio-economic setup, but seemingly minus the crime/violence/corruption.
9 December
I made it to Twyfelfontein and saw the 6000yr old rock engravings. They are Namibia’s one and only World Heritage Site. There are many theories about San Bushmen’s rock art. The one given most credence is that they were used as part of transcendental rituals to communicate with the after life - spiritual world - `the other side`. The following morning I headed for the skeleton coast. The local Damara people warned me there is nothing there; I did not expect them to be quite so literal. In an already very desolate country, the skeleton coast takes top prize for sheer `nothingness`!
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| Twyfelfontein, Namibia - Lion Rock Art |
Day before yesterday, I got to Swakopmond, Namibia’s Blackpool, but with a strong German flavour! Bizzare hey?!
Highlight there was the ski boarding yesterday. Why did the Arabs never think of that?! It was great fun learning how to snow board, but on sand. Mind you, the climbing back up the 100m dunes run was not fun at all. The finale was flat boarding, where you lie down on a piece of thin board, flex the leading edge upwards and throw your self down a 200m sand dune with your face inches above the sand flying past at 50 mph!
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| Swakopmond, Namibia |
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| Sandboarding |
Today, I rode to Windhoek the capital, through the Namib Desert. For 3 hours I did not see a single person. Then a pick up truck turned up out of no where, signed me to pull over...it was 3 totally pissed white farmers who wanted to know if I had any booze!
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| Windhoek, Namibia |
Anyway, I will spend tomorrow here, before heading down to Sossusvlei and the giant sand dunes.
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