Before I begin with my adventures, I should probably tell my readers what Sossusvlei (Sossus from here on) is. Sossusvlei is an area in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, said to be the world's oldest desert. It's in the southwest of Namibia. Basically, it's a bunch of sand dunes. One of the most famous landmarks is Dune 45, supposedly the most photographed sand dune in the world. Another notable landmark is Deadvlei. Deadvlei used to be a body of water, but movement of the tectonic plates has caused it to dry up, with dead trees said to be over 900 years old. It is reached by climbing a sand dune called "Big Daddy", one of the highest sand dunes you can climb. The dunes surrounding them are believed to be the highest in the world. Nearby is Sossusvlei itself, a dried up river pan, Sesriem, where we camped, and the Sesriem Canyon. Okay, so, I guess that's enough background.
After an early start, we departed Windhoek for Sesriem. Unlike most of my travels, this time I went with a tour (an RPCV in Namibia for work had made the plans). This ended up being a good choice, since our guide was really well informed. After several hours driving south, we stopped in a place called Solitaire for lunch. Solitaire is a small place, mainly a lodge for travelers going to and from the south. It reminded my a bit of the "old west", with signs announcing the population size, a chart of monthly rainfall (measured in mm), a small "goods store", etc. They also had a bar where were able to watch some of the Olympics while we waited for lunch (cold cut sandwiches, which sat really nicely on such a hot day). Then, it was time to continue on to Sesriem, though we did stop a few times to admire the beauty, and to watch a zebra who wandered across out path. Then, in late afternoon, we arrived in Sesriem. After setting up camp and a quick dip in the pool (campsites are largely attached to lodges, and we had access to their facilities, such as pool, bar, and showers...so, luxury camping). Then, it was time to experience what we came to see. While our guide prepared dinner, we went over to the Elim Dune to watch the sunset. I made a huge mistake, and decided to wear boots. Climbing sand dunes in heavy boots is a poor choice. Added quite a bit of extra work, as it took about 3 or 4 steps to go the distance of one. Still, it was quite beautiful to watch the sun come down. However, what really struck me was how lively it was. The dunes, despite being so dry, were full of plants, bugs, and various small reptiles (and a rather large snake). Really hit home the point of the value of looking below the surface.
Ok, so that was day one. However, the next day was when it got real nice. It started with us getting up well before sunrise and driving out to Dune 45. Dune 45 gets it's name because it's at the 45km mark from Sesriem. We, along with a number of other tourists, climbed the dune to watch the sunrise (and get in a morning workout). This time, I was a bit smarter, and wore my sandals, though I ended up taking those off eventually, to enjoy the cool sand on my feet. I'll admit I didn't quite make it to the top. I got to talking to some girls, and decided where they decided to stop was as good a place as any to sit and watch the sun, take some photos, and enjoy the beauty of nature. Then the sun came up, we descended, and had some breakfast at the foot of the dune, before setting off for Deadvlei. Deadvlei used to be an oasis, until the river dried up. Now, it's home to dead acacia trees that are hundred of years old, but which decay at a very slow rate, due to the lack of moisture. The ground, once fertile, is exactly what you think of when you picture Africa: hard as a rock, crusty, dry, and harsh. There are two ways to get into Deadvlei. One is by climbing Big Daddy, the largest climbable dune in the set. The other is a path through the sand. I chose the latter, since, by the point, climbing dunes just to say I did it was a novelty that had worn off. Plus, it was really hot. In less than an hour since the sun had come up, the sand had already gotten so hot it was burning people's feet. Still, Deadvlei is not a site to be missed. Since we had a 4x4, after Deadvlei, our guide took us to see some of the other sites in the area, include Sossusvlei proper.
At this point, it was brutally hot, so we returned to camp for lunch, a swim, and a couple beers while watching the Olympics. We also stopped at the gas station to refill the air in our tires (and, in my case, to grab an ice cream). I found myself explaining hockey and downhill skiing to the Namibian employees of the lodge (and a Canadian tourist who I'm surprised hasn't had her Canadian citizen revoked for that). As the day progressed, and the heat began to fade, we went out to the Sesriem canyon, for which our campsite and the surrounding area was named. The canyon is home to a very small pool of water. Quite rancid smelling. Once every few years, this and Sossusvlei get rain and flood, bringing in flamingos and other birds. This was not one of those years. However, it was quite cool down in the canyon, which was nice. Now, there is one easy way out of the canyon. However, that required going back the way we came. We decided to do things the hard way, climbing up the side of the canyon.
After a night's sleep, we packed, and it was time to head back to Windhoek. But not without one last stop along the way. Just outside the Solitaire lodge is a cheetah reserve. There are strict laws about breeding cheetahs. Now, don't picture a zoo. This facility, which takes mostly orphaned cheetahs, rehabilitates them, and uses them to study cheetah behavior, is a massive fenced off area, designed to resemble the rest of the landscape. Cheetahs are forced to eat by chasing down food, like they wood in the wild (though, in order to protect them from poachers, these cheetahs, who have a lot more experience with humans, are not released). Turns out, cheetahs are good at hiding. They also get funny looking potbellies the day after eating.
So, that was it for the trip. We returned to Windhoek, where I met up with a few other PCVs for Indian food (where we ran into a few more) and drinks, before making my way back to Khorixas. As I said before, if you want the real story, check out my photos, up on Facebook.
Hopefully, my blogging will get more consistent again. One thing I'm interested in doing is a post on any topics that interest you. So, if anyone has questions, either about life in Namibia, life of a PCV, or questions for any of my Namibian friends, feel free to send them my why, and I'll start compiling them and putting together answer (thanks for the idea, Crystal). I also want to put together something regarding the upcoming election, seeing as midterms in the US are putting that on people's minds (at least if I can fight my natural urges, and write it without getting political). I have a few more things floating around my head, plus my parents are coming soon, so I'll be doing quite a bit of traveling.
After an early start, we departed Windhoek for Sesriem. Unlike most of my travels, this time I went with a tour (an RPCV in Namibia for work had made the plans). This ended up being a good choice, since our guide was really well informed. After several hours driving south, we stopped in a place called Solitaire for lunch. Solitaire is a small place, mainly a lodge for travelers going to and from the south. It reminded my a bit of the "old west", with signs announcing the population size, a chart of monthly rainfall (measured in mm), a small "goods store", etc. They also had a bar where were able to watch some of the Olympics while we waited for lunch (cold cut sandwiches, which sat really nicely on such a hot day). Then, it was time to continue on to Sesriem, though we did stop a few times to admire the beauty, and to watch a zebra who wandered across out path. Then, in late afternoon, we arrived in Sesriem. After setting up camp and a quick dip in the pool (campsites are largely attached to lodges, and we had access to their facilities, such as pool, bar, and showers...so, luxury camping). Then, it was time to experience what we came to see. While our guide prepared dinner, we went over to the Elim Dune to watch the sunset. I made a huge mistake, and decided to wear boots. Climbing sand dunes in heavy boots is a poor choice. Added quite a bit of extra work, as it took about 3 or 4 steps to go the distance of one. Still, it was quite beautiful to watch the sun come down. However, what really struck me was how lively it was. The dunes, despite being so dry, were full of plants, bugs, and various small reptiles (and a rather large snake). Really hit home the point of the value of looking below the surface.
Ok, so that was day one. However, the next day was when it got real nice. It started with us getting up well before sunrise and driving out to Dune 45. Dune 45 gets it's name because it's at the 45km mark from Sesriem. We, along with a number of other tourists, climbed the dune to watch the sunrise (and get in a morning workout). This time, I was a bit smarter, and wore my sandals, though I ended up taking those off eventually, to enjoy the cool sand on my feet. I'll admit I didn't quite make it to the top. I got to talking to some girls, and decided where they decided to stop was as good a place as any to sit and watch the sun, take some photos, and enjoy the beauty of nature. Then the sun came up, we descended, and had some breakfast at the foot of the dune, before setting off for Deadvlei. Deadvlei used to be an oasis, until the river dried up. Now, it's home to dead acacia trees that are hundred of years old, but which decay at a very slow rate, due to the lack of moisture. The ground, once fertile, is exactly what you think of when you picture Africa: hard as a rock, crusty, dry, and harsh. There are two ways to get into Deadvlei. One is by climbing Big Daddy, the largest climbable dune in the set. The other is a path through the sand. I chose the latter, since, by the point, climbing dunes just to say I did it was a novelty that had worn off. Plus, it was really hot. In less than an hour since the sun had come up, the sand had already gotten so hot it was burning people's feet. Still, Deadvlei is not a site to be missed. Since we had a 4x4, after Deadvlei, our guide took us to see some of the other sites in the area, include Sossusvlei proper.
At this point, it was brutally hot, so we returned to camp for lunch, a swim, and a couple beers while watching the Olympics. We also stopped at the gas station to refill the air in our tires (and, in my case, to grab an ice cream). I found myself explaining hockey and downhill skiing to the Namibian employees of the lodge (and a Canadian tourist who I'm surprised hasn't had her Canadian citizen revoked for that). As the day progressed, and the heat began to fade, we went out to the Sesriem canyon, for which our campsite and the surrounding area was named. The canyon is home to a very small pool of water. Quite rancid smelling. Once every few years, this and Sossusvlei get rain and flood, bringing in flamingos and other birds. This was not one of those years. However, it was quite cool down in the canyon, which was nice. Now, there is one easy way out of the canyon. However, that required going back the way we came. We decided to do things the hard way, climbing up the side of the canyon.
After a night's sleep, we packed, and it was time to head back to Windhoek. But not without one last stop along the way. Just outside the Solitaire lodge is a cheetah reserve. There are strict laws about breeding cheetahs. Now, don't picture a zoo. This facility, which takes mostly orphaned cheetahs, rehabilitates them, and uses them to study cheetah behavior, is a massive fenced off area, designed to resemble the rest of the landscape. Cheetahs are forced to eat by chasing down food, like they wood in the wild (though, in order to protect them from poachers, these cheetahs, who have a lot more experience with humans, are not released). Turns out, cheetahs are good at hiding. They also get funny looking potbellies the day after eating.
So, that was it for the trip. We returned to Windhoek, where I met up with a few other PCVs for Indian food (where we ran into a few more) and drinks, before making my way back to Khorixas. As I said before, if you want the real story, check out my photos, up on Facebook.
Hopefully, my blogging will get more consistent again. One thing I'm interested in doing is a post on any topics that interest you. So, if anyone has questions, either about life in Namibia, life of a PCV, or questions for any of my Namibian friends, feel free to send them my why, and I'll start compiling them and putting together answer (thanks for the idea, Crystal). I also want to put together something regarding the upcoming election, seeing as midterms in the US are putting that on people's minds (at least if I can fight my natural urges, and write it without getting political). I have a few more things floating around my head, plus my parents are coming soon, so I'll be doing quite a bit of traveling.
