NAMIBIA PART 4; WINDHOEK TO HENTIES BAY

WINDHOEK TO HENTIES BAY

WE DID NOT LEAVE WINDHOEK VERY EARLY BUT DECIDED TO RATHER GET TO HENTIES BAY TO ALLOW US TO REST UP BEFORE THE BOEREMUSIEK ACTIVITIES AND TO SEE A LITTLE MORE OF THE AREA NEAR HENTIES BAY. I AGAIN DID NOT TAKE MANY PHOTOS APART FROM A FEW FROM THE CAR BUT I WILL ADD SOME PHOTOS THAT I SNAGGED FROM GOOGLE TO GIVE A BETTER IDEA OF THE LANDSCAPE AND SOME PLACES OF INTEREST.

ON THE WAY TO HENTIES BAY WE TRAVELED ON THE TRANS KALAHARI HIGHWAY. THIS ROAD WAS BUILT TO CONNECT THE WEST COAST ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN (IN NAMIBIA) WITH THE INDIAN OCEAN IN MOZAMBIQUE ON THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA. THE ROAD GOES FROM NAMIBIA THROUGH BOTSWANA AND SOUTH AFRICA  (N4 HIGHWAY) BEFORE ENDING IN MAPUTO IN MOZAMBIQUE.

WINDHOEK IS LOCATED IN CENTRAL NAMIBIA IN THE KHOMAS HIGHLAND PLATEAU AREA, AT AROUND 1,700 METRES (5,600 FT) ABOVE SEA LEVEL. AS CAN BE SEEN ON THE MAP THE CITY IS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS THAT MAKES EXPANSION DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE.

THE POPULATION OF WINDHOEK IN 2011 WAS 322,500 AND GROWS CONTINUALLY DUE TO AN INFLUX FROM ALL OVER NAMIBIA. ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA NAMIBIA IS THE SECOND-MOST SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AFTER MONGOLIA BUT THE POPULATION IS INCREASING RAPIDLY AS IS THE CASE ELSEWHERE IN AFRICA.

THE TOWNS THAT WE PASSED WAS SMALL WITH ONLY A FEW SHOPS AND THE MOST BASIC ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS AND A TRAIN STATION. THE RAILWAY LINE WAS SEEN NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO SWAKOPMUND. IT WAS A PITY THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO STOP AT SOME OF THESE TOWNS TO TAKE PHOTOS AND ENJOY THE NICE OLD BUILDINGS. 

ONE OF THE TOWNS WE PASSED WAS USAKOS. ALL OF THE TOWNS HAD NICE WELCOME / GOODBYE SIGNS.

ANNOYING HOWEVER WAS THE ROAD BLOCKS AT ALMOST EVERY LITTLE TOWN. THE POLICE OFFICERS NOT ALWAYS BEING THE FRIENDLIEST ONE COULD FIND BUT WE MANANGED TO PASS WITHOUT TROUBLE. HOWEVER, AFTER A WHILE YOU GET USED TO THAT AND KEEP THE PASSPORTS AND DRIVIER'S LICENCE CLOSE AT HAND. 

ON THE WAY TO SWAKOPMUND WE PASSED THE SPITZKOPPE ("POINTED HILL") BUT DID NOT AT THE TIME KNEW WHAT WONDERS WERE TO BE SEEN HERE AND LIKE MANY OTHER TRAVELERS WE SPED BY.  IT WAS ONLY AFTER OUR RETURN THAT I LEARNT MORE ABOUT THE SPITZKOPPE. ON THE RETURN JOURNEY WE PASST VERY CLOSE TO THEM BUT IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WE COULD ONLY VAGUELY SEE THEIR OUTLINES.

THE SPITZKOPPE IS DESCRIBED AS:

ONE OF NAMIBIA’S MOST RECOGNIZABLE LANDMARKS, THE SPITZKOPPE, OR ‘POINTED HILL’, RISES SOME 700 M ABOVE THE SURROUNDING PLAIN AND IS 1784-M ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE MOUNTAIN’S DISTINCTIVE SHAPE HAS GIVEN RISE TO ITS NICKNAME AS THE MATTERHORN OF NAMIBIA. THE MAIN PEAK, OR GROSS SPITZKOPPE, IS ONE OF THREE MOUNTAINS IN THE AREA, THE OTHERS BEING THE KLEIN SPITZKOPPE AT 1572 M AND THE DOME-SHAPED PONDOK MOUNTAIN.

GEOLOGICALLY, THESE THREE MOUNTAINS ARE GROUPED WITH THE BRANDBERG RANGE TO THE NORTH; ALL ARE ANCIENT VOLCANOES. THE VIOLENT BREAK UP OF GONDWANALAND 500-750 MILLION YEARS AGO CAUSED EXPLOSIVE ACTIVITY THROUGH THESE VOLCANOES; THEIR GRANITE CORES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED BY MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EROSION, CREATING THE INSELBERGS OR ‘ISLAND MOUNTAINS’ THAT WE SEE TODAY.

THERE ARE ALSO BUSHMAN (SAN) PAINTINGS – THE BEST KNOWN ARE FOUND AT BUSHMAN’S PARADISE. UNFORTUNATELY MANY OF THE BUSHMAN PAINTINGS ARE VANDALIZED.

YOU CAN SEE MANY MORE FANTASTIC PHOTOS AND READ MORE BY JUST GOOGLING "SPITZKOPPE"

THE PANORAMA ABOVE SHOWS OUR FIRST REAL VIEW OF THE DESERT AND THE MOUNTAINS NEAR HENTIES BAY. AT FIRST I COULD NOT MAKE OUT WHAT THE LIGHTER PARTS ON THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES WERE BUT LATER ON SAW THAT IT WAS IN FACT SAND DUNES. LATER ON I BECAME USED TO IT THAT THERE WOULD EITHER BE MIRAGES OR FOG MAKING PHOTOS LOOK SOMEWHAT LESS COLORFUL AND ALMOST BLURRY. 

WE ARRIVED IN HENTIES BAY AT ABOUT 16.30. WE HAD TO WHILE AWAY SOME TIME WAITING TO GET THE KEYS OF THE HOUSE WHERE WE WERE TO STAY FROM ONE OF THE BOEREMUSIC CLUB MEMBERS. 

SOME PROBLEMS AROSE ABOUT THE KEYS SINCE THE WOMAN THAT HAD THE KEYS WAS IN WALVIS BAY AND WE HAD TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO BRING THE KEYS. WE WAITED WITH ANOTHER FRIEND FROM THE CLUB TILL THE KEYS EVENTUALLY ARRIVED AT ABOUT 9 PM. WHILE AT THAT HOUSE I TOOK A FEW PICS OF THE PLANTS IN THE GARDEN. IN HENTIES BAY ONE SEE VERY LITTLE PLANTS IN THE GARDENS EXCEPT AT THE HOUSES WHERE THE LOCALS LIVE SINCE MOST HOUSES ARE OWNED AS HOLIDAY HOMES AND WATER FOR GARDENING IS LIMITED. 

AT LAST WE WERE SETTLED INTO A VERY NICE LARGE, NEWLY BUILT, MODERN HOUSE WITH ALL THAT WE WOULD NEED DURING OUR STAY. SO WE WERE OFF TO BED LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPLORE OUR SURROUNDINGS THE NEXT DAY.

ENJOY THE SLIDE SHOW...

NAMIBIA PART 3 - AUGRABIES TO WINDHOEK

NAMIBIA PART 3   - AUGRABIES TO WINDHOEK

BEFORE WE COMMENCE WITH THE JOURNEY LET'S FIRST HAVE A BRIEF LOOK AT NAMIBIA AND PARTICULARLY THE REGIONS WE VISITED.

NAMIBIA IS SITUATED IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF SOUTH AFRICA ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND BORDERED BY BOTSWANA, ANGOLA, AND ZAMBIA, AND IT IS THE SECOND-MOST SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, AFTER MONGOLIA.

WE TRAVELED FROM THE AUGRABIES FALLS VIA THE NORTHERN CAPE TOWARDS THE TOWN OF SPRINGBOK AND FROM THERE TO THE VIOOLSDRIF BORDER POST. 

EVEN BEFORE THE BORER POST ONE TRAVELS THROUGH A MOON LANDSCAPE AFTER LEAVING THE LUSH GREEN OF THE VINEYARDS ALONG THE ORANGE RIVER AND PRIOR TO REACHING THE BORDER POST.

I AM USING GOOGLE SATELLITE PHOTOS AGAIN TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE LANDSCAPE.

GROUND LEVEL VIEW OF THE "VYFMYLPOORT" PASS

ABOUT TEN KM BEFORE THE BORDER POST ONE TRAVELS THROUGH THE EXTREMELY BARREN "VYFMYLPOORT" PASS (FIVE MILE PORTAL)

 A SELECTION OF MY PHOTOS AS SEEN DRIVING THROUGH THE PASS

SEEING THE BORDER POST WITH A BIT MORE GREEN WAS NICE AFTER THIS BARREN LANDSCAPE BUT DID NOT PREPARE US FOR THE LONG QUEUES AT THE BORDER POST WHERE IT TOOK US ABOUT TWO HOURS TO GET THROUGH HAVING TO GO FROM ONE QUEUE TO THE OTHER AND EVEN AT TIMES BACK TO A PREVIOUS WINDOW TO FALL INTO A LONG QUEUE AGAIN.

AT LAST WE WERE IN NAMIBIA AND ON OUR WAY THROUGH THE BARREN LANDSCAPE AGAIN. THE PHOTO BELOW SHOWS "NOORDOEWER" (NORTHERN BANK) THE TOWN ON THE NAMIBIA SIDE OF THE BORDER POST. FROM HERE THE ARABLE LAND DIMINISHES AS THE RIVER WINDS ITS WAY TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

THE TOWNS WERE FAR APART WITH VERY LITTLE TO SEE IN BETWEEN APART FROM BEAUTIFUL BIG SKIES WITH WHAT LOOKED LIKE RAIN CLOUDS TO THE NORTH WEST. I JUST KEPT ON CLICKING POINTING THE CAMERA HEAVENWARDS AS WE TRAVELED. WE LATER LEARNT THAT IT WAS INDEED RAIN TOWARDS THE WEST COAST. 

THE ONLY MISHAP WAS A STONE HITTING OUR WINDSCREEN AS A CAR PASSED FROM THE FRONT. THE STONE WAS ACTUALLY THROWN TO HIT US! FORTUNATELY THE DAMAGE WAS NOT TOO BAD AND THE CHIP ON THE WINDSCREEN NOT OBSCURING THE VIEW FOR EITHER OF US.

WHAT LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIKE A HELICOPTER IN THE 

MIDDLE IS WHERE THE STONE HIT THE WINDSCREEN

SINCE THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO SEE APART FROM THE AERIAL VIEWS LET ME TRY TO TELL MORE ABOUT THIS INTERESTING COUNTRY…

NAMIBIA IS DESCRIBED BY WIKIPEDIA AS:

"A TECHNICOLOR DREAMSCAPE, A LAND OF SWIRLING APRICOT DUNES AND SHIMMERING WHITE FLATS, MIRAGES AND DUST DEVILS"

NAMIBIA HAS FOUR PRIMARY GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS.

1 IN THE NORTH LIES THE ETOSHA PAN

2. ALONG THE NAMIBIAN COAST LIES THE NAMIB DESERT A SPECTACULARLY BARREN, BRILLIANT RED SAND LANDSCAPE THAT IS DIVIDED INTO THE SKELETON COAST (IN THE NORTH) AND THE DIAMOND COAST (IN THE SOUTH).

3. IN THE NORTHEAST, NAMIBIAN TERRITORY EXTENDS BETWEEN ANGOLA AND BOTSWANA ALONG THE SLENDER CORRIDOR OF THE CAPRIVI STRIP. UNLIKE MOST OF THE REST OF NAMIBIA, THE CAPRIVI STRIP IS A WOODED AND FERTILE REGION, AND IT IS CROSSED BY A NUMBER OF RIVERS.

4. NAMIBIA'S CENTER IS OCCUPIED BY A HIGH ESCARPMENT PLAIN. WINDHOEK, THE CAPITAL AND THE ONLY CITY OF ANY SIZE, IS LOCATED SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.

AT NAMIBIA'S SOUTHERN TIP IS YET ANOTHER GEOLOGICAL WONDER--THE IMMENSE FISH RIVER CANYON. SECOND ONLY TO THE GRAND CANYON IN SIZE.

OUR TRAVELS TOOK US ACROSS THE KHOMAS HIGHLAND FROM WINDHOEK TO SWAKOPMUND AT THE WEST COAST BORDERING THE NAMIB DESERT WITH THE SKELETON COAST TO THE NORTH OF SWAKOPMUND. WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS A SMALL TOWN, HENTIES BAY, ABOUT 7- KM NORTH OF SWAKOPMUND. (MORE TO FOLLOW ABOUT THESE TOWNS LATER ON)

HENTIES BAY IS A POPULAR SEASIDE TOWN WHERE MANY NAMIBIANS HAVE VERY LUXURIOUS HOLIDAY HOMES MOST OF WHICH ARE ONLY OCCUPIED DURING THE MAIN HOLIDAY SEASONS.

TIME AND DISTANCE DID NOT ALLOW US TO SEE MORE THAN THE COASTAL REGIONS DIRECTLY SOUTH AND NORTH OF SWAKOPMUND. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF OUR VISIT ALSO WAS TO ATTEND THE BOEREMUSIC EVENT ON OLD YEAR'S EVE AND SOME MORE ENTERTAINMENT ON NEW YEAR'S DAY.

THE RAIN CLOUDS AND THE SETTING SUN BEHIND THEM PRODUCING YET ANOTHER MAGNIFICENT SUNSET. BY THE TIME WE REACHED WINDHOEK IT WAS 9 PM ALREADY.

OUR FRIENDLY HOST WAS JOHAN VAN ZYL  THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAMIBIA BOEREMUSIC CLUB. 

JOHAN'S SON MARIUS WHO WAS ALWAYS READY 

TO HELP US WITH OUR HEAVY LUGGAGE AND THE CD'S

WE WERE TREATED ON A BBQ IN TRUE NAMIBIAN STYLE. TIME JUST FLEW AND BEFORE LONG IT WAS PAST MIDNIGHT AND TIME TO GET TO BED. THE NEXT DAY WOULD BE ANOTHER LONG DRIVE...

AGAIN YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THE BEAUTIFUL CLOUDS AND SUNSET VIEWS IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDE SHOW.

 

Visiting Namibia 2013 Part 2

NAMIBIA VISIT 2012 DAY 2 

AUGRABIES FALLS PARK

THE SECOND DAY OF OUR VISIT TO NAMIBIA WAS SPENT AT THE AUGRABIES FALLS PARK IN THE NORTHERN CAPE. IT WAS VERY HOT WITH TEMPERATURES RISING TO THE UPPER 30'S - CELSIUS THAT IS! 

FORTUNATELY WE BOOKED INTO A VERY NICE CHALET WITH AIR CONDITIONING AND WE ALSO HAD AIR CONDITIONING IN THE CAR.

OUR NICE CHALET AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

WE DECIDED TO EXPLORE THE PARK SINCE WE HAD NOT SEEN IT BEFORE. ON PREVIOUS VISITS WE ONLY WENT TO SEE THE FALLS AND DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DRIVE TO THE PARK ITSELF. SO WE VENTURED OUT JUST AFTER BREAKFAST.

A SMALL STREAM FLOWING TO THE RIVER NEAR THE CAMPING AREA

ALONG THE RIVER IT WAS LUSH AND GREEN AS OPPOSED TO THE PARK WHICH IS JUST A MOON LANDSCAPE BUT WITH INTERESTING ROCK FORMATIONS AND BIG SKIES. IT IS MOSTLY DIRT ROADS GOING AROUND AND UP AND DOWN PAST ROCKY OUTCROPS.

THE FOLLOWING SATELLITE VIEW FROM GOOGLE WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE PARK SURROUNDINGS LOOKS LIKE. IT SHOWS THE GORGE BELOW THE MAIN FALLS AND THE CHALETS AND VISITORS AREA AREA.

MORE ARID SCENERY AS WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE RIVER SHOWING THE ROCKY OUTCROPS ON THE HORIZON

THE SCENERY WAS ACTUALLY MORE GREEN THAT WHAT WE EXPECTED STILL CLOSER TO THE RIVER AS WE MOVED TO A LOOKOUT POINT KNOWN AS "MOON ROCK" SHOWN ON THE NEXT GOOGLE  SATELLITE PHOTO.

THE ONLY OTHER ANIMALS WE SAW WERE COMMUNAL BIRDS (IN THE DISTANCE FLYING IN AND OUT OF THEIR NESTS) AND A HAMERKOP BIRD. WE BRIEFLY ALSO SAW A DASSIE NEAR THE RIVER BUT DID NOT GO TO THE DASSIE TRAIL WHERE WE SAW LOTS OF THEM ON A PREVIOUS VISIT.

A QUIVER TREE WITH A COMMUNAL BIRDS' NEST

WHAT WAS ALSO NOTICEABLE IS THAT WE SAW MANY DEAD QUIVER TREES. I LATER LEARNT THAT THIS IS POSSIBLY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE PARK ITSELF HAS A NUMBER OF INTERESTING LOOKOUT POINTS. I WILL FIRST SHOW AN AERIAL GOOGLE VIEW AND THEN SOME PHOTOS THAT I TOOK AT THE LOOKOUT POINTS.

ARARAT WAS ONE OF OUR FIRST STOPS. FROM HERE YOU COULD SEE THE GORGE BELOW THE FALLS FROM THE BARREN OUTCROP.

FROM THE GOOGLE MAP YOU CAN SEE THE RIVER MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN.

THE RIVER BELOW THE FALLS AS SEEN FROM THE ARARAT LOOKOUT POINT.

 A PANORAMA AS SEEN FROM ARARAT

A DOWNSTREAM VIEW OF THE RIVER TAKEN IN 2006 FROM THE VIEWING PLATFORM AT THE MAIN FALLS.

THE ORANJEKOM IS ANOTHER LOOKOUT POINT IN THE PARK FURTHER DOWNSTREAM FROM THE ARARAT LOOKOUT POINT ALSO SHOWING "ECHO CORNER" FURTHER DOWN STREAM.

THE NARROW ROAD WINDING DOWN THROUGH BARREN LANDSCAPE TOWARDS THE RIVER AND ECHO CORNER. THE NEXT PHOTO SHOWING A PANORAMA OF THE RIVER AT ECHO CORNER. 

ALONG THE WAY WE ALSO PASSED THE "SWARTRANTE" (BLACK RIDGES)

A TYPICAL ROAD WINDING ALONG BARREN ROCKS WITH SPARE VEGETATION.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FLOWER ON THE THORN BUSH

 

 HOWEVER WE SAW A FEW BLOBS OF BRIGHT COLOR AND EVEN A NICE FLOWER ON A THORNY BUSH AND A CLOSER LOOK AT QUIVER TREES

AFTER THE VISIT TO THE PARK WE RELAXED IN DIE COOL CHALET FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON BEFORE WE WALKED DOWN TO THE MAIN FALLS. IT WAS HOWEVER STILL TOO HOT AND I BARELY MADE IT BACK TO THE RESTAURANT AFTER THE EXHAUSTING VISIT TO THE FALLS. TO TOP IT ALL I ACCIDENTALLY ERASED THE PHOTOS THAT I TOOK OF THE FALLS WHEN CHECKING MY CAMERA THE NEXT MORNING. THAT EVENING WE TREATED OURSELVES TO A NICE MEAL IN THE RESTAURANT AND WENT TO BED EARLY BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY WAS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG DRIVE AGAIN.

I ADDED SOME EXTRA PHOTO'S TO THE SLIDE SHOW.

Visiting Namibia Part 1 2013-2013

THIS PART OF MY BLOG WILL BE A TRAVELOGUE OF OUR VISIT TO NAMIBIA.

I AM USING ALL CAPS FOR THE BENEFIT OF SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE VISION CHALLENGES.

PART  ONE: PRETORIA TO AUGRABIES

NOTE: THIS WILL BE A DAY BY DAY TRAVELOGUE WITH ADDED  PHOTOS TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES OF OUR WONDERFUL TRIP TO NAMIBIA IN 2012 AND THE FIRST WEEK OF 2013. AT THE END OF THE BLOG YOU WILL FIND A SLIDE SHOW OF ALL THE PHOTOS.

THE "BIRD" CLOUD

THE BEGINNING OF A VERY  VERY LONG TRIP

WE DEPARTED AT ABOUT 3 AM FROM PRETORIA SINCE THE FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP WAS A VERY LONG DRIVE TO AUGRABIES PARKS FALLS IN THE NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE. 

MOST PHOTO’S WERE TAKEN FROM THE CAR . SUNRISE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS OF A CLOUD FORMATION THAT LOOKED LIKE A HUGE BIRD OR MAYBE A PLANE… SYMBOLIZING “BON VOYAGE” FOR ME. AS WE TRAVELED ALONG I TOOK NUMEROUS PHOTOS OF THE LANDSCAPES TOO AND OF COURSE BIG SKY PHOTO’S THAT I LOVE SHOWING VARIOUS CLOUD FORMATIONS.

THE SUN WAS RISING 'AT OUR BACKS " AND
I ENJOYED SEEING IT IN THE CAR MIRROR

ON THE WAY WE ALSO TRAVELLED ALONG THE GARIEP RIVER WHEN WE REACHED THE NORTHERN CAPE. THE RIVER IS A WONDERFUL GREEN OASIS IN THE BARREN LANDSCAPE AND IS THE SOURCE OF NUMEROUS VINEYARDS AND ALSO THE FRUIT BASKET FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S WONDERFUL DRIED FRUIT. THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THE GRAPES RIPEN BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET STARTED THE DRYING PROCESS FOR SULTANAS AND RAISINS. WE DID BUY SOME OF THE EARLY GRAPES AT AUGRABIES PARK. THEY WERE GOOD :-)

VINEYARDS ALONG THE GARIEP (ORANGE) RIVER

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE ROAD IN THE NORTHERN CAPE KALIE STOPPED TO HAVE HIS MEDS AND INSULIN WHILE I NOTICED A LOT OF SMALL BUTTERFLIES ON THE SMALL STONES. OF COURSE THE CAMERA CAME OUT AND I MANAGED TO GET A FEW CLOSE UP SHOTS OF THEM AND SAW THAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE NOT ALL WHITE BUT A VERY SOFT GREEN.

IT WAS VERY HOT WHEN ARRIVING AT AUGRABIES PARK AND WE WERE JUST SO THANKFUL FOR A NICE CHALET WITH AIR CONDITIONING. WE HAD THE LEFTOVERS FROM THE “PADKOS” FOR SUPPER AFTER DRIVING A SHORT WAY TO CAPTURE THE FABULOUS SUNSET. THE 7 SUNSET PHOTOS SHOWS HOW THE HEAVENS CHANGED BEFORE THE SUN EVENTUALLY WENT DOWN.

THAT WAS THE END OF THE FIRST RATHER EXHAUSTING DAY…

YOU CAN SEE ALL THE PHOTO’S HERE: