Land of Sand

Namibia, the driest country south of the Sahara, has never been as colourful as it is now, this due to the heavy rainfall in the months february and march. A sea of flowers is now waving in the wind.

While travelling from Cape Town to the Orange river you'll pass Citrusdal where you can stock up your car with naartjies and dry fruits to survive a week without civilisation. At the Orange river you'll experience desert climate straight away; hot during the day, freezing at night. The Orange river separates South Africa from Namibia. While rafting on the river you'll enjoy - eventhough you're not a bird lover- african darters, fish eagles and hadida's. From the Orange river it is only a days drive to the stunning Fish River Canyon. The canyon lies in the lower reaches of Namibia's longest river, the Fish, and took millions of years to evolve to its present shape. Quite soon after crossing the border and leaving the B1, the tar road changes into dirt roads. Incredible vista's, sandy dry riverbeds, gravel plains and seas of sand...

Namibia's famous ghosttown, Kolmanskop, is situated 10 km's inland from the friendly town Luderitz - where you can easily spend a night drinking brombeertjes with the local crowd in the bar called 'the Barrel'. It takes you a full day to get to Kolmanskop from the Fish River. Kolmanskop used to be a wealthy little town during the diamond rush. But when richer diamond deposits were discovered further south, everybody moved. Today the ghost town's crumbling ruins bear little resemblance to its former glory. And now it is only tourists enjoying the deserted buildings in the sand.

120 km's from Kolmanskop, close to the little town called Aus, you'll find over a hundred wild horses. They are descendants of South African Army horses that were dispersed during an attack by the German air force and were not reigned in again. The animals seem to adapt to the harsh environment on the edge of the Namib desert. They are curious and will come up to you. Some of them even stick their head in your car. The water hole is a great place to observe them.

A four wheel drive is not nessecary to explore Namibia, but can be pretty handy though. You should check out carefully which roads you can take with a normal car. As most of the country lacks reception, you won't be able to phone the AA. I would say, pack your car with camping equipment, food, drinks, warm clothes and a braaigrid, take a cooler box and go explore this amazing country: Land of sand! Can't wait to return.

For pictures of our little gettaway check here

Comments

[Daan]

Ha Veerle,

Ben ook heel benieuwd wat voor een 'Big Issues' jij in het afgelopen half jaar hebt gezien, gevoeld, ervaren en beleefd.

Ongetwijfeld heb je net zo'n prachtige tijd als ik.

We moeten er straks in de Kaap tijdes de Homeles World Cup inderdaad maar eens een biertje, of twee, op drinken. I suggest: een Windhoekje;)?

We hebben inderdaad allebei (verschillende) Afrikaanse vlaggetjes op onze wangen straks langs de kant van het veld. Maar wat als een van 'onze' teams bij het 'Haags Straatnieuws' team in de poule zit?

Het wordt ongetwijfeld mooi!

Zie je daar, geniet voor nu vooral nog van je laatste werkweken!

Daan