Oct 222013
 

Actually, she wasn’t. My travel buddy, Harleigh, was almost to the ridge at this point, which led up to the top of the immense Dune 7. In an earlier post, she was making good progress on two feet, striding up with no problem. Then, it got steeper and she had to use her hands to claw her way up the last few meters.

There were three of us on the dune and we all took different routes. Harleigh got to the top first, I didn’t make it at all (I blame the camera gear).

Girl climbing a sand dune in front of overcast sky in Namibia

Sep 192013
 

The drive to Walvis Bay to the dunes at Sossusvlei is pretty barren. It’s mainly a long flat road, not suited to the vehicle we were in. We bounced along at half the speed limit as giant overland trucks sped past us. Still, it was an exciting drive. Every now and again, dotted across the landscape we’d spot flocks of ostrich strolling about. This group corresponded with a driver change 2 hours into the drive.

Ostiches in the desert in Namibia with a mountain in the background

 

May 052013
 

I had to walk a bit to get the pictures of the desert moonscape I posted earlier. On the way back I liked the look of the paths leading back to our inadequate 4×4. If you plan on driving around Namibia, it’s best to get a proper truck. This one was fine, until we left the tarmac. We had to drive at half the speed limit most places with giant trucks flying past us. We also managed to get it stuck in a sand dune at one point.

Paths in the desert in Namibia

Apr 302013
 

Here’s another shot of the moonscape near Swakopmund, Namibia. It’s a surreal landscape I’d like to spend some more time in. I only really made it to the edge to look out across the expanse. behind me was barren flat sand stretching to the ocean.

Namibian Moonscape landcape under blue sky

Apr 192013
 

It was a fairly treacherous drive up this hill as we made our way back to Windhoek to depart for Capetown. We’d completed a long flat drive across desert spying ostriches and jackles along the roadside when all of sudden the land turned vertical. A huge overland truck bore down on us as our little 4×4 trudged up the switchbacks. The road switched, unpredictably, from dirt, to brick, to tarmac over and over again. It was quite a challenge for my travel buddy who was driving. The heights of the cliff edges we were hugging did not help either.

When I asked if we could stop so I could run back down a bit and take this picture, I was met with a shaky, incredulous, “What!?”

After returning to continue on, we asked if she’d like to switch drivers, but no, she said she preferred being in control. If we were going to go over the cliff she wanted to be at the wheel…

The desert of Namibia taken from atop a hill with winding dirt roads in the foreground.

Apr 092013
 

I set out on a gloomy day, from Swakopmund, Namibia, to check out the Welwitschia Drive. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do the whole drive in the time I had but I figured I’d get to see some interesting landscapes. Everything was bleak, barren and nondescript until I passed a sign stating I was nearing the Lunar Landscape. Then, I saw this stretching out in front of me. It was an amazing shock. I’d love to go back and spend some time wandering around in this area.

Luna Landscape on the Welwitschia Drive in Namibia.

 

Apr 082013
 

Today’s photo is much simpler than my usual, but I think there’s something interesting about it. I wrote about how difficult it was to climb these dunes in this post: The Climb Dune 7 Namibia. Here, another of my travel buddies has selected a route that she decided was easier. At this point you can tell she’s starting to get a bit tired, atop that giant wave of sand.

A girl walking near the top of a giant sand dune at dune 7 in Namibia