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.
Today’s photo is another shot of Simonstown as the golden rays of sunset drenched the mountain that rises out of the sea behind it.
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…
This is a beautiful spot to walk the dogs as the sun drops low, before a pint round the pub. It was a great way to spend an evening. It took me a while to catch the waves breaking just where I wanted them.
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.
We came around a bend and the sun was lighting the old naval port of Simonstown perfectly. Finding somewhere to stop on this windy mountain road was not easy. We tried a couple of lay-byes but they didn’t offer up a very good view. I’d just about given up when we came to one last opportunity to stop and I was able to get this photo. Let me know what you think of it in the comments section!
Following this we drove down into Simonstown and had a very nice meal at a little Italian place. Great pizza!
My Capetown host said hello today, so I’ve been inspired to post one of the photos I took while staying there. This is a small rocky area at one end of the expansive, beautiful Nordhoek beach. I wanted to capture the power of the water around here so as the sun dropped down I let my shutter speeds slow down to show off the churning movement of the water as it bursts onto the rocky shoreline.
I didn’t actually think it’d rush up as far as it did. Suddenly my feet discovered just how cold the water is this far South of the equator.
I’ve got a few photos lined up and quite possibly a bit of time to breathe so am going to try to get back into posting a photo a day. Comments on photos and requests for places you know I’ve been definitely help motivate me!
I’ve got a week in Cuba on the brain at the moment. I’ll be trying to go late March/early April. If you’d like to join me, feel free to let me know!! 🙂
The Eastfjords in Iceland, much like most of the country, are truly magical. The road winds its way in and out of deep gouges in the coastline. Every corner reveals incredible views. When I saw this cloud in the distance, pouring from the mountains down to the ocean I knew I had to stop the car and try to capture it.
Not all 4x4s are off road vehicles. So, when you rent one, with a goal to go anywhere you want, choosing the cheapest option isn’t necessarily the best idea. Still, it definitely made this drive from Walvis Bay to Sossusvlei interesting.
“Corrugated road, 20 km… speed limit reduced to 60km/hr,” the sign said.
I didn’t have to wonder exactly what a corrugated road was for long before we fired onto the bumpiest surface I’ve ever been on. A corrugated road is exactly what it sounds like, small ridges like those in a sheet of corrugated metal. The car felt like it was going to shake to pieces. I slowed to 60km/hr and the vibrations didn’t stop. Eventually, things calmed down at 30km/h.
So, slowly we rolled on, past vast expanses of desert, punctuated occasionally by wild ostriches. I drove for about an hour and a half before switching to the passenger seat. It wasn’t long after this that we climbed a bit, and got this view back across the expanse we had just crossed.
Here’s the first of my photos from my most recent trip to Cape Town. This is on a beautiful, rugged beach in Scarborough. There were a lot of kids playing and swimming here. After dipping my toe in I decided it was far too cold for my liking!
