From Dunes to Ocean

I'm definitely not a morning person so I don't really enjoy having to get up at 5am, but I guess there is a good reason for it. Our group needs to get to Sossusvlie in the Namib Desert before it gets too hot. Why, because were going to try to climb to the top of a sand dune. We stop at Dune 45 (there's 99 dunes at this Nat'l Park). Luckily it is overcast and even looks like it could rain. but the Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts in the world and we all thought this would be one of our hottest days. About 7 of the 8 of us start the climb. It's best to be barefoot I'm told even though there may be snakes, lizard around. About a 1/4 of the way up most of the people drop out. I'm the youngest of the group so I should be able to make it. I go slowly, stopping to take pictures so I'm able to catch my breath and finally make it to the top. Robert and Peter also make it to the top. Due to the overcast conditions, there wasn't really the spectacular colors you see in the post cards with the red sand against the blue skies but it's still very pretty.

Once the paved road ends we take a 4x4 truck the rest of the way to Sossusvlie. There, we are given time to climb another dune called Big Momma. I'll pass and decide to just wander around looking at all the neat plants, birds and I even saw one of the sand lizards. Finally some blue skies come out to brighten up the day. We stop at Sesreim Canyon to view the weird rock formations before heading to our hotel, the Namib Naufluft Lodge near Solitare. Very small, only about 14 rooms but secluded with great views of the mountains and lots of ground squirrels to keep you entertained.

Now we are on the road for the coast. We stop at Kuiseb Canyon which had quite a bit of water flowing through it and have a picnic lunch at a rocky outcrop in a very dry area. Luckily the picnic tables are under the overhang or we would have fried. I enjoyed having a quick climb around the rocks before getting back on the bus. Just before the coast, the sand dunes appear again but this time they are a blonde/beige color. We've lost the reds and orange shades. The large sand dunes go right down to the water between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. We stop for a quick look at Walvis Bay and see the salt flats with some pelicans and flamingos. For those celebrity fans. The Burning Shores hotel is where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed while waiting for the birth of their baby. They rented out the entire small hotel.