Day 17: Wewelsburg to Windhoek

Its the last day of our road trip. Ah! Its always the hardest, when we realise that all the fun is over and we have to get back to our boring, and tough survival mode again. Like all other before us we also wish if the real life had been a big holiday.

We packed our tents, and cleaned up the vehicle in the morning. We were woken up by the natural alarm, the call of the peacock. Before that I didn’t even know that the peacocks voice could be so loud. They were all over the place in the lawn. Beautiful birds, natures creative talent at its best. We had our slow breakfast and then hit the road to Windhoek. We had made reservations at the Chameleon backpackers. In Namibia, during all our trips Chameleon is kind of a basecamp for us.

We checked in, dumped our bags and headed to the bar to have a drink. With a beer in hand we settled at the side of the pool. Tomorrow we have to return our car and then fly back home. :-(

Day 16: Dinosaur Tracks to Wewelsburg camping

We left the camping place in the morning towards Otjiwarango. We wanted to visit the Africat Foundation south of Otjiwarongo and if possible camp there. As we do not have any booking we were not sure whether we will find a camping spot there. Also as it is Namibian holiday time it is highly unlikely to get a place as they are usually heavily booked. When we reached there they said camping is not available but we can still visit the foundation as a day visitor. We decided to do that and we took a 1.5 hour which included an introduction about the foundation, visit to some of the resident cheetah enclosures, medical, feeding enclosures and a museum of stuffed animals of the region.

The area covering the foundation is huge ~ 20,000 hecters, which housed the cheetahs (around 24 of them) and wild leopards. The leopards are the original resident cats of the farm whereas the cheetahs are mostly rescued from other farms. The foundation usually does rescue, rehabilitation and also caring of cheetahs which cannot be released back to the wild. They also run some awareness and educational programs. They have one more sister organisation in the south of Etosha national park which monitors the lions coming out of the Etosha park boundary into the surrounding cattle farms. They help the farmers in building protective fences for their cattle, and also track the problem lions by collaring them.

We had lunch there afterwards and then drove south towards Windhoek. Our initial plan was to camp at Waterberg national park. As if was almost 4 pm as we left the Africats foundation we decided to drive south and camp at some place on the way. On the way we stopped at the Wewelsberg farm north of Okhahandja where they also provided camping place for tourists. The farm had the camping place in the garden, which was nice. The greenery provided a soothing effect to the eyes which was tired of the seeing the dry arid landscape all the time. In the evening we heard some calls from some strange bird. For me it sounded like that from peacocks. Since Africa didn’t have any peacocks we were wondering what the source of the noise is. Surprisingly it was indeed coming from the pet resident peacocks of the farm. They had a couple of male as well as female ones there. Pretty strange to find these beautiful birds in this part of the world! 

Day 15: Spitzkoppe to Dinosaur Tracks

After breakfast and shower we left Spitzkoppe towards mount Etjo lodge; atleast that was our plan, to camp at Mount Etjo lodge which is a private farm with their own collection of game in the farm. The driving was easy as most of the time we were driving in tarred roads. We drove through Usakos, Karibib, Omaruru and then Kalkfeld where we took a diversion towards Mount Etjo. We reached the lodge gate and then proceeded towards the campsite which is about 15 kms away. At the lodge entrance we ringed the bell and waited for around 20 mins. But no one came, may be because it is Christmas day and they are not open. Disappointed, we went back to the road and drove to the next campsite that we saw in the map, which is about 10 km away. In the travel guide it is also shown as the site of the Dinosaur tracks which was imprinted on the rocks about 150-200 million years ago. The small camp and lodge run by a german couple who immigrated to Namibia about 16 years before, was totally empty, except us.

After parking the car, we straight away visited the dinosaur prints nearby. There were 2 tracks, from a three toed, two-legged dinosaur, one from a bigger species and the other from a smaller species, both carnivorous. I wonder how they found/identified the prints in the first place and that too in a vast country like Nambia. Moreover, the prints looked more like the other holes in the rocks in first look. But on closer look the tracks from the 2 legs were visible.

The owner came for a chat afterwards. He said the bigger foot prints belonged to the ones which are about 3-4 m high when standing on both feet’s. But most of the time they walk crouched with 2 feet’s and 2 forelegs like a bear. Then they should be around 1.5-2 m high. It was also nice to chat in german with him after a long time. The night was uneventful. Dinner, wine, music and no night photography as the sky were cloudy

Day 14: Spitzkoppe Camp

 Today is 24^th December, we didn’t go anywhere and decided to relax at the camp. After breakfast we decided to walk to the reception to book for one more night at the camp. As our campsite was the farthest from the gate it took almost an hour to reach the reception. I also bought some souvenirs from there. The return to the campsite was more strenuous as it was close to noon and the temperature was at it maximum. Still there was some nice breeze to cool as down a little. We took almost an hour again to reach back to the campsite, a good exercise. Afternoon we dozed off in our tent, which was hot inside. But the mild breeze helped again. As it is Christmas eve Bru called home using our satellite phone. I called one of my friends back home to say that everything is ok so far. Before leaving home I left the route map with more or less approximate dates with my friend so that they can raise alarm when I don’t show up in the designated spots in time. Just a safety backup, which I do for all my roadtrips.

I thought of calling Gela, and then decided against it. Though it hurts, it’s not worth I guess. Wished it was different. At night I prepared the campfire. We had chicken and some chocolate that we bought from Hentis bay. Some barbeque, a dessert, and cold beer around campfire, under the stunning African skies; what a way to celebrate Christmas in the wild, we simply loved it!!

Day 13: Torra Bay to Spitzkoppe

Last night was windy throughout with the noisy sound of the tent fluttering in the wind. The camp cleaners said that this is not normal and the weather is expected to stay like this for 3 days. We finished the breakfast as soon as possible and then left the camp for good. The sea shore between the Torra Bay and the Ugab gate of the skeleton coast down south has some 4-5 ship wrecks. Most of it has disintegrated over the period of time. I was still hoping to catch hold of some them and also take some snaps of it. The only problem is that most of them are not at all signposted and are also very difficult to access it from the road. So there is a risk of driving through deep sand to reach them. We decided not to do it. Unfortunately even in the couple of wrecks that are signposted, there was hardly anything left in the wrecks. That was really disappointing.

However the route from Torra to the Ugab gate was stunning, like a lunar landscape. Vast plains of emptiness, with occasional greenery and some shrubs in the river delta. Some of the portions in the route had huge sandstorms with hardly any visibility in the road ahead. Though the rivers looked dry and barren from outside, there is an underground river running which supported these plants. It is these underground rivers that support the famous desert elephants in these regions. The ellies use their tusk to dig holes so as to reach this river water.

On the way we made a stop at the Ugab lagoon which was close to the sea. It was a good decision as we got lucky to see 3 flamingos there. As we came closer to the Ugab gate and also further south towards the Hentis Bay the shore was crowded with the Namibian/South African tourists on their fishing holidays. Even there was relatively huge traffic with their big trucks. We stopped at small windy town of Hentis bay to refuel and resupply. Then we took the route towards the camp at Spitzkoppe.

I had previously camped here about 8 years back on my first trip to Namibia. It was the trip in which I fell in love with this beautiful continent. The Spitzkoppe camp is between huge boulders, in the middle of nowhere, isolated from humanity. My kind of place actually, and I loved it then :-) At that time the camp was pretty much isolated, with the camp was a means to support the local bushman community running it. But this time the whole place looked different, with a lot of shacks on the way to the camp selling crafts. The camp was also renovated with a new gate, reception, craft shop, a small restaurant and pub, and chalet. The last time there was only a crossbar in the track with a few bushman sitting around to guide the tourists. They also said there is a new resort with pools behind the boulders.  Now there were more campsites between the rocks and also more guests. Still the campsites were spread out over a huge area that one can hardly see or hear your neighbouring campsite.

We got a nice campsite between huge boulders with a fire pit. It was nice, with the rocks providing the much needed wind protection. After our camping experience at Skeleton coast the last thing I want was a windy night. We set up the camp and in late afternoon I drove around the rocks to the place where there is a natural rock arch. I remember taking a lot of photos from there last time. Being at an elevated position the scenery was beautiful from the top. At night after dinner by the campfire it was again time for sky gazing and star photography. 

Day 12: Palmwag to Torra Bay

Today starts our journey towards the infamous Coast of Skulls or Skeleton coast. Earlier times the Skeleton Coast had a formidable reputation as the fogs and the strong currents forced many ships into the uncharted sandbags of the west coast of Namibia. Even if the sailors survived the wreck, there is hardly any chance to survive the barren landscape towards the interior desert.

We started in the morning from Palmwag and we were not sure whether we will be getting the camping spot in Torra Bay or in the northern most point open to the public – Terrace Bay. Still we thought we will drive to there and check at the Springbok gate – one of the entry points to the Skeleton coast. The route as expected was beautiful. As it has become default in our journey so far the landscape changed from red rocky mountains to flat sandy plains towards the border of the park. Once we reached the gate we got the permit to enter the park from the check post. We enquired about the camping possibilities and the lady in the gate called the Torra bay office and confirmed the availability. Also, she informed us that there is no longer camping possibility at Terrace Bay.

As we drove toward Torra Bay we came across the famed Welwetchia plants or Welwetchia Mirabilis in the plains. It is Namibia’s most famous species of plant. At first glance they look like a foliage which emerges from the wooden base in the barren land. It is said that Welwetchia can live for over 1000 years, though it is not clear how they get water in this dry and harsh gravel plains. Other than that it was just barren land. As we approached towards Torra sand dunes started appearing along the way. Mostly flat and sandy plains with monstrous sand dunes was an impressive sight. The roads were also very good, which came as a surprise as I was expecting the worst roads. As we closed on the camp we started seeing huge tented camps in the middle of empty barren land. We were totally shocked to see that. It is the Christmas holiday season in Namibia and one of the favourite hobbies of the white Namibians/South Africans is fishing in the sea during Christmas. For us it was hugely disappointing to see a party camp site with loud music and huge tented camps. And that too at a place where we least expected it – in the Skeleton coast. What an irony!

On the other hand we were lucky that we got the camping spot in this crowd. We paid the rent at the reception and then proceeded to check out Terrace Bay which is ~ 52 kms north from Torra Bay. The main road along the coast, C34, towards from Hentis Bay to Terrace bay is what is locally called as the salt road. Made of salt, gypsum and gravel, which has been hardened over years is almost roak solid as a tarred road. One can drive as fast as possible, as long as they are concentrated enough. Once in Terrace Bay we could see only a lodge and couple of administrative buildings there. There is also a restaurant but that was also empty. We came back to Torra Bay and set up our camp. It turned out to be a terribly windy day with icy cold winds blasting from the Atlantic. We struggled to make fire and cook. At night we even had to put on winter clothes to beat the cold. It was not really a comfortable night.

Day 11: Purros to Palmwag

In the morning we went for a guided tour of the Himba village. The camp which was run by the Himbas arranged a local guide named Dax for the visit to a nearby village. Dax was born in this village and his half-sister still lives there. The village itself was very small with only some 6-8 huts inside a boma/fence. Every village has holy fire. The holy fire in the surrounded by the huts, with the goat shed located close to the holy fire. The holy fire should always burn. It is considered as their link to their ancestors. Only the chief can sit near the fire and he is the only authrorized person to talk with the ancestors. When the chief dies the body is kept near the fire and the next person takes over. Also when a person is sick, the person is brought near the fire and the chief requests the ancestors to heal the person.

Each family has 3 huts - the main hut where they sleep, the second hut where they spend the day, and the third hut for food storage. The main hut is made with sticks and plastered with cow dungs. They apply the dung again when the walls start cracking. The second hut is mostly of sticks so that there is ventilation through the gaps. The third hut entrance is little higher to prevent the kids from reaching the storage. The goat shed is only for the calves/baby goats so as to separate it from their mothers. The mother cow comes in one by one to feed the baby and then the women of the village milk the cow too. The Himbas are pastoral people and they follow the rains so that their cattle can always graze. In the village we visited the older women has stayed behind as it became difficult to travel for the older people. Only the men and the younger women had gone with the cattle.

The skin of the Himba people is always red in colour. The red colour is made from a paste made of the fine dust from the ochre rock mixed with animal fat and applied to the skin. This is to make them look good, and make the skin smooth. They also apply a paste made from herbs and fat around the neck to stop the mopane bees. The Himba girl starts wearing a head ornament when whey become women. And they remove it only when there is death in the family. Only the Himba men wash their body and the women never take bath. Instead they smoke their body from a fire put with pleasant smelling wood. The women wear different dresses for different occasion. The different dresses are made from different animal skins – cattle, goat etc.

When the boys become men, the boys are brought near the holy fire and the professional deskinner does the deskinning. In Himba culture all the front tooth of all Himba people are removed. This is also done around the holy fire and the removed tooth is thrown in the direction where they are born. The Himba bury their dead. And marriage is done by the girl or boys wishes. The chief calls the elders from other families and then gives the girl away to the boy. The chief also advices the bride on the new rules the girl should follow as a wife before they go the new family. There were also some handicrafts displayed in the village made by the Himba women. We bought some baskets, mainly as a way to support their culture.

When Dax was guiding us a group of german tourists arrived at the village in 3 cars. Without asking for any permission they simply entered the village and started looking around the huts. When Dax politely informed them that there is an entrance fee for tourists they simply left. We were stunned by their rude and disrespectful behaviour. After all, what they did is to enter somebody else’s house without permission. Stupid arrogant tourists!!!

After the Himba village visit we moved towards Seesfontain. The route was amazing. Near Purros the tracks were sandy, then it became rocky and sometimes we had to drive through riverbeds. Later on the landscape completely changed to vast plains, with a fusion of colours. At one point the ground was red sand, with yellow dried grass over the surface, dark brown rocky mountains in the background at a distance, with blue skies and white clouds!!!! Stunning view! Purros to Seesfontain is only 100 kms, but it takes approximately 3 hrs to reach there. We stopped at the old german fort at Seesfontain again to take a break. Then we proceeded back to Palmwag (approximately 110 km) along the gravel road. At one point the windshield of our car got a crack from a stone flying from a passing by truck. That was bad! First the tyre replacement and now we have to replace the windshield as well.

We reached the Palmwag camp at 4:30 pm. We parked the car in the camp and immediately jumped into the pool. We came across footprints of the resident bull around our camp. At night there were also sounds from a leopard nearby. Close to the wild, can’t complain!

Day 10: Camp Wild to Purros

In the morning while having tea, one Himba boy came to our campsite out of nowhere. He didn’t come near, but was standing around 500 m away from our tent and started shouting at us. Both Bru and I didn’t understand a word of what he was shouting. We were calling out loud asking him to come near us. His tone didn’t sound friendly and we felt like he didn’t like us camping there. So we decided to leave the place. We finished our tea and packed our tents and left the place for good.

On the way to Orupembe we came across a large baobab tree. Baobab, the iconic tree of the African savannah is also called the ‘tree of life’. It grows upto a height of 25 m and the tree itself can be several thousand years old. From the size of it, it was definitely more than 100 years old. We stopped there and had our breakfast under its shades. It was really a nice place. After about an hour of staying under the shade we started our drive towards Orupembe. The landscape changed dramatically from bushland to vast plains with small small mountains in between. As we crossed Orupembe we realised that it is just a small village with few huts distributed in the plains and of no vegetation around. I even wondered whether there is any camping place here.

Later we came across the mysterious ‘lone man’ of Kaokoland. In the last years there have been many sightings of life-size rock sculptures around in these remote wild west regions of Namibia. They are created with masterful artistry and a deep sense of place, that it gives the impression of having sprung up from the earth. They take on different poses and are made from the rock existing in the area and they blend in perfectly with their surroundings. No one knows for sure who made these stone structures of humans around these uninhabited places. Though we read about it before our journey, we were not expecting to see it, as finding it is like searching for a needle in a haystack in these vast landscape. So it was quite surprising to see it and we both felt happy to see these lonely people :-)

The drive ahead was through the Namib desert, 100’s of kms along the deserted plains. It is pretty strange to have proper roads/tracks in these places and that too with road signs! The desert colour changed a lot from arid dry landscape, to yellowish sands to dark red sand, all within a couple of hours. Absolutely stunning, if you neglect the heat! As we approached Purros the mountains were surrounded by more and more sand.

The Purros village is situated in loose sandy regions. We stopped at the Purros community camp run by the Himba community. There were a lot of ellie dungs around, clearly showing the presence of desert ellies. The camp ground was beautiful, properly blended with nature. The campsites/toilets were hidden under short trees covered with leaves. It was a beautiful spot, but also very windy with fine sand flying around. At night after a barbeque and beer, it was time for night photography.

Day 9: Epupa to Etanga to Camp Wild

Our plan for today was to drive back to Opuwo, fill up the supplies and fuel and then drive to Etanga in the west of Opuwa in the Himba land. We stopped at Opuwo as planned, filled fuel and bought supplies. By afternoon we started our drive towards Etanga. The road was designated as ‘D’ which is a dirt road and therefore was not so fast moving. Still the gravel D roads in Namibia are really in good shape when compared to the dirt roads in other countries. We passed many Himba villages all the way and around 3:30 we reached Etanga. We planned to camp at a camp site that was marked in our map, but we couldn’t find it all there. Probably it doesn’t exist anymore, as it can happen in this part of the world. Since we still had couple of hours before sunset we decided to drive towards Orupembe, which is further west, in the direction of Purros village. Finding a drivable track was difficult and also it was marked a proper 4x4 track. So the going was again really slow with sometimes mountainous, rocky and sandy terrain all the way. It was bit of an adventurous drive, really slow moving and in parts the speed was on an average between 10-30 km/h. We also passed some Himba villages on the way.

By evening we were still about 30 km away from Orupembe and the light was going down. So we decided to camp wild on the side of the track and setup the camp before it was completely dark. We parked our car behind a rock, to avoid unwanted attraction, and setup the camp there. There was absolutely no one around, just us and the unbeatable African skies, with stars extending up to the horizon. What a view!!

Day 8: Kunene River Lodge to Epupa falls

 We started in the morning and drove along the Kunene river towards Epupa. In the earlier times the old road took about 9-10 hrs to reach Epupa. Now the road has been completely levelled and widened and it takes only 3-4 hours to reach Epupa. Still on the way we took a wrong diversion and ended up in the old road. It became clear why the old road took so long time as it was a typical 4 x 4 road with steep climbs and drops at some point. The moving was slow but the road took us closer to the river side and hence it was a very picturesque route. We joined the new road later and then the going was smooth and fast. The road passed through mountains and was always going up and down.

We reached the camp near to the Epupa falls after noon. Epupa camp is just on the side of the falls. They even had a restaurant with a deck overlooking the falls, which made it a really beautiful camping spot. Later in the evening we went to a small pool on one of the streams of Kunene river to take a bath. There were also local kids taking bath there. The place was amazing as it was to the Epupa falls, and ofcourse the water was cold. We immediately came back to the camp to take our cameras. On the way we stopped at a small Himba craftshop and bought some bangles from them. We sat on the deck in the evening, enjoying the view of the falls and the beautiful landscape there with a chilling beer in hand. It was peaceful, silent, just nature and us. As it was off season, there were no other tourists other than us, perfect!!!

Day 7: Kunene River Lodge

After breakfast we went for the river rafting in Kunene river. The level of difficulty was between 3-4 and it was a half day trip. The trip was fun though only 2 relatively strong rapids were there. The rafting started at a place approximately ½ hr drive from our camp towards east in the direction of Rucana. Half way down the river we took a break and had sandwich and light drinks on the river bank. Then we started rafting again. Even after covering the rapids we decide to row along the river towards our camp instead of driving. The sky was cloudy and it helped from the heat of the day. In the afternoon we just sat on the camp deck enjoying the view. It was really a hot afternoon.

Day 6: Opuwo to Kunene

We started at around 10 am towards the northern boundary of Namibia. Our plan was to drive to Epupa falls in the Kunene river which also acts as a natural border to Namibia. We stopped at Opuwo to fill up stocks, change USD to N$, and also to buy a new tyre. It was expensive, around 2200 N$, but we had no other option as the reserve tyre is not good enough for our adventurous plans ahaead. Opuwo had a lot of garages, shops, supermarkets and also the Himbas. Himbas are indigenous people living in the northern regions of Kunene/Kaokoland region. They wear traditional clothing that is in tune with their surrounding environment, and in most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins. They are immediately recognizable from their skin and hair colour, having a distinctive orange or red-tinge characteristic. For these nomadic pastoralist tribes, Opuwo is the closest big town where they can do their shopping and also make quick money from the tourists by posing for photographs. They were a bit annoying as they crowded around us to sell crafts. It was interesting to watch them, due to their unique way of dressing, but also felt very sad to see their poverty.

We drove to Epupa from there, about 180 kms north of Opuwo. But on the way there, we decided to take a diversion and drive to Kunene river lodge, north east of Epupa. The spontaneous plan was to drive along the Kunene river separating Namibia and Angola. As it is a 4wd track from Epupa to Kunene camp we thought it will be wise to stay at Kunene river lodge and check about the track conditions with them before proceeding further. The lodge/camp was really beautiful, green and full of trees offering a lot of shade, overlooking the river. The river was bigger than I expected, about 75 m wide and with decent amount of water. The camp had a bar/restaurant with a deck overlooking the river. We saw a number of monitor lizards and monkeys around our camp. The lizards minded their own business but the monkeys as usual were looking for a chance to steal. We decided to stay there one more night there as the lodge also offered river rafting in Kunene river for interested people. Of course, we were interested!

Day 5: Palmwag Lodge to Opuwo

We started around 10 am from Palmwag and drove towards Seesfontain. Just after Palmwag, the GPS card from 4 x4 tracks that Bru had showed a panorama view point approximately 4 km off track in the direction we were travelling. We decided to take that route, which turned out to be a proper 4 x 4 track, with uneven and very rocky tracks. The moving was very slow, but in the end the view was really nice. We stayed there for some time and took some snaps before turning back to the main road.

On the way we made a stop at the old german fort at Seesfontain. The once ruined fort was renovated and converted into a hotel in 1994. Inside the fort it was like an oasis in the desert, very green and with palm trees providing the much needed shade in the arid region. They even had a pool. We stayed longer than we planned, had a drink and had toast for lunch. After about 2 hrs there we were on the road again towards Opuwo. The landscape changed dramatically and the route was more mountainous, with curvy and narrow roads, steep climbs and lot of dry streams crossing the roads. Some of the regions we crossed were very green with lot of mopane trees. We stopped on the top of a hill to have a photo of the road and the valley downstream. A few meters afterwards we had a flat tyre!! I think it happened as we parked the car on those sharp rocks. The tyre had two big cuts on the sides. The hot afternoon made the tyre change with the entire luggage inside extremely difficult. And that too on the side of a very dusty dirt road.  After the tyre change we drove towards Opuwo which was about 15 km away.

Opuwo is a relatively big town and if I am right the last town before the Himba region of Kaokoland in the north of Namibia. We camped at the Mopane camp, about 4.5 km off road, in the midst of mopane trees. It was a nice place and both of us were very tired. The camp had only chalet kind of accommodation, but they still let us camp there as there were no other guests.

Day 4: EHRA to Palmwag Lodge

We started in the morning from the EHRA camp. There were no specific plans as usual other than driving towards north into the Kunene region. On the way we stopped at the Mowani mountain camp situated in the stunning landscapes of Damaraland. I stayed in the camps there in 2008 during my first visit to Namibia. But it’s mainly a luxury resort  with the topmost suites charging around 230 euros/night. As Bru worked in the tourism business they agreed to show us around the different rooms and the facilities they have. The view from the rooms were really amazing, worth the price they charge for the suites. The whole row of cottages where nicely placed between massive boulders, and it blended perfectly with the landscape. They even had a pool in the rocks overlooking the valley. We stayed there for a couple of hours, enjoyed our first cocktail rock shandy and thereafter started towards Palmwag Lodge situated in the Unaib river, in the afternoon. We reached there in the evening. After parking our car in the camping place we then jumped into the pool to cool ourselves down. It was very relaxing evening after the long drive through the heat. At night we cooked some rice and chicken curry for dinner.

Day 3: Erindi to EHRA camp

The best part of all these trips is that we usually won’t have any concrete plans for every day. So today also we really didn’t have any plan as to which route to go in the morning. Our idea for today was to go to the Mowani  mountain camp in the southern Kunene region at Khorixas. We first drove towards Uis via Omaruru. On the way we stopped at the Franke tower to take some snaps. The tower was built to commemorate a battle between the Herero and German colonisers in 1908. It’s a really small tower with an old artillery at the front of the tower.

Bru suggested that we go to the San living museum afterwards and we took a detour from the main road (~ 30 km). The San living museum is situated in the Erongo conservation area, surrounded by the Erongo mountains. It is an arid, empty landscape full of small small mountains. We reached the San museum at noon. The idea behind the museum is that the San people, whose ancestors are living in those regions for more than 5000 years, will show us about the way they lived, hunted and survived. We booked a 2 hr trip with them. The San family who took us around came from Kalahari, where they live now. They usually work for 2 months in Erongo and then go back to Kalahari. Then the next family will come and conduct the tour and the cycle is repeated. In that way, everyone in their village will be benefiting from tourism.

For us the tour was done by a 26 year boy who surprisingly spoke good English. He learned English from his school in Kalahari. Along with him was his 63 year old grandfather who showed us and explained about the tree from which they used the fruits for eating, and the leaves that they used as an antiseptic for injuries. He also showed as another tree from which they extracted the poison for the arrows they used for hunting. How they made the poison was interesting. The beetles eat on the leaves of the tree and lay eggs in the tree. The worms coming out transforms into cocoon and the cocoon after some time falls down and burry themselves in the sand. The San people dig out these cocoon and make paste out of the cocoon which is the poison they use for their arrows. Once these arrows hit the animal and injure it, the animal will not die immediately. The poison will enter the bloodstream and the big animals take a day to die. The San go back to the village and come back in the morning next day to track the injured animal. They also showed us how to make fire using wood sticks and how they made small traps or snares to get small animals like bats, Guinea fowls etc. We also saw some rock paintings that were more than 5000 years old on the way.

In the road back from the San museum we took a break in a river bed to have our lunch. We then proceeded towards Uis and did shopping in the supermarket there. We then drove to the base camp of the Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA), which is kind of home away from home for both of us.  I met Bru in a desert elephant volunteer program conducted by EHRA. It is a Namibian registered not-for-gain organisation which runs an elephant conservation and volunteer project in Namibia. It conducts workshops for the local community to find long-term sustainable solutions to the human-animal conflict and facilitate the peaceful co-habitation between the subsistence farmers, community members and the desert-adapted elephants. The volunteer groups take part in the construction of the wells destroyed by the desert elephants in their search or water in the desert. The money collected from the volunteers goes for the material costs and the volunteer themselves act as the manpower for the construction. It is the best volunteer project that I ever took part in, and also the one in which you will immediately see the impact of your work on the local community. The added bonus is to come face to face with the desert roaming ellies. It’s a unique experience.

As it was Christmas season the camp was closed and no volunteers were there. One of their staffs Adolfo was taking care of the camp, whom we both knew from our earlier stay. He allowed us to make a camp there. We made a camp fire, chatted, cooked food and slept on the wooden platform in the dry riverbed. It was heaven!

Day 2: Windhoek to Erindi Game Park

We visited a doctor at Windhoek for the Malarone tablets to counter the Malaria problems. But in the end we decided not to take it, mainly due to the side effects and also owing to its high costs, and concentrate on the precautions and symptoms. The nurse even joked that we can try the gin and tonic to thwart the Malaria mosquitos.

We picked the 4 x 4, Toyota Hilux from Britz near to the airport. We felt the car that we got was not really in good shape, but we trusted the good old Hilux. We started from there around 2 pm and stopped at the supermarket on the way at Windhoek. The thump rule for our trips is to get atleast enough water to survive for a week. The rest is some fresh food for couple of days and some packed food and snacks for 5 days. We were back to the road at 4:15 pm and Bru was driving and our destination was the privately run Erindi game park in central Namibia. We were supposed to take the highway B1 to Otjiwarongo, but on the way we missed the highway and landed up in the B2 to Swakopmund in the opposite direction somehow. So we were forced to take an alternate gravel road (D). In a way it was good as we started seeing a lot of game on the way – springbok, gemsbok, waterbuck, warthog etc.

Once inside the Erindi park we came across a bull, our first ellie in Namibia. I thought it was not a bad start at all. The park is huge, with a lot of wildlife, and around 70,000 hectares with AK 47 wielding guards to prevent poaching.  We camped at the elephant camp in Erindi. It was an expensive campsite for our budget. In the night it was very windy, so it was not quite easy hold the fire in the wind while cooking. We went to bed after eating some nice pasta.

Day 1: Fly to Windhoek

I reached Windhoek, capital of Namibia, at 9:30 pm. It was stupidly long flight from Trivandrum to Doha, Doha to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Windhoek. This is what happens when you have really tight budget and have to keep an eye on all the cents that goes out of your purse. I went directly to Chameleon Backpackers from the airport. As expected Bru was already there, my travel partner on almost all the adventurous trips. We met in Africa, in the deserts of Namibia, and both of us are crazy about this continent. Both of us are not fascinated by the ‘all covered’ organised trips. In fact, we look forward to the surprises the nature has to offer in our unorganised, camping trips. I think our last trip together was in the Himalayas. I have to admit, the surprises the Indian chaos thrown at us was not really what we look forwarded to. But that’s life :-)