The lodge that we stayed in had a short-cut to the Rock Arch via a locked gate and the first order of the day though was to visit this most instagrammable landmark on our way out of the Spitzkoppe area. As well as some pretty people, there were some more Rock Hyraxes to take photos of. The rock arch itself was formed by millions of years of wind erosion.
The roads from Spitzkoppe to our lodge pick up in Damaraland were more badly corrugated gravel roads limit to average speed to around 60 kmph. The drive traverses ever changing landscapes of Namibia from volcanic landscapes to the ancient sedimentary craters gouged by glaciers in past eras. We drove to our pick-up point for the camp where we are staying, which was a long drive in a safari vehicle. It turned out our driver was a former captain of the Namibian soccer team and post-retirement had become a very successful guide having trained most guides currently working in Namibia. He had just the right balance of pride and humility.
The accommodation at the camp was compact and was closer to tent living that I would usually like but was mostly comfortable. A common area for drinks and eating was a great way to meet the other guests. The camp had a total capacity of fourteen guests. All the staff were friendly and competent and delivered a welcoming vibe. I was totally exhausted after dinner, so took the opportunity for an early night.
The following day we were up for a 7AM breakfast before leaving with our guide, Nestor, who shared so much knowledge about Namibian plants and endemic wildlife. Most fascinating being Welwitschia, native to the Namib Desert that can live So far the safari vehicles have been purpose-built Toyota Land Cruisers with six well-spaced seats where the tray might normally be. They are practical and a real work-horse vehicle for getting tourists around. The camp is on a joint-venture conservation reserve. These are a common structure, with around 35 similar arrangements across the country. In this case, one third of all the profits goes to local villages to buy school books, clothes, water pumps and solar power. There are many small villages in the area, but the one we viewed was established in the 1970s when whole townships of people were relocated from South Africa, often to quite inhospitable places.
We drove through some stunning countryside all backdropped in an ancient crater. We stopped by some indigenous rock paintings and engravings, dating up to 6,000 years old. Along the way we say lots of animals including springboks, ostriches, different birds, before stumbling on a giraffe and finally finding the family of elephants we’d been searching for. Many of the animals here, but especially the elephants are ‘desert adapted’. They eat less food, drink less water, have broader feet and are typically smaller than the elephants we’re used to seeing.
On our second day we were looking specifically for some Black Rhinos. The area the camp resides has a team of Rhino Trackers who are trained in tracking the rhinos so they can manage them within their natural habitat. On our second trip out we did manage a sighting and saw lots of other wildlife on the journey. The trackers are regularly accompanied by armed police in case of poaching, which remains a real problem in Africa. In Namibia there have extensive education programs articulating to the local populations that there incomes are directly linked to visitors coming to see the Rhinos in their natural habitat.
On our way back to the camp we stopped for a ‘sundowner’ and watched the sun set over the surrounding landscape. Our safari buddies were two american friends who were a lot of fun to spend tion with. One of them set up a family foundation when his cousin died in 911 and it now provides homes to disadvantaged people, with a focus on war veterans.
No night is complete with out and astroshot in theses dark skies, so here is the ‘Cats Paw Nebula’
Onward to Etosha … stay tuned
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