We arrived at Twyfelfontein late in the afternoon looking for a place to stay. Near the engravings is a beautiful lodge, but there are tour buses everywhere and we knew even before we asked that they would be fully booked. So we went to the second nearest place we saw, Aba Huab Rest Camp. What a horrible place at terribly high prices! I donʼt say this lightly; Iʼm used to slumming it, but this takes the cake. Continue reading
Namibia Part V – Swakopmund, Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are home to massive sand dunes, and so this is Namibia’s home to adventure: sandboarding and quadbiking. Both are biggish towns and we could stock up and do repairs (we had been having a hard time with our water taps) here. Swakopmund is one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever been too. It was the fourth time I was in the town, and Hugo also visited it a few times on audits just after we had been married. Continue reading
Posted in Namibia
Tagged National Park, ocean, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein, Walvisbaai, White Lady
Namibia Part IV – Sossusvlei, Sesriem, Swakopmund and Walvisbaai
After spending Monday morning at Kolmanskop, we went to the location of the Diaz Cross near Lüderitz in the afternoon. The wind was so fierce and cold that Sophia and I opted to stay in the car. When Hugo and Gustav opened the car doors to get out, we almost lost one of them. The doors that is, not many a wind will blow The Boss away! Continue reading
Posted in Namibia
Tagged Aus, Namib-Naukluft, National Park, Sesriem, Sossusvlei, wild horses
Namibia – Kolmanskop
On Day 32 we went in search of the ghosts of Kolmanskop, Namibia’s most famous ghost town. Here is a bit of history which I am way too lazy to try to put in my own words. It may be from Wikipedia, I copied it a while ago without noting the source:
“Kolmanskop (Afrikaans for Coleman’s hill, German: Kolmannskuppe) is a ghost town in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia, a few kilometers inland from the port town of Lüderitz. It was named after a transport driver named Johnny Coleman who, during a sand storm, abandoned his ox wagon on a small incline opposite the settlement. Once a small but very rich mining village, it is now a popular tourist destination run by the joint firm NamDeb (Namibia-De Beers). Continue reading
Lovedale Farm and Lüderitz
On 6 March we finally got up early for a change and managed to leave before ten o’clock! I have to say though, I have no idea why on earth we brought the children with. They are completely useless when it comes to setting up or taking down everything, too short to reach and not strong enough for anything. I think we need to trade them in for two who are a bit older, maybe about 12 and 10 years old? Continue reading
Arriving in Namibia
On Monday 2 March 2015, our 25th day, we arrived in Namibia in the early evening and drove straight to Rosh Pinah, the nearest town with a supermarket. We were out of the basics and the SANPARKS personnel told us that there is a decent sized Spar. The previous night in the Richtersveld the children were pleasantly surprised that I can make stokbrood (bread on a stick, roasted on the fire) just like their grandmother on the farm. Continue reading
Wednesday 25 February 2015 marked our 20th night since we’ve left Pretoria, as well as my sister Hilge’s birthday. At least we were able to phone her and sing Happy birthday, which might not be the case for other loved ones during the coming year. Continue reading
Posted in South Africa
Tagged De Hoop, National Park, Pootjiespram, Richtersveld, river, Sendelingsdrift
On Day 15, we left Tietiesbaai to go to Lambertsbaai, still on the West Coast. It is another small fishing town with a lot of wind. Really, this place is windy, and it doesn’t smell nice. It smells of fish and guano. Continue reading
We have finally left! All of us were wondering whether it was ever going to happen. Our family actually started to bet on when and/or whether we would leave and how far we would go on Day One. My bet was on Sandton, a mere 60 km from Pretoria. Continue reading
Posted in South Africa
Tagged Cape Town, Lambertsbaai, Muisbosskerm, ocean, river, Sutherland, Tietiesbaai