Hot & sunny in Damaraland & Etosha

After leaving Swakop, camped at Spitzkoppe for 2 nights. Wonderfully remote & quiet – naked mountaineering possible. Sorry, no photos. Amazing rock formations, eagles, deep blue skies, sunsets & dazzling stars just above your head.

Then to Brandberg, and on to Twyfelfontein area, where we camped at Aba-Huab for 3 nights. The one day we took a drive to ‘Doros Crater’ which was 30 k’s after Burnt Mountain, left at dawn, expected to be back for breakfast. Turned out to be a gruelling 4wd route, 2 hours rocky driving each way. The scary part was little evidence of other vehicles having recently travelled, and so we felt quite isolated – no coms or contact should we break down. Got to what GPS called viewpoint, nothing much there, so figured a short walk to see the crater. Took a 500ml water bottle to sip while admiring the view – anyway after about 5km hiking thru an unending valley we eventually gave up, & returned thirsty & exhausted to the car for another fun drive back to camp, got back about 2pm, just in time for breakfast, and relax for a day and ½ .
Lessons learnt – don’t trust GPS comments explicitly. Take enough water if you may be tempted to extend your ‘little walk’. Even if you don’t reach your expected destination, the trip can be exciting enough . If you don’t go, you won’t know!

Had a great drive via Palmwag, Grootberg pass to Outjo, bushcamped ( didn’t like some of the campsites outside Etosha…)

Now at Namutoni in ‘fairly tame’ Etosha. Got cellphone signal!, hence update possible.
Tomorrow via Tsumeb, then on to Caprivi. Enough of this dust, we want to see water, rivers & jungle.

Have met so many people from Germany, France, England, USA, Switzerland, Morocco…and a few South Africans. Namibia really feels like a global tourist village.
Have met so many people from Germany, France, England, USA, Switzerland, Morocco…and a few South Africans. Namibia really feels like a global tourist village.

We are sinking !!!

- Yes, ve are sinking of you guys, and missing you some...

Leaving Swakop

Had a great day yesterday, was foggy much of the day - did laundry, sat & read, then strolled thru Swakpmund streets - quiet, was public holiday - Ascension Day, like we used to have in SA. Had coffee mini croussants & apfelstrudel at Cafe Anton. Wonderful!


Woke up with mist again, looks like it's receding, but swell is still flat, only picks up next Wednesday sez winguru.com, so we're packing, hitting the road to camp at Spitzkoppe, then into Damaraland. Probably a week or so until next update.

The road from where we are now ( Langstrand in background) looking from Swakop. We'll go to Swakop thn inland to Spitzkoppe .....

Namib-Naukluft: Keetmanshoop to Swakopmund

Left Keetmanshoop, via Aus then up to the D707 ( garden route of Namibia). Amazing scenery, grasslands as far as the eye can see and random outcropsof red sand dunes or blue, brown, red or black mountains.

Beginnings of the Tirasberg. You can see the fields of “Marienfluss”, the grasslands - like wheatfields waiting to be harvested


















Our campsite At Koiimasis Ranch. (Thanks Duncan & Rose for recommendation) We had started to climb a mountain where black eagles are nesting on the cliff but could only make it about a third of the way. Each campsite is quite private. Two campsites share a bathroom which has been built onto the rock face, quite luxurious, beautifully tiled with the rocks as one of the walls. Water heating and lighting are solar powered. The bird life here is incredible. Also had some wild horses around, klipspringers, dassies and mice and even a rat wanting some morsels to eat.

View from up the mountain of the ranch, Koiimasis, across the valley

Further up the D707. Mornings were a little chilly

Didn’t like some of the campsites’ price/quality near Naukluft – so we chose out own – a small river bed next to the road, and had h best camping experience of the trip so far – absolute solitude and silence, you could almost hear the stars, with occasional owl & jackal calls.

Thru the Namib.

Currently camping at Long Beach Resort “Langstrand” between Walvis & Swakop, where we stayed in ’97 with LindyJen&Dane – still great sunsets. Had a lousy day yesterday -my cellpohone was stolen I Swakop while shopping,had to buy another for comms - but it was a great insight of how material things can so easily be replaced - yet important things like love, people, and knowing Jesus as a friend are irreplaceable and cannot be bought.

Breakfast today on the beach on a ‘looking for surf ’ safari. A very good day today !


In a few days, we'll be moving north to Spitzkoppe, into Damaraland & southern part of Koakoland - probably no comms for awhile...

Love to y'all

Arrived in Keetmanshoop, Namibia.

Thurs 14 May 6pm.

Kgalagadi was less exciting this time – saw no predators or anything remarkable ( most fellow campers felt the same. Plenty of eagles, falcons, owls , etc..Had a great time anyhow – swam 3 days inaro at the camp sites – weather great, nights cool, early mornings cold.
Colt’s main battery died – bulging, bubbling & spewing acid , mcGyvered the bakkie to run on the fridge battery until we replaced it today at Keetmans.

Left the park through Mata Mata border post, pleasant, no hassles, this morning, via Koes on great gravel roads.

The sudden change of scenery from rolling red, grassed dunes to flat landscapes with shrubs, to boulders looking like a giants playground, the quiver trees and back to flat landscape as far as the eye can see - then suddenly – Keetmanshoop!

Were gonna stay in municipal camp, but it’s an (expensive) dump, so camping 5k’s out at Lafenis.
Bought some juicy lamb loin chops to braai tonite – R42/kg at the Spar!
Tomorrow off to Koiimasis on the D707 ( Tirasberg) north of Aus – exciting – no comms probably for another few days..
Thanks to all for the sms messages we received today when we got coverage. Sorry we can’t reply to all individually.
Love Les and Sharon

PS - Working thru Nam's MTC cell network is extremely slow & frustrating. Uploading this post took 25 minutes!

Arrive In Kgalagadi

Left early 8 May – thanks to all who sent us off with prayer, encouragement, padkos bag, fudge, biltong, home-baked bread, love & hugs ! Have enjoyed samples of each already Had a tasty Moreesburg breakfast hosted by Greg & Lyn – which sustained us ‘ til evening.






Camped at Oranjerus, near Upington – which has bathrooms like a 5-star hotel!
Arrived this arvie (Sat 9th) at Kgalagadi (Gemsbok Park) – quick game drive – springbok, gemsbok, ground squirrels and a bat-eared fox.

Tomorrow – to Nossob camp, then 3 days at Mata-Mata camp, where we leave Kgalagadi, and into Namibia and head for Keetmanshoop, where we hope to have comms again. No signal once we leave here tomorrow.
For the petrol (diesel) heads’ interest, got my worst ever consumption yesterday - Calvinia to Upington 6,6k/l, pushing it a bit at 110kmh, long drive. But today, best ever, even though towing, we took it really slow (80km/h) on the straight 260km Upington to Twee Rivieren – 9,1 Km/l !!
Les & Sharon - Living the Dream