Namibia 2022 Trip report

[Merwe Erasmus]

We, that is 6 friends, have recently spent a couple of weeks travelling in Namibia. The main purpose was a bit of a holiday, but also to seek out places or activities that we somehow missed or overlooked during previous visits. We also revisited a favourite place or two.

We drove up from Cape Town, crossing the border at Vioolsdrif. We had to present our Covid vaccination certificates on the Namibian side, but this did add too much time to the crossing. We were not searched, who would suspect three grey haired sixty plus gentlemen of smuggling boxes of wine and spirits into Namibia? We had pre-cooked minced meat in the fridges, for emergencies or late arrivals, where we could prepare Chilli con Carne or something similar. We found decent frozen lamb chops at the shop next to the first service station as one enters Namibia.

We then took the D316 to Ai Ais, the road was in a very good condition. Ai Ais, similarly, was in a good shape, there was some signs of damage caused by recent flooding, but that is a regular occurrence due to its location. Everything worked, ablutions was clean, the hot spring fed outdoor pool was in a good condition and the staff very friendly.

We had our first braai and our first argument of the trip. The cause of the little disagreement was differences of opinion regarding the cleaning lady employed by the six of us at a beach house we jointly own. Communio est mater rixarum. But we are friends since early primary school and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and the dispute was settled and the cleaning lady will keep her employment. We clicked glasses and the subject wasn’t raised again.

I will post more reports as time allows.

[Merwe Erasmus]

Our next stop was Klein Aus Vista. To get there we first went to Hobas and then the lookout point over the Fish River Canyon. I hiked the Fish a few years ago and have been to this point a couple of times before, but I am still in awe at the fantastic canyon shaped by water over many many centuries.

The D601 lead us to the Canon Roadhouse. They use the Spanish spelling for Canyon, i.e., Cañón Roadhouse. They also have really good burgers and chips and the Hansa Draught was ice cold. I did think about the old, rusted car theme of many of the roadhouses or farm stalls in Namibia (and in South Africa) Why is it so popular, will it still be the case in 50 years’ time? Old or new cars, does not matter, their food and service deserve a return visit.

We took the C 12 north, for some reason this road is now longer maintained and it might be better to take the D545 to get to the D4. We did not mind the slower drive to negotiate the now twee spoor C12. The crossing of the Lowen River caused a bit of excitement, but there was also an easier diversion for those members of our party who no longer have the inclination to plough through uncharted waters. It wasn’t very deep, but if you drive an expensive car and you wish to retire soon, you protect your assets.

I am still firmly part of the working class and I took Route One, straight into and through the river. One could see the bottom of the river and the tracks of other vehicles and it was not a risk at all.

We joined the B4 at Seeheim.

At Klein Aus Vista we pitched our tents, started a fire and opened a beer, not necessarily in that order. It was also fairly cool, bordering on cold and I remember seeing photographs of snow at Klein Aus. The sirloin steak and salad and a bottle of SMV saved us from any possibility of frostbite, although there was a few moans and groans from some members of the party.

We are getting older and the inability to endure some measure of discomfort become a recurring theme later in our journey. It did not cause any issues or disputes, but I realized later that this will probably be our last camping trip as a group, by camping I mean you have to pitch your own tent, braai in the wind and you might have to share ablutions.

You know the Paul Simon song with the lyrics:
A man walks down the street
He says, "Why am I soft in the middle, now?
Why am I soft in the middle?
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard"

I have always associated “soft in the middle” as the result of an easy comfortable middle age life and one of my frequent sayings to my friends is that comfort does not always equate to pleasure and enjoyment. Quite often the trips we remember and talk about are those where there was some discomfort. We are getting soft if we no longer can endure a bit of rain or thin matrass or a cold shower.

[Merwe Erasmus]

Some years ago, we also camped at Aus and one morning we took the B4 to Luderitz with the intention of visiting Kolmanskop. That day, as we approached Kolmanskop, a great hunger overtook us and we went past Kolmanskop to Luderitz, had a long early lunch and perhaps a beer or two. By the time we got back to Kolmanskop, it was too late as they only do tours in the morning.

This time we were prepared, firstly we unpacked Big Ron’s Disco 5 and we had three rows of seating. All six of us could fit in one vehicle. The third row is well designed and passengers in this row are more comfortable compared to the Fortuner’s cattle class. More legroom and better views. We arrived at Kolmanskop in time to have coffee in the restaurant before the guided tour started.

I am a member of a photographic club (although some of the more educated and or posh [there is a difference] club members refer to the club as a photographic society) and if there is one landmark that appears in almost every club competition, it is Kolmanskop. It has been photographed to death. Furthermore, the site is so popular and receive so many visitors that it is seldom that one can take a photo without seeing human footprints all over the sand. My intention during the visit was merely to appreciate the historical part of the walk and maybe to take a photo or two. I did, however, bring an old film camera and a few rolls of film, just in case. I enjoyed the walk and the information given by the guide was very interesting.

I also got time to take a few photos from angles that I thought would be slightly different from the ones I have seen at the club, sorry I mean at the society. It was a pleasant challenge.

One thing that I wondered about: How much, if any restoration should be done on the buildings? If things stay as they are currently, there will not be much left in 50 years’ time. Should the authorities restore perhaps a few buildings and let the rest continue on the path of decay? If nothing is done, there might not be anything to see and the site will lose its attraction.

We had a good lunch at the Luderitz Waterfront, there we had a brief chat with a group of young German tourists who camped next to us at Ai Ais. They wanted to travel from Ai Ais to Rosh Pinah via the river route but had to turn around as it was still closed after the late summer floods.

I recently read The Kaiser’s Holocaust, describing the violence and excesses of the German occupation of Namibia. The authors argue that the genocide of the Jews by the Germans during the Second World war should not have come as a surprise as the Germans did something similar in Namibia, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale. Kaiser Wilhelm actually signed a decree instructing his army to exterminate the Nama and the Herero. One of the places where the effect of this policy could be witnessed, was Shark Island. Thousands of Herero were kept captive here, they were not given any shelter and very little food or medical care. On Shark Island, a thin peninsula, one is exposed to the ice-cold sea and wind, coming from three sides. The captives were forced to work, some of them building the jetty or wharf and they had to stand in the sea for hours on end. No wonder the death toll of the inmates was nearly 70%. They were literally worked to death. The role of the missionaries (not all of them) in their failure to stand up against the authorities, was particularly shameful.

I was therefore keen to visit Shark Island, there we found the caretaker who took us around and explained the history of the island. During our visit the weather was coming in from the Atlantic Ocean and our photos of the visit appears appropriately dark and moody.

On our way back to Aus we caught a glimpse of the famous wild horses of the Namib, but they were very far from the road. I had seen them close up on a previous visit and this time we did not hang around. Back at Aus the wind was blowing and we had a drink at the bar, there we met owner Piet Swiegers. He said the rain will start at midnight.

At the campsite our dinner was Spaghetti Bolognaise and I was in the tent early to catch up on reading and writing. At 11:55 I woke up to the sound of rain on the tent.

[Merwe Erasmus]

A few Luderitz and Shark Island photos, the last image is the mountain Garub-Berg, the German soldiers decided to "honour" Kaiser Wilhelm, by naming it Dicker Wilhelm or Dikke Willem.

[lekhubu943]

.... it is Kolmanskop. It has been photographed to death. Furthermore, the site is so popular and receive so many visitors that it is seldom that one can take a photo without seeing human footprints all over the sand. ....

Not to derail your thread, but I expected the worse from Kolmanskop. Hubby had it really high on his bucket list, but I was apprehensive because I anticipated and dreaded the commercialization and as you say it has been photographed to death. I was so pleasantly surprised however; it is an absolutely beautiful setting and a real playpen with a camera. Everywhere you look there is something special to photograph.

I love photos no 6 and 8 in post #3. But all your photos are yet again of superb standard, what a joy to look at Merwe.

[Merwe Erasmus]

The rain stopped in the early morning hours. There was mention of a wet cushion or sleeping bag that touched the inside of the tent during the night, but the water in the showers was warm. Coffee and a rusk also assisted in raising the morale of the campers. We broke camp, wet tents were not an issue as we would be camping again tonight. There was a cold wind and a bit of mist.

We drove to Aus and the famous Bahnhof Hotel for breakfast. I took the Full English option. The dining room was decorated in a 1970’s style. Their waiting staff was very helpful, they even took a wet cushion to one of the rooms where it could dry in front of the heater. After breakfast there was a slight delay as my friend, The Candyman, lost his cellphone. We knew it must have been in his car as his Spotify playlist was still pumping out music. Eventually the phone was found at our destination in the side pocket of his tent. The older we get the more time we spend “looking for our things”.

Refreshed and slightly warmed up we took the C13 north and then the D707. This road is one of my favourite routes in Namibia. Initially one drives with mountains or hills on both sides, then it opens with the red dunes of the Namib on your left and more mountains on the right. After the good rains during the summer there was lots of golden yellow grass. One usually sees several oryx on this route, but this year we saw big groups, much more than I seem to recall from previous trips. The D707 is one of the must drive roads in Namibia.

We were on our way to Namtib Biosphere Reserve’s Little Hunters Rest Camp, where we pitched our wet tents. The sun was shining and in no time everything was dry. There is a big covered boma with a fireplace in the centre and we used that as our kitchen. The ablution’s hot water cylinder is powered by solar panels. Pro tip: If you visit Namtib in the winter, shower in the afternoon, too early in the day and the water will still be cold.

I spend the afternoon reading, whilst the rest of the party took a nap. Later I had a beer, took a short walk and then, as the sun was setting and the wind was picking up, we started a fire in the boma. It was a smoky affair as there is not proper chimney, just an opening in the roof, but as soon as we had a big enough fire with a strong updraft, things settled down. The chicken curry potjie was a big hit and we were somewhat protected from the wind. A glass or two of brandy or red wine was enjoyed and we talked a lot. In this little group one has to work hard to get a chance to speak, if you are slow or slightly hesitant, someone else takes over.

The full moon lit the veld and the surrounding hills. The night was cold, but we had two extra duvets in our tent and we were warm and snug.

[Merwe Erasmus]

We wake up to a cool windless morning, 3 C, but as the sun rises it warms up.

Big Ron makes coffee and we dunk our rusks. We all go for a walk, Namtib is beautiful, grass, trees and mountains. Back at the camp Amanda (Big Ron’s better half, and if ever this saying was applicable, it certainly applies to their marriage) and I take a sip of water and we decide to take on the mountain behind the camp. There is no designated path and at first we scramble up a little valley, then we traverse diagonally towards the highest point. There are a few big rocks and we climb over or if there is an opening, underneath.

Two thirds up, there is a steepish rock that we have to scale and Amanda decides to call it a day. She lives life cautiously, never drives in the fast lane or cross an intersection on an amber light. She says she will wait for me and I continue. A hundred metres further I start up a ledge, then decide that it is too exposed and I think that I might also have to turn around, but as I move a few metres back I see a big crack, it is a big truck sized rock that has split in two. That is the key to reach the upper and flatter section of the little mountain.

Then my eye catches a Robertson Spice container, in the container is a note dated 21 June 2012, in a language that I do not read, it might have been German. I will post a pic. I replace the note in the container and put the container where I found it. If I had a pen or pencil I would have added a codicil to the note. I remember, as a young boy, finding aluminium film containers on Cederberg peaks, containing notes from climbers who climbed there in the 1930’s.

I reach the top, see my friends far below me in the camp and I manage to attract their attention. I start the descent but when I reach the spot where Amanda was supposed to be waiting, she was gone. Ten minutes later I spot her scrambling down the riverbed a few hundred metres below. I call and she stops and wait. When I reach her she said that she was sure I had fallen off the mountain and that she was on her way to convey the sad news of my demise to our friends.

Fortunately for the sake of our little expedition, both Amanda and I reach the camp safely and Ron rewards me with a beer. When I check my phone I was disappointed to see that my maximum elevation was 1554m, a gain of only 300 metres.

Our lunch is leftover Chicken Curry from last night. I spend the rest of the day reading. Late afternoon two French tourists join us, they are driving a rental double cab with a rooftop tent. At this stage, the wind has picked up considerably and we invite them to share the lapa with us, or at least just to use the lapa to prepare their dinner. At sunset I see them making a fire at their campsite.

We braai in the lapa, lamb chops and boerewors and my wife’s favourite: braaibroodjies. When we retire to our tents, the wind is still extraordinarily strong. The Candyman adds a few pegs to make sure their tent stays in one place.

When I wake at about 01:00 the next morning, the wind is pumping and I see lights in the double cab, the two French girls have taken down their rooftop tent and they are spending the night in the car. Eventually just after 03:00 things start to quiet down and a great silence descends upon Namtib.

[Merwe Erasmus]

We have a long day of driving ahead and Big Ron makes sure that everyone is awake by 06:30. As usual he makes coffee. We break up camp and speak to the French tourists, they said, with the strong wind, it felt like they were in a tumble dryer in their rooftop tent and that they had a surprising good sleep in the cab.

At 08:00 we are ready to hit the road, my favourite D707. After an hour we stop for coffee on the side of the road. When we reach Sesriem we have a light lunch, leftovers from last night. Early afternoon we stop at Solitaire, four out of the six in our party have the apple crumble. I struggle with warm or cooked fruit and buy a chocolate to go with my coffee.

Big Ron sees that his left rear tyre has a slow puncture and we pull into the workshop. When the tyre is separated from the rim, we see that there are tyre pressure monitor devices inside the tyre, but the car does not have a unit displaying the pressures. Ron said that he had previously made enquiries with Landrover, but could not get an answer explaining why he cannot access the information. He surmised that it was cheaper for the LR factory to place a tyre monitor in all the tyres they are going to use, rather than keeping separate the tyres intended to be used in a higher spec’d model. You are right, Ron is an engineer, specialising in workflow and ergonomics for big companies. The leak in the tyre was caused by a piece of metal in the shape of a thick needle. I have seen these in tyres before, my guess is that it is a piece of the blade from the graders that we often encounter on Namibia’s gravel roads.

We take the C14 and the Gaub and Kuiseb Passes. As we cross the Kuiseb, I remember that I was invited by my friend Jurgens Schoeman to join them on a recce to develop a new hiking route in the Kuiseb for LTJ. They are somewhere in the Kuiseb River the very moment we drive the pass. Jurgens has subsequently told me that the hike was an experience to remember, they saw many many leopard spoor and the scenery was spectacular. They expect this new route to rival their popular Namib 100 hike.

At Walvis Bay we saw the effect of three weeks of Ooswind, sand everywhere. We stay in the beach house of a family member in Langstrand, a beautiful house, designed by an architect, tastefully decorated. We have a glass of white wine as the blood orange sun sets into the sea. Postcard type scene.

Dinner is at The Tug Restaurant in Swakopmund. About ten years ago their food and service was top notch, now The Tug is still ok and acceptable, but no longer the type of restaurant that you recommend without reservation to every visitor to Swakop.

Back at Langstrand we have coffee and retire to soft white sheets, duvets and fluffy cushions, no sleeping bags or dusty pillows, here we live in luxury. The bed will not fit into our 3x3m tent.

[Merwe Erasmus]

We are up early, again we start with coffee and rusks.

We drive to Walvis Bay where we meet two guides to take us on a Sandwich Harbour excursion. In 2019 I hiked the inaugural Namib 100 with Live the Journey. We started the hike at Modderbankies, the ancient mouth of the Kuiseb. Through the ages the northward marching sand dunes had forced the river north and today the Kuiseb reaches the Atlantic just south of Walvis Bay. The hike was an incredible experience and I wanted my friends to experience the beauty of Sandwich Harbour and the dunes.

I wrote a report on that hike:

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...and?highlight=

We had two guides, Nico and Harry. The girls decided they want to ride in Nico’s Fortuner and the three men joined Harry in his Toyota V6 DC. Harry was very witty and fun as a guide. Our first stop was at the beachfront in Walvis to see the flamingo’s. Then we drove past the salt works and we stopped on a dune where we had a good view over all the man made salt pans. Harry surprised me with his knowledge of the salt industry and we learned a few interesting facts.

Then we carried on south, initially on the beach and later over the dunes to a high dune about 1 km north of Sandwich Harbour. Here we enjoyed an early lunch and something to drink. Unfortunately this was as far south as we were allowed on a day permit. I was under the impression that we would be able to go down to the shore of the lagoon and see the bird and plant life from close up. I was slightly cheesed off, as I thought we are missing out on the best of Sandwich Harbour. The rest of the group didn’t know what they were missing, they were impressed by what they saw. We then went back to Walvis along the dunes and did some sliding down the slipfaces.

The guides dropped us at our cars in Walvis, we parked next to a liquor store and we could replenish our stock. Back at Langstrand the ladies decided to go for a bit of retail therapy in Swakop and we choose to stay and watch the Proteas play India.

The trip to Sandwich Harbour was not as impressive and exciting as I thought it would be and it was expensive. So as the Proteas slumped to a defeat and the Indians squared the series at 2-2, I wasn’t in the best of moods. But then the girls returned, there was a beautiful sunset and the braai fire was lit, I saw some thick sirloins being taken out of the fridge and things were looking up again. The Candyman is our group’s designated steak braai man, Big Ron does the chops and wors and I am the chicken and fish braai master. Oh yes, then I also do the braaibroodjies, world class quality every single time. I watched The Candyman preparing the steak, he carefully measures the amount of salt and pepper and secret potions that goes over the meat.

The meat was great, red wine was enjoyed and we had a fun evening. One of the guides of this morning, Nico introduced us to a drink made by his father in law: Vollie se Pitte. It is a grenadilla liquer with a kick. We bought a bottle and after dinner it was opened. I could only manage two small sips. As usual I went to bed first. The next day I was told of the damage caused by Vollie se Pitte.

[Merwe Erasmus]

We have our third consecutive early morning wake up call. A tough holiday. We have to meet our guides from Tommy’s Living Desert Tours at 8 am. This is one excursion that I wanted to do for a long time. During previous visits to Walvis Bay or Swakop they were always fully booked and this time I made sure by booking months in advance.

Our guide was JJ a Croatian who grew up in Germany. Our driver was an older gent, Andrew, in charge of a brand new 8 seater Land Cruiser. JJ explained the history and workings of the desert, apparently the desert is fed by sand washed down by the Orange river way down south.

We see a great number of creatures, each of them are not visible to our untrained eyes, but a mere match sick sized breathing hole, is a give away to Andrew and JJ and between the two of them they dig out the desert fauna. We see the Shovel Snouted Lizard, the colourful Palmato Gecko, the Sidewinder snake, a minute little beetle the size of a match stick head and much more. It is simply wonderful to see how all the small animals and plants manage to survive in a seemingly waterless desert. I would recommend doing this trip.

After lunch Karen, Amanda and I continue with JJ on another trip to the Moon Landscape east of Swakopmund on the banks of the Khan River. Beautiful landscapes and rock formations. JJ takes us to his favourite spots. In a narrow little valley we see a virtual Welwitschia Mirabilis forest. I have seen these fascinating plants before, but never so close together and in such numbers.

We have a late afternoon coffee at the Goanikontes Restaurant and we get back to Langstrand at 18:00 after a full day of activity. Our plan was to have dinner at Alstadt Restaurant in Swakopmund. Tonight was also the final of the URC and with two SA teams in the final, Big Ron was very keen to watch the rugby. There is no television at Alstadt, Ron phones and cancels our booking there and make a booking at the Brauhaus as Amanda (his wife) said that there is television there.

We get to the Brauhaus, no television. Ron is miffed, fortunately it was his own wife who gave him the incorrect information and we are spared his ire. We end up at Alstadt. I have crumbed pork with sauerkraut and mashed potato. The rest of the group enjoyed paella, fish or pizza. The quality of the food is ok, nothing to complain about, but not great. The wine list was very limited. We have waffle and ice cream to round off the meal.

We get home just in time for the rugby medal ceremony. Our local Cape Town team, the Stormers were the victors and we celebrate with a late evening brandy.

[Merwe Erasmus]

A few moon landscape photos

[Merwe Erasmus]

For the first time in many days, we can sleep late. We are leaving our comfortable house on the beach for camping at Spitzkoppe tonight.

Everyone is ready to leave at 10:00. But first we go to a Swakopmund institution for breakfast, Cafe Anton. Nothing has changed since I first visited many years ago. The décor still looks like the 1970’s and that, strangely enough is comforting. Eggs, bacon, omelettes, coffee and toast.

We take the newish tar road up to Hentiesbaai, we stop at the wreck of the Zeila, one of the many shipwrecks that one finds all along the Namibian coastline. The Zeila was a fishing trawler, was sold as scrap metal to an Indian company. Shortly after leaving Walvis Bay on tow to Mumbai the Zeila lost its towing line and ran aground on 25 August 2008, about 14 km south of Henties.

In Henties we take a little drive through the town. The new coastal road does a bypass of the town, it will surely effect business as fewer cars will now travel past the fuel stations, shops and cafes. We travel inland along the D1918 to Spitzkoppe. Ron races ahead and we lose contact for a while, but he retraces his steps and our group is united, once again. Gruppo compatto.

It was a bit of a prolonged affair to select a camp site, I withdraw from these types of discussions. When you have a person who struggles with making discissions combining with a person who feels that his opinion is not taken seriously, it takes time. Surprisingly, to me at least, they select a good spot, it even has a secret braai spot in a cleft in the rocks, well protected against the wind. We set up tents and I walk to the Arch, the well-known landmark that appears in every visitor’s Instagram account. It is a feature that one wants to photograph as soon as you see it for the first time.

Alet and Ron combine as the roosterkoek team. I braai chicken with a Cajun twist, the Cajun Sprinkle that we purchased in Swakopmund, is not as tasty as our own mix, but the result was gobbled up by the hungry group.

We get to bed at a decent hour.

[Merwe Erasmus]

Our day starts with coffee and rusks, I have a kettle that emits a high-pitched whistle when the water starts to boil and enough steam is produced.

I take another walk to the Arch, this morning the bright light is from the east and this gives different photo opportunities, compared to angle of the evening light. I meet a Spanish couple and take a few photos of them with their own camera. I am always fascinated by the dress code of visitors from Europe. Years ago, they wore full on Safari outfits, al la Meryl Streep, but nowadays they wear hiking clothes with brand names that I do not recognise. We Saffers wear K-Way tops and denims when we travel.

Later our whole group goes for a walk, some keep to the road, whilst other scramble up the giant rocks. I climb up to the big rock behind our camp site. At times it was steep, but not too difficult. I explore the rest of Spitzkoppe on my own. Eventually my hike takes 5 hours and I walk more than 18 km. This includes a climb up the chains on the eastern side of the Spitzkoppe range.

Back at the camp I am given freshly baked vetkoek with curried mince. Very nice. I also learn that there was a little mutiny or a palace revolution in my absence. Ron, being tired of camping, joined forces with the Candyman and they decided that they are done with camping for the trip. Ron booked spots at the adjacent Tented Camp, where one has a big double bed in a permanent tent, with an en suite bathroom. He has made a booking for two nights, we were booked at White Lady for the last night, but Ron had convinced the Candyman that we should stay here and make a day trip to Brandberg the next day, saving us the need to pitch our tents at Brandberg. There is also the added allure of free Wi-Fi at the new camp. I think it is a silly idea, but these are my buddies, I want them to enjoy the trip and if means that we have to sleep in the tented camp, I will take a hit, for the sake of friendship. Also, part of the hit was R 2200,00 the additional costs for the two nights in the Tented Camp, plus we would lose the deposit already paid at Brandberg.

I also realise that this would probably be the last camping trip, the type of trip where one must pitch your own tent, sleep on the floor and share ablutions and live in the dust and the wind, that our little group would do together. The Candyman struggles with shoulders and he has had operations on his foot, he cannot lift things above his head and it takes him a while to get up in the morning. Ron, well he is Ron, he does not like the cold and he hates pitching at tent. Once on a trip along the West Coast he and Amanda slept in their car for a few nights, so strong is his aversion the putting up a tent. I know my friends will still do luxury camping. They just do no longer want to do the work.

I, for one do like luxury every now and then, we are due to go full on luxury later in this trip, but nothing beats sleeping in a little tent or a bivvy in the veld with the stars above. Over the years the six of us have camped all over South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and we have very pleasant memories. We have also done luxury trips, e.g. a Serengeti fly in holiday and that was also great. End of an era.

We quickly move to the Tented Camp. Get the fire going, open red wine and we chat. We are old friends and we do not carry grudges, we discuss things that bothers us, we sort it out and we carry on with life and friendship.

Dinner is lamb chops and boerewors and Ron does what he can do best: Braai chops and wors. We go to bed well after midnight.

[Merwe Erasmus]

Spitzkoppe is a photographers paradise

[Merwe Erasmus]

Today is our day trip to see the White Lady of the Brandberg. The White Lady is one of those famous landmarks that I have heard about since my childhood days, but somehow we have never paid a visit.

We empty Big Ron’s Discovery, opening up the six seats and we leave after coffee and rusks. The Donkey heater was stoked from early morning and we had warm showers.

As always we made a coffee stop at the side of the road, it is not just coffee, Big Ron needs a smoke break. In the old days I also took a drag or two when we were on holiday, but then after the holidays I struggled to kick the habit and I decided to stop altogether.

When we reach Uis, we decide that we can do with an early lunch and we found Cactus and Coffee. Their coffee and burgers can be recommended.

From there it is a short drive to the Brandberg and the offices and starting point of the short trail to the White Lady. When Big Ron hears that there is a 2,5 km walk to reach the White Lady, he decides that he will stay at the car. Quickly he is joined by the Candyman and by my wife. I cannot understand why one will travel all this way to see a world-famous landmark and then decide that 2.5 km is too far to walk and that you would rather wait in the parking lot for two hours. Many years ago, Ron and I and our spouses visited Dead Vlei. It was a misty morning when we set out and I did the short walk from the parking lot over the dune to the vlei on my own. Reaching Dead Vlei, the mist disappeared and revealed the fantastic scenery. I took a few photos and went back to the car to tell Ron and the wives that this is a must-see attraction. Just show me the photos, said Ron.

Amanda, Karen and I set off in the company of a guide, Ingrid. I wasn’t dressed for a hike, but we had water and Ingrid was a good guide. The first westerners to see the White Lady were prospectors and then later the white painted image was declared female by a Frenchman. It is now generally accepted that the White Lady is a depiction of a male shaman. The San always drew the males with an impressive erect organ (and similarly, their drawing of female breasts leaves one in no doubt as to the sex of the subject) and I wonder how the Frenchman missed that upstanding member.

The whole panel of paintings is very detailed, much more detail than I have seen at most other sites and it is well preserved and I can recommend a visit. The walk is very easy. Just keep a lookout for snakes, on the way back we saw snake tracks over our incoming footprints.
Back at the car we found three companions, looking extremely bored. The drive back to Spitzkoppe took 2 hours. Our three traveling partners had just spent 6 hours in a car and saw nothing! People are strange.

At Spitzkoppe I see that the sun is setting and that it will cast beautiful light on the mountains. I take an ice cold Tafel lager and my camera and drive to the northern side. Beautiful colours and with some of my favourite rock ballads playing (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Guns N Roses) it was a drive to remember.

Dinner was Chilli con Carne and, despite the cold, we sit talking at the fire until late.

Photos will follow, our internet is playing up.

[Tedx2]

Thanks for your ramblings of your journey Merwe and for keeping us amused with your anecdotes. I am amazed that your friendship has survived the trials and tribulations that you report upon, you must have a very strong history. As the old expression goes "There are none so strange as folk"!!!

[Merwe Erasmus]

Thanks for your ramblings of your journey Merwe and for keeping us amused with your anecdotes. I am amazed that your friendship has survived the trials and tribulations that you report upon, you must have a very strong history. As the old expression goes "There are none so strange as folk"!!!

We met in our first year at school, 56 years ago. The wives came along later, fortunately they are also friends. In fact my wife and the one lady is currently travelling together in Croatia. They are like family.

[Merwe Erasmus]

Keen followers of this thread (ha ha, both of you!) would have noticed a short break in reports. The reason is here:

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...week-Minibreak

Below is Spitzkoppe and Brandberg photos.

[lekhubu943]

Beautiful

I have this exact photo as a large canvas print hanging on the wall above my desk where I work. Yours just look a darn side better than my version.

We did the walk to the White lady in December at about 10 in the morning. Let's just say it was quite toasty.... but worth it. Seeing the drawing in real life left me quite emotional and revered.

[Nys]

Beautiful

I have this exact photo as a large canvas print hanging on the wall above my desk where I work. Yours just look a darn side better than my version.

We did the walk to the White lady in December at about 10 in the morning. Let's just say it was quite toasty.... but worth it. Seeing the drawing in real life left me quite emotional and revered.

Thanks for the ramblings. Enjoying the read. I sometime forget how privileged we are with all these sights in our back yard.

And as my dad always says - if you want to see if your friendship will stand the test of time, go camping together. Maybe why my circle of true friends is so small