It was an early morning flight out of O.R Tambo intl, Johannesburg.
It was a festive season break with friends to visit Sossusvlei aka the " Dead end Marsh".Roughly translated from Afrikaans ( originating in South Africa) and Nama (A dialect spoken in Namibia).
A sleepy 2-odd hour flight and we have landed, its nightmarishly hot as we take our 4X4 through Windhoek towards our Lodge in the Namib.Sossusvlei is a large salt and clay pan, situated in the southern region of the Namib Desert. Getting stuck in the dunes is super fun, by the way...
We have arrived in Sossusvlei, Its incredibly dry in the desert, obviously, but no one prepares you just how hot and dry it is and how bitterly cold it can get at night! The night sky at The Moon Mountain Lodge is one of the most incredible views imaginable. It felt as if I were on a moon, somewhere far away from all the real world drama. It gave me the most incredible Tatooine vibe ( for all the Star Wars fundis)
Picture a red desert filled with what appears to be huge mountains at night, incredible
The tallest dune there is "Big Daddy" measuring 1066ft/325m, although there is a taller dune within the Namib measuring 1257ft/383m
The Namib is estimated to be the oldest desert in the world, the sand in the pan likely originated in the Kalahari between three to five million years ago. it was lunged down the Orange River out to sea, where the Benguela current swept it North to be deposited along the North Coast. ( watch David Attenborough's 'Africa' to see more about the Benguela currents effects on the African continent)
Where desert meets sea
Our time was spent meeting people, I want to say locals but many people in Namibia are South African's wanting to 'escape' the new Democratic government, whatever that means...we trekked up mountains of sand and started our new year like the man at the bottom of the dune, so much to do,yet so excited.
Even in the desert, the live around you is bursting. Creatures adapted to surviving in the harshest conditions, survival of the fittest is the main game played here, with temperatures reaching 39.8°C and -5.3°C just last year. On our trail guided by the funniest guide I've ever come across, ironically, his name is Sandy.
(This is not Sandy, this is an Oryx. An antelope found to thrive in the driest conditions using their keen sense of smell to snuff out water or incoming rain from kilometers away)
Its a serene and tranquil getaway, you will be greeted with open arms by some of the friendliest hosts. If exploring is your thing, I highly recommend this experience. After some amazing few days in remote-land, it was homeward bound to Johannesburg
but not before a quick cliche stop at the Tropic of Capricorn
