Wilkinson's World

Archive for the ‘Trips’ Category

No holiday in Namibia is complete without a visit to Swakopmund on the west coast.  This quaint little town with its German architectural influence is much-loved by Namibians and tourists alike.  With its temperate climate, and the cooler weather it offers over the scorching months of December and January, it is a haven for those wishing for some respite from the hot summer weather inland.  Many locals own second homes in Swakopmund which they use for weekends or summer holidays, so for most of the year a lot of the accommodation lies vacant.

The weather is influenced largely by the cold Benguela current in the Atlantic Ocean.  Mist rolls in often and shrouds the town making visibility very poor and causing metal to rust badly, but the fog also has an upside as it supplies precious moisture to the flora and fauna in the area.  Rainfall cannot be relied upon as the average figures are less than 15mm per annum.

Flanked on the south by enormous dunes, Swakopmund is prey to unpleasant sand storms, which we, as campers, have had the misfortune to experience.

For the tourist Swakop has an amazing variety of action and adventure activities, from quad-biking and sand boarding, to sky-diving or camel riding.  We’ve tried most of these and I must say that sand boarding had to be the most exciting of the lot.  There’s no other thrill like speeding down the dunes at 80 kph with one’s nose a few centimeters from the sand.  Never mind the fact that we had sand in every bodily orifice for the next two weeks!  Our camel ride was also fun – especially as they dressed us up like Lawrence of Arabia (or Louwrens of Namibia as they say here).

The icy waters of the Atlantic are superb for fishing,  so there are excellent seafood restaurants everywhere.   And a visit to Cafe Anton is a must if you’re into delicious cakes and pastries.  Of interest too, is the Crystal Gallery which features examples of the many gemstones and enormous crystals found in Namibia.

Although it’s a tad cold for swimming, the beachfront is a wonderful focal point for tourism and one can enjoy the many delights on offer on the waters edge.

There is an excellent African market with colourful and original displays of crafts and goods for sale or one can visit the Swakopmund Museum to pick up on the history and culture of  Namibia.

For those wanting a very civilized and more sheltered camping option, the Alte Brucke campsite has private ablutions and good security.  However, I much prefer taking the fifteen kilometer drive out to Langstrand, which is halfway between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.  Here one has fabulous seaviews, and on clear evenings the sunsets are quite spectacular.

Swakopmund will draw you back time and again – there is just so much to see and do in and around this friendly little town.

Africa is not called the ‘dark continent’ for nothing.  It is a continent of dark secrets and legends. The legends cover not only the people, but the animals, rivers and trees.  And the tree with more legends hanging on its branches than baubles on a Christmas tree has to be the enormous Baobab (Adansonia digitata), found in just about every country south of the equator.

I personally love Baobabs and feel so excited whenever we come across them on our travels.   They transport me back to my childhood in Zimbabwe where I had the utmost reverence for these giant gnarled, funny-looking ‘upside down’ trees.  To me they represent Africa and mystery, and I’m obviously not the only one from whom similar feelings are evoked.

Any number of legends abound about Baobabs, from their origins to their magical powers.  Every tribe has their own version of the good and bad things associated with Baobabs – which is why they are so venerated and feared.  Many believe that benevolent spirits and ancestors dwell in them, whilst others fear the more malevolent spirits of both the trees and their Gods.  Offerings of food and gifts are placed near the trees to pacify angry spirits or to show gratitude for bountiful harvests.  Rituals are held in hollowed out Baobab trunks, with drums being beaten and prayers offered up for protection, and communication is made with dead ancestors and spirits.  Animals seek shelter in them and up to forty people have been known to crowd into one hollow trunk.

In northern Namibia Baobabs are even responsible for keeping the environment clean, for legend has it that anyone who pollutes the area around a Baobab will be engulfed in its large trunk.  He or she can only be rescued by a hardworking woodpecker (and this is highly unlikely as woodpeckers apparently resent humans for tearing down trees without asking their permission first) or by a hornless mooing black cow, which is extremely hard to find.  The natives often say they hear victims crying in the trees.  This ties up with yet another urban legend that has the evil spirits lying in wait amongst the branches.  If one listens up close to the trunk one can hear the spirits laughing inside (a noise most likely caused by bees nesting in the hollow trunk).

In Botswana the Bushmen believe that the flowers, which only bloom for one day, are inhabited by spirits and if  anyone has the audacity to pluck one  they are sure to be eaten by a lion!  Yet other Bushmen believe that one’s fate for such a crime is to be eaten by a tick.  If Bushmen are hunting an animal and it passes under a Baobab tree, the hunt is immediately stopped and another animal killed to preserve the life of the one that received the protection of the tree.

There are many different versions of the origin of the tree,  like God being angry because when he planted the tree in the earth it kept on walking, so he uprooted it and threw it onto the ground upside down.  It didn’t die but continued to live with its roots in the air. Yet others believe that the God, Thora, flung the Baobab down from paradise (because it was always complaining) and it landed on earth upside down.  Its elephant-like appearance apparently came about because its maternal creator was startled by an elephant when she was making the tree and it assumed the grotesque shape and dimensions of this large animal.

Talking of dimensions, Baobabs can reach heights of twenty meters and have trunks with a diameter of twelve meters. Their trunks, which absorb vast amounts of water (up to 120 000 liters in an adult tree), vary considerably in size during the dry and rainy seasons.  Because of its watery properties, as well as the food that one can get from it (Cream of Tartar), the Baobab is also known as the ‘tree of life.’  Providing shelter, medicine, rope, cloth and protection it is no wonder that it is held in such high esteem by the people of Africa.  In addition, if one drinks the water that seeds have been soaked in, one is guaranteed not to be eaten by a crocodile!

When the South African army was present in Katimo Mulilo in the Caprivi region of Namibia during the Bush War, they held no reverence or fear of the mighty tree as they fitted a flush toilet into one, thereby defiantly showing the world what they thought the of the superstitions and legends.  The tree had the last laugh though, as its trunk grew over the door, making it difficult to open.

I’ve always suspected that our family has a number of adrenalin junkies hidden in the closet and so it was no surprise when we unanimously decided to try white water rafting on the Orange River.  As we were staying at Norotshama, a resort some sixty kilometers from Noordoewer on the Namibian side of the river, the obvious choice for our trip was Felix Unite, a company well-known for their river tours.  They very obligingly allowed us to book a half-day trip on the river on New Year’s day.

We were somewhat apprehensive about the wisdom of going on New Year’s day as we weren’t sure how hung over our party would be, let alone the condition of the guide who was to take us.  However, when we arrived at Felix Unite, our guide turned out to be a sweet young lady who was quite capable of leading the group.

After fitting ourselves out with life jackets we climbed onto the back of a truck and were driven a few kilometers upstream to the starting point of our trip.

We were given a short briefing on what to do and then we were off!  The scenery in that part of the world is amazing, with the river flowing alongside high mountains on the left bank and the dry Namibian landscape on the right.

There are numerous birds in the reeds and in trees on islands in the middle of the river and it was lovely to watch them take off effortlessly as we neared them.

The smooth water ahead reflects the mountains and a sense of peace and tranquility overtakes one as one paddles silently down the river.

It has to be said that calling it “white water rafting” along this stretch of river is a bit misleading.  For starters we were in ordinary two man Mohawk canoes (not rubber dinghies as we had hoped) and the rapids that we had to negotiate were extremely tame.  In fact I’m sure we were all somewhat disappointed that it hadn’t been more of a challenge.  Having said that, however, another couple who tacked on to our group, did manage to overturn on the last rapid and ended up losing some of their gear, so either they were really unlucky or we were pretty good to keep afloat!

A highlight of the trip was when we had canoed about halfway and we pulled over to the bank and went ashore.  Here we were encouraged to walk back a few hundred meters and then step into the river to catch the current, supported only by our life jackets which made us beautifully buoyant.  Our guide called this “nappy running” and it turned out to be such fun that we did it twice.

Felix Unite operate four and six day tours here as well and provide all the essentials for the trip.  They are a well-run organization and can be recommended for their canoe trips, which are reasonably priced.  However, if you are hoping for a white-knuckle experience over hardcore rapids, in rubber dinghies, I suggest you head to the Zambezi or you will be disappointed.  To be fair to Felix Unite though, they don’t advertise their trips as anything but canoeing down the Orange River, so we were slightly mislead by the resort which punted white water rafting!  Also, the strength of the rapids obviously depends on how much rain they have had upstream.  But it’s an awesome experience nonetheless!

We have just returned from the most amazing visit to Norotshama, a resort in southern Namibia on the banks of the Orange River. Amazing because it was a long-overdue family reunion (more about that in another blog) and also because of the awesome scenery in that part of the world.

Having traveled extensively in central and northern Namibia, I have always felt that the southern part of the country is somewhat lacking in tourist appeal, apart from Luderitz, the Fish River Canyon and Duiseb Castle. I have amended my opinion since doing this trip.

We stayed about four kilometers from the little village of Aussenkehr. This village is quite unique, not only because of its position – surrounded by breathtaking mountains and desert scenery, as well as wine lands and the mighty Orange River – but mainly because most of the houses are built of reeds from the river bank. It was quickly assigned the name of “straw village” by our party.

One wonders if the shacks are made from reeds because they are free and readily available or because reed houses are cool inside, giving their inhabitants some measure of relief from temperatures that can soar up over 50oC in summer. I noticed that some of the houses were built of corrugated iron and just cladded with reeds, whilst others were made from a combination of mud and reeds.

Because it is a grape-growing area and most of the local employment comes from the nearby wine farms, many houses have patches of grapes spread out on the ground to dry in the sun. These look like miniature tapestries and add a bit of colour to the otherwise dry, dusty exterior of the houses. With the sun beating down on them, the grapes soon shrivel up and turn into raisins providing food for the shack dwellers.

Passing Aussenkehr and heading west, the scenery can only be described as breathtaking. If one heads up a short 4×4 track just beyond the sign to Rosh Pinah, the views are spectacular in every direction.

In fact one has 360 degree views of different types of scenery – from dramatic mountains, to sandy desert and lush green where the river cuts a swathe through the valley.

It is a place of awe and wonder and a photographer’s paradise. A word of warning though, strong winds come up in the evenings, which is unfortunate because that’s when the light is best for photography. It’s also a magic spot to watch the sun go down with an ice cold beer in one’s hand.

From Aussenkehr it is a short drive to the entrance to the Richtersveld National Park. Alas our time was too short to go into the park, but it now sits firmly on our agenda for another visit to this amazing area.

The resort that we stayed at, Norotshama, is an oasis in the desert. With campsites and chalets overlooking the Orange River and rocky desert mountains as a backdrop, one is rewarded each evening with glowing pink and orange sunsets and an assortment of birds flying down the river. In fact the bird life along the Orange is abundant and at any given time one could see herons wading, cormorants sunning themselves with wings outstretched, kingfishers diving into the water and red bishops busily courting in the reeds. A lifer for us was the little green Orange River White-eye.

Rob was in his element cycling through the grape vines and along the deserted roads, whilst the rest of us fished, paddled canoes up the river or relaxed in the swimming pool. The temperatures were quite uncomfortable at times, with one thermometer reading going up as high as 57.4oC in our braai area. It did cool down in the evenings though which made our supper times outdoors rather special.

The Norotshama Resort is very nice, although a little on the pricey side. They did sweeten the deal a bit by providing free canoes, which we made good use of, but the breakfasts were very ordinary and we found that management didn’t control noisy patrons very well. Although we booked as early as March for our December visit, there was a mix up with our reservation and our party had to be separated. We were also given misleading information about the white water rafting that we wanted to do. These were minor problems though and we can still thoroughly recommend a visit to this area and the Resort.

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.

(1854  Seattle, chief of the Suquamish tribe) 

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, these words by Chief Seattle are more relevant today than ever before.  Fortunately for Namibians and visitors alike they have the Etosha National Park available to reconnect with beasts and restore their spirits.

Etosha, meaning ‘great white place’ in Herero, is about a four and a half hour drive north from Windhoek.  Recently upgraded, it offers both luxury accommodation and campsite facilities for those wanting a more rustic experience.  Unfortunately prices have been driven up to such an extent that many people are forced to find accommodation outside the Park these days to make the visit more affordable.

The park covers an area of approximately 22 000 km and is named after the enormous pan that covers roughly 5000 kms.  The pan is seldom covered in water, as it relies on rainfall and not rivers and the evaporation rate is very high.  The three main camps are Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni.

Anderson Gate - Etosha

My introduction to Etosha was a heart-wrenching event.  Within a kilometer of the Anderson Gate a small zebra limped painfully across the road in front of us.  It had been attacked by a predator and half its rump had been eaten away.  It was a shocking sight and my first thought was that we should call a vet!  The zebra had no sooner moved out of sight when it started raining.

We drove a little further along and came across a small bird of prey in the middle of the road.  Nothing unusual in that, I hear you say.  Rain, however, is a luxury in Etosha and the animals know that they must show due appreciation and gratitude when it comes!  Well, this little bird gave us the performance of its life.

Obviously overjoyed to feel rain, the bird proceeded to do a rain dance.  It spread both its wings out and then lifted one at an angle so that the water could run down both wings.  Then it lifted the opposite wing and let the water run down that one as well.  All the while it was turning in little circles and alternating wings.  A true rain dance.  We watched enthralled as this little ritual continued for about fifteen minutes.  We could feel the joy that this bird was experiencing and even though we saw the most magnificent animals during our visit, this happy little dance stands out for me as the highlight of my visit to the park.  We later learned from our Roberts bird book that it was a juvenile Pale Chanting Goshawk.  The adult Goshawks also like to spread their wings out when it rains.

The landscape varies throughout the park.  Some areas are stark with rocky, white ground.  There are also vast grass plains where springbok, giraffe and zebra dot the landscape, and wooded areas where, if you’re lucky, you could spot a black rhinoceros.  It makes for an interesting experience as one drives from one side of the park to the other.

Life is sustained by the numerous waterholes dotted from place to place and these obviously allow for excellent game spotting as the animals gather at all times of the day and night to quench their thirst.  The watering holes at the rest camps are floodlit twenty-four hours a day and visitors can watch the animals from the safety of these fenced off areas.

On the western side of the park one can visit the Sprokieswoud (Haunted wood) with its bulbous, contorted Moringa trees.

Moringa tree - Sprokieswoud

No two visits to the park are the same and it pays to go at different times of the year so that Etosha can reveal its gifts in the different seasons. 

The birdlife is fantastic and if you’re into photography there’ll be something new and interesting  to capture around every corner.