Last Day of Trip - The Kalahari Desert

After our experience with the flat tire, we drove the 80 km to Maltahohe where we had the full-size spare tire (which was without the rim) we had in the car installed. Never like to drive on one of those small, temporary spare tires longer than you need. Maltahohe was a small town with one gas station that had a small one-person tire repair shop. Based on the town's location and the unsurprised expression on the mechanics face, I suspect that they get lots of customers with flat tires. Fortunately, the road transitioned from gravel to pavement at this point.

We then drove the last 100 km or so to the Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch which is 40 km outside of the town of Mariental. The drive through this area was primarily very flat range land used for grazing cattle, goats, and sheep. Change the vegetation to sage brush and it would be like driving through rural Nevada. This part of the country is one of the primary areas where the government implements its land reform policy. The policy is designed to address some of impacts of colonialism and apartheid by returning landownership to qualified blacks. It is based on a "willing seller, willing buyer" philosophy where the government will buy land from the private white owners and then give it to black families whose ancestors where displaced under colonial rule. Each family gets a plot of land (the ones we saw appeared to be 10 acres or so) to farm or ranch - kind of like homesteading. Unfortunately, the farms we passed had corrugated metal shacks for housing and too much livestock for the size of the plots which have been overgrazed. Unfortunately, a lot of these farms will be unproductive in not too many years.

Mariental itself is the heart of the commercial scale agricultural region called the Hardap Scheme. It was the first area that we saw large, sprinkler irrigated crops similar to the US. They grow a lot of citrus fruit, corn, and crop vegetables. It is controversial because of all of the water that is used.

Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch is situated on the far western edge of the Kalahari desert. The ranch was the most touristy accommodation that we have stayed at so far in Namibia. They had horseback riding, a Sans or Bushman village replica, a restaurant where a springbok antelope wandered around, etc. It was also the most expensive place that we have stayed. We rented a private bungalow that overlooked the Kalahari desert. It was built on stilts to overlook the sand dune - similar to a beach house.

View of Kalahari from the room - There was a water hole right in front

 

The Kalahari desert, at least in this area, consists of low red sand dunes covered with savannah types grasses. The red sand is actually what is transported by the wind and erosion to make the dunes seen in Sossusvlei.

The Kalahari Desert

We went on a 2-hour hike in the morning through the desert. We saw springbok and a few other types of antelope but there was not a lot of active wildlife to be seen. We saw a meerkat crossing the road while we were driving but none actually while on our hike. They live in underground burrows that have mounds of dirt at the entrances. This is what they sit on to observe. The mounds are scattered around the desert. At first we thought they were termite mounds but I guess the termite mounds are only found farther north.

Meekcat Burrow and Mound

We also found a very interesting weaver bird nest.

This is the Weaver Bird that builds the nest
You can see why they call it a thorn tree!

An interesting tree. Note the large tap root in the center.

You can even get married in the middle of the Kalahari desert.

Our trip ended with a 240 km drive back to Windhoek (all on paved roads). So, over the course of our trip (800 km) we saw terrain that varied from the desert dunes of Sossuvlei...

To the rugged Naukluft Mountains...

To plateaus and canyon lands...

To wide open vistas...

To the Kalahari Desert.....

To open savannahs......

With lots of solitude. And that's just the central part of Namibia. It really is a beautiful country.

Leaving Sossusvlei

Leaving Sossusvlei, we again traveled into the Naukluft Mountains taking a more southern route. The scenery changed quite dramatically. With high plateaus bounded by  gorges we felt almost transported to the US southwest. This area is known for hiking and 4 wheel off-roading. We headed for Zebra River Lodge for the night. This road was probably one of the worst we have been on. It was a continuous up a hill, down the hill, try to avoid the washout spots, narrow dirt road. However, the scenery was wonderful and you could almost swear you were at a mini grand canyon.

The lodge was very remote and tucked into a small canyon by the dry Zebra River. Our host mentioned that this area was well-known for mountain zebras but that the last four years of no rain at all had really decreased their numbers. There had been rain earlier this year, but the area has not recovered yet. We enjoyed the quiet of this special place and spent the time mainly relaxing and taking  walks. The only wild life we saw were eland (at least that is what we think they are). 

Zebra River Lodge

 We left in the morning to travel east to our next destination, Bagatelle Game Ranch, traveling over the dirt roads. We were in the middle of the desert about 80 km from the nearest town when we got a flat tire. No big deal, right? We were prepared for this. It is a common occurrence on the gravel roads of the country. We had a spare and the equipment to change the tire. We even had two extra bottles of water. We thought we were prepared. We jacked the car up, undid the lug nuts and spent the next hour plus trying to get the tire off! It was stuck tight and would not budge. Bruce pulled, we both pulled. We banged on it with a hammer. I mean really, this was suppose to be the easy part. Bruce used a screw driver to try to chisel it off. Nothing! That sucker was on tight. Not a single car had passed on the road during this whole time. We started weighting our options: 1. Walk about 2 km back to an intersection of two dirt roads thinking that it would increase our odds of someone passing by,  2. Walk to the nearest town (quickly dismissed since it would take us too long--80 km is a long way and we would not be able to get there in daylight) or  3. Stay with the car. At this time, we offered a verbal prayer for help. I know we both had prayers in our hearts, but this is the first time we knelt and prayed out loud. We then decided to go with option 1 and started to lower the car off the jack and start walking back to the intersection. Then, and it could not have been more than 3 minutes after our prayer, a car came by and stopped. A couple were on their way to the Zebra River Lodge. They were from Germany. After explaining our situation in broken English and arm motions, the husband also tried getting the tire off. Still no luck. Then he just simply kicked it hard! The tire came off. We were then able to put on the spare and be on our way in literally minutes from our prayer. Some might say that it was just luck or fate and that the car was already on the road, but I know in my heart that it was a direct answer to our prayer. God watches over us and hears and answers our prayers. What should have been a four hour drive turned into a six-seven hour drive, but we were not left stranded in the middle of the desert. I have thought about how this a a parable of our lives. When we hit a road block, a flat tire if you will, in our lives, it can seem like we have been deserted and left alone. Even when we are prepared, life and bad things can happen. But we are never alone. Heavenly Father is and will always be there to lift us up when we feel we can do no more. We just need to reach out to Him.

Road Trip!

Bruce had the week off from school and work so that can only mean one thing--road trip. This time we decided to head south to visit the number one tourist attraction in Namibia, Sossusvlei and the Namib-Naukluft Park. This is desert country and one of the world's largest national parks. The Namib-Naukluft Park takes in around 23,000 sq km of arid and semi-arid land.

We began the four day trip by crossing the Naukluft mountains in central Namibia following the seasonal (usually dry) Tsauchab river. The roads are gravel and except for several wash out places, were not too bad. The speed limit is 80km but we have found that a bit unrealistic and we end up going significantly slower. While the mountains are home to zebra, kudu, leopards, and other animals, we did not see many. However, we did pass a zebra carcass, but unfortunately no vultures were circling. I always picture Africa with circling buzzards and vultures, but we have yet to see any.

The landscape became progressively dry as we approached our first destination, Sesriem. Sesriem, according to Lonely Planet, means six thongs, which is the number of joined leather ox-wagon thongs necessary to draw water from the bottom the the gorge. Today the town is mainly a campground, petrol station, and a few lodges. It is also the gateway to Sossusvlei. We spent the night at the Desert Quiver Camp.

If it looks like we were in the middle of the desert, well, we were! Those are part of the Naukluft mountains behind the camp.

The unit was very nice with air conditioning. which is needed even in this cooler fall weather.

This is the outdoor dining area of the lodge. We had a lovely buffet diner, which included zebra, springbok, onyx, and other game meats. I opted for grilled fish. The area overlooks a water hole and the sunset was quite beautiful.

We got up early the next morning (5:00) in order to be at the park entrance by 6:00. The dunes are at their best viewing in the morning light. We elected to take a tour so we did not have to drive the 65 km from the park entrance at Sesriem down to Sossusvlei. It was a good call. At the end of the 65 km is a 4 km sand pit. We passed several vehicles stuck up to their hoods in the soft sand. Our guide knew just where to drive to avoid becoming another silly tourist stuck in the sand. 

Sossusvlei is a large pan set amid sand dunes that tower up to 200 m. The road is in a flat area with dunes on both sides. There are several dunes that you are allowed to climb. The most famous is dune 45 which is about 150 m. high. This is the most photographed spot in Namibia.

You can notice the different colors of sand and people climbing up the ridge. The red sand originates in the Kalahari desert on the east side of Namibia. It is washed down the Orange River and out to sea, where it is deposited along the coast. The iron rich sand is lighter than the tan sand of the Namib desert. The lighter colored sand fills in between the red dunes and piles near the bottom of the dunes. There are also patches of black sand where the iron deposits have gathered. It is really quite surreal.

Sossusvlei is the pan at the end of the Tsauehab River flow. It rarely contains any water, but if the river gathers up enough volume, maybe every ten to fifteen years, the Sossusvlie is the farthest the water can travel. This pan is surrounded by dunes and any water is trapped there. Lime is leached out of the soil and creates a hard white crust on the floor on the pan.

Years ago the river changed its path It used to flow into what is now called the Dead Vlei. When the river course changed, the trees in the pan died. The resulting landscape is quite lovely, with dark dead trees, white lime pan floor and the red dunes surrounding it.

Of course you have to hike up and over the sand dunes to get the the Dead Vlei. My thighs are still a bit sore from the experience. Here are the tracks we made coming down. That was more fun than climbing up, but still a workout since your feet sink into the soft sand.

After the hike, we were more than ready for breakfast which was provided by our guide.

We ate under the shade of a thorn tree. 

You might think that animals do not survive here. But there was a surprising amount of Onyx as well as springbok. I can't remember what kind of lizard this is. We also saw hyena, wild dog and desert mouse tracks. Our guide laughed at me when I asked about one track that I could not figure out. Turns out it was a man with a walking stick. I guess I am just naturally talented at tracking man!

Easter Week

It is Easter Week. This gives us the opportunity to stop and reflect upon our Savior, Jesus Christ, His life and Atonement. How grateful I am for my Savior. As I strive to follow in His footsteps, I am so thankful for His grace and the knowledge that as I give my best, it is good enough. I just wanted to take a moment to testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the power found in His atoning sacrifice that enables us to change, be forgiven of sins, and learn to become like Him. I testify that as we come unto Christ, we will find peace. Happy Easter everyone!  Here is a link to a great video about finding peace through Christ: https://youtu.be/Ly9xk59Qkfc  I hope you enjoy it and start/continue on a quest to find the peace the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings.

Church and Other Social Activities

For anyone reading this blog that might not be aware, Karen and I are active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and served in various leadership capacities in the Charlotte area before coming to Namibia. Well, our church service continues down here and fills in another block of our time outside of work and travel. There are three small local congregations (we call them Branches) in Windhoek which probably have a total attendance of 250 to 300 on any Sunday. We are in the Windhoek Branch where there are 80 or 90 that regularly attend. Karen has been asked to serve as a Seminary teacher. Seminary is a gospel study program for high school age students that meets regularly during the week before or after school (usually before school in the States). Here, it meets after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Karen is one of three instructors and she teaches on Thursdays. She has 7 or 8 students.

I have been asked to work with the young men (ages 12 to 18) in our branch. Recently, we held an pizza making activity on a Saturday. It has been lots of fun. Below are some pictures of the activity.

Karen and I have also been asked to teach a special Sunday School class that is intended to help some members prepare to attend one of the Church's temples (we can provide more details to anyone who may be interested - just let us know). So, our church activities are keeping us busy and provide us an opportunity to engage more directly with the local community.

We were also recently invited to attend a going away party for a Namibian family that was moving to the States (the husband will be attending graduate school). This was our first invite (outside the Embassy) to a social event at someone's home. Namibians are much more formal in everything they do and there was table cloths and seat covers, real glassware and china, etc. Namibians also like to talk when given the podium and we had 45-minutes for going away speeches and testimonials before we actually got to the meal.

They served grilled chicken, sausage, and game steaks with potato salad, boiled eggs, green peppers, and lettuce salad. There was bottled water and soda to drink (Namibians really like the fruit flavored sodas; orange, grape, etc.). Before the meal, they pass around a pitcher and basin of hot water so everybody can wash their hands. Namibians grill a lot and most houses have some type of outdoor oven or grill as shown in the picture below.

Karen has also started to volunteer at a couple of schools; helping with their after school literacy programs. So, besides work and travel, we are trying to stay busy.