Namibia 2014

Sunday5thOctober

After 2 hours and some 115 kilometers of track, we arrive in the Naukluft Mountains. And quickly, we encounter the first mammals of the area, a herd of Greater Kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).

On the left, a young male. On the right, a female. Females are hornless.

The entrance to Koedoesrus Naukluft campsite.

During the camp setup, a male Black-headed Weaver (Ploceus velatus) observes our every move...

We are in the middle of rocky peaks, a perfect setting to savor potatoes cooked in their aluminum foil amidst the embers...

And while the Black-headed Weaver approaches our potatoes, a Dark-capped Bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans) takes over the observation post...

But these are just the small soldiers of the true occupants of the place. From the top of its cliff, the hairy guardian of the premises doesn't miss a thing that happens below... It's a Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus)...

And the baboon is not alone, its other comrades are closer to us, looking for scraps or other food nearby... They are much less dangerous than they seem, but we'll keep our distance, you never know!

Baboon observation post. Between sky and earth.

And at the bottom of the cliff, we find our cute African marmots, the Cape hyraxes (Procavia capensis). Here, they truly live up to their other name of rock hyrax. Observe the enormous pads that finish their toes.

We go for a walk to explore the paths that cross Naukluft. We come across the beautiful homes of the weavers, a kind of basket-nests with handles suspended from the ends of thin tree branches.

The Tsauchab River.

And a few face-to-face encounters with hyraxes.

Panoramic view of our Toyota Hilux, tents and ladders deployed...  

Monday6thOctober

We leave our baboon, hyrax, and weaver friends and hit the road again, not forgetting to greet the greater kudus who welcomed us yesterday.

This one was more discreet but we still spotted it among the stones, a Vigors's Bustard (Eupodotis vigorsii).

The objective of the day is to reach the Atlantic coast, bordering the sandy Namib Desert. The journey will take us through a true diversity of landscapes in a single day.

Ah, an animal that makes us forget we are in Africa, it is so familiar to us. But it will still get its Latin name, no jealousy: Equus caballus!

Beware, Greater Kudu!

Baboons are not only on their cliffs. It is not uncommon to encounter some troops along the roads.

The canines of the Chacma baboon are as large as those of a lion...

We find the fences that protect animals from our motor vehicles...

A short break in Solitaire, a small isolated station especially renowned for its bakery and its apple pies that we don't fail to try!  

The road bypasses the entire north of the Namib Desert. The landscape truly contrasts with the sandy scenery and is no less superb. Here, the savanna reclaims its rights, and its frolicking ostriches too!

But what is this Cape peak???

The Tropic of Capricorn, of course! In the Southern Hemisphere, it is at this latitude (23° 26' 14") that it is still possible to see the Sun directly overhead on December 21st. Below this latitude, the Sun will not reach this height in the sky.

We had already crossed the line at the beginning of the trip going south, but this time, we immortalize the moment with the essential photo!  

The landscape changes again, here we are on the road that runs along the Gaub Canyon.

An opportunity to spot some distant mountain zebras (Equus zebra).

A small reminder of the animals to be wary of when driving... The Oryx, the ostrich and... the chameleon!

We are now in the Kuiseb area, hills of pebbles where grasses soften the black landscape around us.

We are now following a white track that crosses a white desert! And in the middle of this desert, a kind of improbable gigantic pebble is placed in the middle of nowhere! This is the Vogelfederberg, a small mountain range culminating at 525 meters.

The large pebble also serves as a parasol above the picnic table...  

A nice view from the top of Vogelfederberg over the immense expanse that surrounds us 360°.

And there we go, after this good day of driving, we find civilization with the city of Swakopmund, a seaside resort on the Atlantic coast. We will be able to enjoy a real hotel bed after two weeks of camping! Tomorrow, we won't touch the car and will go sailing in Walvis Bay!