It’s a few days since our last log entry and we have had a few adventures since then. When we left Albrechtshohe Farm we headed west across the desert to Swakupmund on the Skeleton Coast.
However many times I have made this journey it never ceases to inspire a sense of foreboding. The desert here is bleak, never ending and hot. And as the Atlantic Ocean gets nearer the air becomes salt stiff with ghosts of storms and the merging of these two elemental forces creates a shimmering, like a transition between two worlds. People can change in this place.
We arrived and drove straight to the sea.
First job was to find Sophie a pair of tough trousers which was followed by a coffee and search for a place to stay the night. The Desert Backpackers was perfect and having set up camp in a shared living room we went to one of the best seafood restaurants in the world. It took determination and a little patience to get a table but the fish was fabulous. A short stroll home with an cold sea breeze at our backs ended our short day by the sea. Next morning early we filled the diesel and water tanks and headed north with the sea on our left and desert on our right.
About forty miles on we found the wreck of the …… and turned off the road to get a better view.
On the beach near the wreck were four people fishing with very long rods. We approached them to say hello and ask them what they were fishing for (a question that can be taken one of two ways!).
These fishermen were not so concerned with the finer points of the English language and promptly told us with great excitement that they loved our Land Rover and that they had just caught a shark.
It turned out they were Russian and were on holiday from Volgagrad. Saying farewell we climbed aboard Tilly, dropped into four wheel drive, low ratio, diff lock and majestically drove out off the soft sand I had inadvertently driven into, providing an awe inspiring spectacle for two coach loads of just arrived tourists. I love Land Rovers.
Headed then inland we did - to Uis, a one horse town with a fantastic cactus and coffee, shop stop,
We spent the night at a campsite near the Brandberg mountain and following a team conference we decided unanimously to head south.
The Russian fishermen
The wreck of the Zeila which ran aground in a storm in 2008
Our campsite at Brandberg
This image begins a series of 'Spot the...........'. In this case it is 'Spot the Ostrich'.
Heading South by Sophie
A big hello from me! Its Saussi, Sophocles, Soph, Saucisson, Snozzy here. As you can tell from how few the blog posts have been so far, wifi signal is pretty hard to come by and when you do it is sooo slow. Unfortunately photos are the hardest things to upload, and I have so many I want to share with you.
Its been a great adventure so far. I have now started to settle into the hot-dry climate and the extraordinary vastness of the landscape. We have been on a few bush walks on the Albrechtshohe farm and I have seen the most beautiful African sunsets. As anyone who knows me well will know, I am of quite a nervous disposition, so challenging my fears has been doubly rewarding. One thing that I really wanted to challenge here was my fears about camping, and I am pleased and proud to say that I have spent a grand total of three nights in the top Land-Rover tent, absolutely no problem-o.
As mentioned here in previous blogs, our plan was initially to head up north to Purros, where PFG is working on the Soil Fertility Project. However, our plans have now changed, as, although I now know I CAN camp, I would prefer to stay in self-catering lodges, and to do that we must head south. After spending a good day re-arranging the itinerary and booking accommodation, we are on our way southwards, to the dunes at Sossusvlei and the red-sands of the Namib desert.
Love from us both.