Red Desert and Canyons

TDA Days 104 to 114
Namibia

Finally Namibia! For years I dreamed of and wanted to come to this place. I have longed for the sand dunes with their fantastic shapes and contours and the surreal dead black trees standing upright in the desert defying the passage of time. I wanted to come for a photography workshop years ago but the costs had kept me away while at the same time Charlie Waite's photographs have lured me.

The tour did not bring us close enough to the dunes but we certainly got a taste of and a glimpse into what Namibia has to offer: a photographer's dream at least.

The first riding days were in no way distinct from what the scenery looked like in Botswana: flat endless plain, little vegetation or just plain bush, some game or cattle farms and very few people. Only upon approaching Windhoek did the scenery improve with red cracked hills offering a beautiful backdrop to the modern city.

In Windhoek, a modern city, we spent a couple of rest days and pampered ourselves with all sorts of food and shopping. I spent hours on end on a borrowed laptop just going through pictures and selecting some for upload. But the city itself for me was a disorienting experience and even a shock: for the first time in a very long while I saw fat people again. Lots, young and old, all white. What is there about a good life that makes people forget about a healthy life?

The more picturesque campground ever on the tour was in "quivertree country". The fantastic silhouettes of the quiver trees were competing in beauty and uniqueness with the piles and mounds of red rocks and boulders. At sunset and sunrise the landscape was of incredible beauty, the rocks and the tree bark glowing red as if set on fire.

The highlight of the Namibian tour was yet to come on the few days on unpaved roads winding through canyon land, past the Fish River Canyon, through Gondwana Canyon and Ai-Ais National Parks. Hilly, bumpy, dusty roads through a fascinating landscape. Here we had our last desert camps, enjoying the dramatic sunset colours on the clouds as well as the depth and brightness of the sky at night. Spectacular shapes and terrain, strong colours and magnificent proportions.
The Fish River Canyon, second only to the Grand Canyon, is overwhelming; the views from the rim breathtaking even in the worst light (which we unfortunately had). Instantly I knew I wanted to come here again and attempted to make the reservation for a trek. "I'll be back soon for that", I told the campground owner. "We'll be expecting you", he replied.
The ride through this countryside only gave birth to new ideas and projects. Riding through Grand Canyon - is that possible? Or Capitol Reef National Park. I remember the dusty roads through the fascinating scenery. Cycling will never be the same for me, so why not dare think of these ?

Our days in Namibia ended on the shore of the Oranje river cutting through some more dramatic red rock scenery. The boat ride on the river was fun and offered a glimpse into the rich birdlife in the area. But nothing could come even close to the lasting impression left by the landscape we had traversed from Hogas on. Namibia, I'll be back soon for more...