Namibia - Land of Open Spaces

Namibia marks the beginning of a new phase in our tour of southern Africa. Upon arriving in the capital city of Windhoek we were immediately faced with some difficult decisions. Nancy's mother, Velma, was not well. Nancy decided to return home as soon as possible to be with her family. I decided to tentatively carry on with our imminent safari. On the third day I would arrive back in an urban area. If Velma's condition was deteriorating I too would return home. Each of us thought that we both made the right choice. Time will tell.

Being without Nancy was a big adjustment. There were also some initial organizational difficulties at the administration level of the tour that resulted in getting dumped in the desert for an afternoon after a five hour drive in extreme heat. An Australian woman who was in the same boat was also left baffled, without food, and not knowing who we were to meet or when they would arrive. It all worked out in the end due mostly to the efforts of our guide, Fisher, and his assistant, Jairos, who were terrific leaders and wonderful human beings. I quickly learned to respect their knowledge and appreciate the constant concern they showed for the security of their clients. Both are citizens of Zimbabwe. They taught me that Zimbabwe means "house of stone" in their language.

The trip southward through some very weathered-looking rock formations was not very comfortable but certainly was interesting. The stark beauty of a desert never ceases to amaze me. The Namib Desert, from which the country takes its name, is the oldest desert in the world. Eighty million years of arid conditions are the result of the warm dry winds caused by the Benguela current flowing southward in the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the extreme conditions (averaging less than 10 mm of rain per year) the struggle to adapt and survive is demonstrated by the little pockets of life that exist.

The main attraction in the south of the country is the towering dunes of Sossusvlei, which are believed to be the largest in the world. Viewed best at sunrise or sunset, the dunes morph through a variety of colours and shades under the changing light conditions. Steady winds ensure that the dunes are constantly shifting in size and location. Exploring the various dunes for the day was a lot of fun but very tiring. It takes a great deal of effort to scramble up a 250 metre dune in the hot sun!A special site among the dunes is a place called Dead Vlei (Dead Lake). Much of the Namib is built upon an enormous salt pan. These are very parched, white, and often cracked depressions in the land that have at times in the past contained salt water. As the water evaporated, the salt and other minerals were left behind to accumulate. These white soils provide an acute contrast to the red sand dunes. As you can see, Dead Vlei was once a lake that was able to sustain a small forest before an unusual period of rainfall drowned the trees.

Our hike to Dead Vlei was quite memorable. Due to a breakdown in communication we believed that the total hike to get there was five kilometres. It turned out to be ten kilometres long up and down dunes through the sand. Most of us had insufficient water as morning turned to mid-day. I can only recall one other time in my life when I have felt so dehydrated!

The camel thorn tree is one of the rare forms of fauna of any size that grow among the dunes. Many desert species depend upon the camel thorn. It provides shade as well as a home for insects and reptiles.

The bark, leaves and sap provide sustenance for a variety of species. The pods it produces are also a key source of food. These pods are known as camel's toe.

The gemsbok (oryx) is a highly specialized antelope that lives in the Namib Desert and throughout most parts of the country. It's main source of food? The pods of camel's toe! The gemsbok has the uncanny ability to survive for long periods of time without water. It is able to let its body temperature climb to levels that would kill most mammals. Rather than drink it consumes the traces of dew that form on the desert plants late at night and early in the morning. Indeed, many of the species in the Namib rely on the moisture provide from fog which rolls in off of the Atlantic Ocean on a fairly regular basis. As we travelled along in our safari truck, a gemsbok by the side of the road got spooked and raced the vehicle flat out for about 100 metres. That was an image that I'll never forget! Other common animal species that we saw in the desert were ostriches and the black-backed jackals. They seemed to always be on the prowl and visited the campsites from dusk until dawn. Each night we could hear them howling and growling back and forth. What a mess they made at one site where the campers (us) forgot to stow the garbage inside the truck!Another world class attraction in this area is the Sesriem Canyon. It's a one kilometre long, 40 metre deep cleft in the desert floor that provides quite a few corridors for exploring. The small amounts of water which accumulate here provide a micro climate for some species to survive. Sesriem is Africaans for "six thongs", the length of six leather cords that the Voortrekers had to lower into the canyon to gather water.

As we proceeded further northward in the desert, a second kind of tree began to appear. It is called the quiver tree, so named because the bushmen used it for creating the sheaths for their poison arrows upon which their hunting endeavours depended.

An interesting species of bird called the sociable weaver manages to survive under these harsh conditions. The birds start off building their nests individually but eventually they meld into

one. This helps to insulate them from the sometimes cold winter nights, snakes, and wasps. I'd imagine it leads to some pretty good parties as well!After a few days of gruelling desert heat we were all feeling relieved when we arrived at Walvis Bay. During the past hour of driving the temperature had dropped so dramatically that most of the people on the tour donned sweaters or jackets. Walvis Bay is Namibia's only deep water port. It has also become a rapidly developing tourist location that is well-known for its pelicans and flamingos. A short drive north of Walvis Bay, we arrived in the city (really a small town) called Swakopmund. Its extensive beaches help to draw many visitors from Europe, mostly Germany. Namibia became an independent country in 1990. For many years it was a German colony. Later, as a protectorate of South Africa, it served as a buffer between the South Africans and their adversaries in the Angolan War of Independence. The Angolans sent their colonial masters (Portugal) packing and began a war of liberation in surrounding countries. The leader of the guerrilla group (MPLA) was killed just two years ago and there remain today some pockets of armed resistance. The condition of Nancy's mother having stabilized somewhat, with some uncertainty I decided to finish the safari. Leaving Swakopmund was the point of no return as we headed of into some serious wilderness in the region known as Damaraland, after the Damara people. Our first stop was at a place called Twyfelfontein. This is the scene of the greatest collection of ancient San rock engravings in Africa, soon to be a World Heritage Site. The San lived in the area during the dry season since there is a nearby spring. The engravings are not only impressive in number but are well-preserved compared to rock paintings which deteriorate more over time. Tourism has quickly become Namibia's second largest industry, after mining. The country boasts the world's largest uranium mine, the largest and best diamonds deposits, tungsten, silver and a wide variety of other precious metals. Hawking samples of stone is thus one means for people to scrape a living off the land. As we headed northward it was easy to see that day-to-living is very difficult for the majority of the desert population. Homes were smaller and more simple than I had seen elsewhere in southern Africa.
This region is occupied by a number of tribes. The Herero women are known for their beautiful dresses as well as their head wear. A married woman sports a hat that is adorned with a fixture in the shape of bull horns. These represent the cattle that the husband had to pay for his woman.
After visiting a number of interesting rock formations such as the Organ Pipes we paid a visit to a petrified forest. The semi-buried mineralized trees were huge pine that once got washed down from Angola and became lodged in the soil. What an exciting experience - it's not every day that you get to hold chunks of a 350 million-year-old tree in your hands!

Heading further north we camped among the rugged and remote Spitzkoppe Mountains. This was a very dramatic setting, nestled in the middle of a diverse variety of picturesque rock formations that included distant plateaus, widely distributed boulders of varying size, and smoothly carved pinnacles once subject to the ebb and flow of the currents while submerged in the ocean. The atmosphere was bone dry, the air pristine and the entire landscape silent. One of the features looked very much like Ayer's Rock and manifested the same glow in the setting sun as we climbed to the top.

In the opposite direction was a rock face known locally as the Matterhorn since it is thought to resemble the peak of that oh-so-famous mountain in Switzerland.

Our next cultural encounter was really quite special. There's a semi-nomadic people in northern Namibia called the Himba. They like to keep to themselves for the most part but we were able to visit a village that had really only had much contact with outsiders for the past three years. The tribe is particularly know for the beauty of its women. Although their clothing is rather simple they go to great lengths to decorate themselves. The woman combine their natural hair with that of animals to create a braid, apply animal fat, ash, then ochre. At the age of 8-10 years males and females alike have their middle four lower teeth removed. This is considered to improve their appearance, enable them to enunciate their language more effectively, and help to differentiate them from other tribes. Our guide was dressed in western clothing and no longer lived with the Himba. He ran away at adolescence when some of these traditional rituals begin! During our visit most of the women were busy making butter out of goats' milk by gently rocking their pots back and forth in a pendulum-like motion.

Since water is such a precious commodity to the Himba, it should really be no surprise that they do not use it for bathing. Instead, animal fat is mixed with ochre and this is they rub on their bodies daily. It helps to block the sun, discourage insects, and is considered to be beautiful.

Smoke is also used as a means to keep clean. When the woman pictured below finished preparing the ashes she raised her skirt and then hovered on her knees above the smoke, something that is done for up to an hour per day. This was quite a shock to a few of the French people in our ensemble. Indeed, since the earliest days of colonialism is southern Africa, when the Dutch arrived at the cape, personal hygiene has been a contentious issue. The Europeans considered the practice of applying animal fat to the body to be barbaric and disgusting. The native people were equally as disapproving of the use of scrubbing with water, which they saw as very odd and ineffectual for their needs. I guess it all depends on what you're used to!

The last but not least of the local visitations on the tour agenda was with the San (bushmen) at Tsumeb. I had anticipated that the three hour tour would involve a long walk in the desert somewhere. I think that we were all a little disappointed to learn that our walk was to be along a tourist-oriented trail through the forest adjacent to the village. Nevertheless, the event turned out to be educational and interesting.

Paul was a young man who was fascinated by and dedicated to learning many of the traditions of his ancestors. To him they were a very advanced people far more competent than himself at surviving in the world. The local tribe had been resettled outside of their traditional lands when the apartheid government created Etosha National Park (without compensation) thus many ancient skills are now being lost. During the excursion we were told about the many uses of the plants and shrubs in the vicinity then were shown how to make and successfully operate a simple snare to catch a guinea fowl. Paul also demonstrated the construction of different tools and weapons as well as the many uses of an ostrich egg. He finished by making a fire with two sticks and some dry grass. This involves some pretty hard work!

We also learned the ins and outs (literally) of how to make a termite trap. Termites are considered to be a real treat in the community, so much so that termite mounds are individually owned and operated. Just twice per year newly born termites leave the nest and are attracted to the bound sticks that are set afire above the pit. In their quest for light they fall into the hole and are collected in a bag. A good haul is about twenty kilograms! The termites are fried or roasted in the sun before being shared with the neighbours.

The San were notorious for their ability to track game. Paul showed us some common types of animal tracks and told us some interesting stories about living along the Angolan border. Growing up during the Angolan Civil War he was instructed to run and hide in the bush whenever he heard a vehicle approaching on the road. A trick that the rebels used to elude the South African forces was to remove the soles of their shoes and reattach them backwards to disguise their direction of travel. The San were able to help the South African army by detecting the weight distribution on the imprints to get a true reading of troop movement.

The last part of our journey through Namibia was along the Caprivi Strip. This is a sliver of land that was once politically independent. When the Germans were masters of Namibia they decided that it would be really nice to have access to the Zambizi River further to the east. The German Count von Caprivi did the negotiating with the other European powers of the time so the land was named after him.

There's lots of game in the area and its pretty wild (i.e. dangerous) - no fences, electric wires or conservation authorities. We had a terrific power boat tour of the waterways on the Kwando River. There are plenty of crocodiles and hippos in the area! On December 24, 2005 one of the locals was in the water with a net trying to catch some extra fish to sell for Christmas. He got snapped up be a four-metre crocodile. When the government asked for proof of cause of death they killed a baboon and used it as bait. It didn't take long for the croc to gobble it down. After capturing it they cut it open and found the man's legs in the belly. Apparently the rest had been stolen in a croc feeding frenzy.

Most of us were brave enough to swim in this protected (caged-in) pool set in the river. The water flows very quietly but forcefully - it was a great workout trying to swim against the current.

There were a few nights in which most of the people on the safari were awfully scared to leave their tents. One night a big sign warned people about elephants and hippos moving through the campground at night. This was also a vintage malarial area. Someone in Africa dies of malaria every thirty seconds! It was the first time in my life that I can recall applying insect repellent to virtually every inch of my body.It's pretty hard to sleep you when you hear a few mosquitoes buzzing around and the grunt of a hippo no more than a stone's throw away! One night I ventured out at about 3:30 A.M., inching my way to the washroom then dodging and weaving my way back. There were some pretty heavy snorers in our group, their sounds often barely distnguishable from the sounds of the night!

Before heading to Zambia we finished Namibia with an enjoyable paddle in dug out canoes called the upper delta of the Okavango River . It was lots of fun, saw some hippos up close and personal and we all finished just happy to be safely on terra firma once again!

Kruger National Park

As pretty as the landscape was in Mpumalanga, the main reason that the province is a must for just about everyone who visits South Africa is that it boasts perhaps the best wildlife refuge in the world: Kruger National Park. Established in 1898 by Paul Kruger (the quintessential Boer leader) the park stretches an impressive 381 km from the Crocodile River in the south northward to the Limpopo River. Sixteen different eco-zones are represented. In 2002 the fences separating Kruger from the contiguous Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe) and the Gaza Reserve (Mozambique) were taken down to create the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park that now covers a mind boggling 92.5 million acres!

Pictured below is one of the more famous views within Kruger, witnessed from the balcony at the Olifants (elephants) Rest Camp. It's a great spot for viewing crocodiles, hippos, grazing animals and, if your timing is really great, the occasional lion kill.

One of the features that makes Kruger an especially exciting place to visit is the series of paved and graded secondary roads leading to high quality facilities that make it perfect for self-drive tours. The different destinations are well-posted. Apart from a few rest stops that are strategically located between the rest camps, there are no places to stop. You are not allowed out of the car except in the middle of some of the longer bridges (at your own risk); in fact, people have been fined just for leaning out a window or sunroof, which is also forbidden. Being more or less alone to take on the wilds of Africa was a highly exhilarating experience!

Those of us who grew up in the 1960s will remember Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Every Sunday afternoon it brought timeless stories about African wildlife, principally from Kruger National Park, into our living rooms. I recall being fascinated by the scenery and wildlife of a far away land. In many ways it served as a comprehensive introduction to exotic flora, fauna and ecology. Images of thousands of wildebeest simultaneously thundering across the savanna to elude lions really stuck in my mind. Although herds this size are more typical of eastern Africa, we certainly saw a lot of this powerful beast.
Exposure to game such as antelope, zebra and giraffe began within minutes of driving through the camp gate. Following check-in and some lunch at Berg-en-dal Rest Camp we set off on a late afternoon drive. It wasn't very long before we meandered by what we initially thought to be the alternate black and white pattern of a zebra. Upon further inspection we realized that it was the carcass of a half-eaten elephant. Most of the rump and sides were gone but the head was entirely intact as well as parts of the upper torso. Lions were in the long grass nearby, out of sight.

One of the hard and fast rules at Kruger is that you must be in your rest camp between dawn and dusk. Heavy fines are applied to those who fail to comply. Reluctantly, we had to head for home before supper time arrived in the jungle. Up early the next morning, we headed directly back to the site. By 6:15 A.M., however, the feast was pretty much over. The last spotted hyena had waited its turn but now abandoned the kill, stopping for a few moments on the road to observe the tourists. For the next twenty minutes we watched as a squadron of vultures took turns finishing up the remains. There wasn't much left except the bones; no doubt that by now they are pretty much gone as well! We really weren't sure how much wildlife we could expect to see at Kruger, but it fulfilled our wildest dreams. We took so many great photos that it's hard to know which ones to share. I guess I'll try to provide a sample of the amazing variety we encountered, both big and small.

Being restrained by the electronic fences at the rest camps not only provides safety to tourists but also protects the wildlife. We thought it was quite amazing that after four days of driving we did not see a single victim of roadkill. The speed limit of 40 k.p.h. helps to protect those who need to find their way across, such as the ever-so-slow chameleon that we saw on a number of occasions.

On the other hand, the dung beetle really is an amazingly energetic creature. Its preoccupation is with rolling animal waste (mostly from the elephant) into neat little balls which it nimbly (and no doubt proudly) brings to the supper table. Nancy and I were both impressed at how fast the beetles flew across the road!

The bird life at Kruger is absolutely extraordinary, easily worth the price of admission on its own. There are some 500 species of our feathery friends in the park. One of the most beautiful is the ubiquitous lilac-breasted roller. As part of its mating ritual the males soars high into the air, somersaults around a few times, then drops like a stone as it comes roaring back to the earth. What girl wouldn't fall for that? Although we didn't see this aerial spectacle, I can tell you that the full blue of the entire back and wing feathers are a sight to behold when the roller takes flight!

Another very common species was the Southern Carmine Bee-Eater. One can't help but be impressed with its exceptional reflexes as it snacks bees right out of mid-air!
The trouble maker of the bunch seemed to be the Southern Yellow Hornbill. It always had a lot to say, pestered smaller animals like the mongoose, and relentlessly divested insects from their homes. In a children's book in a gift shop we were amused but not surprised to see that it was cast in the role of the villain. During mating season the male digs a hole for its mate, plasters her into it with mud and sticks, then brings food during the weeks required for the eggs to be incubated and hatched. During this time the female loses her feathers, which are quickly regrown when she is released from her lonely vigil.
One of our most awesome wildlife observations was watching an unspecified species of eagle (all we saw was the silhouette) as it slowly dissected and wolfed down a large snake that it had just airlifted from the dusty soil. By the time this picture was taken, a good 15-20 cm of snake had already disappeared "down the hatch". There were quite a few aquatic species to be seen where ever water was able to accumulate. A particularly lovely marsh bird was the saddle-back stork.

We had some unforgettable moments with some of the large mammals in the park. We saw a lot of elephants but this one was about as close as you can get to the animal without being stepped on. Although they are generally mild-mannered beasts, elephants can go on a rant as well as anyone. At one rest site there was a picture of an overturned, the result of getting too close and being charged. We really weren't being irresponsible to get ourselves into this predicament. The creature appeared suddenly was so close to the road it was hard to avoid. It started flapping its huge ears at us. This means one of two things: the flies are bothering me or get out of my face before I hurt you!
Normally, rhinos are spotted grazing lazily amongst the underbrush. They're more active at night but are generally taking their time then too. It was nice to see them in motion, straight ahead, as we drove drove down a quiet side road. We soon became aware that they were running, not walking. To our amazement they came rumbling right up to the car (within five meters!) before exiting into the field shown here. As most people know, a rhino can generate quite a head of steam. As if playing, they cantered around the field in a figure eight pattern before heading straight at us again. This time they got so close that we dropped the camera (we attempting a video) and rolled up the window (not that this would do much good) before they veered off and darted into the bush!
Kruger is know for its large cats and although we didn't see any lions or cheetahs, we saw a couple of leopards. It's mostly a matter of luck. The first few days we did everything right, starting early, being quiet, and driving slowly (inspecting, at times, every limb). By the last full day we had been shut out except for one leopard that a flock of people told us was resting under a large bridge we traversed. By this time I had contracted tick fever (common in these parts). Not feeling well at all caused us to start late and drive quickly, not really even observing very carefully as we hurried to get to a doctor.

Not five minutes outside of Olifants (where leopards are not officially listed as present), out of the corner of my eye I saw this magnificent feline suddenly appeared out of the grass. Breaking to a halt, the cat walked slowly across the road right behind us then proceeded to lay down in the grass at a distance of about twenty metres to preen itself. We watched for a good ten minutes before it tired of all the other vehicles which began to arrive, an strode off into the higher grass. It was quite a thrill! As for the tick fever, for a few days I was pumping so many pills that one morning I woke up thinking I was Keith Richards, but thankfully, it lasted less than a week.

I could go on and on about all of the various kinds of antelope we saw as well as a host of other delightful animals but I should think this is enough for you to get a feel for the wonderful time that we had at Kruger. Those who are interested can see more when we get home. Amazingly enough, a few short years ago business conglomerate was nearly successful in buying Kruger to build resorts and even a golf course. Fortunately, a groundswell of public opposition put an end to that. Funding for conservation is a big issue in South Africa though as so much of the national income is being devoted to much-needed social programs.

Thanks for continuing to read the blog - the big gaps in publication are a reflection of our timetable and Internet availability rather than a commitment to the cause. Will be posting again very soon so stay tuned!

A Place Called Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga, the most north-eastern province in South Africa, means "the land of the rising sun" in the Zulu and Siswati languages. We arrived looking forward to some warmer and sunnier weather since we haven't seen much of either for a month. Early and mid summer were extra hot and dry in most of the country so I guess that it should be no surprise that the early fall has been wet and dreary. We're not complaining mind you because A) when we've really needed clear skies the most (in the mountains) we've been pretty lucky and B) we know that folks in Canada aren't going to be real sympathetic if we do!

What I can tell you unequivocally is that this is a spectacularly scenic part of the world. The countryside is very rocky and colourful with many kinds of flowering trees.

People seem to go out of their way to make the landscape lovely. Colourful shrubs line many of the fields, especially the sugar cane plantations.

Some of the local farmers certainly put a lot of time and expense into decorating even the simple things in their lives such as a grain silo.

The fields are lush and there are a variety of large and carefully manicured orchards such as this grove of papaya trees.

The avocados and mangoes sold here are enormous! After carrying very heavy bags of them with us for a number of days we have fully enjoyed the exquisite taste of produce that has been picked only when fully ripe!
Nelspruit, the capital city of the province, has incorporated the Zulu architectural style into the building of its handsome provincial legislature! There are lots of interesting African crafts available. Since we're starting to get nearer to the end of our trip we're starting to look at these more carefully.
The region has some gorgeous fauna has well as the flora.
We recently spent a day driving the Panorama Route which includes wide-sweeping valleys the grandeur of which is difficult to convey in a single frame. The Three Rondavels shown below is certainly one of the most interesting individual formations.

It's all part of the Blyde River Canyon. Blyde is Afrikaans for "happy". Centuries ago the wandering Boer farmers known as the Voortrekers arrived in the area. Some decided to push on to Mozambique. When they were weeks late in returning they were given up for dead. They were eventually able to catch up with their retreating party who were so happy to see them that they named the canyon to commemorate the moment in time.
The most unique and perhaps impressive spot along the route is at Bourke's Luck Potholes, a conglomeration of swirled out pockets in the rock caused by pebbles that once flowed with the force of the water. We loved the spot and have too many pictures that we'd like to share so will have to be content with posting just a few!

Thanks to everyone who has provided us with some feedback about the blog. It's worth the effort that it takes when people are enjoying it and learning about South Africa even if it's only through our eyes!