Nomad issue #26

KENYAN TRAVELER
The ride from Namibia’s
capital, Windhoek,
to the coastal city of
Swakopmund is simply
breathtaking. The
landscape has hues
ranging from a dark rich
red to a deep earthy
brown, and the most
spectacular rock formations rise in the
distance as if beckoning you to explore.
I wanted to climb every single one. One
hour away from Walvis Bay, the sun
set, hanging low in the sky. Picture the
scene; a mountain straight ahead and
to my right, a big orange sphere at eye
level, the sky awash with a beautiful
blend of purple, red and orange as we
drove deeper into the evening fog.
Swakopmund is a little sleepy town
bursting with colour, full of adorable
little cafes and watering holes at every
corner. I got there at 10:00am, my
phone at less than 10% with no idea
where my bed and breakfast was. In
hindsight, I really was trying to get lost.
If it wasn’t for the kindness of the taxi
driver who not only offered to help me
find my accommodation but also took
me on a little detour into the township,
“Mission Dune” would’ve been but a
dream.
Having spent two nights in
Swakopmund, we set out into the desert
with a pit stop at Walvis Bay to view the
flamingos that call home a stretch of beach
here, their pink plumage contrasting sharply
with the dull tones of the Atlantic Ocean
blanketed in a heavy fog.
It took us two days to get to the dunes.
The drive there can only be summarized as
landscapes that ask you to simultaneously
experience them while also curating them
for the world to see, often leaving you in
a state of confusion as you drive through
the vastness of the desert. With the Namib
Naukluft Mountains looming not too far in
the distance, you would be remiss to try and
catch even a sliver of sleep.
The Naukluft
Mountains stretched
before me and
the Namib Desert
challenged the
horizon as far as my
bespectacled eyes
could see.
Finally, D Day (Dune Day) was upon
us and we had to be up early because we
had a two hour drive to the entrance of the
Namib Naukluft Park. When you go on
vacation, getting up early isn’t the kind of
thing you want to hear, especially if early in
this instance is 4:00am, but I was eager to
take in the views atop Big Daddy.
Dune 45, Big Daddy and the Soussvlei
and Deadvlei are all within driving distance
of each other, with the park providing 4x4’s
to ferry you from the pickup point to any of
these attractions. The park opens at 6:00am
and we had to be among the first to get
there to avoid the long queues for the few
4x4’s available. On the drive to the park
entrance, the moon languidly sashayed
away behind the Namib Naukluft to my left
taking the night’s cold with it.
Shortly after, we were at the bottom of
Big Daddy. Found between Soussvlei and
Deadvlei and at a height of 325m, this was
bound to be a challenge to climb especially
seeing as I straddle that fit/unfit line, but
“Mission Dune” was not for the weak.
Two hours, more stops than I care to
admit and a lot of heaving later, I was
on top of the world. Deadvlei, white and
blinding, spread below me. The Naukluft
Mountains stretched before me and the
Namib Desert challenged the horizon as far
as my bespectacled eyes could see. “Mission
Dune” was complete leaving me with a sense
of yearning for this beautiful country that
pushed me past my physical limits.
NOMAD MAGAZINE 2020 23