Namibia

During Christmas Vacation we spent time in South Africa and Namibia. We drove over 5,300km and took over 4,000 pictures. The scenery of the Namib and Kalahari Deserts are breathtaking. The landscapes, plants, and animals are so diverse and resilient. I had no idea so much life existed in these harsh conditions. This plant looks wet or seems like it would be very sticky, right? NO! It was smooth like velvet yet had the texture of a spongy jelly. Spitzkoppe. I thought of trying to push one of these rocks down the cliff, but then remembered our car was parked down below. Here we observed rock paintings which could be several thousand years old. Tin can shack, creative! But it probably wouldn't provide much shelter from the wind and rain. giant sable antelope white tailed gnu Quiver Trees, the one I am standing next to is about 300 years old. Giant's Playground, near Keetmanshoop gemsbok or oryx layers and layers of mountains kudu deserted vehicle dried up crusty scorpion cooked on the desert rock Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. Some crazy people can hike 85 km along the canyon if they have a certificate from a doctor verifying their excellent quality of health. It is not allowed to hike it during the dry season, which was the time we were there. Wild desert horses near Aus. These animals have survived since the 17th century without human interference. It is thought they were survivors of European ship wrecks on the Skeleton Coast. These electrical lines continue for miles and miles, creating wonderful geometrical designs. Duiseb Castle, built in 1908 by a German named Von Wolf who only lived here with his American wife for 5 years until they had to flee the country because of WWI conflicts of interest. Namibia was colonized by the Germans and their influence of architecture and culture is still apparent today. zebra, with brown & white stripes Dune #45 in the Namib-Naukluft Park near Sessriem Bustard birds, named because they lack intelligence. They almost flew into each other! dry desert huh? We drove this little red car, a Chevy Spark, over 5,300km during our 20 days adventure throughout South Africa and Namibia. We saw many amazing rock formations along the way. Can you see the frog? Somewhere along side the road on the C19 north of Solitaire, Namibia we camped alongside the road. In the middle of the night I heard many hoofs clattering by our tent, was it reindeer? walking into Deadvlei at sunrise near Sessriem, Namibia a tree at sunrise somewhere in the Namib Desert the sign explains it all Deadvlei