4 more days on Tour

Since I didn't have any internet in the desert the last few days, you will now receive the complete report of the last 4 days. Don't be confused by the times, I always wrote the texts on the respective evening.

Day 2

Yesterday nothing really exciting happened, we covered 500km and arrived near Vioolsdrift in the afternoon. Our campsite has charm and is located directly on the Orange River. After setting up our tents, we sat together, enjoyed the sunset, and waited for dinner 😉 we were all very hungry, so I was happy that there were noodles. Even though the noodle sauce contained meat, at least there was no steak or anything like that. Just like on trips with my organization, the amount of meat (every day) is just too high for me. Today I bought two avocados in the supermarket so I don't have to put meat on my sandwiches for the next few lunches 😉👍🏼

After dinner, we sat around the campfire together. The guides told us a lot about African culture, traditions, and "everything under the sun". Tomorrow a canoe trip on the Orange River will start at 8am. But before that, we still have to pack up the tents and have breakfast so that we can continue right after and not be too late at the border. So have a good night 😊

Day 3

Our canoe tour this morning was very nice. The Orange River has a lot of water and a strong current at the moment, so we didn't have much to do to move forward. As I said yesterday, we continued directly after that. Another 220 km from Vioolsdrift to Hobas. I had secured the passenger seat for today. Every day someone else can take the seat next to Justice, our driver. It's something completely different to enjoy the view from the windshield, with a view of the endlessly long roads and constantly changing panoramas that await us. Our next destination was the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world and definitely one of the main reasons for me to take this tour. In the afternoon, we arrived at our camp, set up our tents quickly, and then went straight to the canyon. There, we walked along the edge of the mighty and impressive canyon during sunset. The view and the light were truly spectacular. Afterwards, we had dinner on the viewing platform. Actually, the sun was supposed to set during dinner, but due to daylight saving time and the very early sunset, this was not possible. Speaking of daylight saving time, it gets really really cold here at night. At the moment, I sleep with thick hiking socks, sweatpants, and a sweater. And even at breakfast (usually around 6) and dinner, it's rather uncomfortable.

Tomorrow (Day 4) will be a rather unspectacular day with a long distance of 540km. Since the majority of it is gravel road, it will take quite a while. We are heading to Sesriem in the desert, where I have been before. Pure luxury that I am allowed to experience the amazing sunrise on Dune 45 for the second time.

Day 5 

The sunrise on the dune was once again very impressive. This time I took hardly any photos and simply enjoyed the sunrise, even though it was icy cold and very windy. Down at the foot of the dune, breakfast awaited us with a great view, where we had to thaw out first. After that, just like on my first tour, we went to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. However, due to a lack of water, we returned to the camp afterwards to do our dishes from breakfast and have lunch. Afterwards, we continued to an impressive campsite in the middle of the desert. The others had planned an excursion through the desert, which I did not participate in because I wanted to save some money and thought I had done something similar before. I misunderstood it a bit in advance and thought that this excursion would also take place in Sesriem and not at our new location. But my envy of the others quickly faded when I decided to go for a run with Anna, a fellow traveler, and Justus, our driver. I really miss jogging in nature. Considering that we are still in the middle of the desert, the temperatures are bearable and because it was very windy, it didn't feel as hot. The run was really something special. The colors, the vastness, and the interplay of light are always fascinating. In front of us, mountain zebras crossed our path, we ran towards the sunset, and it was simply magical. Of course, I didn't have a camera with me, but I think such situations can only be captured in your mind and in your heart anyway. The subsequent braai at the campfire with an incredible starry sky was definitely a successful end to a great day in the impressive desert. Tonight will be my last night in the tent, as we will be sleeping in accommodation in Swakopmund and then I will spend another night in the hostel. My last trip in beautiful Namibia is unfortunately coming to an end again. In four weeks, I will already be sitting on the plane, and the melancholy is definitely slowly creeping in. But enough of farewells and sadness - four weeks are still ahead of me, and I will enjoy every moment ☀️