Today, day 78, we are cruising up the South Atlantic Ocean along the west coast of Africa. This follows our day in Walvis Bay, Namibia, the first of 5 new countries for us as we make our way north. In Walvis Bay we took an Oceania excursion, Treasures of The Namib Desert by Off-road Vehicle. We sailed in through very thick fog which partially cleared when we were docked. The temperature was in the 60's and we anticipated being quite cold as we were driven around in the "off-road vehicle". Well, it turned out that the off-road vehicle was a nice SUV and, when we got to the desert it was warm and sunny. Our driver/guide, Horst, took us to a stop along the coast to see the flamingos. There were just a few there and they were pretty far out.
Horst then drove us past the sand dunes as we headed to the Namib Naukluft Park. It is a very stark desert environment, not at all like the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.
The next stop was a viewpoint for the Moon Landscape.
We then continued on through the desert with its interesting terrain, lichens, and different plant life.
The most interesting plant that we saw was the Welwitschia, which is, believe it or not, a tree that is the national plant of Namibia. It sure didn't look like a tree and they can be hundreds of years old! Can you tell which is the male plant and which is the female?
We then went back through the Swakop River to the Goanikontes Oasis, a true oasis in the desert that was once used by English ranchers as a farm for cattle and produce. It was amazing to see this oasis since Horst told us that they might have 2 days of rain each year and the river will only flow once or twice a year.
Next we were driven to the town of Swakopmund. There is much German history in the area which Horst was able to tell us about. His parents came to Namibia from Germany. Swakopmund has some buildings from the era of German settlement in the late 1800's and many of the newer buildings are in the same style.
The final stop on the way back to the ship was at a sand dune so we could have the opportunity to walk up. We did not take the opportunity to slide down like the kids were doing.
We passed some new developments along the coast (named Langstrand, Long Beach!) as the sun was starting to set.
It was an excellent excursion that gave us the desert experience and the history of the area from Horst, a very good guide. It was also fascinating to think about the differences in the vegetation and the wildlife between South Africa and Namibia.
Before I wrap this up, I need to take a few steps back to recall our day in Cape Town. When we returned there the evening after our safari, the weather was very nice with a good view of Table Mountain.
The next morning, the weather was not so nice and Table Mountain was lost in the overcast.
We had the day in Cape Town and we thought about going to a botanical garden. However, two factors discouraged us from that plan. First, was the cloudy, cool weather. Second, we had to be back to the ship by 2:00 pm so we could go through immigration before the ship left South Africa. We eventually decided to walk through the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
And one other comment. When they have fresh fish in Terrace, the chef there, Kadar, will often prepare it specially for us and he is very creative. We really appreciate it!
Now we have 2 sea days before we arrive in Luanda, Angola, our next new country.
To all creatures (and plants) great and small, peace and blessings,
Linda and Larry
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