To the Sossusvlei Dunes

Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay is little over 30 km from Swakopmund. Although it was a Saturday, there were many cars and the road was full of trucks. And so the drivers from the opposite direction regularly drove me off on to the verge because no cyclist was going to prevent them from overtaking. I had problems when the verge was covered with wind-blown sand. Then I skidded on it like a goat on ice. I really did not enjoy it and was happy when this section was past.

Walvis Bay is Namibia’s second biggest city, yet it is a remote village like Lovosice. It is the most important Namibian harbor and therefore trucks are constantly plying from both directions. The suburbs are full of small standardized workers' cabins, of a very good quality under the local conditions. The center is not very different from the suburbs. Blocks of supermarkets dominate, I counted at least five, as well as a number of other stores which were closed on the Saturday afternoon, and several gas stations. There is an up-market quarter at the lagoon, with quite nice villas. I found accommodation in one of them, reducing the rate through bargaining by one-third, to 200 N$ per night, as I was the only guest anyway.

[Walvis Bay] Expensive hotel in the vicinity of the port, stacked containers in the background disturbing the idyll

[Walvis Bay] The house at the lagoon

I booked a cruise for the following day at an agency to see the dolphins and sea lions, allegedly with champagne and oysters, so I hoped I would not be seeing them in duplicate. Due to the experience with the accommodation, I quite easily achieved a lower price, it was off-season, and it is a sleepy hollow. The weather was correspondingly dull, clouds, wind, damp and cold. Internal heating with liquor cannot be applied too often when traveling by bike, so I rather put on the softshell. I was quite looking forward to sweating in the desert once more.

[Walvis Bay] Yacht Club

[Walvis Bay] Yacht Club designed in blue

Lagoon
The coastline here is curved, forming an extensive inland lagoon. It is a paradise for birds, especially flamingos and pelicans. Flamingos, however, although superior in number, keep an alert distance, When I wanted to take a close-up photo, they began to squawk - simply, they began to make warning sounds and still kept their distance from me.

[Walvis Bay] The lagoon is literally alive with flamingos

[Walvis Bay] Flamingo dispute

[Walvis Bay] Let’s go home, Mom!

Pelicans, Sea Lions, Dolphins, Whales, Champagne and Oysters
I knew that it would be cold on the boat, so I dressed warmly and even took windstopper gloves with me. It was a good idea. After 8 a.m. a young man picked me up from the hostel and drove me to the harbor. The local pelicans entertained us before departure. The boat was small, able to carry a maximum of 12 passengers. There were 8 of us. Boarding was almost a gymnastic exercise, via a narrow gangplank. First of all, one had to watch out for the waves or you would end up with wet shoes. But they had it well prepared. When we disembarked, the width of the gangplank was tripled – in the event of a passenger having problems with his balance, after partaking of the refreshments.

[Walvis Bay] Pelicans guarding access to the port

[Walvis Bay] Boat ready for embarkation; boarding is via the yellow gangplank

[Walvis Bay] At the whistle, pelicans fly in for fish

The beginning of the voyage was impressive. We were about 500 meters from the port, our Guide-cum-Captain whistled on his fingers and soon pelicans arrived from the port, demanding fish. They got what they demanded, flew away, but came back again at the next whistle. Just like whistling for a dog. We had not even managed to breathe out, when the water rippled and a sea lion toddled up for a visit on the steps at the stern. He lay down on our seats, so we had to stand. Then port wine to warm us up and beer to quench our thirst were served. The Guide answered a few expert questions, e.g. "Why do birds fly in a V- formation?" – "Because the front one is carrying the GPS." And, in similar spirits, the voyage continued. Soon we arrived near a huge colony of sea lions near Pelican Point lighthouse. The water around us was boiling with sea lions performing impressive leaps. I did not know where to look first. Besides the sea lions, there were also jackals on the shore, gnawing on some carrion.

[Walvis Bay] A sea lion pays a visit, coming on board via the steps

[Walvis Bay] Lecture on sea lions, with live specimen on board

[Walvis Bay] The sea lion looks slightly dejected at not getting another fish

[Walvis Bay] Pelican Point lighthouse

[Walvis Bay] A colony of sea lions in the background; the water teems with frolicking animals

[Walvis Bay] Sea lions on the mainland accompanied by jackals

[Walvis Bay] Sea lions splash around the boat

We sailed to view the oyster beds. They were doing very well, thanks to the Benguela current, which is exceptionally rich in plankton. The oysters are commonly harvested after only 9 months. But the beds must be cleaned every month, otherwise they would be overgrown with small shells. Another beer and something else from the vast supplies on board and then the dolphins arrived, swimming close to the sides of the boat. The best place for their observation was in the bow, where one had to crawl on the 10-cm wide edge of the boat to see them. All the while the boat was going at full speed ahead and the lifejackets were strategically forgotten under one of the seats. Then one of the boats announced a whale, and so all the boats raced to the spot of the sighting. We got there in time to see two specimens. But it was very brief. The whale emerged in one spot and we had just a few seconds to see it, before it dived under the water again.

[Walvis Bay] One boat spots a whale, thus launching the race for the best position

[Walvis Bay] This curious pelican flies in to take a closer look at us

Just a perfect trip, a witty guide, a day filled with experiences and, if I had not spared myself, it would also have been filled with alcohol. In conclusion, we had a light lunch at sea accompanied by champagne and crowned with a dish of local oysters. These are eaten raw and probably alive. The Guide opened them and cut the flesh out of the shells. They are eaten with pepper and lemon. In order to savor the taste, one must chew them a little before swallowing. I had half a dozen and they were delicious. And my digestive tract did not suffer any harm. As we approached the harbor, the pelicans flew towards us, responding to the whistle and accompanying us for the last kilometer of the voyage.

[Walvis Bay] Lunch is almost eaten, with the first batch of oysters gone

Like a Fat Duck
I was going to the Namib Naukluft National Park, which is famous for the biggest sand dunes in the world. On the map, I noted that there were two campsites in the first 130 km and then Rostock Ritz Lodge about 190 km away. I asked the hostel owner about the camps and learnt an unpleasant fact that they were only campgrounds without any water or facilities and that it might be necessary to arrange a permit to access the roads leading to the campsites (yes, it was necessary). Then he cautiously told me that the road was very poor, covered in sand, hilly. There were not many cars, but some drivers drove like crazy. And he warned me that it would be a “challenge”. So I took a full ten liters of water in the bag, and with the bags full of food, felt like a bulky duck fattened up for foie gras. The bike behaved stubbornly, the water bag traveled on the pannier rack and this certainly did not increase cycling performance. I had to move the water to just behind the saddle, so that it was closer to the center of gravity and thereafter the bike was much easier to control.

Nevertheless, the beginning was fine. The first 20 km of road leading to the Airport was paved and there were still no hills. But then came a difficult turning point, on to a dusty road with lots of corrugations, often buried in sand for long sections. I began gradually, but steadily, to climb up to the plateau which forms a substantial part of the Namibian territory. I had no choice but to work really hard in the heat. Of course I was pleased by the reaction of passing motorists. The vast majority of them waved, honked and some would even stop with a request to take a photo and to offer me water, food and moral support. Flocks of ostriches grazed around me, occasionally a pack of jackals showed up, but otherwise there was not much excitement. The exception was the Vogelfederberg rock formation, in whose vicinity the map indicated the first of the campsites to be situated. However, access to it was not marked and it was reached via a road for which special permission was required.

[30 km east of Walvis Bay] Private road

[Vogelfederberg] A permit is required for access to the rock formation

When Promises are Kept
A lot of people take photos of me on my travels. I always give them a visiting card and politely ask them to send me the photos to my e-mail address indicated on the card. I counted how many people actually sent me photos during the years. Not a single one, folks. Until this year, when the bad luck ended and Arnaud Eudet, a young Frenchman, actually sent me some photos. He was traveling with a beautiful young lady. They encountered me in the dull gray desert about 80 km beyond Walvis Bay. They took photos of me from the front, back and side. Only an aerial view is missing. Merci, Arnaud.

[80 km east of Walvis Bay] Photo by Arnaud Eudet – that bulging belly is caused by the belt stuffed with banknotes, passport and payment card

[80 km east of Walvis Bay] The persistent climb through the arid desert – photo by Arnaud Eudet

[80 km east of Walvis Bay] This is how passing motorists see me – photo by Arnaud Eudet

In the Wilds
It was getting late and I was looking for a site in which to sleep out for the first night in the wilds of Africa. It was difficult. Although the road was not fenced, the surrounding landscape was flat and overgrown with 10-cm tall grass in which perhaps Ferdy, the Ant could have hidden, but not I, with my oversized height. I was looking for some mounds or hills behind which I could hide. Nothing. With the darkening sky, it ceased to be so important, only madmen would drive here at night. But for the feeling of a job well done, I kept searching. Finally a small gorge appeared, about half a meter below ground level. No hooves galloped out from it, so probably it was not a significant assembly point for animals. I stopped there. In the remaining daylight, I made tea and coffee, ate cheese, tomatoes, sardines, bread and porridge. I only pitched the tent in complete darkness. Twelve and a half liters of water is not much in the local heat, so I used it cautiously. I washed only 'top and tail' – the top to look like a man, and the tail which had to be kept clean on the bike – the rest of the water was for drinking and the next day. I crawled into the den, read for a while and then caught up on the sleep deficit from Walvis Bay.

[120 km east of Walvis Bay] Rest stop

[Kuiseb Canyon] A mighty river flows in the bottom of the canyon in the rainy season

[Kuiseb Canyon] Downhills as well as uphills are steep

[Kuiseb Canyon] Keep our desert clean (and especially do not scribble on the boulders)

In the morning, I feasted my eyes for a few kilometers. I passed a turn-off to the second campground which was as unusable as the previous one, and after about 10 km saw a good place to sleep. The roadside rest place, hidden behind a slight hill, would have been an ideal option, with table and benches for comfortable cooking and dining. The road then deteriorated considerably, its sand-covered surface forcing me to push the bike a few times even on the flat. The continuous short descents and climbs were eating up a lot of my strength. The passes through the Kuiseb and Gaub Canyons were beautiful, albeit physically demanding. And I felt the lack of food weakening me significantly.

[Intersection of C14 and C26] Direction Solitaire

[Near the Gaub Canyon] Tropic of Capricorn: I leave the tropics

However, I still headed steadily on to Rostock Ritz Lodge, where there was also meant to be a campsite. But my main concern was food and beer. As I was approaching Rostock Ritz, my only desire was that it was not located far from the road. My wish was not granted, the camp was 7 km on a road which was almost impassable by bike. Fortunately, the entrance road to the campsite appeared after 1 km. Due to the failing light, I could not obey the instruction that those interested in camping were to register at the Lodge, 6 km away. I pushed the bike on the road buried in sand for a further 2 km and reached the camp. Not a sign of life anywhere, but everything was functioning. The hot water shower got me back on my feet. Removing the sweaty shirts from the body unwashed for two days was truly a physical relief.

[50 km north of Solitaire] Gateway to Rostock Ritz

Solitaire
No, I am not speaking about a card game, but about the next life-saving point on my journey, a dot on the map called Solitaire. It was close, about 50 km away. In the morning, the cooker began to malfunction. It took me half an hour to boil a liter of water, so I was worried. But the beautiful landscape around me expelled the gloomy thoughts from my mind. I saw a burly solitary cactus, and a magnificent Oryx showing off next to the road. For about half an hour, the traffic was incredibly heavy (about 12 cars in 30 minutes), apparently cars returning from Sossusvlei. Nevertheless, I calmly reached Solitaire which is a gas station, bakery, store, lodge and campgrounds. What more could I want? Cold beer in the store, hot Strudel in the bakery, a hot shower in the camp and a buffet dinner in the lodge. Solitaire is decorated with car wrecks and various bits of machinery – pumps, motors – in various stages of decay. It also prides itself on an airport, but this is a dusty runway on which only light and resistant aircraft can land.

[40 km north of Solitaire] Morning traffic is unusually heavy

[30 km north of Solitaire] Oryx (Gemsbok): in the evening I eat steak made out of his friend

[30 km north of Solitaire] Boots

[30 km north of Solitaire] A huge cactus

[20 km north of Solitaire] Trees

Dinner was great. Loyal to my principles, I ate only meat and vegetables. Oryx steak, Zebra goulash. Well, I stuffed my belly for two days in advance. This is what I really enjoy about travel. One day, it is oysters with champagne and sleeping in a cozy room with every facility, the next day, sleeping in a ditch, the following night in a mysterious, deserted campsite and afterwards dining on delicacies in an elegant dining room.

[Solitaire] Wreckage as decoration

[Solitaire] Get in, and let's go!

[Solitaire] Even in Namibia the lighting observes EU regulations

Sesriem, or Tourist Village
I easily reached Sesriem on an exceptionally good gravel road. The road had a hard, smooth surface and the gravel had been compacted by cars, so I could even race downhill without the risk of sinking into the sand and subsequently crashing. Only the last 8 km from the crossroads of C19 and C27 was a classic unmaintained tank training track, but this could not spoil the impression of the previous great road. My impression was spoiled only by Sesriem itself, more precisely the camp run by the State-owned company of NWR. I waited for half an hour merely at the entrance to the camp. The guard was checking all arriving and departing cars to see if they had reservations and whether they had paid the entry fee to the park. He made me stand to one side, because he wanted to chat with me. I had to line up twice at the campsite reception desk – first to pay the entrance fee to the National Park and then to pay for the campsite. It took 90 minutes from my arrival to the time I was allocated a tent site. In private camps, it takes 5 minutes.

Of course, the campsite was also rotten. There were about 30 tent sites, each of them could hold at least six cars with tents. These were the reserved sites. Those who did not have a reservation, were confined to a space where there was nothing – no tables, water or electricity. Most people had come without reservations and so were camping quite uncomfortably. But they all had everything in their cars, took out tables and chairs, had their own water tanks and a few clever guys even had their own generators. For me, however, it was like camping in a ditch beside the road. At least I could get some water. Not enough toilets, showers with lukewarm water and without shower heads. A classic example of how the State is ineffective in such cases.

Sossusvlei - Namibia
Sossusvlei – an area of sand dunes – is the most famous Namibian natural attraction. It is a salt and clay pan (basin) surrounded by high sand dunes. The name of the whole region gave the name to the valley in which water is preserved in a small pan throughout the year. The name is composed of expressions in the language of the Nama and Afrikaner (sossus means 'dead end' in Nama and vlei is the Afrikaans word for 'swamp' or 'marsh'). It is a dead end because it is a catchment area of the Tsauchab River which is without any outflow. However, water flows in the river only during flood periods.

[Sossusvlei] Sand and calcified crust

[Sossusvlei] Walking on the dunes is a local, quite strenuous, specialty

The dunes commonly reach a height of 200 meters and are among the highest in the world. The record-holder is the Big Daddy dune which has an impressive height of around 320 meters (the height varies over time). The dunes are colored from pink to orange. The age of the dunes can be assessed by their color. The redder the dune, the older it is.

[Sossusvlei] The colors change during the day

At first glance, the whole area seems unsuitable for vegetation and animals due to the lack of water. However, the area is irrigated by underground and temporary rivers that flood the valley during the season. The daily ration of humidity is ensured by regular morning fogs caused by the damp air on the Atlantic coast. This enables the survival of not only small mammals and snakes, but even ostriches and antelope such as the Eland and Springbok.

[Sossusvlei] Road to Deadvlei

Due to frequent strong winds, the dunes have falcated edges and therefore they are called star dunes. And because the dunes are essentially unstable, they moved into the original valley, or rather into the calcified basin and split into several smaller valleys. The best known are three of these– Deadvlei which is famous for dozens of dead trees up to 900 years old, scorched black by the sun. Although they are definitely dead, the local climate has also fossilized them, so that the trees will endure for centuries in their unchanged condition.

[Sossusvlei] 900-year-old dead trees in Deadvlei

[Sossusvlei] Deadvlei

Another valley is the aforementioned Sossusvlei. Water in the pan is a unique event and two flamingos were even parading in it, provoking most visitors to photographic efforts. However, in Walvis Bay there are hundreds and thousands of them just along the coast. The area was previously inhabited by Bushmen, but in 1950 they grew tired and moved away. Since then, there have only been animals, and especially tourists.

[Sossusvlei] Walking on the dune ridge

[Sossusvlei] A Sossusvlei lake with flamingos

The two valleys mentioned above usually tire tourists and so they skip the visit to the last one – Hidden Vlei. It is a 4-km walk (there and back) from the parking lot and in the local heat it is quite tedious. But you correctly anticipate that I did not omit it. And I was thrilled, not a soul anywhere, I had the vlei all to myself, leaving my sole footprints on the dunes.

[Sossusvlei] Hidden Vlei

[Sossusvlei] Trees in Hidden Vlei

[Sossusvlei] Hidden Vlei bottom is formed by calcified crust

Sossusvlei is located approximately 65 km from Sesriem. It is even connected by a paved road. The road ends with a parking area for 2WD cars. Those with 4X4s can drive on further to the 5-km distant Deadvlei. The track is covered in 30 cm of sand, so normal cars have no chance of getting there. An NWR shuttle operates for passengers of those cars at the unbelievably high price of 150 N$. I had paid for my transport from Sesriem and so this nifty feature was already included in the price.

Solving Problems
Something always happens to me. This time there were two problems. Firstly, the zipper on my long civilian trousers stopped functioning. I managed to fix this – the bottom end of the zipper was good, so I shortened it and stitched some Velcro, which I had partially removed from my rain trousers, on to the upper part. I had already worn this creative design in Sossusvlei and nothing had stuck out anywhere, so I was not committing any offense to decency.

The second problem was worse – the MSR Whisper Lite International gasoline stove was malfunctioning. Boiling 1.5 liters of water took 20 minutes and this was really unacceptable. I did not have the operating instructions with me, but I had to repair it somehow. I disassembled what I could, but was none the wiser. I even replaced the nozzle (the cooker has two types of fuel jets – for gas and kerosene, etc.), but it did not help. Because the cooker was smoking considerably when being lit, I was all covered in soot and each manipulation with it meant soiling the hands. Eventually I located the defect. The pipe leading from the cylinder to the burner was clogged. The problem was apparently caused by the gas purchased in Khorixas. The cooker had worked perfectly with the cleaning gas. I poured out the gas, bought some new gas, but still it was not perfect and I had to disassemble the cooker and blow through the tube every day. I also wondered whether the gas was not corroding the bottle in which I carried the reserve for refilling, but it did not seem to be. I would see if it improved.