In Namibia....

We have stopped over in the heavily influenced German town of Swakomund in Namibia en route north. It's a nice break from the early morning starts, camping food and long, bumpy truck rides. The overland tour is pretty good as some of the parks are quite inaccessible unless you go by a tour and everyone from Germany, Belguim, Korea, Japan and Canada are generally getting along. I am pitching a tent with a Japanese traveller who has been gone for over a year and is slowly making his way through Africa and the Middle East towards Japan. We are sleeping at mainly camp sites that are quite comfortable with running water. Watch out for the occasional scorpion crawling by though.

We left South Africa earlier this week and entered Namibia. It's one of the most underpopulated countries in Africa with a population of under two million. There are hardly any cars or trucks on the highway which constantly change from tar roads to gravel and then back to tar. I have not seen any bicyclist or motorcyclist touring here as the settlements are quite a distance from each other and the sun is strong. Swakomund is suppose to be one of their most popular cities and it feels more like a small town or a weekday in New Westminster. The coastline is extremely inhospitable and there is only one port in the whole country. The main coast known as the Skeleton Coast has a history causing ship wrecks. However, the people are all very friendly and there isn't edgy feeling to this country as in South Africa.

One of the highlights of visiting Namibia is definitely going out to the red sand dunes in the Namib Desert and watching a sunrise. I particular like the way the light changes the colour of the sand every few seconds. The sand is extremely fine and the colour is caused by its' iron content. The Namib Desert is not expanding as the winds blowing from the north and south are of equal strength but the dunes are constantly changing shapes. Speaking of sand dunes, I went quad-biking nearby Swakopmund and the coast.Initially, I was skeptical but it's a lot of fun going over the dunes and at times feels like skiing. Going around the bends in tight turns and down steep inclines was a blast.

We leave tomorrow and head northeast towards the Etosha National Park. It's known for the water holes where you can see the elephants, lions, onyxs and other wildlife come for a drink of water. Talk to you later.