Week TWO

DAY 8 - Monday - 1.14.13
On the road to Walvis Bay... On the way we dropped Rogan and Gordon at the dunes to ride Quads for a few hours.  We went on to observe the flamingoes in the lagoon, to talk with the guard at the salt pan collection and salt washing plant about production, to the waterfront to see tourist stores, and back to Swakopmund and the Secret Garden.  Fueled up with diesel over $5 per gallon.  We left about 2 for the seal colony at Seal Cross north of us about 110 Kms and above Henties Bay having Gary as our guide since he was stationed here when in the military.  The roads are finished with a salt surface. At Seal Cross we saw an estimated 100000 seals (but i think the number is low by 400k)... The beach for miles was covered with adult seals and their pups. The stench was notable and the pups were delightful. All the pups were born by mid december so were still small and we could not figure if the pup found the mother among the mass of undulating fur seals or vv.  We wonder how the sea in the area could support the nutritional needs of the colony.  Good discussion at dinner on many topics with the boys. Rogan is trying to sell the idea rugby is a better sport than American football - who is crazy enough to play Rugby? The cold in my ears transmigrated to my chest and severe coughing has ensued until medicated.. Good sleep followed.

DAY 9 - Tuesday - 1.15.13
Up early for desert tour... Ate breakfast early and was picked up by Tommy the owner-guide of Living Desert Tours... Initially we reduced the tire pressure from 60 to 10 psi. While doing so T spied a sidewinder snake and gave us a lecture and demo on its life, times and conditions below the sand except for the eyes on top of its head. Next we came across a gecko (from the Geico ads) and demonstrated its interesting hiding characteristics. T demonstrated the plant life characteristics as they interact with wildlife. Next came a chameleon and interesting desert birds which we held and fed.  We never did find a scorpion because the wind was too strong and blotted out the Bushman's Map showing where they would be. We had a nice balance of science, biology and bush understanding as we studied the terrain and animals.. The wind side of a dune is 30-40 degrees off horizontal while the downwind side is 10-11 degrees off vertical and much hotter.  Tommy's vehicle was once a howitzer hauler, then an ambulance and now a very intriguing dune machine. The last part of the tour we raced up, around and down dunes as quickly as feasible- hold on thrill ride.  We took temperature readings of sand and animals to study the environmental conditions. Back to town by noon and then to find $$$$.  On first try we were denied but then got 3000 N$s which should get us thru to our next stop and car tomorrow at Windhoek airport. Rt to lft- Gary, Marie of Belgium who travelled a day with us, Diane, M, Gordon, & Rogan....and
Rick took the photo.

DAY 10 - Wednesday - 1.16.13
Up for breakfast and a mad dash to Windhoek and the airport to turn in the van and get a small car.

We spent some time putting the itinerary together, keeping it flexible because so many of the roads we could travel are gravel. We will get local knowledge along the way and stick to major roads if there's no advantage to back roads. We will cross off Fish River Canyon if necessary.
1. Thurs.- Windhoek to Sesreim via Mariental
2.Fri - Sesreim/Soussesvlei  part of next day then to Mariental or even Keet if possible
3. Sat - Meriental or Keet to Luderitz
4. Sun-  Luderitz a full day Or midafternoon of arrival day (Sat.)and half day today
5. Mon - (or midday Sun) from Luderitz to Aus and a drive north along the park on C13 and D707 then back to Aus, stay there or on toward Keet (if we have all day for this drive). May get to Ai-Ais or the N. end of Fish River
6. Tues - to Mariental after finishing Fish River
7. Wed - have 4 hours for driving back to Windhoek to check car in by Noon.
We'll have to find pastries elsewhere than Solitaire. We (Diane, our travel coordinator and super sleuth) found one in the north across from a gas station we stopped at.

Hustled quickly over the 240 miles back to Windhoek and the airport to get the car back in time to not get another day's cost. Arrived beautifully due to Gary's driving and checked in. Checked out our small car quickly for 3:00 departure and had lunch with the crew. Returned to Windhoek and a nice pension to rest and prepare for our next stage of travel. We were thinking about how complicated all our logistics are since leaving home and over the week and amazed everything and every time worked out... Thankful we are. At the airport we traveled 2535 kilometers/1525 miles so far...

DAY 11 - Thursday - 1.17.13
On our own... Nook, help!   Slept terrible 2ndary to weekly malaria meds. What we have done in the last 36 hours is leave the dunes at the ocean, went to the center of the country to Windhoek and then today came 300 miles south and 200 miles west to the inland side of the dunes.  Saw gabons, cattle, sheep, goats and ground squirrels. Went thru Kalkrand and the low end area with water and toilet building alongside the corrugated metal homes. Carried 2 riders - very old man with classic wrinkled face, and a mother (at Kalkrand) taking her son 60 miles to the nearest hospital (Mariental) for problems with an eye.  B1 highway was asphalt and fast. At  Mariental  we turned west on C19 to Maltahohe and had 70 miles of tar and then 130 miles of gravel.. The under road gravel surface was most important - smooth = ok, washboard=equipment terror, and uneven large stone=thuds, for about  equal portions. On the gravel the savanna turned to stunning vistas Of high mountains, buttes, cliffs and passes. We even had a period of rain in the Kalahari desert.  Arrived at Sestriem where we shall go into the dunes tomorrow to view "Dune 45" - 45 kilometers in and passing 44 dunes from the end of the road. DAY 12 - Friday - 1.18.13
Springbuck with breakfast and out to Dune 45... We drove out thru ever increasing hills to dunes with less and less vegetation.  The sand turned red and very silty with very distinct moving high dunes. At 45 a tour truck had unloaded many young people who were climbing the dune and having breakfast.  We then turned east to retrace our drive on the 130 miles of gravel torture.  half way back and around Malthohohe were two wheeled horse carts with both 2 and 3 braces of horses loaded with people or firewood - a lot had quite young drivers (suppose this is equivalent of using the family car).  We toured the town and township. We had Transported one worker from a lodges-camps to Malthohohe. Back to Mariental for a 620 round trip in 24 hours out to Dune 45 and back to the main road.  Standing water in the desert...must have rained a lot at Mariental after we left at noon yesterday. We were told that in the Kalahari they measure rain fall by the distance between the drop when they hit the window. South to Keetmanshoop by 150 miles. Checked into Gesserts B&B (Endrick is the owner and a retired farmer of sheep and goats on 12k acres) and went out to a farm to watch the cheetahs being fed and tour the Quiver Trees (really aloe only big and old), national treasure. The tree got it name for the natives use of the tree in making and carrying arrows. We walked right in the field with the cheetahs once they had a piece of meat.  They are one of the only wild species which is tamable to some extent. Back to town for dinner and computing. Radio in Germany, English or click language. Tired and hot..it is summer here..like the beginning of August at home.

DAY 13 - Saturday - 1.19.13
Up for breakfast that Enrich and his staff cooked and on the road to Luderitz, a historically German community, on the Atlantic Ocean. Took a young man 90 miles going to the Fish River Canyon for work. Went thru savannah, hilly areas with trees and arid deserts.  All the way from Aus (60 miles) they were rebuilding the railroad. About 30 miles out the wind went to at least 50 knots from 10 o'clock and pushed tons of sand onto and across the road- slow going. Arrived Luderitz about 1 and began touring the area, napped and toured more. The land adjacent to the town is a fenced-off area belonging the the state diamond authority and admission is denied with strong warnings - 16 000 square kilometres have replaced the old grant area of the Sperrgebiet, the 'Forbidden Area'.  The area from what we could see was rock and huge sand dunes (no diamonds). The largest concentration of native wild animals we have seen was in the drain off swamp and pond below the sewage processing plan- oryx, springbok, and flamingoes. We went thru the harbor and docks and the parks and beaches. The poorest area was outside town - huge area of corrugated metal square building 8 feet high with at least as many residences and residents as in the city, thou the conditions were less than primitive with no running water and communal baths. Seafood tonite on the harbor... Great fish, different calamari.. Talked at length with the waitress about life here for less privileged and labor, the black v. white education (a new public school for grades 11-12 just opened in town), white students go to private school (actually anyone who can afford it can go), family incomes, wages, and jobs, and the railroad returning after 20 years. One must have a high school education to work in the diamond industry... Reading and writing and to bed.
DAY 14 - Sunday - 1.20.13 - Inauguration day, carried out tomorrow.
Up late to breakfast... Church... Then 240 miles to Keetmanshoop and back to Gesserts b&b. After a nap we went back on gravel washboard roads to the Quiver Forest and on to Giants Playground - an area of huge rocks all placed by an unseen hand in different, interesting formations and stacks. Then thru to area of people half way between white and black..no shacks and the places indicate these people are employed. Waiting for the IU v Northwestern BBALL game very late tonite.  Long talk with Endrick about life around here and farming... His farm is now run by his son and is 155 kilometers from town...sheep and goats and the animal markets.

END OF WEEK TWO. .... Marnie's Log for this week is 11 pages..you'll have to wait.