Family shadow on Sossusvlei sand dune
More lions, Golden sand dunes, Namib desert and more rain…. 23rd to 30th March 2011 Nossob campsite in the far north of the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park is remote, has an awesome pool and is frequented by dozens of ground squirrels which Zara befriends in minutes and (naughtily) has them feeding out of the palm of her hand. We feel relaxed here and pause for some rest and time to do a bit more school work. The small visitor museum is excellent and provides good material for a natural history quiz for the girls, honing their knowledge on amazing birds here like the Lappet faced vulture with its massive beak for disemboweling the carcass and displays on Leopard, Meerkat and Brown Hyena to name a few. It is also a time to reflect on where we are at and what we are up to. We have been on the road for nearly a month and time hurtles by and I am sure this will all be over faster than we can imagine. Already days of the week have become irrelevant, the date vaguely interesting, my razor lost and world news somewhat distant. Our programme revolves around trying to get some schooling done (averaging 3.5days per week of formal schoolwork and then plenty of teaching on the trot including talking books (thanks so much Leigh!), crosswords, museums, historical and geographical sights and wildlife) and we remain in contact with the girls lovely teacher Lesley in New Zealand. Ilda continues to do magic and stay Zen and remains enthused with the whole programme. There is the occasional anxiety that our kids are turning into intellectual retards traipsing around African campsites, but overall we reckon that this trip will stand them in good stead! The family experience has been amazing. No more is Dad on call, tired or grumpy and we are moving and living as a cohesive unit. The girls are involved in the camp and Margot can pack up her tent in minutes and is a great help. Zara needs a bit more encouragement but does well and both of them have adapted amazingly to this peripatetic existence and itinerant classroom, one day in a game reserve, the next in the desert. Otherwise we drift northwards taking in the sights, reading lots and fussing over what my physio friends call the ADL’s( activities of daily living) cooking, washing, packing up etc which seem to take up far more time than I would have hoped! Our aim is to reach Rwanda by June where we will spend a month and I will work as a volunteer in a Mission Hospital. 
Oryx at the Kgalagadi National Park, SA
Lions at the Kgalagadi 
Dry Nossob River bed, Kgalagadi 
Donkey cart heading West, Namib desert, Namibia 
Camp #17, Sessiem, the gate to Sossusvlei sand dunes, Namibia 
From Nossob we head west to Mata Mata camp site still in the Kalagadi park and that night need to prepare supper in virtual darkness thanks to a plague of moths which seem intent on penetrating ones nasal passages and becoming part of the dinner stew. The drive over is memorable for an epic lion sighting where three females virtually walk into our car! We sit back and enjoy the spectacle of them firstly drinking at the nearby waterhole and then holding an attentive vigil down-wind of the hole, occasionally crawling up to sniff the breeze and cowering at the bush line with ears back searching for dinner. We are torn away by the deadline and need to be back in camp by sunset. The campsite has a floodlit waterhole and we see a few jittery Oryx come down for a drink. Our fellow travelers are also interesting and we have met all sorts. Sadly children are lacking as most must be at school and we hope, as we progress north, to meet more over-landers with kids. Many of the travelers are retirees and then there are a number of the big over-land trucks carrying excited backpackers, until we hit Namibia where the Germans seem to migrate like thirsty wildebeest. 
Sossusvlei sand dunes at sunrise, Namibia
From Mata Mata we ease into Namibia and are amazed by the amazing dirt road which is smooth and fast. We cover some big miles traversing the country to get to Sesriem and the amazing Sossusvlei sand dunes. Margot’s school dictation sets the scene. “The sand dunes at Sossusvlei are one of the great wonders of the world. Their magnitude and beauty defy belief. Every day hundreds of tourists flock to marvel at this natural wonder. A sixty kilometre drive along a sealed road takes you to within five kilometers of the vlei and the final short section involves a fun filled and challenging 4x4 track. The sight that meets you is indeed breathtaking and is best viewed as the first soft trays of dawn caress the mammoth orca coloured dunes. The dunes are formed from sand carried by the mighty Orange River which, after being deposited in the sea, are carried northwards by the icy cold Benguela current and then blown back onto land by strong sea winds. Up to four thousand cubic metres per year of sand serve to keep the dunes well stocked.” Incredibly here we meet up with our good friend Sarah, and her family, from Mseleni and share a walk in the Sesriem canyon and a lovely ice-cold beer.
The road to Swakopmund is a jaw rattling corrugated epic, but we make it in one piece. We stop in a hamlet called Solitaire for world-famous apple crumble and then at the Rockstock Ritz, an eccentric igloo-shaped lodge in the desert, for a cold beer. The country changes dramatically and by the time we reach Walvis Bay we are surrounded by complete sand with golden coastal dunes. It is a relief to see the Atlantic and we celebrate with dinner at The Tug, a superb restaurant next to crashing waves, and sip on chilled, cool, crisp Sauvignon. Mary and Richard Baines (parents of long time varsity mate Stu) look after us in Swakop (thanks so much!) and we love the mood of this coastal town with its wide streets and laid back feeling. The town is a buzz because the local Swakop river is in flood and is flowing into the sea for the first time in about 100 years. We join the excited throng to witness the spectacle. The rough road took its toll on the car and I take the plunge and have the shocks replaced by a local mechanic. An expensive and tiresome business but we are certainly riding more smoothly now. After visits to the museum, sandboarding, a morning waterfront trot and plunge in the sea (a lot warmer than Cape Town!), and kite flying with Mary we are back on the road and aim North West.
Storm brewing in the desert, Namibia
Swako river in flood in the Atlantic Ocean
The road to Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberge (burning mt.) at over 2700m, is so straight that the road and telephone poles converge and then disappear in a shimmering haze that plays tricks on the mind. Coastal blue sky gives way to towering coal black cumulus and we find ourselves in a catastrophic thunderstorm with sheets of rain, daggers of lightning and a desert road that rapidly becomes a river. We are late so check into the backpacker of the Brandenberg rest house and feast on delicious Gemsbok steak and cold Hansa beer. Basil, the proprietor, (not quite Faulty Towers, but something like that) insists that Ilda and I try his “Brand-water”, a homemade spirit washed down following a generous sniff of snuff and a blast from a mallet which gives a sensation of a massive explosion somewhere beneath my pituitary gland that certainly nearly blows my head off! The girls love the place with its massive pool, talking parrots, kittens and quirkiness but we throw caution to the wind and elect to press on to Etosha. We stop at the incredible red mountain with its tumbling and giant granite marbles and enjoy a wonderful couple of hours amble up a cool stream to see the famous “White Lady” rock art. Estimated to be about 2000 years old the well preserved paintings were initially thought to represent an early European white female settler but sense has prevailed and current thinking is that these depict a medicinal ethnic ritual in graphic detail. After lunch we press on to Etosha, apprehensive that we may find it submerged thanks to record rainfall. The park is greener and wetter than ever with the famous dry pan now a lake. Unperturbed we check into the camp and enjoy a bit of R&R with a fabulous pool and clear skies. We do get our first taste of scary pricing at R500 night just to camp! Fortunately we negotiate a bit of a discount as SADAC members (of course we are South African!) and thus free up a bit of cash for beer! Game is scarce, Germans are prolific, Black backed jackals patrol the campsite and a 04.00 excursion to the floodlit waterhole adjoining the camp was fruitful only for sightings of Giant eagle owl and spectacular stars. The Leopard still evades us!
Storm brewing in the desert, Namibia 
Swako river in flood in the Atlantic Ocean The road to Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberge (burning mt.) at over 2700m, is so straight that the road and telephone poles converge and then disappear in a shimmering haze that plays tricks on the mind. Coastal blue sky gives way to towering coal black cumulus and we find ourselves in a catastrophic thunderstorm with sheets of rain, daggers of lightning and a desert road that rapidly becomes a river. We are late so check into the backpacker of the Brandenberg rest house and feast on delicious Gemsbok steak and cold Hansa beer. Basil, the proprietor, (not quite Faulty Towers, but something like that) insists that Ilda and I try his “Brand-water”, a homemade spirit washed down following a generous sniff of snuff and a blast from a mallet which gives a sensation of a massive explosion somewhere beneath my pituitary gland that certainly nearly blows my head off! The girls love the place with its massive pool, talking parrots, kittens and quirkiness but we throw caution to the wind and elect to press on to Etosha. We stop at the incredible red mountain with its tumbling and giant granite marbles and enjoy a wonderful couple of hours amble up a cool stream to see the famous “White Lady” rock art. Estimated to be about 2000 years old the well preserved paintings were initially thought to represent an early European white female settler but sense has prevailed and current thinking is that these depict a medicinal ethnic ritual in graphic detail. After lunch we press on to Etosha, apprehensive that we may find it submerged thanks to record rainfall. The park is greener and wetter than ever with the famous dry pan now a lake. Unperturbed we check into the camp and enjoy a bit of R&R with a fabulous pool and clear skies. We do get our first taste of scary pricing at R500 night just to camp! Fortunately we negotiate a bit of a discount as SADAC members (of course we are South African!) and thus free up a bit of cash for beer! Game is scarce, Germans are prolific, Black backed jackals patrol the campsite and a 04.00 excursion to the floodlit waterhole adjoining the camp was fruitful only for sightings of Giant eagle owl and spectacular stars. The Leopard still evades us!
Dinner in Swakopmund Namibia
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