Day 10

Today would turn out to be a highlight of our tour. We were to spend the day in Swakopmund and go on a trip into the desert. We had no idea what to expect. We woke early for breakfast at 7 – service is slow – as we had to meet the tour operator outside the hotel at 8. The morning was quite cold and the town covered in a thick fog, so much so, that if you didn’t know where you were going, you were in trouble as you could see nothing around you, so there were no visible landmarks. WE travelled a short way out of Swakopmund and into the concession we were to explore. There are 5 operators allowed in the desert, 3 vehicular tours, like ours, a quad bike tour and a tour on camels! We were glad we were in vehicle.

Our first stop was an introductory chat which told us what not to do – like pick up stones or examine plants with our faces too near as we were likely to encounter a snake or some similar creature. our guide then demonstrated to us how much wildlife there was around us – which we couldn’t see. All the creatures were hidden under the sand or under bushes and only once pointed out to us did we become aware of their presence.

I have some videos of us driving in the dunes. Will find out how to post them so you can see the fun we had! After getting back from our jaunt and the inevitable cold beer and more food, I went and collected the car from the auto electrician. Everything looks good at last and we’re ready to hit the road again in the morning as we travel the 375k’s to Windhoek and some more adventures.