Discovering Namibia's Eerie Desert

I remember feeling out of place when Sefofane's Cessna Caravan finally touched down on a so-called airstrip. We had landed on a hardly recognisable sandy strip next to the Khumib River in the Skeleton Coast Park in the far north west of Namibia. We were surrounded by the desert, and the only inhabitant welcoming us was a chilly wind blowing from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The thought of being "stuck" here for the next four days wasn't exactly comforting. This is a wild and desolate place.

But then two Land Rovers approached and out jumped Rambo and Kallie with big grins on their faces and a friendly "Welcome to the Skeleton Coast Camp, guys". We knew then that we would be taken care of. During the next few days this spell-binding place would offer us one of the most memorable safaris and a somewhat humbling experience...
The beginningThe Skeleton Coast Park (the name is derived from the many shipwrecks and animal skeletons scattered along the beaches) is situated along the northern coast of Namibia and stretches from the Ugab River up to the Kunene. The Park is divided into northern and southern regions and is off limits to the public. Wilderness Safaris currently holds the concession for the northern area (300,000 hectares) and the adjacent 3 568 km" Puros Conservancy, and since 2000 operates a six tent luxury camp on an island in the dry Khumib riverbed.

Apart from the two local Himba guides, Rambo and his brother Kallie Uraavi, we were welcomed by the management team, Sonja Betschart, Silvie Nyffeler and Nick Green. After being briefed by Sonja on our accommodation and by Rambo on the excursions, we went up the Khumib for a sundowner drive.

Only a few hundred metres away from the camp, we encountered springbuck, oryx and two giraffe. Rambo explained how to distinguish female from male giraffe by looking at their dung, the pointed droppings being those of male giraffe - or was it the other way round? Our guide showed us Mopane trees (locals use it to treat diarrhoea) and other plants surviving in this harsh environment.
After a refreshing gin and tonic and a wonderful view of the setting sun, we headed home, where a three course meal awaited us. The group I joined on this trip were: the camera-crazy Martin, his mother Gesche Volckmar-Frenzel (who was on a quest to put her feet in the cold Atlantic Ocean) and her friend Ellen Mertens - all from Germany. Then there were the newly weds Shane and Kati Bolton from London, and Paul and Sharron Coomber from Oxford, who would not give up their seats on top of the Land Rovers even in the most appalling weather circumstances. Also joining us were Aurelie Belle and Christina Schaddach from Wilderness Safaris in Johannesburg. A wonderful group of visitors, with whom I had quite a few laughs. Despite our different backgrounds, we had one thing in common: we did not expect the Skeleton Coast to be that cold. You guessed it: we did not bring along appropriate clothes!
Going inlandAfter yet another cold night, the thought of an inland safari was welcoming. "Guys, today we will be driving up the Khumib, then we'll turn southwards towards Puros. Here we will be visiting a Himba village and after that we will be driving down the Hoarusib River in search of the desert adapted elephant, and then back to camp," Rambo informed us once we were settled in the 10-seater Land Rover. The day was to be sunny and warm and full of animal sightings. We saw oryx, springbuck, giraffe, ten or more elephants, vultures, a hammerhead and some ostrich. We encountered one of several BBC film crews and a herd of elephants with a newborn calf. We visited a local Himba village and learned a lot about their culture and tradition. "Do they honestly choose to live their traditional way of life?" I asked Rambo, being wary of them only 'performing' for tourists. "Yes," he answered, "it is easier for them that way".

We had picnic under a big Ana tree, visited a school in Puros village and enjoyed a trip down the unusually wet Hoarusib. Apart from flora and fauna (amazingly, plants and animals are abundant throughout the desert), Namibia's northwest is also geologically fascinating. The dunes, basalt and granite mountains as well as the 'Clay Castles' we visited are remnants of a 1,5 million year old geological history. "Every day seems like a whole week," Gesche sighed as the vehicles arrived back in camp late afternoon with a bunch of tired visitors, exhausted by the experiences and impressions of the day.
The north coastWe left the camp at 8 a.m. after a hearty breakfast that compensated for a chilly night. It was a sunny, but very windy day. The trip took us to Cape Fria, past some barchan dunes, basalt hills, lichen fields, salt pans and via the Stone Circle Village. This "village" is made up out of stones aligned in several circles. It is assumed that they were used for hunting purposes by the so-called beach people that lived in these area some 200 to 300 years ago.

On the way to the coast, Rambo and Kallie stopped to dig out a Desert Plated Lizard, which digs itself deep into the sand and survives on little air pockets inside the dunes. After a windy coffee break we disturbed two mating sand snakes. Rambo explained how the oryx survive on the succulent dollar bush and then finally we reached Agate Mountain, from where one can see the famous coastline.
While Kallie and Rambo prepared lunch on the beach at Cape Fria, the visitors armed themselves with cameras and went off in all directions to discover pieces of shipwreck, the many skeletons of Southern Right Whales that were hunted along this coast many years ago and to sneak up onto some Cape fur seals. The wind subsided a bit and so we could fully enjoy our lunch on the beach - delicious quiche with a glass of white wine - all the while appreciating the fact that it is a privilege to be one of the few people to have visited the Skeleton Coast Park.

You can take a lot of photos, but they do not do justice to this awesome place. My camera and my photographic knowledge could not cope with the task of capturing the beautiful and contrasting desert landscapes, or the white and eerie skeletons lying around amidst driftwood almost everywhere. "The landscape changes from minute to minute," Ellen remarked.

After lunch we drove 50 km southwards along the coast from Cape Fria. I parted with a heavy heart. Who knows if I will ever see this place again the way it is now, since government - so it is rumoured - has plans to build a harbour here, as well as a railway line that would connect Cape Fria with the north-east of Namibia and would surely destroy this fragile environment.
Heading southwardsScenery-wise the third day was a definite highlight. Rambo and Kallie took us southwards, over some amazing dune landscapes. We had a picnic on top of a dune-filled mountain. The weather was sunny and relatively calm - little did we know that soon we would be entering what Rambo called 'highway to hell'. "People, I have a surprise for you," he said, grinning. We drove down the mountainous area towards the Hoarusib canyon, looking out for lions. "Yes, they are back. I was here with two Portuguese couples a few weeks ago. We saw four lions," Rambo said. Everyone rushed for the few seats on top of the 'Landies', cameras ready. Unfortunately, we did not see the predators, but were nevertheless excited by the beauty of the Hoarusib canyon and the gateway. Huge white dunes rise up against the river sides, before the Hoarusib runs through some sand-covered blackish basalt mountains and forms a sort of gate and where sand-falls are common features.

We almost forgot about Rambo's 'surprise' and innocently sat on the unprotected top seats when we suddenly hit the 'road to hell' at the mouth of the river. The wind was so strong we had to dive under our blankets for cover, but nevertheless we were sandblasted. Even Paul and Sharron gave up their precious seats after a while. From the estuary our guides took us southwards to the wreck of an airplane.

The Ventura Bomber came down here in 1942 while trying to rescue some 100 shipwrecked people nearby. Then we drove to Rocky Point, had lunch there and Nick, Paul, Shane and Sharron went fishing - successfully: they caught two big Kabeljou, one of which the chef prepared for dinner that same evening.

After lunch we visited the grave of one of the few men who lost their lives during the difficult rescue mission of the stranded 'Dunedin Star' (passengers and crew were eventually rescued by a convoy of vehicles coming from inland, after several rescue attempts failed and a second ship stranded) - and then it was time to say goodbye to this remarkable coastline.
GoodbyesWhile we waited for Sefofane to pick us up and bring us back to Windhoek, on the last morning Rambo took us on a 'little five' walking-safari in the Khumib riverbed. Born in Puros, he has been a guide for six years, the past two working for Wilderness Safaris. "Most of my people know too little about the concept of tourism," Rambo complained, as we were discussing the impact of tourism on this region and on the Himba people living in this area. The young guide is not only showing tourists the many small and big wonders of the Skeleton Coast Park and introducing them to the Himba traditions, but also trying to show his people that they can benefit from tourists visiting this area.
Rambo dug out a little Palmato gecko; he showed us an antlion, lichens, beetles etc. If you look closer, there is so much to be discovered.

Then it was finally time to say goodbye. As the Cessna climbed in altitude we could see the desolate coastline of the Skeleton Coast Park, the eerie desert shore with its massive sand dunes and treacherous rocks where mighty storms and violent surf claimed many ships through the centuries. Stories of sailors walking for hundreds of kilometres through this barren Namibian landscape in search of food and water only to perish in this hostile coastal desert, reminded us of how privileged we were to have experienced this part of Namibia on a luxury safari...