Swakopmund, Namibia and the Namib Desert

Don overlooking the Moonscape near Swakopmund, Namibia

After flying from Denver to Johannesburg via Frankfurt, we flew on to Walvis Bay, Namibia, landing amidst dunes and desert, only a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  From there, we drove our rental car to Swakopmund, a town 20 miles north of Walvis Bay and a summer resort area of sorts for residents of Windhoek, the capital.

view from atop Bloedskoppie

Walvis Bay is a big fish processing center, with dozens of large factories lining the port.  The Bay itself swarms with fish and shellfish, particularly oysters, mussels and squid.  Out in the bay at dusk were long lines of fishing boats.  The seafood here is superb.



We spent a full day driving across the desert outside Swakopmund to see the spectacular Moonscape before continuing on to an area of large koppies, rock formations looming out of the desert floor.  We climbed Bloedkoppie for a beautiful view of the Namib desert and nearby mountains.

Perilous rock atop Bloedskoppie

Our next visit was to a plant--the oldest of its species in this part of the desert.  It may not seem remarkable, but this plant is 1500 years old and draws its water from the morning fog as its roots spread along the surface of the desert.

The "oldest plant"

As we drove south scross the desert, we suddenly came upon grasslands with herds of springbok and dozens of ostrich.  One group of ostrich included about 20 chicks, brown instead of black like their parents.  There are giraffes in this part of the desert, feeding on the acacias, but we did not see any of them.

Three ostriches marching