Wow, The Cape was lovely but I’d never have thought Namibia could out-do it.
We travelled to Vioolsdrift, then crossed into Namibia at Noerdower (spelling varies)

200km of dusty, gravel roads without another car in site. Our car filled with dust within an hour – at one point Helene made me stop and check everything as it looked like we were filling with smoke!
Wonderful landscape. Desert, but stunning (and blistering hot).

Only the occasional village on the road (!) to Fish River Canyon.
This one has a permenant population of 3,000 (plus an ATM / Bank and a Spar supermarket) and expands to 15,000 when they harvest the vinyards (the Orange River is like the Nile – one of very few in the country that flows all year and is used to irrigate a strip about a mile wide. Everything else is dust / sand / granite / pumice.

We drove for many miles, alone and wondering where the canyon was that we’d heard about.
“I’m sure it’s round here somewhere….”

Maybe we’re not looking the right way….

Good Lord. The Americans think their Canyon is ‘Grand’. This ain’t too shabby!

Driving north via Ais Ais Hot Springs and Hobas, we saw few signs of life (let alone people) and almost shook the car to pieces on the corrugated gravel / sand tracks. However, every now and again we were rewarded with an occasional glimpse of some of the wonderful wildlife in this part of the world.

We managed to get quick shots of the ostrich, zebra and oryx – but weren’t quick enough for the baboons.
We stopped into a lodge on the river for a quick drink, but couldn’t afford to stay.
Beautiful though.

We stayed a couple of Km up the road at Amanzi Trails campsite ($15) and couldn’t have asked for a better spot.
View from the penthouse the following morning…..

Bargain prices at the bar too (Namibian dollers N$ = 15 to the British pound)!

Next instalment…… The Giant’s Playground and walking with Cheetahs.