Sunday, June 21, 2015

The land, the sea, the sky.

These are a few pics of the incredible, vast landscape that seemed to change with every mile.  Huge thanks to Far and Away Cycling Adventures, with the always awesome Bob Thompson at the handlebars.  This was my second trip with Bob, and I know there are more on my horizon!  Here is a link to our itinerary (which we stuck pretty close to!) and a link to Bob's site for more trips to dream about.


 Sandwich Harbour, South of Walvis Bay

Sandwich Harbour - the Atlantic meets the dunes.

On the cycle between Windhoek and Rooisand.

Namib Carnivore Conservation Center outside of Solitaire.

Sossosvlei - Dune 45

Biking between Rooisand and Sesriem. 

Day 1 Windhoek

We meet in Windhoek . While Windhoek is not large, it is the social, economic and political center of Namibia and we stay in a place that allows you to check out the town.  In the evening, you should definitely head down the street to one of Windhoek's more colorful dining establishments:  Joe's Beerhouse.  Be sure to ask to see the game menu.  That way, you can start your Namibian adventure with smoked Kudu or Oryx Carpaccio.  Not your thing?  You can also have a salad.

Day 2 - Rooisand

We'll take a short transfer out of town and then sort out our bikes on a quiet stretch of road.  We will bike over Kuferberg Pass at 2000 meters and then descend some 1200 meters before stopping for a picnic lunch.  After lunch, we will transfer to Gamsberg Pass.  From Gamsberg we can either bike all the way to Rooisand or we can call it a day early on and grab a lift.  Rooisand is a remote, but spectacular, desert ranch with ostriches, a tennis court and a swimming pool (it will probably be too cool to swim in June...it's "mid winter" in Namibia).  The ranch is completely off the grid, but that is no problem.  There is no lack of sun in Namibia and it is solar powered.

Day 3 - Sesriem

Today we cycle in a westerly direction from Rooisand  towards the Namib Desert Park.  We go over Gaub pass and then continue on undulating gravel roads.  The surrounding landscapes are austere, but colorful.  We will end up in the dry Kuiseb river bed. From there we transfer to the Solitaire area for lunch.  Solitaire is known for it's apple crumble which is claimed to be the best in the southern hemisphere.  After lunch, we transfer to Sesriem on the edge of Namib-Naukluft National Park.  Given that we all might be stuffed with apple crumble, the afternoon transfer is probably a good thing.

Day 4 - Sossusvlei

This is definitely a great day.  We get up early, well before the  crack of  dawn, and transfer deep into Namib-Naukluft park.  We are on a mission to watch the sun rise over the incredible red sand dunes in the park.  Having been dry for 55 million years, the Namib desert is believed to be the oldest desert on earth.   It makes you wonder how many of our ancestors might have also watched the sun rise over these dunes.   We'll have a chance to climb up a dune in our bare feet and then watch the sun come up in spectacular fashion.  Coffee and breakfast will be waiting for us at the bottom of the dune.
After breakfast, we bike the 45k back to Sesriem.  While on our bikes, we can continue to watch the sun rise over the desert.  What is especially nice here, is that this section of  road is very well paved even though every other road, for miles around, is gravel.  That allows you to focus all your attention on the spectacular surroundings.
We will bike to the Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch in Sesriem.   In the afternoon, you have the option to visit the adjacent Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre.  The Centre takes in some "bad cats";  i.e., cheetahs that are "problem animals".  The cheetahs all have radio collars so they are not too hard to find.  It is all very, very interesting.  If you ever want to get close to a cheetah with nothing between you and it, this is your chance.  No "tch tch tch, here kitty, here kitty" stuff either.  That irritates them, big time.

 

Day 5 and 6 - Swakopmund

We cycle 60km on a gravel road towards Kuiseb Pass.  Kuisab Pass is where two Germans, Henno Martin and Hermann Korn (as well as their dog) famously survived in the wild for two years during World War II  in order to avoid internment in a prison camp.  Herman subsequently documented their story in his book, The Sheltering Desert. 

We will Transfer to Walvis Bay and stop for a picnic lunch in a spot where we can admire the pink flamingos.  We then head up the coast to Swakopmund.  Many of the buildings in Swakopmund  date back to their German origins and the town retains its very wide salt roads.
We have a rest day in Swakopmund.  Swakopmund is the adventure capital of Namibia and there is plenty to do.  You can take your choice of Quad Biking, Sand Boarding, Sky diving, a Dolphin Cruise or riding a camel.  If you do not feel like that much adventure you can go shopping or visit the Crystal Gallery, the Museums or the Aquarium....or simply do nothing.

Day 7 - Spitzkoppe

We cycle 70k directly up the coast on the very smooth salt road to Henties bay.  The first European to show up in these parts was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.  He named the area Praai das Sadhinas. which means "Coast of Fish".  Nothing much has happened here since his visit.  And there are still a lot of fish.   Which is why we stop at a great little fish shack restaurant for lunch.  Farther up the coast there is nothing but the skeleton coast.  We don't go there.  You will get a good idea of what it is like though.  It's a lot more of the same...only with no road.
After eating some fish (or whatever you want) we will transfer in our trusty vehicle to Spitzkoppe.  Spitzkoppe means "pointed dome" in German.  If someone calls you Spitzkoppe, it's not a compliment.  However, as a place to camp, it is pretty fantastic.  The granite peaks here are 700 million years old.  Hopefully, the camp manager's two pet meerkats will still be there to welcome and entertain us.  There is no internet in Spitzkoppe so we have to take what we can get.

 

Day 8 - Kalkfeld

We have a leisurely 50k ride this morning to the Kalkfeld area.  Kalkfeld was once described by a Namibian newspaper as a "ghost town" in "the middle of nowhere".  Let's just say it is "remote".  That makes it a very appropriate place to look at the footprints left by 25 meter long dinosaurs 175 million years ago when Namibia was covered by a shallow sea.  Jurassic Park it isn't, but it is impressive in its own way.

Day 9 and 10 - Etosha National Park

After a short bike ride, we transfer further north to Etosha National Park, “the great white place of dry water”.  Etosha is named after a "pan", which is a salt flat.  During the dry season nothing grows in the pan.  During the wet season it springs to life.  Etosha Park is quite large, 8600 square miles.   Etosha is considered one of the two top parks in the world to see wildlife and it is well worth spending some time here.  Our 2 nights in Etosha will be either at Okaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni camps, where floodlit waterholes allow for 24-hour game viewing.  Elephants, black rhinos, white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, kudus, impalas, wildebeasts and many other wild animals are seen daily during the dry winter months.  Lions and leopards are also a possibility, but they are harder to spot.

 

Day 11  Ojitwarango

Today we depart Etosha, biking on paved roads, past private game reserves for 40-50km to the town of Otjiwarongwe.   We will vist the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to learn about efforts to stabilize the population of wild cheetahs.  Namibia has the largest population of wild cheetahs in Africa and CCF is all about conservation and how farmers can protect their livestock from cheetahs without harming the cheetahs.

 

Day 12 - Waterburg Plateau

We have a 60 km bike ride to Waterberg National Park.  The plateau and the national park are named after the prominent table mountain that rises from the plateau.  The Waterberg (Afrikaans for "Water Mountain") is largely inaccessible so several of Namibia's endangered species were relocated here in the early 1970s to protect them from predators and poaching.  The program was very successful and Waterberg now supplies other Namibian parks with rare animals.  In the afternoon we can walk up to the plateau and, later, relax by the lodge pool.
The next morning we transfer back to Windhoek where you can either catch your afternoon flight out or continue your African adventure on your own.
- See more at: http://www.farandawaycycling.com/index.php/tours/namibia-june-8-2015#sthash.k9IkvSx0.dpuf

Day 1 Windhoek

We meet in Windhoek . While Windhoek is not large, it is the social, economic and political center of Namibia and we stay in a place that allows you to check out the town.  In the evening, you should definitely head down the street to one of Windhoek's more colorful dining establishments:  Joe's Beerhouse.  Be sure to ask to see the game menu.  That way, you can start your Namibian adventure with smoked Kudu or Oryx Carpaccio.  Not your thing?  You can also have a salad.

Day 2 - Rooisand

We'll take a short transfer out of town and then sort out our bikes on a quiet stretch of road.  We will bike over Kuferberg Pass at 2000 meters and then descend some 1200 meters before stopping for a picnic lunch.  After lunch, we will transfer to Gamsberg Pass.  From Gamsberg we can either bike all the way to Rooisand or we can call it a day early on and grab a lift.  Rooisand is a remote, but spectacular, desert ranch with ostriches, a tennis court and a swimming pool (it will probably be too cool to swim in June...it's "mid winter" in Namibia).  The ranch is completely off the grid, but that is no problem.  There is no lack of sun in Namibia and it is solar powered.

Day 3 - Sesriem

Today we cycle in a westerly direction from Rooisand  towards the Namib Desert Park.  We go over Gaub pass and then continue on undulating gravel roads.  The surrounding landscapes are austere, but colorful.  We will end up in the dry Kuiseb river bed. From there we transfer to the Solitaire area for lunch.  Solitaire is known for it's apple crumble which is claimed to be the best in the southern hemisphere.  After lunch, we transfer to Sesriem on the edge of Namib-Naukluft National Park.  Given that we all might be stuffed with apple crumble, the afternoon transfer is probably a good thing.

Day 4 - Sossusvlei

This is definitely a great day.  We get up early, well before the  crack of  dawn, and transfer deep into Namib-Naukluft park.  We are on a mission to watch the sun rise over the incredible red sand dunes in the park.  Having been dry for 55 million years, the Namib desert is believed to be the oldest desert on earth.   It makes you wonder how many of our ancestors might have also watched the sun rise over these dunes.   We'll have a chance to climb up a dune in our bare feet and then watch the sun come up in spectacular fashion.  Coffee and breakfast will be waiting for us at the bottom of the dune.
After breakfast, we bike the 45k back to Sesriem.  While on our bikes, we can continue to watch the sun rise over the desert.  What is especially nice here, is that this section of  road is very well paved even though every other road, for miles around, is gravel.  That allows you to focus all your attention on the spectacular surroundings.
We will bike to the Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch in Sesriem.   In the afternoon, you have the option to visit the adjacent Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre.  The Centre takes in some "bad cats";  i.e., cheetahs that are "problem animals".  The cheetahs all have radio collars so they are not too hard to find.  It is all very, very interesting.  If you ever want to get close to a cheetah with nothing between you and it, this is your chance.  No "tch tch tch, here kitty, here kitty" stuff either.  That irritates them, big time.

 

Day 5 and 6 - Swakopmund

We cycle 60km on a gravel road towards Kuiseb Pass.  Kuisab Pass is where two Germans, Henno Martin and Hermann Korn (as well as their dog) famously survived in the wild for two years during World War II  in order to avoid internment in a prison camp.  Herman subsequently documented their story in his book, The Sheltering Desert. 

We will Transfer to Walvis Bay and stop for a picnic lunch in a spot where we can admire the pink flamingos.  We then head up the coast to Swakopmund.  Many of the buildings in Swakopmund  date back to their German origins and the town retains its very wide salt roads.
We have a rest day in Swakopmund.  Swakopmund is the adventure capital of Namibia and there is plenty to do.  You can take your choice of Quad Biking, Sand Boarding, Sky diving, a Dolphin Cruise or riding a camel.  If you do not feel like that much adventure you can go shopping or visit the Crystal Gallery, the Museums or the Aquarium....or simply do nothing.

Day 7 - Spitzkoppe

We cycle 70k directly up the coast on the very smooth salt road to Henties bay.  The first European to show up in these parts was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.  He named the area Praai das Sadhinas. which means "Coast of Fish".  Nothing much has happened here since his visit.  And there are still a lot of fish.   Which is why we stop at a great little fish shack restaurant for lunch.  Farther up the coast there is nothing but the skeleton coast.  We don't go there.  You will get a good idea of what it is like though.  It's a lot more of the same...only with no road.
After eating some fish (or whatever you want) we will transfer in our trusty vehicle to Spitzkoppe.  Spitzkoppe means "pointed dome" in German.  If someone calls you Spitzkoppe, it's not a compliment.  However, as a place to camp, it is pretty fantastic.  The granite peaks here are 700 million years old.  Hopefully, the camp manager's two pet meerkats will still be there to welcome and entertain us.  There is no internet in Spitzkoppe so we have to take what we can get.

 

Day 8 - Kalkfeld

We have a leisurely 50k ride this morning to the Kalkfeld area.  Kalkfeld was once described by a Namibian newspaper as a "ghost town" in "the middle of nowhere".  Let's just say it is "remote".  That makes it a very appropriate place to look at the footprints left by 25 meter long dinosaurs 175 million years ago when Namibia was covered by a shallow sea.  Jurassic Park it isn't, but it is impressive in its own way.

Day 9 and 10 - Etosha National Park

After a short bike ride, we transfer further north to Etosha National Park, “the great white place of dry water”.  Etosha is named after a "pan", which is a salt flat.  During the dry season nothing grows in the pan.  During the wet season it springs to life.  Etosha Park is quite large, 8600 square miles.   Etosha is considered one of the two top parks in the world to see wildlife and it is well worth spending some time here.  Our 2 nights in Etosha will be either at Okaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni camps, where floodlit waterholes allow for 24-hour game viewing.  Elephants, black rhinos, white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, kudus, impalas, wildebeasts and many other wild animals are seen daily during the dry winter months.  Lions and leopards are also a possibility, but they are harder to spot.

 

Day 11  Ojitwarango

Today we depart Etosha, biking on paved roads, past private game reserves for 40-50km to the town of Otjiwarongwe.   We will vist the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to learn about efforts to stabilize the population of wild cheetahs.  Namibia has the largest population of wild cheetahs in Africa and CCF is all about conservation and how farmers can protect their livestock from cheetahs without harming the cheetahs.

 

Day 12 - Waterburg Plateau

We have a 60 km bike ride to Waterberg National Park.  The plateau and the national park are named after the prominent table mountain that rises from the plateau.  The Waterberg (Afrikaans for "Water Mountain") is largely inaccessible so several of Namibia's endangered species were relocated here in the early 1970s to protect them from predators and poaching.  The program was very successful and Waterberg now supplies other Namibian parks with rare animals.  In the afternoon we can walk up to the plateau and, later, relax by the lodge pool.
The next morning we transfer back to Windhoek where you can either catch your afternoon flight out or continue your African adventure on your own.
- See more at: http://www.farandawaycycling.com/index.php/tours/namibia-june-8-2015#sthash.k9IkvSx0.dpuf
Namibia is a place where your spirit can be set free in a mind boggling expanse of space.  The country is large and it's people are few.  Which, no doubt, explains why it has some of the world's greatest wild animal reserves.

Our tour starts in Windhoek ("Vin-took"), the capital of 325,000 people, loops south towards the Namib desert and then on to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, along the coast, before heading northwest to Etosha National Park and the Waterburg Plateau.  On this tour, you are guaranteed to see plenty of wildlife:  cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, zebras, giraffes, kudus, impalas and ostriches, just to name a few.  Lions and leopards are possible as well.  If you don't have a decent camera, now is the time to invest in one.  Also, please leave your zebra striped cycling jersey at home.  Lions like to eat zebras.
The distances in Namibia are great and we have a lot of distance to cover.  Therefore, vehicle transfers are built in to get us where we need to go.  Additionally, we are going to do what Namibians always do when they go on holiday and that is camp.  5 of our 12 nights are in campsites.  There is no need for concern.  It's safe, secure, deluxe camping.  We have spacious dome tents and everything is provided/done for you.  All you really need to do is sleep in a tent.  Given what we plan, sleeping will be easy.  There are showers/facilities at every campsite.  The other 7 nights in are in hotels and lodges.

Day 1 Windhoek

We meet in Windhoek . While Windhoek is not large, it is the social, economic and political center of Namibia and we stay in a place that allows you to check out the town.  In the evening, you should definitely head down the street to one of Windhoek's more colorful dining establishments:  Joe's Beerhouse.  Be sure to ask to see the game menu.  That way, you can start your Namibian adventure with smoked Kudu or Oryx Carpaccio.  Not your thing?  You can also have a salad.

Day 2 - Rooisand

We'll take a short transfer out of town and then sort out our bikes on a quiet stretch of road.  We will bike over Kuferberg Pass at 2000 meters and then descend some 1200 meters before stopping for a picnic lunch.  After lunch, we will transfer to Gamsberg Pass.  From Gamsberg we can either bike all the way to Rooisand or we can call it a day early on and grab a lift.  Rooisand is a remote, but spectacular, desert ranch with ostriches, a tennis court and a swimming pool (it will probably be too cool to swim in June...it's "mid winter" in Namibia).  The ranch is completely off the grid, but that is no problem.  There is no lack of sun in Namibia and it is solar powered.

Day 3 - Sesriem

Today we cycle in a westerly direction from Rooisand  towards the Namib Desert Park.  We go over Gaub pass and then continue on undulating gravel roads.  The surrounding landscapes are austere, but colorful.  We will end up in the dry Kuiseb river bed. From there we transfer to the Solitaire area for lunch.  Solitaire is known for it's apple crumble which is claimed to be the best in the southern hemisphere.  After lunch, we transfer to Sesriem on the edge of Namib-Naukluft National Park.  Given that we all might be stuffed with apple crumble, the afternoon transfer is probably a good thing.

Day 4 - Sossusvlei

This is definitely a great day.  We get up early, well before the  crack of  dawn, and transfer deep into Namib-Naukluft park.  We are on a mission to watch the sun rise over the incredible red sand dunes in the park.  Having been dry for 55 million years, the Namib desert is believed to be the oldest desert on earth.   It makes you wonder how many of our ancestors might have also watched the sun rise over these dunes.   We'll have a chance to climb up a dune in our bare feet and then watch the sun come up in spectacular fashion.  Coffee and breakfast will be waiting for us at the bottom of the dune.
After breakfast, we bike the 45k back to Sesriem.  While on our bikes, we can continue to watch the sun rise over the desert.  What is especially nice here, is that this section of  road is very well paved even though every other road, for miles around, is gravel.  That allows you to focus all your attention on the spectacular surroundings.
We will bike to the Solitaire Guest Farm Desert Ranch in Sesriem.   In the afternoon, you have the option to visit the adjacent Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre.  The Centre takes in some "bad cats";  i.e., cheetahs that are "problem animals".  The cheetahs all have radio collars so they are not too hard to find.  It is all very, very interesting.  If you ever want to get close to a cheetah with nothing between you and it, this is your chance.  No "tch tch tch, here kitty, here kitty" stuff either.  That irritates them, big time.

 

Day 5 and 6 - Swakopmund

We cycle 60km on a gravel road towards Kuiseb Pass.  Kuisab Pass is where two Germans, Henno Martin and Hermann Korn (as well as their dog) famously survived in the wild for two years during World War II  in order to avoid internment in a prison camp.  Herman subsequently documented their story in his book, The Sheltering Desert. 

We will Transfer to Walvis Bay and stop for a picnic lunch in a spot where we can admire the pink flamingos.  We then head up the coast to Swakopmund.  Many of the buildings in Swakopmund  date back to their German origins and the town retains its very wide salt roads.
We have a rest day in Swakopmund.  Swakopmund is the adventure capital of Namibia and there is plenty to do.  You can take your choice of Quad Biking, Sand Boarding, Sky diving, a Dolphin Cruise or riding a camel.  If you do not feel like that much adventure you can go shopping or visit the Crystal Gallery, the Museums or the Aquarium....or simply do nothing.

Day 7 - Spitzkoppe

We cycle 70k directly up the coast on the very smooth salt road to Henties bay.  The first European to show up in these parts was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.  He named the area Praai das Sadhinas. which means "Coast of Fish".  Nothing much has happened here since his visit.  And there are still a lot of fish.   Which is why we stop at a great little fish shack restaurant for lunch.  Farther up the coast there is nothing but the skeleton coast.  We don't go there.  You will get a good idea of what it is like though.  It's a lot more of the same...only with no road.
After eating some fish (or whatever you want) we will transfer in our trusty vehicle to Spitzkoppe.  Spitzkoppe means "pointed dome" in German.  If someone calls you Spitzkoppe, it's not a compliment.  However, as a place to camp, it is pretty fantastic.  The granite peaks here are 700 million years old.  Hopefully, the camp manager's two pet meerkats will still be there to welcome and entertain us.  There is no internet in Spitzkoppe so we have to take what we can get.

 

Day 8 - Kalkfeld

We have a leisurely 50k ride this morning to the Kalkfeld area.  Kalkfeld was once described by a Namibian newspaper as a "ghost town" in "the middle of nowhere".  Let's just say it is "remote".  That makes it a very appropriate place to look at the footprints left by 25 meter long dinosaurs 175 million years ago when Namibia was covered by a shallow sea.  Jurassic Park it isn't, but it is impressive in its own way.

Day 9 and 10 - Etosha National Park

After a short bike ride, we transfer further north to Etosha National Park, “the great white place of dry water”.  Etosha is named after a "pan", which is a salt flat.  During the dry season nothing grows in the pan.  During the wet season it springs to life.  Etosha Park is quite large, 8600 square miles.   Etosha is considered one of the two top parks in the world to see wildlife and it is well worth spending some time here.  Our 2 nights in Etosha will be either at Okaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni camps, where floodlit waterholes allow for 24-hour game viewing.  Elephants, black rhinos, white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, kudus, impalas, wildebeasts and many other wild animals are seen daily during the dry winter months.  Lions and leopards are also a possibility, but they are harder to spot.

 

Day 11  Ojitwarango

Today we depart Etosha, biking on paved roads, past private game reserves for 40-50km to the town of Otjiwarongwe.   We will vist the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) to learn about efforts to stabilize the population of wild cheetahs.  Namibia has the largest population of wild cheetahs in Africa and CCF is all about conservation and how farmers can protect their livestock from cheetahs without harming the cheetahs.

 

Day 12 - Waterburg Plateau

We have a 60 km bike ride to Waterberg National Park.  The plateau and the national park are named after the prominent table mountain that rises from the plateau.  The Waterberg (Afrikaans for "Water Mountain") is largely inaccessible so several of Namibia's endangered species were relocated here in the early 1970s to protect them from predators and poaching.  The program was very successful and Waterberg now supplies other Namibian parks with rare animals.  In the afternoon we can walk up to the plateau and, later, relax by the lodge pool.
The next morning we transfer back to Windhoek where you can either catch your afternoon flight out or continue your African adventure on your own.
- See more at: http://www.farandawaycycling.com/index.php/tours/namibia-june-8-2015#sthash.k9IkvSx0.dpuf

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