Desert Safari

I did end up finding a tour to the Namib. A few other people had asked at the hostel about going, and the weekly departure tours were full, so they arranged another one for us.

It kind of sucked, but only in the way that organized tours tend to suck. They are heavily scheduled and you can't do what you want. We left Windhoek and got to our campsite, set everything up, and then were told that we HAD to go to this special sand dune to see the sunset. The sunset was not anything special, as there were taller dunes that it went behind, but ok...

The next day we were up at 4:30 because we HAD to be first out the gate to see the sunrise from another particular sand dune. Apparently all the tours did this, as there were at least 100 other people climbing that dune. Note to everyone: climbing sand dunes is NOT fun. The sunrise was good, then we got breakfast and went to some other particular dunes that everyone goes to (who picks these out as tourist destinations from the hundreds of other dunes?) and a spot where I think there used to be a salt pan that it now dried out and full of eerie dead trees, and another sand dune with water by it. Then we went to a canyon. Not a really big or special canyon, just a regular sort of canyon. Then back to pask our stuff and go to Solitaire to camp for the night. The next morning it was back to Windhoek.

I also learned never to travel with a professional photographer. He will always spend your hiking time taking pictures and then want to hike, making you late, or will want to hold off on something because "the light is getting really good right now." The two guys were complaining about the food all the time, but I figured that's what you get for the cheapest safari in town. (It was still more than I paid in TZ!)

As soon as we got back, I hopped on a minibus and am now in Swakopmund, where the desert meets the ocean and Germany meets Africa. :)