Namibia
Looking out of the window when on final approach to the main airport of a European capital city, what would you expect to see? Houses, roads, warehouses, an airport hotel perhaps, lots of car parks, then finally a perimeter road. Not so at Windhoek airport. Instead, it's just bush - classic African savanna, right until the perimeter fence when there's even more bush, and finally a runway. And this despite Windhoek being the capital city of a country larger (in area) than France and Germany combined.
But don't think that Namibia is an impoverished African backwater. Well at any rate, it's not impoverished. This is European Africa. No townships to be seen on the way from the airport to the town - it certainly gives the impression of being a place with far less inequality than its neighbour to the south.
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| Windhoek airport |
I'm here for a bike ride across the desert, an endeavour which I (perhaps foolishly) volunteered myself for back in January of this year.
Day -3 Johannesburg
A long flight from London in Premium Economy - managed to sleep thanks to some Valium. Hand baggage included the drone, in its large travel case. Looking out of the window on approach, it did bring out my soft spot for Joburg - it was after all my home for 3 years. Got to Hilton (via Gautrain - very smooth and comfortable) in time for a nice breakfast in the sunshine and a dip in the pool. A quick drone flight, and then up to the room to do a full day's work ( it's all about the billable days).
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| Sandton Hilton, from the air |
I had tried to arrange to meet all my Joburg friends for dinner, but it turned out to be a damp squib. Charlene was sent to Kimberley for work at the last minute, Marisca didn't want to come, etc. In the end it was Amy, Chris du Plessis, Jo and Tijl (plus Sam), and Rajesh (who kindly paid for dinner).
Day -2 Windhoek
Pack and repack, atttempting to get travel pillow and yoga mat in bag before conceding defeat and strapping helmet to the outside of my day pack. Nice BA lounge followed by 1200 flight to Windhoek. Airport in the middle of the bush! Taxi to Maison Ambre - a small comfortable place run by Beate - very nice and very German! Bruno arrives shortly after me. We walk to the bike shop (no footpath - classic Africa) for a briefing with the rest of the team, followed by a big steak at Sardinia restaurant.
Day -1 To the desert
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| Lunch stop at Uis - the last sign of civilization for about a week |
An early start and pickup in big minibus for a long drive. Stop at Uis for lunch - a very quiet 'town' with a petrol station, restaurant, and not much else. In the car, our guide Joe and John the Botanist describe a plant which we saw examples of by the side of the road. It looked very much like a dead cactus, but was in fact a plant with only 2 leaves, each measuring up to 2 x 5 m, but which get shredded by grazing animals. A beetle fertilizes the plants, which can live for up to 2500 years!
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| Kalahari Ferrari, Uis |
We change vehicles to 2 huge land cruiser conversions. We were now travelling in 3 vehicles and 2 trailers, and we headed off across the desert. After a brief stop to buy rocks (yes quite) at a barren, windswept, isolated place with lots of people selling rocks, the road gradually got more and more rocky, and slower, as we descended into a gorge filled with large shale rocks. It looks like the surface of Mars. Upon arrival our tents has been set up by another team of people who later prepared a delicious supper.
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| Slight technical problem - Rich can fix it |
Day 0 First day on a bike!
A relatively late start (6:30am), and a relaxing breakfast. It was very cold, and with 100% cloud cover. After a tremendous faff getting the bikes ready, we finally headed off as the sun began to warm us. A technical but gradual climb through a rocky gorge, with occasional wider stretches. After lots of water and a couple of stops we reached a pass with an amazing view of the plateau ahead. We then climbed on foot a small hill which gave an amazing panorama. The landscape was furrowed and striped on a grand scale. Millions of years of sedimentary rok deposit had turned on its side producing the most extraordinary scenery.
A subset of the group then descended back to the camp by bike, while the others hid their bikes and drove back in the vehicles.
After a bucket shower (with ingenious heating system), lots of lunch and a nap, a few of us headed out in a vehicle to find a lake in a disused mine which we had heard about. No-one really knew where it was but at the bottom of a huge hole we finally found a green and quite salty but warm pool where we had a nice swim and took some photos.
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| Open cast swimming pool |
