Dead Vlei

A dead vlei is a hard clay pan in the desert that is the bottom of a former lake that has dried up.
It is literally dead (English) vlei (Afrikaans for marsh or pond between dunes). Even the acacia trees that have a deep tap root have died, indicating no reachable water table. This was very hot, pushing 100, with sun reflected of the white clay and no shade. Yet hauntingly beautiful. In the background is. Big Daddy, the tallest dune at about 380 metersRead more