Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife

Terbaharu dahulu

Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Tropic of Capricorn
12 September, Namibia ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
Once again, stopping for a photo, or several, is essential so this footprint marks our crossing of this significant line.
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Walvis Bay
12 September, Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
The journey today was another 200 miles, or thereabouts, so it was nice to arrive. The accommodation here was roomy, to say the least, so Greg and I could spread out more - we are room sharing on this trip. It was still two single beds, but we also had a kitchen and lounge area so we put our cases on the floor there.

Sossusvlei Lodge, where I have just been, was essentially in the middle of nowhere, but Walvis Bay is very different because it's a commercial town with a busy port. There's more money here too, which you can tell by looking at the houses, some of which are really modern with large windows overlooking the sea. They wouldn't look out of place in the seaside resorts of the south coast of England.

Tonight it was dinner out at the Anchors waterfront restaurant at the port, and I must admit that when we arrived at the car park, I wondered where on earth Remi was taking us. It was misty and threatening rain and the car park felt more industrial than inviting, but after a short walk we were greeted by a cosy restaurant that was clearly very popular. The food was lovely and there was entertainment too, which we really enjoyed - there's a video snippet of this so you get the idea.

After the meal, it was back to our accommodation to prepare for another early start.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Moon Landcape Cloud Rise
13 September, Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Today was not only an extremely early start (5:30 a.m.) but it was a risky one too. The aim was to drive around an hour to a location known as the Moon Landscape which is an area that is supposed to look like... well, I think you can guess. Why was it risky? Because the weather hadn't changed from last night and cloud was a high probability. Just four of us decided to brave it, with Francesca and Giulia deciding that sleep was the better option. We hoped it would be fine.

You can see from the photos that it wasn't fine and that the cloud had settled in. Cloud is very common along the coast of Namibia because colder and humid air from the Atlantic meets the warm air of Namibia, so you get cloud and fog and cooler temperatures. So we got cloud.

Finding great photos was challenging, I must admit, and I felt I was forcing my photography here. Nothing sprang out that I felt I wanted to bring home to show people, though I did get some photos I liked where I used one of the others to bring a sense of scale to the landscape. Although I enjoyed being out with my camera with the others, I felt it was very much a 'take it or leave it' location. To be honest, as we drove to the Goanikontes Oasis Restaurant for breakfast, I felt there were more opportunities for photography as we passed through rock valleys.

The place we stopped for breakfast was brilliant though, and another place adorned with old 'stuff' including an apparently crashed plane attached to the hillside. We ate our breakfast in the back of a pickup truck, and the sign showing what happens if your dog poops was hilarious. We all enjoyed it here, and I purchased my souvenir Namibia fridge magnet from the shop before we headed back to Walvis Bay.

After returning, we had a little downtime, then we left to see if we could find flamingos to photograph. We found them, but they were not all that close to the shore so I'll have to check my camera photos to see if I've got something worthwhile.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
PengembaraWe had brunch at Goanikontes with Emily 😊
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraAmazing. It's an interesting place isn't it.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Desert Mist
13 September, Namibia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Well, what can I say? There are quite a few photos and videos too, so this afternoon's adventure must have been good. Right? It was definitely good and a surprise too, to experience mist and rain in a desert of dunes.

The 4x4 vehicles collected us from where we were photographing flamingos, then we headed south from Walvis Bay to Sandwich Harbour. At least I think it was Sandwich Harbour because the mist obscured the coastal views.

We started with a pause to photograph more flamingos then, as we left Walvis Bay, we stopped at the salt lagoons to photograph the shapes and colours of the salt works. Then, we headed along the huge sand beach to arrive at some serious dunes. It was a roller coaster ride as our vehicle negotiated the dunes, driving upwards and diving downwards over dune ridges and valleys. It was amazing we didn't get dragged into the sand.

At one point, we stopped and the driver of the lead car got out in search of something. He called us over to reveal two small Namib Sand Geckos, and we took turns holding and photographing them. Then it was back to the cars to ride the dunes again.

It was getting very misty now and the views became more eerie over time. We stopped regularly to photograph the dunes and Remi posed for us a couple times. On the one hand it was a shame the views were lost to the mist, but on the other I thought the atmosphere it created was inspiring. I t forced me to appreciate the curves and subtle colours within the landscape and hopefully I've got some artistic photos on my camera.

At one point, we stopped for champagne and nibbles, which was most civilised (enjoyable), though by then the mist was augmented with rain - in a desert. Even that was an experience.

As the light faded, the views were equally amazing, and although we never got a sunset, we did get a hint of one. Then, all of a sudden, Gideon was waiting for us and it was over. It was a great experience.

The evening meal today ended up being a take-out and an eat-in. It had been a long day with that 5:30 departure, so bedtime was welcomed.

One point of note: I was amazed how my phone could take intimate details of the sand - it was really impressive. Our guide explained how the sand was formed from sediment washed out to sea, which was then ground down and deposited back to shore. All sorts of minerals were its constituents, including diamonds. I'm sure I can see some in the photo. Can you?Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Swakopmund
14 September, Namibia ⋅ 🌫 16 °C
Not long after leaving Walvis Bay you arrive at Swakopmund which is a very different town in comparison. Walvis Bay is clearly an industrial area, but here it has much more of a sophisticated feel to it. We had time to stroll around and mooch through the shops, then we met up for some lunch before continuing our journey.

You will hopefully get a feel for the place from the photos I've included here.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Arriving at Spitzkoppe
14 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
The next overnight stay is very different because tonight we are camping in tents. We are staying at Spitzkoppe, which is a group of 120 million years old granite mountains rising to around 1700m, 670m above the desert floor. It was also the filming location for '2001: A Space Odyssey' for the early scenes involving the monkeys.

As you can see, the mountains are impressive when they come into view and after checking-in at reception Gideon drove along the trails in the campsite to where our tents would be erected.

Another vehicle had been waiting for us, and that contained the tents, fold-out beds, tables, chairs, and cooking equipment. Everything we would need for our overnight stay. I thought we would be putting up the tents, but Gideon and the driver of the other 4x4 (I can't recall his name, but he was very friendly) very kindly did the work for us. They also were our chefs for the BBQ.

When we found our spot, we were greeted by a variety of lizards which we all photographed on our phones. They were quite colourful as you can see.

I have been looking forward to this location not only because it's great for photography when it's light, but because it promises to be an amazing location at night. Excited.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Spitzkoppe Penguins
14 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Our tents were pitched less than 5 minutes from a rock arch which, it turns out, is a tourist magnet for sunset photography. We are part of the problem, of course, given this is one of the reasons we came here, but it is disappointing when you can't get a single photo without other people in it. Like at Deadvlei, patience is needed, but it was more difficult here because the area you want to be is so much smaller. I'm pretty sure I've got some good photos on my camera, however, and even these phone photos are not so bad, I hope you agree.

Having played with shadow photos and then captured the fading light, we returned to our camp for the BBQ.

Whilst the food was cooking, I had a chance to once again try my phone in astro mode and as it was so dark, maybe it would capture the Milky Way. The first attempt was a bit ordinary, but after tweaking a setting the second attempt was wow! No way is it perfect, but for a phone, it's certainly impressive. The photo of the BBQ area is also impressive for a phone, I might add.

We then ate our food and chatted but I didn't want to be doing that. It was dark enough for night photography well before we even sat down and I felt time was just leaking away. We have just one night, one opportunity to capture the stars over this stunningly dark location and here we are, eating, and wasting the time we have. I was probably the only one thinking this, being honest.

Finally, we could go and do what I was so looking forward to doing at Spitzkoppe.

Side note: At first I never understood why this platform is called "Find Penguins". I might be wrong, but maybe it's because when you see loads of tourists, they do look like penguins waddling around, hence the title of this footprint.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
From Darkness Cometh Light
14 September, Namibia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
It didn't take long to walk to the arch we went to at sunset, and when we got there it was nice to discover the penguins had gone. There were just a few people taking nighttime photos now.

Just like at Quiver Tree Forest, it was so very dark and the Milky Way looked fabulous, arcing across the sky and sitting nicely above the arch. It would be dropping in height though, eventually disappearing behind the granite rocks, so we therefore set up tripods and started our photography without delay.

Being so dark and being together as a group, it was a little tricky to alter my position to change my viewpoint, but with a little coordination, it was doable. I took care not to get in someone's way or bump into them or, of course, not to slip or fall. That was definitely a risk. I didn't fall.

Remi did though, and it was quite scary given if he'd broken something what would we do? You can see him in the last photo of this footprint where he had climbed up to the arch with a light to pose for us. At one point he was adjusting his position, then suddenly he slipped off the edge and down into that bowl. It looked serious if you zoom in and check how high that is, but amazingly no harm was done. Close shave indeed.

We took photos at this location for a couple of hours then left to return the tents. I got some different compositions whilst I was there, and although everyone was retiring for sleep, I left them and walked a short distance to find more, including a panorama of the Milky Way as it set and of the constellation of Orion as it rose - it's weird to see it upside down. I also have photos that include the two Magellanic Clouds, which can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. They look like clouds of light but are in fact galaxies of stars.

I quietly entered the tent so as not to wake Greg and then settled under the duvet, fully clothed. It was 2 am now and it was a 6 am rise, which was fine except for the cold. I was freezing and simply couldn't get warm, uncontrollably dithering at times. I was annoyed to have to go outside to the toilet at 4 am but it did me a favour. When I returned I kept my down jacket on and at last I could sleep.

Rise and shine was more rise than shine and at first I was completely disoriented but it is my own fault if I insist on staying out enjoying myself. I coped though.

So yes, I loved taking my astro shots here and one night is simply not enough, not here. There must be infinite opportunities for stunning night time photos at Spitzkoppe and it's just so far away from home that probably I'll never come here again. 😥

But at least I have been here.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
PengembaraSounds like a great night
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraIt was. I'd love to be there for longer though.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraMagical photographs, Rob!
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraThe sky is so dark here. It was amazing just to look up and see the Milky Way with so much detail. It was so beautiful, though not as colourful of course. Our eyes can't see colour very well at night.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Sunrise Dreaming
15 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
I had to really force myself to get going because although I had woken at 6, I must have fallen asleep again and was awoken by the people asking if I was coming with them. So, it was quickly grab boots and camera, then leave. It took a while for my brain to click into photography mode.

The morning light was lovely and once more, there weren't the hordes of people we'd seen at sunset yesterday. A few, but doable. Probably because I was really still in sleep mode, I didn't take many photos on my phone, but I did get photos on my camera. Apologies.

After the sunset shoot it was time to break up the camp and we all helped to dismantle things and have them packed away. It didn't take all that long, then it was time to leave, but there was time to go and see the ancient rock paintings this area is known for.

You can't visit on your own and you must be taken to see them from the car park to where they are located, behind a locked fence. Upon arriving, there are no signs of the artwork because the bright sun overwhelms them, and that is why the guide used a cloth or jacket to create shade. You could clearly see them then.

The paintings were created between 2000 and 4000 years ago and depict various aspects of life, including the animals and hunting, etc. There are also drawings that point towards important landmarks or features, such as the direction to find water. I gather a lot of the paintings have been damaged by tourists, so it's great they now have restricted access. We all enjoyed seeing them, though if we were here for longer, there are better examples hidden amongst the rocks, but you need a guide to show you where they are.

Now it's time to travel to our next location, but not before a stop at the entrance to the campsite for breakfast. This wasn't all that great, to be honest, and the coffee was the worst I'd had in Namibia. It was better than nothing, though.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Travelling North Again
15 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Today we travel around 200 miles to the Sophienhof Lodge, a private game park near Outjo. Once again the adventure changes because now it's a few days of wildlife photography, not something I'm known for. I'm looking forward to it however, though I suspect it isn't going to be easy.

Most of the photos in this footprint are views from the vehicle as we travel. Two things I noticed - the first was the very simple houses dotted around. Further south in Namibia there are none, basic or otherwise. The second observation was the number of termite mounds. There were loads of them and I spent a while trying to photograph them as they whizzed by. They came in all sizes and depending on the soil, they were different colours, often beige or red sand.

After passing through Outjo, which at first sight looked to be a very pleasant town, it was noted that this is mostly true but there's a dodgy district too. We never saw that, but then there are often dodgy areas in a lot of places, including my hometown.

Soon we arrived at the game lodge to be greeted by a quiet but friendly Kudu. We then unloaded our cases and headed to our rooms, or perhaps 'chalets' would be a better description. They were lovely and this time it was separate accommodation for everyone. They were luxurious and very spacious. I was well pleased.

We now had a little time to sort ourselves out, but before long, off we were again for the 4:30 pm game drive and the first chance to photograph the animals here. As I applied the suncream, grabbed my hat and camera, I wondered what that would be like.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Evening Game Drive
15 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Each day, at 4:30 pm, the lodge has a game drive (safari?) for the guests, so it wasn't just our group in the jeep. You have a clear view left, right, and front, so it would be easy to spot any animals and photograph them. This was great in theory, but of course not so simple when everyone is adjusting their position to photograph a single group of animals. I missed a number of opportunities because of various heads, cameras, lenses, and vehicle metalwork jumping into view. I did say this wouldn't be easy.

The first stop was the typical tourist section: feeding ostriches pellets from your hand. Everyone was apprehensive, of course, believing the loss of fingers was imminent, but it was fine and although they pecked with some force, no fingers were lost.

The driver then went in search of animals, and just like in Jurassic Park when the children complain there are no dinosaurs, it seemed just like that now. After a while, we were rewarded with numerous views of a variety of animals' bottoms and the belief they had been trained to look in the other direction immediately upon spotting a camera. I have lots of rear-end photos on mine!

We did find animals, plenty of them, including springbok, kudu, wildebeest, giraffe, and rhinos. I was so busy trying to photograph them that I neglected to use my phone so I'll try and remember next time, as there are more game drives planned.

I definitely enjoyed this first forage into wildlife photography and felt it was a good practice session. I found it hard to impossible to frame shots from the moving vehicle and I was too slow taking some, so the driver moved off before I pressed the shutter. There's a learning curve here. I need to learn fast.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Morning Game Drive
16 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
You must book a morning game drive, unlike the regular afternoon excursion; this was done and we met our driver at 7:30 a.m. It was worth it too, because we now had the vehicle to ourselves and could ask the driver to stop for photography, if needed. Maybe it was this, or simply that morning drives are better, but we saw more animals and it seemed a much more worthwhile experience.

You can see from the photos that we saw quite a variety of animals, or maybe it was because I remembered to use my phone. It was quite cold at first, so my down jacket was a must.

Hopefully these few photos give you an idea of what happened, and I'm sure I have photos on my camera that are worth having.

At the end of the drive it was time for a welcomed breakfast and before we sat down we parked our cameras on a table. I think we all photographed them, like trophies I guess. Silly, but it had to be done.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Second Evening Game Drive
16 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
Once again, the evening game drive was shared with another group with their guide sitting up front with a video camera. As before, it started with a session feeding the ostriches, but I just watched this time. All seats were occupied now so three of us had bagged the front row to ensure a better view.

I never mentioned the hippo during the last drive but we did see him in the water again. This time, however, he was out of the waterhole and eating grass alongside other animals. It was great to see all of him as this was much more interesting than only the top of his head. I hope I have a photo on the camera with his mouth open.

We spent a long time with a rhino and its baby, and we even left the vehicle to photograph them. They ignored us, to be honest, so we could actually get reasonably close to them. One problem was the lovely golden evening light, because it tended to make the rhinos blend away into the grassland. In many of my camera shots the colour tones are similar throughout the photo, so the animals don't stand out. Hopefully, with processing I can improve that.

All too quickly we were back at the lodge and after a bit of downtime it was time for the evening meal.

Tomorrow will be a very long day because we are visiting the Etosha National Game Park, about an hour away from here, and we need to be there at sunrise so we get as much time as possible there. It's an early start once more.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
2
2
Etosha National Park
17 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
There is a feast of photos and video in this footprint and let me apologise now for the odd finger in at least one of the videos. 🙄

This is a very big place, much more expansive than I imagined. There is a wider range of animals than the private game park, including lions and cheetahs, but how you find them is either a mystery or sheer luck. We didn't see those. We did see hundreds of zebras, wildebeest, and springbok and lots of giraffes too.

We arrived with the sun and after the familiar wait at the gate, we were in. Then in no time, we saw the first of the zebra. There was still quite a bit of driving with no animals in sight, though. We raised the rood section of our vehicle though, so now we could stand up to make photography easier. That was great.

Soon we stopped at Okaukuejo which is a resort in the heart of the park. You can get food here or, of course, use the toilets, etc., but there is also a waterhole, and we spent quite some time there to see what animals would turn up to drink. At first there were just a few zebras but after a while, a huge herd of wildebeest arrived with other animals tagging along as well. Soon the waterhole was inundated with wildlife and there was plenty to photograph. You could feel the tension when a hyena arrived - the animals became very nervous and skittish until they were happy it was only there to drink and not attack them.

Eventually, it was time to move on to see what else we could find. We visited another waterhole where there were so many animals, including a giraffe that took forever to pluck up the courage to drink. It's a very delicate affair, a balancing act with its legs splayed out so its head can reach the water. You can see how vulnerable it is whilst drinking, and if attacked, there'd be no escape. Caution is indeed essential.

Now, we moved on in search of lions or elephants. There were plenty of springbok, wildebeest, and zebra, and these were now feeling a bit samey. We had actually seen a hint of elephant soon after we arrived but they were hidden by trees and not easy to see. There must be others. We drove on.

Suddenly we were driving where there had been wildfires and of course, there were no animals because there was nowhere to eat or hide. This went on for nearly 90 minutes on an uncomfortable dirt road, and soon this took its toll and things were no longer enjoyable. At the end was a rest camp where we could get snacks and something to drink, but then it was the same road all the way back. This was disappointing and meant hours were wasted out of the day. The mood in the vehicle was not good, with the chance of finding elephants, for example, seeming remote.

We left the fire-damaged area behind, and then, suddenly, a herd of elephants appeared and we had quality time to stop and photograph them. We were the only vehicle there too, so we had them to ourselves for ages. The mood lifted and suddenly life was good.

Time was now running out and we had to head back so as to leave the park by the deadline. None of us wanted to turn into pumpkins. Remi and Gideon felt we had just enough time to revisit the waterhole at Okaukuejo to see if there was anything interesting, but it was a flying visit. We saw elephants walking away though - so had we missed an opportunity? In a rush we left there because the deadline was now dangerously close.

As we left Okaukuejo they were there, the elephants that had just left the waterhole so we stopped so that they walked right past us. There are two videos of this.

Now it was a mad dash to the gate and we made it just a few minutes late, just as the sun was heading towards the horizon.

The wasted time was a nuisance but it was still a great opportunity for photography and to see the wild animals in their habitat. Call me a heathen, but I wasn't fussed about seeing lions and was pleased I saw the animals I did. I hope I have photos on my camera to do them justice. I hope the photos of this footprint give you a good feel for our day in Etosha.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
PengembaraWhat a privilege it must have been to see and photograph these animals in their true environment!
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraYes, I did enjoy it and it's very different from a safari park or zoo. You don't know where the animals are going to be so you just drive and hope. There are thousands of animals there however, so it's only a matter of time.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
Pengembara This is a good one
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraI thought you'd like that.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Final Morning Game Drive
18 September, Namibia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
The jeep, or whatever this vehicle is, was booked for 7:30 a.m. on a slightly warmer morning than last time. I still appreciated my down jacket though and, as before, we had the vehicle to ourselves.

I found this excursion quite relaxing. I didn't feel the need to take all that many photos and decided instead to just enjoy the experience for what it was. We spent quite a bit of time at the waterhole where we had previously seen the hippo, but he was obviously otherwise occupied. There were loads of birds, hundreds of them, and the challenge became capturing them in flight. I don't know how many photos I took with my camera on rapid fire, but I'm not convinced I have a single good one. At one point our driver got out to encourage them to take off, which they did, but we really needed them flying towards us and not away. My technique was also complete rubbish I think, but it was interesting having a go.

We also spent a long time with a rhino and its baby and thought I took photos here. It wasn't with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm, given I'd photographed them many times already. As I've said, I enjoyed the relaxing feel of this morning and you never know, maybe I have got one of those birds in flight.

Hang on, I haven't said, have I? The birds were Abdim's Storks, also known as White Bellied Storks. I had to look that up - about birds, I know nothing.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Time to Leave
18 September, Namibia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
This is the final day and now the photography is done. All that's left is to return to my chalet to finish packing, fitting everything into its place, ready for the flights home. I had already started the process yesterday, so I had time to copy this morning's photos from the camera card to a waiting folder on my laptop. Now, Gideon had arrived with the trailer and it was time to head back to the airport at Windhoek, a 4-hour drive on tarmac roads all the way. The bumps and rattles are certainly not missed, but I am going to miss this trip, though, and as we pulled away from the lodge, I really didn't want this adventure to end, even though my body was beginning to hint it really ought to.

There are just a few photos for this footprint, taken through the window as we traveled and passed through Windhoek on the way to the airport, which is about half an hour west of the city. As Gideon parked up and we unloaded the bags we all agreed a group photo was essential, so here we are, all lined up and photographed by one of the people who carry your bags into the terminal - for a small tip, naturally.

Not all of us were flying today. Remi and Greg were heading off for a few days elsewhere - Greg to Victoria Falls and Remi to scout out safaris in Botswana. Perhaps a future workshop in the making.

My flight left an hour before the others - they were leaving on the same flight which took them directly to Frankfurt. I have to brave Johannesburg again.
So we said our goodbyes, thanking Gideon for all the effort of driving us for around 2500 miles over the two weeks. Some of the days were extremely long, with one being 11 hours. I don't know how he did that but drove us safely without a single issue or complaint. He was brilliant.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
2 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
More Flight Stress
18 September, Namibia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
The only photo I have to show you for the journey home is a view from the aircraft window as we taxied for take-off from Windhoek airport leaving for Johannesburg. I was already stressed.

As you may recall, due to inefficiencies at Johannesburg airport on the way out, I missed the connecting flight, and it looked like it was going wrong again. I had very little time to transfer to my BA flight which would leave Johannesburg at 21:15 with this flight from Windhoek scheduled to arrive at 20:10. Why was I stressed? Because we left Windhoek 20 minutes late, so I decided I'd be stuck in South Africa overnight.

I have no idea how the pilot did it, but we arrived at Johannesburg on time and then ground staff asked for those on the BA flight to meet at the bottom of the stairs to be escorted to our flight. After the previous performance, I was amazed and appreciative of this. But it was still a nightmare. As before, there were about a dozen of us.

The airport is around 1800m altitude, which is about the height of many ski runs, and on discovering this, it explained why running through an airport with a 10kg backpack and a second under-seat bag was so exhausting and I was being left behind in the rush. It was a dreadful experience and, as before, had another passenger not offered assistance, I am certain I would have missed my flight.

In the end, I made it to my seat and dropped into it with a huge amount of relief. Why? Why, BA, do you set a schedule such as this with impossible time scales for the flight transfer?

The flight back to Heathrow was relaxing though, and I managed to sleep for the duration. Not quality sleep, of course, but sleep nevertheless.

There was a wonderful surprise was when I landed, to discover my daughter, Penny, was there to collect me. It was great and we immediately headed for a coffee to revive my soul.

I can't believe it's over - I didn't want it to be, even though my body was weary and craved rest. This adventure has been truly awesome.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
3 suka
Namibia - Sand, Stars and Wildlife Pengembara
Epilogue
26 September, England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Now I am home. My flight landed at Heathrow a week ago and it's taken until now to bring the trip log up to date. I have been weary the entire week and shell-shocked as I come down from such an adventure. I loved every single second of this trip and did so much whilst away, and with such a great set of people, which was the icing on the cake. It was fabulous.

Thank you, Remi, for putting this trip together. You looked after us all so well, making sure we were happy at all times. It's meant a lot.

When I've processed my photos, I'll post a small selection into this footprint, so keep an eye out if you would like to see them. There might be a bit of a delay, though – I took a lot of photos.

Thank you for tagging along and I hope you've enjoyed my writings and the photos have brightened your day.

I wonder what the next adventure will be.Baca lagi
Lihat terjemahan
PengembaraI have thoroughly enjoyed your photos and writings from Namibia, Rob!
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraThank you and I am pleased to enjoyed the trip with me. It's been a busy schedule with such a wide variety of locations and photo opportunities. So very different to Greenland.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraThank you so much Rob, I’ve really enjoyed the trip with you. Amazing pictures and, as always, such interesting comments, information and observations. Keep well!
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
PengembaraPleased you enjoyed it Liz. I do it as much for myself as for others. It's nice to read through my trips once in a while, and remember what I've done.
1 mgg.BalasTerjemah
3 suka

Tamat perjalanan
19 September 2026