Good Vibes Only

This morning the alarm went off at 4:30 am. We packed up camp in the dark and set off for Dune 45, the world’s most photographed sand dune. We arrived at the dune before the sun broke over the desert and started the ascent. Climbing a sand dune is not like climbing a hill. It takes a lot more effort. The more ambitious of the group made it to a good lookout spot about 2 minutes before the sun broke over the horizon, it was incredible. Since we packed up so early and didn’t have breakfast at the campsite, Vernon, our guide, had french toast and sausages waiting at the parking lot when we all made our way back down the dune. From Dune 45, we went to a place that the sand dunes had completely cut off from water, this is called Dead Vlei. There is absolutely nothing here, not even bacteria, so there is nothing to break down the trees that died, instead they are petrifying.

Today was the longest drive of this section of the trip but it went fairly quickly and smoothly and was quite enjoyable. We left Hobas at 6 am and arrived at Sesriem around 2:30 pm. We checked in at the campsite and continued on to the Sesriem Canyon where we saw baboons. That’s not all we saw today, on the drive I finally saw a springbok as well as oryx, zebras and ostriches. It’s quite beautiful out today, not as hot or windy as the last couple of days, although a bit of rain did blow in which was refreshing. It is surreal driving through the desert. Everything looks the same (well different, but the same) it’s so strange to have C, our driver, just suddenly slow the truck down and take what seems a completely random left or right.

Let me preface this by saying: I hate wind. I want very much to say that I liked today. But I didn’t. Driving in the desert, 40 degree heat, the wind coming in the windows was like preheating the oven and then opening it and standing with your face in the open door. I felt so miserable, my skin broke out completely in hives from the heat, wind and repeated applications of sunscreen. I have huge headache and despite drinking 5 liters of water today, I have peed twice. That is not an exaggeration. Despite how absolutely horrible and cranky and whiney I feel, we did do and see some cool stuff today that I hope to appreciate more when I look back on them. Started off with a three hour canoe trip down the Orange River, hot, and felt a little long, but beautiful and when we took a break, we stopped on the South Africa side of the river. So illegal. Had lunch at camp then headed out to our camp for tonight. Along the way we had a stop the experience the most deserted p...

Early start this morning, up at 5:30, breakfast, break camp and on the road by 7. Today was incredibly hot, I think it got to 45-47 degrees, with the windows open on the truck it felt like all the moisture was sapped from my body and my eyes were burning behind my glasses and sunglasses. There was a strong wind up until the South Africa – Namibia border when all the wind died and it was just a still heat. The border crossing went very smooth though, the whole group got through pretty quickly. Watching the countryside go by was incredible, mountains gave way to barren landscapes, then  changed to mountains again as we got closer to the border. The border line follows the Orange river, and our campsite is on the banks of the river. Got my first sunburn of the trip, despite repeatedly slathering on sunblock and spent a while hanging out by the pool again.

Got a later start this morning, up at 6:30, breakfast at 7 and left the hotel at 7:30. Had a few hours of driving to the campsite. Highlanders campsite is absolutely beautiful, pool and bar included. We had lunch as soon as we arrived, were instructed on how to set up the tents and then spent the next couple of hours lounging at the pool followed by a  wine tasting as the campsite is in the middle of South Africa wine country. It got up to 36 degrees today, air conditioning in the truck is the windows.

It is currently 4:40 pm on Sunday, October 25 in Cape Town, South Africa. I arrived at my hotel approximately 1.5 hours ago, 46 hours after leaving my house on Friday morning. It has been the longest day, punctuated here and there by brief naps, endless movies, and the odd chapter of a novel. Finally landed in Cape Town, my checked bag picked up, passport control and customs breezed through and found a lovely fellow holding a sign with my name on it, ready to take me to my hotel. Now I nap, in preparation for meeting my tour group this evening. So far I have noticed: There are more English signs and advertising in the Istanbul and Cape Town airports than in Montréal. Goats on the side of the road in Cape Town.