Day Seventeen A trip to Winhoek



The Entrance to Gross Barmen Hot Springs

 We left Gross Barmen at about 9.30 for Walvis Bay where we were going to stock up again as we were now planning to go into Etosha. After doing all the necessary we left Windhoek and headed back  to Okohandja and then on to Otjiwarongo.

The garden town Okohandja

Our next stop was at Outjo were we found a nice campsite at Ombinda Lodge which would probably be our last stayover before we reach Etosha.

Our pleasant grassed, shady campsite, Ombinda  Lodge

Day Sixteen Walvis Bay to Gross Barmen

A very misty Swakopmund

We left a very misty Walvis Bay at about 10am and made our way to Swakopmund where the mist was also very dense. We did the sightseeing that we could but eventually departed at 2pm as the mist was still very dense.

By midday the fog had not yet cleared up

 We travelled through Usakos and then onto Okahandja and arrived at Gross Barmen hot springs where we spent the night

Day Fifteen a day in Walvis Bay

We got up early and unpacked the trailer and found an engineering shop who was prepared to do the repair for us immediately.
 We then hired a chalet and we spent the morning washing all the equipement and the clothes that needed to be washed.

Birds a plenty feeding on mud banks of the laggon

Later we took a ride through Walvis Bay doing a bit of sight seeing and then took a ride along the salt pans.
 



The Jugermaster restuarant on the lagoon

Later the afternoon the trailer had been repaired so we went to fetch it a repacked it. We were booked in for the night so we took the oppertunity to make us a cooked meal. 

Day Fourteen Sossusvlei to Walvis Bay

We had a late start this morning as our next stop would beWalvis Bay. We stopped briefly at Solitaire and viewed some of the old cars scrap cars the were lying around the entrance.

The entrance to Solitaire with its display of scrap cars

We no sooner had left and dissaster struck. Des had gone through one of the dips which are frequent along that road probably a little on the fast side and the sudden dip tore something loose on the chassis. It was as if the chassis had bent backwards.

 A local road repair fellow looks on as Des jacks the camper

We nevertheless jacked the trailer up at the back and managed to tie the trailer forward so as to keep the mudguards from touching the wheel. Our journey then became very slow. Every couple of kilometres we had to stop and tension up the ropes as there seemed to be stretch on our ropes. This continued all afternoon with us making very slow progress. At dark we contemplated pulling off and sleeping for the night but it was so open, proper dessert, so we just continued and eventually arrived at Walvis Bay at 9pm that night. We booked camp site at the Lagoon Challets. We were however still in good spirits, so we had our evening meal at midnight.

Day Thirteen Helmeiringhausen to Sossusvlei

We refueled before we left and headed up the C14 and then joined C19 which took us to Sesriem where we booked in for the night.

After looking around we walked down into Sesriem canyons which is a narrow gorge about 1km long and spent about an hour walking around.



Deep gorge in the Sesriem canyons

We waited for the late afternoon sun to be right for some photographs and then took a drive down to Dune 45 to see if we could  capture some nice sunset photos of the dunes. We later reitired after nice potjie.

Dune 45 at Sossusvlei

 

Day Twelve Ai Ais to Helsmeiringhausen

After a nice nights rest and a bit of cleaning up of our camper we left Ai Ais. Our first stop was at Hobas, the Fish River Canyon. We went to the lookout post and viewed these magnificient canyons.

Looking down on the canyons

There was a group of backpacker who were about to start the venture down the canyon. The guide tried to explain to us where they would end up after four days. I personally think that that would not be for the faint hearted, definately an experience for who ever is able to do such a hike.

View of the Fish River Canyons

We left the canyons in hot conditions and made our way to Seehiem where we reached the main road leading to Ludritz. We branched off the main road and went through Bethany, because it was a Sunday we could not get fuel so we went on the Helmeirngshausen and decided to stay over for the night. A pleasant camp that had a grassed area. It was here where we fisrt experienced the hospitality of the people of Namibia. We were also told that we must remember that our time has been changed by one hour.

Grassed campsite at Helmeiringhausen

Day Eleven Richterberg to Ai Ais



Mountains as far as the eye can see

We made an early start from the Richterberg campsite as we were now going to make our way to the exit gate at the Helsberg gate. We travelled through the Kokerboomkloof and then on to the Helskloof pass. There is not much wild life to see in the Richterveld but the scenery and landscape is unbelievable.

Winding roads through the hill tops

To see a mass of rocky mountains where ever you look is magnificent. I do not even think a photograph does justice, you need to see it in reality. We exited the park and went back to Sendlingsdrift where we did the necessary paper work to enter into Namibia.



Crossing the Orange River at Sendlingsdrift



We crossed the Orange river by ferry and travelled along the Orange River for a short distance and branched off and eneded up at A Ais where we booked a campsite. It was nice to have a shower and freshen up as the last time we had ablutions was in Springbok. We then watched the rugby test on the stoep of the Ais Ais Restuarant before returning to our campsite to enjoy a couple of cold ones and a well desreved braai.



Campsite at Ai Ais