{"id":3431,"date":"2025-02-11T19:27:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T19:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/?page_id=3431"},"modified":"2025-07-30T22:00:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T22:00:50","slug":"africa-2005-part-6","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/africa-2005-part-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa 2025 – Part 6"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

15 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We began our anniversary at 6:10 (5 minutes before the alarm went off) and were at breakfast promptly at 7:00. We didn’t have time for anything other than fruit, yogurt and toast this morning, as we needed to allow 40 minutes to get to Walvis Bay for our kayaking adventure. We pulled out of the lodge car park at 7:21 and arrived at the Walvis Bay Waterfront at 7:58. We got checked in at Pelican Point Kayaking and queued in the line for the “last proper” toilets before setting off; there were two unisex stalls for 30+ people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the trip out to the point, we were paired with a group of 4 adults and 4 children, the oldest of which was 7 or 8. It took about an hour to get out to Pelican Point in the Dorob National Park. Our guide, Leon, stopped a few times for picture opportunities – white pelicans, greater flamingos, and lesser flamingos. We arrived around 9:30 and got geared up with pants, jackets, and life vests. I should clarify: I got fully geared up; Markus chose not to don the pants and jacket. I had assumed that they were water proof, or at least water resistant, and would help to keep my pants and tee shirt dry. That didn’t happen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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L to R: Great White Pelicans; Greater Flamingos; Pelican Point Shipwreck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Anyway, after a safety briefing, we got loaded into our kayaks, and off we went to play amongst the cape fur seals. Fun animal fact: according to Expert Africa, Pelican Point at Walvis Bay is home to a colony of about 50,000 seals! We think we saw at least 10,000 of them today; the water was literally teeming with them. The seals were very friendly and playful. If you don’t give them enough attention, they will splash you! Although they come right along side the kayaks, touching them is an absolute no-no. They have sharp teeth and will bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an hour, the entire group headed back to shore (we were only a couple of hundred yards away – you didn’t have to go far!) for coffee, tea, and sandwiches. Incidentally, we had the tubs of sandwiches in our truck for transport out to the point; the kids were obsessed with the sandwiches and could not wait for the chance to eat them. Kids can be so funny!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pelican Point<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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We stopped for groceries, wine and fuel in Walvis Bay as we are camping for three nights starting tomorrow. It was 2:30 when we returned to the lodge, more than 7 hours after we left this morning. We dropped our stuff and decided to go to the Brauhaus once again for lunch. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that they closed from 3:00 until 5:00, so, they were just shutting the door when we walked up. The waiter recommended the Ankerplatz restaurant as an alternative. We shared a shrimp appetizer and a pizza (ham, mushrooms, onion, and spinach) – we ended up taking a quarter of it with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Celebrating Our Anniversary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Accommodation: Desert Breeze Lodge<\/a> (B & B)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kuiseb Pass<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

16 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were awake at 7:15 this morning, well before the 7:30 alarm. We had nice hot showers and headed to breakfast at 8:00.  We both opted for poached eggs this morning. Something different.  We left Desert Breeze at 9:15, once again headed towards Walvis Bay. We picked up the C14 for about 230 kilometers – through the Kuiseb Pass – until we reached Solitaire. We stopped for fuel and, of course, a piece of world, famous apple pie from McGregor bakery.  Solitaire is in the middle of nowhere but it is a cross road and therefore the place to stop!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Solitaire, Namibia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Campsite 18 at Sesriem<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n



We got to Sesriem around 3:30, but by the time we got checked in, paid the park fees, and found our campsite, it was after 4:00. We had a sundowner cocktail (even though it wasn\u2019t sunset), then decided we would go ahead and have dinner. We ate cold chicken and broccoli salad, with a few bites of apple pie for dessert!<\/p>\n\n\n\n



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Accommodation: Camp at Sesriem Campsite<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel Distance \/ Time: 351 KMS \/ 6:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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17 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all about the dunes!

A significant advantage to staying at Sesriem campsite, which is inside the park, is that the gate to Sossusvlei opens at 6:00. The main gate to the park doesn\u2019t open for another hour at 7:00.  So we were awake just after 5:00, well before our 5:30 alarm.  We stowed the tent, brushed our teeth, and got the coffee made (we had heated the water and filled the thermos the night before). At 5:45 we were the fourth vehicle in line at the gate.  

It\u2019s about 65 kilometers to the other end of the park – the first 60 kilometers are paved and the last 5 are deep sand, which are only accessible by 4×4 vehicles.  The drive took us about 50 minutes; we were in place well before the 7:08 sunrise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We spent over an hour walking around and taking pictures as the sun was rising and illuminating the dunes.  As expected, it was spectacular. We took two hours to make the drive back to the gate, stopping numerous times for more photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We exited the park and stopped at the Sosso Oasis for fuel and pork chops for dinner.  The Oasis is a service station \/ convenience shop and is literally the only game in town – if you can call Sesriem a town!  

We continued south to NamibRand Nature Reserve; we got to reception at the Family Hideout at 1:00, one of our shortest drives to date. Our campsite, Venus, is one of only three sites at the Hideout.  It is very private and secluded with our own ablutions block, including flush toilet, solar heated shower, and kitchen sink facilities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NamibRand Family Hideout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n



We got settled in, had a snack, washed some clothes, and went for a drive around the reserve.  We didn\u2019t see much other than gemsbok, but the scenery is really beautiful.  Funny story – we were told that, due to deep sand, we had to air down the tires to 150 – 180 bars (normal for gravel and sand is 200 bars). Also, the host at NamibRand advised us to avoid driving over the dune as the sand was so deep. We did as we were told and decreased the air in the tires. However, we did not avoid the dune. It was nothing<\/strong> compared to what we have encountered over the last few weeks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Hideout is a designated dark sky reserve and we were very excited to see the stars and the Milky Way.  We were a little concerned about the moon but it didn\u2019t start to rise until after 9:00 so we had plenty of time to stargaze. Also, we saw the zodiacal light<\/a> and the Magellanic Clouds<\/a> – neither of which we had seen before – as well as two shooting stars.  It was an incredible night!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I forgot to mention that we were able to see the Milky Way last night at Sesriem, which was very surprising with all the lights from the campsites.)

Accommodation: Camp at NamibRand Family Hideout<\/a> (2 Nights)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel Distance \/ Time: 131 KMS \/ 2:20 (135 KMS \/ 4:30 at Sossusvlei)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today was our last day to relax and get organized for our final trek to the Transfrontier Park. We slept late, had a nice breakfast, took a walk, did laundry, and took a nice hot shower in the afternoon. I even took the opportunity to cook rice to reheat for dinner in the next day or so. All at a very leisurely pace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Dunes at NamibRand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds made another appearance. And, there was a lightning storm on the horizon that we watched for at least an hour. It was stunning the way it lit up the sky!

We had a small fire before going to bed just before 10:00. Definitely a much needed recharge day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No travel or wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were up at 7:15 this morning and left our campsite an hour later to drive the loop around the reserve.  We saw only a lone gemsbok but once again the drive over the dunes was very pretty. We returned to our site and got our stuff all packed up and were on our way by 9:00. The first 135 kilometers were gravel roads but they were in pretty good condition so we were able to make decent time. Then, with 170 kilometers to go, we hit pavement for all but the last 25. We were in Mariental at 12:30, which was a good thing because we needed wine and the liquor store closed at 1:00 since it was Saturday.

We shopped at the Spar Market for provisions for the next four days – we bought chicken, pork chops, and lamb chops. We will be eating well in Kgaligali!!  We got to the camp around 2:00 and were greeted at reception with a glass of champagne. We checked in for our campsite and perused the list of activities on offer.  We opted for a cheetah excursion with a sundowner.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got to our campsite and shared a chicken sandwich for lunch. Since we won\u2019t be back from the sundowner until 7:00 this evening, I decided to cook the chicken thighs that we bought at Spar – then we only need to reheat for dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bagatelle Game Reserve<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The cheetah encounter was not what we were expecting but it was interesting nonetheless. Bagatelle has four orphaned cheetahs that were brought to the reserve as cubs when their mothers were killed. All four – three females and one male – are now adults ranging from 5 to 8 years old. Since they have been raised from cubs at the ranch, they cannot be released into the wild.  They don\u2019t know how to hunt, so they get fed on a daily basis, and the feeding excursion is what we went on.  Our guide told us that the staff kill and butcher the springbok that is fed to the cheetahs.  This is because they don\u2019t know how to kill an animal and therefore, if supplied with a live animal, they would start to eat it when it was still alive, which is very inhumane. Much better for the staff to prepare the food so the animal does not suffer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, the cheetahs names are Beauty, Ciara, Bonnie and – wait for it – Clyde! \ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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L to R: Bonnie; Clyde; Ciara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Following the feeding, we went to the top of the dune for our sundowner. Markus and I both had white wine while enjoying the scenery . It was a beautiful setting on top of the dune.  The sunset was spectacular and the Sociable Weaver\u2019s nest was an amazing work of art that provided an incredible backdrop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sundowner on the Dunes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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We were back at our campsite at 7:00, had our dinner of black beans, rice and chicken and Markus started the fire. Similar to last night the Milky Way was visible as were the Magellanic clouds.  We also enjoyed a repeat performance of a lightning storm on the horizon.  Unfortunately, the storm did not stay on the horizon and moved in late in the evening around 11:00.  We got out of bed and proceeded to move the truck so that the tent was underneath the overhang in the campsite. It worked out very well to protect us from the worst of the rain and the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation: Camp at Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel Distance \/ Time: 310 KMS \/ 5:15<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildlife Spotted: Bat Eared Fox, Gemsbok, Kudu, Mongoose, Ostrich, Springbok, Warthog, Cheetah (not wild)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought I could hear thunder in the distance just before 7:00. So, we decided to get up and get the tent down just in case we got more rain (we didn\u2019t).  Since it turned out to be a false alarm, we took our time with coffee and breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We checked out and were on the road at 9:00. The drive was long – over 300 kilometers but the roads, although gravel, were in good condition and we made the trip in four hours and fifteen minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kalahari Landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We cleared immigration in Namibia – the officer was not happy about the visa situation. Recall that we originally crossed the border on April 1, which was the first day of the new visa application process. \u00a0The immigration officer at the Ngoma border was quite stressed and dealing with 50 people – each needing a visa. He obviously took shortcuts and never really issued the visa. \u00a0We were lucky when we got to cross on April 8 at the.Dobe border.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when we leave on Wednesday, we will need to complete the visa application again and pay the fee of N $1600 per person (USD 88). But we will deal with that when the time comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cleared immigration in South Africa, and the customs officer told us that we were not permitted to bring dairy or meat across the border. When he asked us if we had any of those items we had to say that we did since we had uncooked lamb and pork.  He came out to \u201cinspect\u201d our refrigerator and told us that, technically, we were not permitted,to bring the meat across the border. But he would give us \u201c special\u201d treatment and allow it.  Of course he wanted a bribe.  USD 5 later, we cleared with our lamb for Easter dinner.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole process took longer than we anticipated.  So by the time we got to the Kalahari Tented Camp it was after 3 o\u2019clock.  We decided to go ahead and make our Easter dinner a little bit early since we hadn\u2019t had anything to eat since breakfast.  We had lamb with mushroom pepper sauce, garlic potatoes ,and steamed vegetables.  The lamb wasn\u2019t the best quality, but it was pretty tasty.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kalahari Tented Camp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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We cleaned up the dishes and started to update our blog. We had bought two Wi-Fi passes at the Mata Mata shop, they were only good for 400 MB of data each.   They went very quickly, so Markus got a fire going and we enjoyed that for a little while until it started to rain.  We called it a night pretty early.  Fatigue is starting to set in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation: Kalahari Tented Camp<\/a> (Self Catering)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel Distance \/ Time: 341 KMS \/ 4:30<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildlife Spotted: Gemsbok, Ostrich, Springbok, Wildebeest <\/p>\n\n\n\n

21 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp was alive with activity early this morning. People were preparing for game drives when the gates opened at 7:00.  So, our attempt to sleep in failed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enjoyed a cup of coffee, then had some breakfast and took showers.  I made an attempt to get online to complete the Namibian Visa application electronically. But of course I had no data left.  So, we packed up the truck and left the camp at about 9:40.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We took our time on the drive to Twee Rivieren. We stopped once for a quick break at a picnic spot with bathrooms, where you are permitted to get out of your vehicle. That was at the three hour mark.  Then about half hour later, I spotted a cheetah.  Unfortunately, he crouched down almost immediately after I spotted him.  We stopped the truck and sat for a close to 40 minutes, hoping he would make a reappearance.  We finally gave up and continued on our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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L to R: Lone Wildebeest; Gemsbok (Oryx); Red Hartebeest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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We got checked in for our campsite at about 3:00. There were no camp assignments so it was first come first served. We got a somewhat private spot towards the back of the camp.  It\u2019s a bit crowded – not really to our taste.  But it\u2019s our last night to camp in Africa so we made the best of it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had an early dinner of leftover chicken with black beans and rice and left for an evening game drive at 4:45. We were out about an hour and a half and saw only the usual suspects.  However, it did rain during that time – see below pictures.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We were concerned that the campground would be really wet when we returned.  Fortunately, it didn\u2019t look like it rained in the camp at all. However, as I type this, there is a huge lightning storm on the horizon. Can\u2019t hear any thunder so hopefully that\u2019s a good thing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, we can see the Milky Way tonight.  There is a lot of light around the camp so we weren\u2019t expecting to have a view this evening.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation: Camp at Twee Rivieren Rest Camp<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travel Distance \/ Time: 162 KMS \/ 6:30 (including evening game drive)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildlife: Gemsbok, Giraffe, Jackal, Ostrich, Red Hartebeest, Springbok, Steenbok, Wildebeest, Cheetah<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue to Part 7<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

15 April 2025 We began our anniversary at 6:10 (5 minutes before the alarm went off) and were at breakfast promptly at 7:00. We didn’t have time for anything other than fruit, yogurt and toast this morning, as we needed …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"15 April 2025 We began our anniversary at 6:10 (5 minutes before the alarm went off) and were at breakfast promptly at 7:00. We didn’t have time for anything other than fruit, yogurt and toast this morning, as we needed … Continue reading →","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3431"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3431"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5017,"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3431\/revisions\/5017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/usontheedge.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}