Namibia: Beckers (junior) and the Skeleton Coast

Leopard print on the road. They are very common around these parts, even considered a pest by farmers

Dinosaur tracks preserved in ancient sandstone

Mountains make a pleasing change for the eye. Since Southern Kenya the terrain has been very flat and fairly uninteresting.

Game

Two nights stay and Peter and Birgit’s house in Omaruru

On the road with Peter to setup an troubleshoot a solar installation

The farm with the solar panel has a tame orphaned young giraffe and a comprehensive game butchery

Visit to Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia. A short pretty walk leads to ancient rock paintings. I arrived just as the staff where leaving. “Camp up there and you can visit tomorrow morning at 7”

White lady rock paintings, said to be thousands of years old

Scramble over granite boulders

leaving the mountain behind me I head for the coast

changing landscape becoming less bush and more desert as I approach the sea

I can see the sea!! first time since Cyprus.
Strong prevailing south westerly winds means if your engine fails you’re going to end up here..

Salt is extracted by evaporating sea water. Even the coast road is made from salt. They run trucks that pour concentrated saline solution onto the road where it quickly evaporates filling in any holes

After 3 days on salt roads, anything made with iron turns to rust. Locals complain how it corrodes their vehicles

Cape Cross seal colony

Cape fur seals. The first thing that hits you is the smell, a mix of urine and rotting pilchards. Then the noise.. its an assault on the senses

Called Cape Cross after a 15th Century Portuguese explorer erected a cross claiming the territory for the king of Portugal. Its was carried all the way from his home country. I imagine him sailing for weeks down the skeleton coast seeing absolutely nothing except sand dunes. Finally he sees some rocks and seals and says “quick, get rid of this thing and lets go home!”

If you fancy a picnic on the moon..

Swakopmund, a touristic seaside town. Cold an misty with sea too cold to swim in.

Interesting museum

With medals that matter!

German first and second world war memorial

Cold morning mist rolls in from the sea

Pets of the Fisherman’s inn.
Ate a delicious marathon meal of fresh fish and chips (first main) followed by 1/2 kg steak with chips and a side order of an extra large portion of chips. It took 3 beers to wash it all down! Staff could not believe their eyes.. “How can someone so skinny…?”