Fisherman’s world here on the Namibian coast. Fishing rods everywhere.
They say there are over 1000 wrecks on this coast, rough seas and few harbours. But the coast isn’t named after the shipwrecks, there was so much whale hunting here that the beaches were strewn with whale bones. What a pity, they suspect that whales can live a 1000 years, and that the giants who were caught a few centuries ago were ancient. That also being the reason that there are no more of them now..
Walvis Bay, a growing harbour city on the Namibian coast. Complete with a lagoon, for the flamingos.
A few photos
They mine salt there as well
Stunning Namibia.
See how the mountains seem to drift above the desert.
The red is lichen that grows on the tiny stones which cover the area.
Think I should get myself a job marketing this country..
About 50 km from Graaff Reinet in the Sneeuberge of the Great Karoo lies the beautiful village of Bethesda.
When the town was proclamed, -due to a language mistake, it was registered as New Bethesda, while the intention was for it to be simply Bethesda. Locally it is known as Bethesda.
A view on ‘Spitskop’ or as it has later become known Compassberg.
The highest mountain in the old Cape Province at around 2500 metres. Which explains the Snow on the Mountains 😉
Even in town they sometimes still have frost as late as November. A short summer for the country.
The town is famous for Helen Martins who left the Owl House as her legacy. Some Queen of the Nights in bloom in front of her house.
We’ll leave her sad history for now.
Some of the old houses, gardens and views in the village.
The old water mill has been restored and can still turn out a mean flour.
When the sun sets..
The church and its garden from afar and closer up.
The beautiful Valley of Desolation in the vicinity. Almost a shame it is not as desolated as before 😉
The village boasts lots of places to stay and eat. Especially it you bear in mind that they have 60 or so permanent inhabitants, – somehow opinion varies 😉
If you are in the area it is a good idea to visit them. The view on the way there alone is memorable enough to make it worth your while. To give you some idea, this is the valley just outside the village, – late afternoon on the way home from Graaff Reinet.
On the dry west coast of Australia, south of Perth, you find these striking landscapes
and wonderful seascapes. It is a wave breaking over the sun there, in the far distance on the horizon.
This is the view I prefer in my rear view mirror..
Port Augusta and environs. It is almost on the corner, on the way to the Southern Ocean. If you have never heard of this ocean don’t be dismayed, you will only find it on an Australian map. The rest of the world seriously doubts the existence of this ocean 😉
It is an old water wheel, completely fossilized, wood and all.
Someone managed to loose a shoe here.. But some kind soul put it in clear view, should the owner happen to walk past.
Magnificent colour contrasts with the dry vegetation and open atmosphere.
I was hanging out the washing this morning here in the Karoo. The wind is quite strong and it was a struggle to keep the washing out of my face.
When I had the last item securely pegged to the line I went back to check on the first one, a cloth which was horisontal in the wind. I didn’t want to have to go and fetch it in the veld.
Well fortunately it was already dry, so I could bring it in 😉
Have you ever experienced the like?
We recently had very good rain as you can see.
Driving south from Windhoek you will find the Hardap dam. At the end of a good rainy season (as when I was there in March) the grass is spectacular.
I wish I had a recording of the birds in that tree to add here. Sometimes at sunset it sounds as if they are losing it all together.
From there if you go west, you find Maltahöhe and this is were I went on my way to Sesriem. These photos are taken on the road between Maltohöhe and Solitair. Normally this is desert, but they had had record rains, the most in 30 years, and the veld was magnificent.
For some reason I paint things ‘ahead’ sometimes. The beams at sundown I had painted a while before I saw them here. I can still remember how disgusted I was with my bad imitation of sunset at the time.
On the road from Maltehöhe going to Sesriem, every dent in the road was a dam and I frequently got out to walk by the side of the road circling the dam to test the ground. With this methods travelling wasn’t fast but I made progress until I got to a huge donga that runs across the road. Aaahhhh
But…
Yeah!!! there’s a bulldozer!
The Roads Departement in NAM knows their country and furthermore they are in possession of heavy machinery, – with drivers.
Seemingly these are deployed at problem areas and they lurk there, waiting for any drivers in trouble.
So not a problem, they close the rift for me so that I may pass. Now its only the big water further on, says the driver’s assistant while he is busily revving and reversing. Not the news I wanted to hear off course. But this car won’t have a problem, he continues.
Not that a doubt his judgement, but his goodwill may have gotten the better of him.
And so it was, not 100 metres further I hit the ‘big water’. Easily 80 metres across, with a dam on one side and a waterfall on the other and anybody’s guess what is under the water in between.
But our two intrepid roads workers arrive and start emptying the dam with the bulldozer.. Well least said soonest mended so we won’t mention the river on the other side of the dam.
Not wanting to seem ungrateful I watched this spectable for a while and two people started crossing from the other side on foot. One Check and one Slovak. They are merely testing the water and fully intent to drive through. I turned around, not wanting to be swept downstream..
On my way back to Maltahöhe it is getting later and there is a long road ahead now, having to go via Solitair, so I am making time and spending less time walking…
And off course then get stuck, and what’s more the engine doesn’t make a sound when I turn the ignition.
So, I get out and try to push the car out, but I am not strong enough aaahhh.. but yeahhhh!! a small car (you can smell AVIS) comes along. Silly little man, he tries to pretend not to see me and drive right past. Can you imagine, you leave someone stranded in the middle of the desert, not another soul in sight. You just pretend not to see them! Going in the direction of the ‘big water’ but this off course the silly bugger doesn’t know. International tourist, we won’t mention nationalities..
Well off course I wasn’t going to have any of it and stood right in the middle of the road in front of him so he couldn’t pass even if he tried.
Poor little beggar then gives a poor show of trying to help me push the car out, but we don’t make any headway aaaahhh!
But….. yeah! a local farmer with a 4×4 comes along and stops to help. No pretense about this guy, he doesn’t even ask very much, just opens the back of his van to get the tools he needs from a tripple locked tool box. Before he even has the tool box open he dismisses the limp spined tourist, who is meanwhile standing there like a sheep in a hell of a hurry. You can go, I’m right behind you, he says..
Didn’t even look as if he realised he was being insulted poor thing.
I mention that the car also won’t start, but this guy takes life one step at a time (probably the only way in the desert) and simply states that we’ll get to that. He towes the car out and tells me never ever to leave the road. The road is firm, but the side of the road is trouble.
Well ok. The battery cable had come undone so this is fastened but he advises me to go by the garage in Maltahöhe so that they can fasten it properly for me before I continue.
This is my second stop at the garage, earlier I bought airtime there so I know they are good people. With my first stop in town, I went past the Hotel to ask about the famous lilies and stopped at the shop to buy a cold drink (which sprayed all over me, so I did a spot of laundry there too) so by this time I know half the town.
And better people you couldn’t hope to find. Viva Maltahöhe!
The people from the same garage fetched me from the desert some time later when my trip came to an unplanned end AND organised a place for me to spend the night AND gave me a lift to Windhoek the next day AND arranged a place for me to sleep there, – fine people as I said. They also had the kindness to invite me to join them on a family outing to Sesriem the following weekend as I didn’t make it there.
So if you ever go past there, go in and shake their hands, the world can do with a lot more people of their calibre!
Song of Wheels 