EJ's Travels

My last hurrah in Namibia was a weekend getaway with Susana to the not to be missed dunes of the Namib desert in a region called Sossusvlei. My words can’t begin to describe the magic of this place so I will let pictures say it all. A most perfect ending to a most memorable stay with a most beautiful and gracious friend.

Yo le pierdo mi amiga hermosa

see more photos at: http://ej.smugmug.com

After saying goodbye to my Spanish companions I set off to climb a mountain. It happened that Caesar’s company had been contracted to guide a group of 12 army personnel from the UK up Brandbeg Mountain, the highest in Namibia, as part of their adventure training. And, because Caesar is such a kind soul, he graciously allowed me to tag along. He had actually hired a freelance guide by the name of Paul to lead the trek. I didn’t dare pass up the opportunity.

Brandbeg is 8444.23 ft at its peak. That didn’t sound so high to someone who has spent the last 4 years in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains with no shortage of 14,000+ ft peaks. I reckoned it would be a fairly easy hike to the top. Approaching by car the mountain appeared relatively small and unimpressive only reaffirming my deception. We arrived late morning and spent the next 6 hours climbing in the prime heat of the day which seemed a cruel and unusual punishment. Much of the climb involved scrambling up exposed rock faces, which was fantastic fun, but exhausting as well. I’m not going to lie to you, it kicked my ass. The last couple of weeks of touring in luxury had caught up with me and I was paying the price for over-indulgence.

The following day we woke before sunrise and reached the summit by 10:00am, a far more reasonable time of day to be out in the African sun. Not surprisingly we encountered no other signs of human life apart from the cave paintings left by Bushmen some 5000 years ago. Aside from a few natives, the mountain is left virtually unexplored. A shame really, but I certainly didn’t mind. Seeing as how safari travel is often limited to viewing the countryside and its wildlife from the seat of a car, I was thrilled to be encountering a small piece of Namibia on foot with an opportunity to peer out over its wide open spaces which set this African country apart.

Brandberg in the distance

Making progress

Desert flowers

Sunset first night

Bushmen paintings

Still smilin’ at the summit

Early morning departure… that’s the Atlantic in the distance

see more photos at: http://ej.smugmug.com

I was fortunate enough to join Susana on one of her tours as an assistant. Her clients were Antonio and Mercedes, a Spanish couple from the island of Ibiza who have traveled with Susana before, and their daughter, Monsina, and ... [Continue reading this entry]