So it begins

Ludertiz

Published Date : February 15, 2005

We drove most of the day, continuing our journey south.  This is without a doubt my favourite country for scenery.  Rugged ocean shorelines, towering sand dunes, empty desert and mountain.  I don’t know what it is about the vast emptiness of the desert, but it calls to me.  I noticed it in the Middle East as well, but the scale of it is so much grander here.  There’s something so beautiful in the desolation.

Our destination for the night was Shark Island, a small peninsula in the town of Luderitz. The island, once an extermination camp during the Herero Wars in the early 1900s, is now the site of several campgrounds and budget accommodation.  It is estimated that as many as 3000 Herero people were killed there during the colonization wars.  Considered one of the most brutal concentration camps at the time, many Herero would commit suicide rather than allow themselves to be sent to Luderitz. The bodies of those who died on the island would be left on the beach for the sharks to feed on.

Dark history aside, the town was quite picturesque.  After dinner, I enjoyed an icy cold swim in Atlantic dodging jellyfish and sand crabs.

Kolmannskuppe

Published Date : February 16, 2005

I had more hallucinations last night.  They always seem to happen when I’m in that twilight state between waking and sleeping.  Last night I imagined snakes were crawling over me in my tent.  I only have one more week to go with the medication.  It will be nice to have my brain back again.

This morning we stopped at Kolmannskuppe ghost town.  A once thriving diamond mine, it was abandoned in 1959.  Located in the Sperrgebiet (Prohibited Area) we first needed to apply for a permit to visit the town.  Once privately owned by the German Diamond Company, the area is now jointly owned by De Beers and the Namibian government and was recently declared a National Park.

With little human interference, the desert has quickly reclaimed the town.  Dunes have overtaken many of the buildings leaving many of them partially buried.  It was a very interesting place to explore and well worth the visit.

Leaving the desert behind, we drove the rest of the day before setting up camp at Naute Game Park.  I spent the night reading.  I picked up a copy of “Swahili for the Brokenhearted” at the hostel book exchange back in Swakopmund.  It’s the story of a backpacker’s trip from Cape Town to Cairo.  I’m finding it quite entertaining since we’re doing the same trip in reverse.  It’s always interesting to hear other people’s impressions and experiences in places you’ve been.

Canyons are grand

Published Date : February 17, 2005

This morning we made the short drive to Fish River Canyon.  It’s called Fish River because it’s one of few waterways in the country that can actually support fish life.  The canyon is 160km long, 27km wide and 550m deep.  It’s the 2^nd largest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the United States.  There are several hiking trails through the canyon including a 5-day 85km trek. I would love to come back some day and do one of them.

From the canyon we had another short drive to Ai-Ais hotsprings where we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and swim.  Our resting place for tonight is Felix Unite Provenance Camp on the Orange River.  It was a gorgeous campsite with lush green vegetation along the banks of the river.  It seemed strange to see so much plant life after nothing but desert for the last week.  I enjoyed a brief swim in the cool river, but tired myself out fast in the strong current.

This is our last night in Namibia.  Tomorrow it’s on to South Africa!

The end draws near

Published Date : February 18, 2005

The final border crossing of the expedition was quick and painless.  It took about 2-minutes and cost me nothing for a 3-month visa for South Africa.

We stopped briefly for some shopping in Springbok.  Then we continued south into Western Cape through Cedarberg.  The rolling green hills were gorgeous and actually reminded me of the Okanagan region back home in British Columbia.  I did briefly feel a bit nostalgic for home, but I love being on the road too much to really be homesick.

For the afternoon we enjoyed a spot of luxury with a stop at The Baths Hot Springs Resort.  I haven’t quite adjusted to being back in civilization yet, but I could definitely get used to it if it involves more of this!

Wine Country

Published Date : February 19, 2005

I had another rough night last night.  It was more of the same – fever, chills, hallucinations.  I took my last antimalarial tablet yesterday, so hopefully I’ll be back to normal soon.  I’ve been feeling more than a little out of it for the last couple of weeks.  I am definitely burnt out from the group situation, but the Lariam side effects certainly haven’t been helping.  I’m seriously looking forward to some solo travel time.

Today we had a fairly short drive to Stellenbosch, a quaint, European feeling town in the heart of wine country.  I had been hoping to ship off some souvenirs, but the post office was closed so it will have to wait until Cape Town.  The afternoon was spent on a wine tour with stops at 3-4 vineyards.  It was a fabulous way to finish off the expedition.

Our accommodation for the night was the Stumble Inn hostel.  After 4 months I’m very happy to say farewell to my tent!  Dinner at the hostel was alright, but nothing special. We rounded out the evening with drinks at the Bohemian Pub.

Freedom

Published Date : February 20, 2005

I was up reasonably early this morning.  While most of the group slept, Amy and I wandered over to the supermarket for breakfast.  Fruit, sausage rolls, and orange juice was a nice change from the peanut butter and bread I’ve been living off for the last couple of months.

Back on the truck for the last time, we left Stellenbosch at 10am, arriving in Cape Town about an hour later.  My 4-month Phoenix Expeditions overland trip from Istanbul to Cape Town is officially over.

I said a quick goodbye to the group and hopped in a cab to the Cat and Moose Backpacker’s Lodge.  At R43 (about $7 per night) for a dorm room, it was perfect.  Cheap and clean in a good location, I couldn’t ask for more.

After a brief safety overview from the guys at the front desk on which areas to avoid, I spent some time walking around town.  First impressions: Cape Town is a beautiful city.  I had been somewhat uncertain of what to expect from South Africa in terms of personal security.  I felt quite safe wandering around on my own though.  I could have been in any city back home.

Back at the hostel, I cooled off with a quick dip in the splash pool.  Marika and Amy were settling into the dorm when I returned.  They had been asking where I was planning to stay in Cape Town, so I wasn’t surprised to see them.  I chatted with them for a while, comparing travel plans.  Amy is headed back to the US straight away, but Marika is going to be travelling around South Africa for a while before travelling back north to Uganda.

With a bit of spare time before the final group dinner, I swung by the front desk again and booked a day tour around Cape Point for the day after tomorrow.  After checking in with Greg and my parents to assure them I was still alive and safely in Cape Town, I met up with Marika and Amy again.  We walked over to “Marco’s African Place” and enjoyed a pleasant dinner. At R80 (just under $13) I had a nice meal of chicken pasta with an Irish coffee.  It was really quite reasonably priced, but it seemed incredibly expensive after so many months of cooking for ourselves.

Feeling budget conscious, I didn’t want to pay for another cab back to the hostel. I didn’t want to be walking back after dark either, so I called it an early night.  The party was still going strong when I left.