Kokerboom The Quiver tree has adapted to desert conditionbs by storing water in its small fleshy leaves. A forest of these unusual specimens has survived, and is now a national monument, near Keetmanshoop.	Fish River Canyon Dolph & Mirjam making the dinner	Sosusvlei Paul reached the top of Dune 45
Sosusvlei	Sosusvlei	Sosusvlei Esther reached the top of Dune 45
Sosusvlei, Namib Naukluft Park Dune 45. The Namib-Naukluft Park is Namibia's largest nature reserve, about 50.000 sqkms in size. It includes a 100 to150 km broad belt of land that stretches along the coastline from the Swakop valley in the north, towards the road B4 to Luederitz in the south. Most parts of this enormous area are not accessible to man. One can only visit a small stretch north of the Kuiseb river: the Naukluft Mountains and the Sossusvlei in the central dune fields.	Namib Naukluft Park The Bushmen are the oldest ethnic group in Namibia having inhabited Southern Africa for an estimated 20.000 years. The South African "homeland" policy forced them to settle in remote "Bushmanland", a desert-like area between Kaudom Park and Omaheke. The Bushmen are expert archers. Although the bows are relatively small and thus, the range of an arrow tends to be below 25 metres. For this reason, the bushmen have to approach and shoot their quarry at very close range; a skill that requires the greatest patience and nimble feet. If an animal is hit by an arrow, it has no chance to escape, because the tips of the reed-shafted arrows are coated with a highly toxic poison, obtained from the larvae of a certain beetle. The poison, which, even in tiny amounts is fatal to humans, is made using a recipe known only to the bushmen. Various plant ingredients are added in order to intensify the effect. As of yet, no one has found an antidote against the San's arrow poison.	Kuiseb Pass The sandy riverbed of the Kuiseb Pass. The scenery here is overwhelmingly beautifull. The Naukluft Mountains with their rugged rock massifs and deeply incised riverbeds rise up to 1000 metres above the surrounding area. The highest peak reaches 1949 m. The mountains are a hiker's paradise. You will find quite strenuous as well as easy trails
Sosusvlei Vehicle trouble	Sosusvlei The Driver of Djoser assisted by vehicle trouble	Namibia Zulu has a poetic mind
Cape Cross In 1846, the first European to set foot on the coast of South West Africa Diego Cao, erected a cross in honour of John I of Portugal at a site now known as Cape Cross, 115 kilometers north of Swakopmund. In addition to being of historical interest, Cape Cross has a breeding colony otf the Cape Fur Seal (Arctosephalus Pusilluspusillus).	Cape Cross Fur seals are commonly known as eared seals, distinguishing from the true seals, wich lack external ears. Seals are present at Cape Cross throughout the year and numbers fluctuate between 80.000 and 100.000 individuals.	Pertified Forest The Welwitschia Mirabellis. A specimen of one of the world's most bizarre plants, can be seen east of Swakopmund or Walvis Bay on the Welwitschia Plains. The oldest survivor of the species is believed to be 1500 years old.
Twijfelfontijn	Pertified Forest "kan nie dood nie" tree	On the way to Twijfelfontijn Himba Woman
Zulu Emke in front of the truck	Ethosha n.p. Elephants at the waterhole	Ethosha A view on the waterhole
Etosha n.p. An view on the waterhole	Sosusvlei The roadsign to deadvlei	Twijfelfontijn The local souvenir shop
Etosha The entrance of Etosha n.p.	Etosha The Etosha Salt Pan	Namib Naukluft Park Overview of th death valley
Namib Naukluft Park The Sossusvlei, Namibia's famous highlight in the heart of the Namib Desert, is a huge clay pan, enclosed by giant sand dunes. Some of the spectacular hills of sand are, at a height of 300 metres, the highest in the world. Only after a heavy rainfall, which is a rare event in this area, does the vlei fill with water. As the clay layers hardly allow any water infiltration, a turquoise lake will remain for quite some time.	Dune 45 The highest sand dune in the world, The dunes of the Namib desert have developed over a period of many millions of years. It is thought that the vast quantities of sand were deposited into the Alantic Ocean by the Orange river. This material was subsequently moved northwards by the Benguela current to be dumped back onto the land by the surf. This coastal dunes developed as a result of this and were shifted further and further inland by the wind. Wind continuously reshapes the patterns of the huge dunes of the Namib desert. It timelessly forces the grains of sand on the flat windward slope upwards to the crest of the dune. Here they fall down in the wind shade. The leeward slope is therefore always considerably steeper than the windward side	Pertified forest A few kilometres away from Twyfelfontein, there are more attractions to be found: the basalt columns called "Organ Pipes" and "Petrified Forest" with about 300 million year-old tree trunks.
Namib Naukluft Park Sunset	Namib Naukluft Park	Namib Naukluft Park An overview of the death valley
Namib Naukluft Park	Namib Naukluft Park The death vlei.	Namib Naukluft Park The top of dune 45
Namib Naukluft Park Death Valley	Namib Naukluft Park Death Valley	Dune 45 The top of dune 45
Bugs Little bugs on the campsite. Its like a Windows-XP bug or is it not ?	Namib Naukluft Park The sand is blown away by the wind
The campsite	Kuiseb Pass The overlandtruck in the rough landscape around the Kuiseb Pass.	Dune 45 The sign
Namib Naukluft Park	Swakopmund	Namib Naukluft Park The Namin Desert
Namib Naukluft Park	Namib Naukluft Park	Swakopmund Township
Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township
Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township
Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township
Swakopmund Township
Swakopmund Township	Swakopmund Township	Cape Cross
Twijfelfontijn	Twijfelfontijn	Twijfelfontijn
Twijfelfontijn In Damaraland in north west Namibia there is a rich archive of rock-engravings at Twijfelfontijn made by the San-Bushmen.	On the way to Twijfelfontijn Two Himba womans	Etosha
Etosha Squirrels on the campsite	Etosha The Campsite	Etosha N.P. The Waterhole
Etosha N.P. The Waterhole	Swakopmund	Swakopmund
Swakopmund Our township-tour-guide. While travelling in Namibia, few western tourists have the opportunity to experience first hand the reality of the African way of life. Small and friendly, the township is a melting pot of cultures and peoples. The tour lasts up to 3 hours with the aim of immersing tourists in township life: transport to the township is provided by local taxis, most of the tour is then on foot. Tourists experience hospitality at the house of the Damara chief of Swakopmund, and taste traditional food. Ovambo school girls perform traditional dancing and demonstrate mahango preparation intheir back yard. Visitors are guided by a local girl Charlotte Shigweda, who with her bubbly personality and knowledge gives a fascinating insight into a typical Namibian township.	Swakopmund Esther visited the Herero people. The Herero are unique among southern Africa's indigenous people to recognize their descent from both the mother's and father's families. Residence, religion and authority are taken from the father's line, while the economy and inheritance of wealth is passed on via the mother's clan. The Herero believe in a Supreme Being, called Omukuru, the Great One, or Njambi Karunga. Like the Himba they also have a holy, ritual fire which symbolizes life, prosperity and fertility to them. However, the majority have been converted to Christianity, although the Herero church, the Oruuano, combines Christian dogma with ancestor worship and magical practices. Traditionally, they are nomadic pastoralists. There is no private ownership of cattle, since they belong to the lineage of the mother's tribe. An heir is expected to share his inheritance with his brother's and the sons of his mother's younger sisters.	Swakopmund Swakopmund was of major importance as a harbour during the German colonial era even though the water at the coast is actually too shallow and the bay is unprotected. But Luederitz was too far away and the seaport of Walvis Bay was in British possession in those days. The appearance of the town, with its 30 000 inhabitants, is characterised by numerous colonial buildings with the Woermann House from 1905 as its landmark. The former trading house in Bismarck Street with its 25 metre high Damara Tower and its courtyard bordered by arcades today houses the city library, an art gallery and the office of the Namibia Wildlife Resorts.
Swakopmund	Swakopmund	Swakopmund
Swakopmund	Swakopmund	Swakopmund
Swakopmund	Swakopmund	Swakopmund
Etosha	Etosha	Fish river canyon
Esther	Roads	Roads
Etosha N.P. The Etosha National park is one of the finest reserves in Africa. Most of the wildlife activity focuses on the vast Etosha Pan and the park's western region's where game throngs during the wet seasons.	Etosha N.P. Esther in the Etosha pan. Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan is part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. Today, the Etosha Pan rarely has water as it is supplied mostly from rainfall but with high evaporation the water quickly disappears a phenomenom which is common throughout Namibia.	Twijfelfontijn Some 90 kilometres west of Khorixas lies Twyfelfontein ("Doubtful Spring"), with one of the most extensive galleries of rock engravings in the world. They aren't really paintings, but have been done by cutting through the hard surface layer of sandstone. More than 2000 petroglyphes have been counted here, and in 1952, the valley of Twyfelfontein was proclaimed a National Monument. The rock engravings are found on a number of smooth rock surfaces and most of them depict animals and their tracks. Scientists have estimated their ages to vary between 1000 and 10000 years: The majority agrees on an age of about 6000 years.
Etosha N.P. Maza in the Etosha pan. A San legend about the formation of the Etosha Pan tells of how a village was raided and everyone but the women slaughtered. One woman was so upset about the death of her family she cried until her tears formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up nothing was left apart from a huge white pan.	The Fish River Canyon This canyon runs almost vertically for 161 kilometers down to Southern Namibia to Ai-Ais near the Orange River boundary with South Africa. Somtimes it is 550 meters deep and at some places 27 kilometers wide. Only The grand Canyon is bigger.	Etosha Namutoni Fort, one of the Etosha National Park's restcamps were we stayed the night.
Kuiseb The dry river in the Kuiseb area.	Swakopmund Local school.	Solitaire In the middle of the desert they serve appelpie....imagine that. Read all about it : Ton van der Lee, " Solitaire". ISBN 90-5713-667-8.
Swakopmund Our camsite.	Swakopmund Township tour.	Swakopmund Maza visited a Herero Woman....
Swakopmund Township tour	Sosuvlei	Sosusvlei View from the plane.
Sosusvlei View from the plane	Sosusvlei View from the plane	Sosusvlei View from the plane
Sosusvlei Skeleton Coast	Campsite The Campsite viewed from the plane in Sosusvlei.	Kuiseb Pas Another view.
Sosuvlei Quadbike in Sosusvlei	Pertified forest "Kan nie dood nie"	Pertified forest Welwitschia