Namibia 2013

[nycgirl]

After leaving Cape Town, we drove through South Africa to Namibia. We passed through Namaqualand, where we would have been treated to the sight of a jaw-dropping sea of desert flowers if we had visited in the spring. Hopefully I’ll see it one day. It was a bit of a pain going through security at the Namibian border, but eventually we were in. As we drove, we marveled at the stark beauty of the sun-baked landscape.







Everything fascinated us, even this dead bug. It was a big, odd-looking thing, with colorful wings attached to a lobster-like body.



I was so pleased to see road signs warning us about the presence of exotic animals (exotic to me, that is). You can imagine how excited I was to actually see the animals themselves!



The first mammal we saw was a springbok, recognizable by its curved horns and the dark stripe on its flank. Their speed and agility are impressive; they can run up to 55 mph and jump up to 13 feet in the air. When attempting to ward off predators or attract a mate, they engage in “pronking,” repeatedly leaping in the air with their backs curved and their legs stiff. We saw a juvenile male doing this at one point.





The gemsbok was a distinctive creature, with its large body, black and white face, and long, lethal-looking horns, seen on both males and females.



We soon learned that they are extremely common and pretty dopey about getting out of the way of an approaching vehicle. Even so, I never got tired of looking at them.







We had previously spotted ostriches in the distance in South Africa, but driving around the desert we got lots of up-close views.





Seeing zebras in the wild for the first time was a big thrill.



And I loved the way the veld glowed softly in the dying evening light.

[htmb]

All fabulous shots, nycgirl, but I especially love the first one for its deep amber tones.

And for the shadowy mountains in the background.

[bixaorellana]

Absolutely thrilled to see this report, NYCGirl. Your opening & ending OP shots are stunning, just intensely and subtly beautiful.

Your dead bug is a grasshopper -- that's how they look with the hind wings spread. What wonderful colors! Check this out: www.whatsthatbug.com/2009/02/03/namibian-grasshopper-roadkill/

That zebra picture is so noble, but all of the wildlife pics are great. So cool to have been able to see them in real life.

How big of a deal was it to rent a car, get permits to cross borders, and then to drive in the desert? I'd love to hear more about that.

[nycboy]

Bix, the permit wasn't a problem, it's just a written letter of permission that the rental company provides for a smallish fee (depending on the country). I can't remember the fee exactly but it was under $100USD maybe even $50 for Namibia (Botswana was free). We had no problems whatsoever renting a car through Avis, who had the best rates for our timeframe, right from CPT airport and returning in JNB for our departure. The whole one-way rental was approximately $1700USD for an SUV, which was considerably more than a typical car. We didn't have any problems with the desert except for one dirt road which got very messy in a torrential downpour. We heard many stories of people getting flat tires in Namibia but the only flat tire I got was, embarrassingly, in the parking lot of our flat in CT!

[nycboy]

I'll add that, unlike most of the deer in upstate NY, the game in Namibia and SA will run off the road when scared, the exception being the Gemsbock which liked to live dangerously.

[mossie]

Super wildlife pics, thanks

[Deleted]

Namibia looks even more spectacular and stark (in a good way) than I had imagined. I have always wanted to go because I love endless empty roads, and of course the wildlife along the way is a huge bonus.

However, I presume that you will soon be showing us proof of a little bit of human presence in the country since you had to eat and sleep. But I wanted to know -- how long were the longest empty stretches with no sign of humanity? I didn't really worry about things in my younger days, but for some odd reason as I get a little older I have begun to imagine possible breakdowns, flat tires and the like. Never having owned a car, for me even changing a tire is a major exploit. And assuming that I can figure out how to open the bonnet, looking at what is inside has about the same effect on me as taking off the back of a pocket calculator -- total mystery!

How many other cars were on the road? Driving in both the American west and on some Australian roads, I got quite used to seeing another car only every 30-60 minutes, but I might find any longer a bit unnerving.

[tod2]

Your photos certainly have a 'wow' factor nycgirl/boy, and definitely show Namibia as it really is.
The gemsbok are fabulous aren't they?! Those horns are so majestic.
Yes, we certainly shredded a tire and had a puncture in another one. The stony road can be lethal.
Luckily we were forewarned and carried not only an extra tire, but an extra wheel!
Looking forward to the next installment....soon??

[anshjain97]

Beautiful shots, thanks for sharing!

[nycboy]

Apr 9, 2013 10:57:25 GMT kerouac2 said:

But I wanted to know -- how long were the longest empty stretches with no sign of humanity?
.....
How many other cars were on the road? Driving in both the American west and on some Australian roads, I got quite used to seeing another car only every 30-60 minutes, but I might find any longer a bit unnerving.

The longest stretch without services was probably 5 hours down backroads from Otjiwarongo to Gobabis. We might've seen 5 or 6 cars but much of that was because it was dark. I'm confident that had you run into problems you wouldn't wait more than a half hour before a car came along. One of the other more desolate stretches we drove was from Spitzkoppe to Kamanjab.

[htmb]

Nycboy, you've been known to hike for miles when running into car trouble in the past. This may be an asinine question, but would you have been as willing to hike out for help on this trip?

[nycboy]

I don't think it'd have been necessary, a car would've come along at some point.

[tod2]

I am sure Namibia is one of the safest countries in Africa. Everyone is pleased to see you, and helpful isn't the word.....we had folks going out of their way to guide and help. It's a place where you can walk alone on a dark night without feeling the least bit threatened.

[htmb]

My concern about walking a long distance in an isolated area of Namibia was related to issues with the animals rather than people. Sorry I wasn't clear.

[deyana az guezt]

What an adventure, nycgirl. I wonder if the Ozterichez are hunted down for food? Or are they protected there?

[bixaorellana]

Apr 11, 2013 2:07:26 GMT htmb said:

My concern about walking a long distance in an isolated area of Namibia was related to issues with the animals rather than people. Sorry I want clear.

Honey, we all want clear. ;D

Believe me, I knew what you meant by your question. All those toothsome ruminants must surely mean large fanged & clawed predators are lurking nearby.

Thanks for the answer about the car, NYCBoy. Embarrassed or not, if you had to have a flat, you got it in the best possible place. Interesting & very helpful that the car rental company provides the needed paperwork for passing from one country to another. That's a bunch of miles for the buck, especially in a good big & comfortable vehicle.

[nycboy]

Apr 11, 2013 14:21:03 GMT bixaorellana said:

Apr 11, 2013 2:07:26 GMT htmb said:

My concern about walking a long distance in an isolated area of Namibia was related to issues with the animals rather than people. Sorry I want clear.

Honey, we all want clear. ;D

Believe me, I knew what you meant by your question. All those toothsome ruminants must surely mean large fanged & clawed predators are lurking nearby.

Thanks for the answer about the car, NYCBoy. Embarrassed or not, if you had to have a flat, you got it in the best possible place. Interesting & very helpful that the car rental company provides the needed paperwork for passing from one country to another. That's a bunch of miles for the buck, especially in a good big & comfortable vehicle.

Yes, I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Re walking around Namibia: I would certainly have eyes in the back of my head walking around the Northern part because of the desert lions. We did however see many, many people walking all over the country, some of which were many miles from any town.

[htmb]

Desert lions ;D. There's one thing we don't have to watch out for in Florida!

[lola]

Oh, my, what gorgeous photos. Makes me want to go there. Imagine seeing a zebra just out minding its own business.

How many miles did you cover altogether, roughly? Do people raise an index finger from the steering wheel to salute oncoming cars, as they do in remote 2 lane blacktops of the American Southwest? Are there buses from city to city?

[nycboy]

I think we did about 5,000 miles for the whole trip. There is some acknowledgement of passing vehicles as there are so few of them. Not sure about the buses but I imagine the larger towns are connected. Many people hitchhike.

[bixaorellana]

Enjoying the pictures in this thread once again, but curious to know what else you all did in Namibia.

[nycboy]

Not to worry, Girl is busy working on the next installment.

[tod2]

PLEASE...give us more!

[lugg]

What spectacular photos Nycgirl/boy. Namibia looks very beautiful. Interesting to read that is considered to be so safe, it makes it even more enticing to travel under one's own steam rather than on an organised safari/trip.

[nycgirl]

Thanks for all the kind comments, everyone! And Bixa, thanks for the link on the on the grasshopper.

Deyana, we've seen ostrich burgers and such offered at restaurants. Not sure if they're hunted, I do know that ostriches are raised on farms.

Ok, I'm going to jump back in the saddle. Thanks for your patience.

[nycgirl]

Our long drives in the desert were entertaining not only because of the big animals, but also because of the plethora of birds we encountered. We took our time pulling over, photographing them, and identifying them from the bird book.

We saw lots of sociable weavers, unremarkable looking birds with an extraordinary skill. They build huge, muti-chambered nests that can house up to 300 birds. The nests are masterpieces in engineering, with temperatures inside staying 10 degrees celsius cooler during the harsh part of the day, while the inner chambers stay 10 degrees celsius warmer on cold nights. They favor building in camel thorn trees, and they tirelessly add to their nest until the tree begins to resemble a thatched barn.



They also take advantage of telephone poles.



Some of the species we saw were kestrels...



the Booted Eagle (named for its heavily feathered legs)...



and the Pale Chanting Goshawk.



Can't remember the name of this handsome guy.



This is one of the most fascinating birds I've seen. The Secretary Bird has an eagle-like body and crane-like legs and stands a whopping 4 feet tall. It has black feathers reaching halfway down its legs, like capri pants, and the rest of its legs are covered with scales. It's a very good flyer, but spends most of its time on the ground, stomping its prey to death with his big taloned feet.

It's not certain how it got the Secretary Bird got its name. One explanation is that the long, striking feathers trailing the back of its head bore resemblance to the quill pens that Victorian clerks stuck in their hair. Another possibility is the name came the Arabic word "saqr-et-tair", meaning "hunter-bird," which also translates into French as "secretaire".





Here's a video I found that demonstrates the Secretary Bird's hunting prowess. We saw one from a distance exhibiting this behavior.

[mossie]

Wonderful. I'd heard of the secretary bird but had no idea how in hunted. Also the birds nest on the telephone pole is really something.
Thanks

[Deleted]

Totally magnificent set of birds! Are they easy to pluck and clean?

[tod2]

You were so lucky to spot those birds of prey! Wonderful. I looked through my numerous bird books but your unidentified bird is a hard one - it could be any number of goshawks, falcons, harriers, etc.
A bird expert would have no problem and you could forward it to: www.birdforum.net/ where they will ID it for you.

[htmb]

Fabulous bird pictures, girl and boy. I had never before heard of the Secretary Bird. Wow! Fascinating, and the video you linked to gave me a better idea of how these birds kill their prey.