Back Again!

Dear Readers,

I’ve been away for some months and am now happily back online and looking forward to checking in again on fellow bloggers.

A chance to revisit Namibia at a slow pace, traveling the back routes, camping mainly and stopping at destinations way off the beaten track has been a compelling experience for me.  Becoming so immersed in nature – learning the scent of the land, it’s voices, the revelation of the night skies, the heart thumping exhilaration of hearing nocturnal wildlife close by adds up to a “stop-the-world-i-want-to-get off” kind of destination.

Here’s a dip into the first scenes of this immense and timeless place –

The rugged grandeur of the Ais/Richtersveld-Namib Transfrontier Park near Rosh Pinar.

Namibia is an extraordinary country, the expanse of it’s panoramic vistas stretch way into the far distance, seductive in pastel colours, so tantalising as the horizons pleat and fold.

The Namib gravel plains stretch towards the desert.
Wild Namib horses have adapted and live in the harsh desert conditions.
The orange sands of ancient sand dunes shift and shape through the wind, forming long geometric ridge lines.
Statuesque quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma) grow in a barren land inspiring awe at their sculpted defiance.   Reputedly some are as old as 800 years, but now climate change is a factor in their survival.

As we traveled through different biomes:  desert, savannah, tree and shrublands, to the wetlands of the Zambezi area the contrasts in ecosystems and habitats were distinct.  Hope you’ll join me as a post further stories; coming up soon …..

Walking with Vervets

Graceful long-limbed vervets accompany me on a walk next to the Kongola R, Namushasha Lodge.

Standing Sentry Duty: Who goes there?

Sentry duty, scanning the horizon.

Meet the Enchanting Miss Dik-dik.

Doe-eyed Dik-dik the smallest of the antelope species, roam the campsite.

The Enigmatic Wild Horses, Can they Survive?

For 100 years the desert horses have survived the harsh conditions. But drought and predation by the spotted hyaena are taking a drastic toll on their numbers.

 

36 thoughts on “Back Again!”

  8. The vervets appear ‘highly intelligent’ – and if they shadowed you, they were curious about you or it’s there nature or — so many questions best answered if I witnessed those beings in person! I sense that I’d want to tell everyone else to ‘go on’ and I’d linger behind and spend time with the vervets!

    The scientific name for the quiver trees surprised me. Are they cousins to our aloe plants, and if so does the sap have some of the same healing/medicinal properties! I’m thinking outloud, no need for answers!

    And the horses – oh, so gorgeous, images of the poetic beauty of our planet, fast changing for many reasons. I hope that they survive.

    It’s great seeing your post, my luck to be online for a few days!

    Lisa

    Reply

    1. Lovely to connect again, and thanks for these super comments. The little vervets were a delight, yes and highly intelligent. We lingered along the same pathway, they accepting me as i hung about “chatting”. They were foraging, leaping through aerial manouevres into the trees, plucking mangoes and other luscious fruits. Boss man, the alpha male came to check me out and make sure i understood his rank! The troop is relatively habituated to people, and in all it was a leisurely encounter.
      The quiver trees play an important role in the indigenous people’s beliefs, spirits can dwell there if the dead person hasn’t been buried. Yes and root is used for medicinal purposes – boiled it is used for treating asthma, and the leaf sap is used for burns and skin disorders.
      To witness the horses in a sense of wildness and freedom was so poetic – their graceful physique, long limbs and flying manes, just captures the imagination….

      Reply

  9. The horses are fabulous, I never saw any in the ten days I spent camping in Namibia, but I do remember the scenery well and especially your first photo. Looks like what I imagine to be a lunar landscape. Can’t wait to see more. Oh, and the Dik-dik is so sweet, just look at the length of those eyelashes!!

    Reply

    1. It is an amazing country! Those arid moon landscapes have their own appeal…. sorry you missed the horses though. They’ve been through tough times, but thankfully there is a very dedicated NGO who looks out for their welfare. Yes those little dik-diks have eyelashes to die for! I lurked around waiting to take photos. Melt the heart, they do!

      Reply

  14. Nice to have you back, Liz, and I’m so looking forward to everything you have to share from your Namibia adventure – this was a mouth-watering tantalizer!

    Reply

  16. It’s great to see you back Liz and from Namibia, wow I confess to being a little jealous of that trip. The Dik-dik is adorable, what a stunning photo. I had no idea there were wild horses in the Namib.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the comments, Gilly. Yes, Namibia can really get a grip on the soul! Dik-diks are so charming 🙂 There’s quite a story to those wild Namib horses. They’re unique in having bred through the last 100 years or so and are now recognised as a separate breed. Elegant creatures …. long limbed and graceful. More coming up on them…..

      Reply

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