Day 5 – And God created Deadvlei and Sossusvlei

Today, the hardest task is to make the right clothing choice, because today we are going to explore the dunes of the Namib desert.

We try to do that as early as possible because the conditions in the Namib are quite extreme. It is now winter time and yet temperatures are still rising to about 38° during the daytime. That's nothing compared to the summer when they climb easily above 50°. The heart of the Namib desert is called the driest desert in the world. There are even no oases because there is almost no precipitation. So we must protect ourselves well from the sun with sun cream, a hat, a scarf, etc. and of course bring plenty of water for our walk. In addition, we have to walk through the deep loose sand and it is better to wear flip flops. Closed shoes such as hiking boots fill up immediately with sand...

Well prepared, we leave early at 5.30 pm to arrive at 8 am in Sesriem, the gate to the dunes, so that we can start at the coolest time of the day.

On the way towards the dunes we notice clouds in the darkness for the first time. First, only a couple of clouds but later thicker and thicker clouds. When it finally becomes light, we are under a thick layer of clouds. Oh and today's got to be our dream day. We've been imagining  about this day, thinking about how to set up our camera for the perfect pictures, but with these clouds it will not be our dreamed pictures.

The dunes of the Namib are the highest in the world, some are more than 300 m high. The dune consists not only of sand. It is sand that sticks to rocks. Some dunes are held in place by the so-called Bushmen grass.

This is very strong grass used by Bushmen to finish their houses. Other dunes move a bit. The Stardune, for example, moves up about 12 cm a year.

When arriving in Sesriem, the sun makes an effort to get through. Here and there the clouds break up. The sun sends her rays over the colored dunes. The oh so dreaded clouds provide an additional color pattern.

We drive as far as possible to the heart of the Namib to the parking lot. With 4X4  we are brought to the Deadvlei.

The Deadvlei is a magical place, a clay pan surrounded by high sand dunes. By climbing those sand dunes to the rim, you have a beautiful view of the surroundings. But this climb is quite strenuous. It is fighting your way through the sand and it looks like Echternach's procession: two steps forward - one step back. But you are also rewarded: the Deadvlei in all her beauty. A beautiful color display with dark blue sky, red sand dunes and a white pan. On the pan are 700 to 900 year old dead trees. This image is the iconic image of Namibia.

On arrival we decide not to climb the dune 'Big Daddy' but to take the easier way to Deadvlei.

It is still cloudy but we hope for weather improvement soon. We have liters of water, hats and scarves. 10 minutes after the start of our walk we are already soaking wet. And no, not from sweating. We are wet because of … the rain. Yes, you are reading it well. At this place where it never really rains, we are treated to free water from the sky. What had to be our best day is on the verge of falling literally  into the water. But on the other hand, we also witness a unique event. The guide, our driver, the people on the spot, can hardly believe it. And we not at all. Our magical day does not provide any magic pictures for the time being.

We walk on the pan for an hour and try to be as creative as possible with taking pictures of the trees. A cemetery of old trees, which together form an unimaginable piece of art.

The moment we leave the pan, the sun starts to come out. Timing is apparently not our strongest side. We drive with the 4X4 to the Sossusvlei, a clay pan surrounded by the highest dunes of the Namib. The red color of the dunes is due to the high concentration of iron. This means that the dunes are also very magnetic. This must be an incredible place in the sun.

We enjoy a true Namib massage because of the bumpy ride on the jeep. After the mud bath of Dead Vlei with soft feet as a result and the free peeling by the wind, our wellness day has been a success.

On the way to Dune 45, the sun finally reaches out. The heavy clouds disappear and white clouds appear in place.

We are doing a small hike on Dune 45, but climb only the first meters. The higher you climb, the narrower it gets and the steeper. Not my thing.

But a little height gives you a different perspective. The surrounding dunes are colored in shades of red, pink, orange, green, white, yellow, ... a beautiful painting. At some places, a tree provides that little bit extra. The dunes have all shapes and heights. The sun is playing with the sand colors while the sky is getting more blue. Hence we get a closer look at what could have been. This place is surreal and unique in the world. Despite the rain this was a magical day. This is a place of unusual beauty. A place that could only have been created by God.