Sunrise in Sossusvlei

We arrived in Sessriem in the early afternoon, the mercury was at 36 degrees and the desert was really showing us just how extreme its temperature fluctuations could be.  All accommodation options around Sossusvlei and Sessriem were priced a bit too high and so back into our tents we went.  The campsite was great and we pitched our tents under two big old acacias, trying to guess which the shadiest bits would be in the morning. We arranged for a 5:45am pickup to take us to see the sun rise over the vlei, bikes are not allowed into the park as a few years ago a group of bikers tore up the dunes - ruining it for the rest of us.

Grumpy Pete at 6am...

Sossusvlei

We staggered out of bed well before sunrise, but our shuttle never arrived, and so we stood around waiting as the heavens got lighter and we risked missing the show. Grumpy Gary went in search of alternatives, and came back with Philemon in Landrover Defender who was a superb guide.  He timed our first stop perfectly and we all ran around a dune taking photos of the breathtaking colours as they emerged with the light. The ride in to Sossusvlei is about 60km, and passes row after row of dunes, with a great big flat vlei in the middle littered with Oryx, Ostrich, Springbok and Bat-eared Foxes. A hot air balloon rose out of the desert in the distance, an enviable way to catch this sight.  The scenery was indescribably beautiful, and I am so glad that we managed to get there and experience it in all its glory.  Something that should be added to all your to-do lists!

Sunrise safari

Philemon our guide and driver

Cold morning

We eventually got into the heart of the dunes and hit some seriously heavy sand, we all giggled nervously at the thought of having to ride our loaded bikes through this stuff when we get to Botswana.  We hiked through the desert towards Big Daddy - the biggest dune in the area, and looked down on the Dead Vlei, a bleached white depression dotted with the dry out remains of hardy old desert trees.  Pete and I bounded straight down the face of the dune and onto the dead vlei where my camera decided to run out of battery when I needed it most. Good thing Pete had his fully charged.

Dead Vlei

Cold sunrise

Clearing sand from socks and shoes

Dunes at sunrise

Section!!!!!

After breakfast back at camp we bid farewell to my dad who is riding solo back to Cape Town. It's been brilliant having him along and we will all miss his company, his campfire stories and his do-anything approach to life. We watched his dust trail disappearing into the desert as he headed for Maltehoehe and we made our way further north to Swakopmund. We later learned that he covered over 500km that day, through heat, desert and the dreariness of Mariental, he made it as far as Keetmanshoop where he finally found a bed for the night.  We drank a toast in his honour that evening and expressed our desire to be able to do a trip like this when we are all 70.     

Pete asking "How does John Cross sit down?"

Our day off the bikes today turned into a day in the Duneworx Yamaha dealership in Swakopmund where Mario and his team looked after us with such enthusiasm and professionalism that we felt like part of the family.  I had an expensive day - my chain was overtightened when I bought the bike in Cape Town and it had stretched in one part of the chain.  This has deteriorated badly over the last few days and the bike was jerking badly.  A new chain, sprokets and dampers were needed, hopefully these will last for 20,000+ km now and get us to Nairobi and beyond!  Mario's team gave the the three Tenors a wash and blow dry, and we will leave on shiny bikes tomorrow complete with Duneworx Yamaha stickers!  

Mario, the Three Tenors and the African Horizons gang

Tomorrow we go in search of ship wrecks on the skeleton coast, a big rocky outcrop called Spitzkoppe and the booming metropolis of  Namibia's capital, Windhoek, with its staggering population of 265,000.