22 days and 6,000
kilometers
on the roads of the Namibia
di Francesca
Zannoni
11° day: Swakopmund-Walvis
Bay-Kuiseb-Solitaire-Swarfontein
We leave Swakopmund in direction South, towards Walvis
Bay, one city that it has very little to offer. To 8 Km
from the city but high red sand dunes are found on which
are possible to see someone that dedication to the ski...
on the sand. Dune 7 is sure most famous and is marked from
numerous street trusts. Always close to Walvis Bay Rooibank
can be visited, a small village where the last Topnaar community
of the Namibia lives. At least therefore they bring back
the guides. We have been and to part an able insopportabile
wind to raise clouds of sand, we have not seen a beautiful
one nothing. Continued towards south: you are in the Namib
Desert Park.  To
part the panorana not is much to signal. You know that the
Namib is the more ancient desert of the world and, for being
a desert is amazingly rich of life. Along the road, with
one small shunting line, can be arrived to the Kuiseb Canyon
, a panoramic point much beautiful one where pause pic-nic
can be made. You restart, the road is still long. Solitaire
is the first inhabited center that you will find on your
road, but to define it inhabited center is one exaggerated
vision a little of the truth. Draft of a benzine pump to
crank, a cabin of the telephone that works yes or not, bar-restaurant-alimentary,
an area camping with baths and shower, and three bungalow.
The all managed one from Mr. Moose that offers the better
apples cake of all Namibia (telephone: 063/296367), and
that, if you are nice to it to us, it will tell you "of
that time that cheetah...". The Guest more pleasant
Farm of the zone is that one of Swartfontein , managed from
Roberto and Silvia Scarafia to approximately 50 Km from
Solitaire. Do not make to scare from the shunting line,
the panorama and the acclimatization of it they are worth
the pain, in order not to speak about the Italian-namibiana
kitchen. Can you imagine gnu stew with mash?
12° day: Swartfontein We
take a day of rest and we make ourselves to accompany from
Roberto to go around the inside of the estate. Beyond to
being an optimal naturalistic guide, it will be able to
tell to you like lives in Namibia, illustrating to you qualities
and the defects of the several local truths. But make attention,
from good fond of walking, will try to drag to you in climbs
to the limits of the impossible one... you take your measures
and you regulate yourselves consequently!
13° day: Swartfontein-Sesriem-Sossusvlei-Sinclair
Guest Farm
 A
rich journey will expect us today. Returned towards Solitaire
and continued towards the field of Sesriem. From here, continuing
for others 60 km it is arrived to the great dry Sossusvlei
pan. The road entire is encircled from dunes that go from
ocher to the red, one of beautifulr the desert distances
that can be imagined. The last feature of road is percorribile
single with the 4X4, but it has been instituted a system
of shuttles that in little time will carry to you to destination.
Dune 45 is one of highest (150mt.) and, if arrived in top,
you can enjoy a beautiful panorama. The ideal would be to
succeed to spend the night to the field of Sesriem (rigorously
in stretches) or in one of the lodge of the zone, but it
is not at all easy, above all in July and August, for which
in the afternoon, you recover in march. In Helmeringhausen
locality telephone 00264/061226979 is the Sinclaire Guest
Farm (email: logufa@mweb.com.na)
managed from Gunther and Hannelore Hoffman. One says that
in the 1870 some coloni they acquired the property from
the Nama in order to approach all branch mines and paid
the earth with two full brandy wheelbarrows. Later on the
grandfathers of the Hoffman found the entire one held and
the mine that, to 3 km from the small farm is also visitabile.
14° day: Sinclaire Guest Farm-Seeheim
In the morning, after a prepared truly exceptional breakfast
from mrs. Hannelore , we go to visit the old mine of branch
that is found to the inside of the property. To find it
is easy, enough to follow the indications. After the mining
adventure, returned on the road and you take the direction
for Bethanie; here the region of the Namib finishes. Bethanie
is a small country founded from the German missionaries
in 1814; of that period it remains a small building in the
courtyard of the luterana church. Removed the supermarket
not there are valid reasons in order to stop itself in this
small country. The road for Keetmanshoop arrives to Goageb
continuations to you and, to the svincolo that door to the
Fish River Canyon you will find the standard of Seeheim.
You do not expect a country because it does not exist. We
have stopped ourselves to sleep to the Seeheim Hotel (telephone
063/250503), a motel for hunters, very very bad. The owners,
strange persons, use the hour of the South Africa and are
possible to pay in South African Rand! If arrived in the
afternoon fairies a jump to Keetmanshoop and visited the
Kokerboom Forest one of the more magical places of the Namibia.
Draft of a full of rocks knoll forest that it accommodates
beyond 250 plants of kokerboom, some high ones until 7 meters,
a tree the many singular with the stocky log and coppers
to fan revolts towards the high. The boscimani of it emptied
coppers in order to construct the quivers for the arrows.
To the inside of the forest an endowed camping also of bungalow
is found, and lives some species animals like the warthog,
suricati (the friend of Pumba) and a pair of cheetah. To
5 km of distance the Giant' s Playground is found a zone
characterized from old full of rocks formations of 180 million
years that, because of the erosion, have assumed truly singular
shapes. Here and here the kokerboom grow therefore have
the impression to be in an animated cardboard. To the evening
the supper of the hotel will be, spiace to have to you to
us to say it, one large disappointment. Are we pass also
we to you.
15° day: Seeheim-Fish River Canyon- Keetmanshoop
Remembering of the supper we do not wait for great things
for the breakfast , therefore we load the machine and we
leave towards the Fish River Canyon. Draft of the greatest
canyon African and, being to how much says the premises,
according to solo to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. After
long reflections we are not resolutions to understand if
such affirmation is true or were dictated from national
spirit, but once it arrives to you in the top you will understand
that not draft of one issue of numbers and proportions:
the sight will remove you the breath. In the course of the
centuries the river has dug the cliff most colorful, but
desert and inospital them where they can living little species
animals and the kokerboom. If you have days to disposition
and you are gets passionate you of the argument, you can
dedicate you to the trekking that in 5 days Km crosses the
canyon for 80. To approximately 20 Km from the panoramic
point finds the Canon Lodge (telephone: 061/230066-46; fax:
061/257863; Internet: www.namibiaweb.com/canyon
; email: nature.i@mweb.com.na)
an angle of paradise cured in every minimum detail and realized
in the full respect of the atmosphere. Unfortunately it
is not easy to find place for which we have had to please
of the kitchen. The evening we have spendt the night to
Keetmanshoop to the Central Lodge (telephone: 225850-224959-224982;
fax: 223593; email: clodge@iway.na)
the cured and elegant newest hotel where it is possible
to stop itself for the supper. With a small supplement you
can take the room with jacuzzi!
16°
day: Keetmanshoop-Garub-Luderitz...>>> next page
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