Wolwedans sundowner and game drive

More perfection...

Wolwedans - can't wait to go back...

I will let the pictures speak for them themselves - perfect service, immaculate food and a cosy layout created by separate lounging areas. The walkway up over the dunes to the individual lodges was lovely, and the pool decking was a lovely space to spend an afternoon... The view from every window and opening was breath taking...
I would suggest flying in - the drive was quite challenging even in a large 4x4 such as our Hilux. But we did see a pair of ostriches and their chicks running along the road in front of us, which was very special.
There are 10 separate individual huts and a small main complex of rooms linked by walkways. We had the second furthest hut from the lodge, and waking up every morning to that open view (the tent sides are left open at night as you snuggle in bed with a hot water bottle) was unforgettable. The entire hut is powered by solar power, so the staff leave a thermos of boiling water at the front door at sunrise, so you can make a cup of tea and lie in bed watching the sun come up. 2 days was not long enough, and neither of us wanted to leave.
I took some video as we were about to lie by the pool to give the sense of remoteness and beauty of being there.

Desert Horse Inn at Klein Aus Vista

We broke the journey north by staying at Klein Aus Vista. Unfortunately the more remote and architecturally interesting Eagles Nest section of the place was fully booked, so we stayed in the Desert Horse Inn section. It was a little motel like, with no heating or air conditioning, freezing concrete floors, and uninspired decor. But it was spacious, and the people were lovely and friendly. In the main part, which was the old farmhouse, it had a cosy bar area where we had a look at books of photographs and enjoyed some cool Tafel Lagers in front of the fire. Nights in May are cold in Namibia! The buffet dinner was filling, and not offensive but not memorable. IN the late afternoon we decided to get some exercise and so we took a walk up a nearby hill, and you can see the pictures of Simon pulling sharp pieces of grass out of his socks! But when we got back to the room, there was also one of the most stunning sunsets from our room that I have ever seen.

Kolmanskop

We were staying near Aus for the night, which meant retracing our steps 120km back east from Luderitz. Luckily we took a chance to see if we could get into Kolmanskop which is 20km back along the road (and 100km from Aus). This was to save us a trip back the next day to see the famous ghost town, as it is only open in the mornings. We found someone to sell us a permit ($90 for both of us), and he cautioned we only had 30 minutes to see everything. Well, that was enough I think. It used to be a miner's town until the 50's, when it was evacuated. Since then, the sand has encroached on all the buildings, filling them up in a very sad way. In some buildings, the sand is halfway up the walls, which is quite surreal near staircases etc. You can see from the photo with Simon near the doorway how much sand has come into some of the buildings that you can still walk around. If you are driving by, it is worth a visit, as the drive from Aus is so stunning in itself. But I wouldn't make a special trip... It was more eerie than ghostly. You did not expect to see someone around the corner, or a ghost appearing, it was just a strange deserted place, very quiet, with lots and lots of sand.

Beautiful drive from Aus to Luderitz

Some images of the drive from Aus to Luderitz. Absolutely stunning, and gives an idea of the feeling of space in Namibia - as tho' ther is no horizon - but the colours and contrasts can't really be captured... I have not edited the photos as all - they were taken with my Panasonic Lumix and a polarising lens (essential for the light that you get most of the day in Namibia).
I have attached a short video as well that shows Simon motoring along in the middle of nowhere, heading due west mid-morning.
The beauty of the drive almost compensated for Luderitz. A very unimpressive place, with loads of people just hanging around the streets seemingly with nothing to do on a Tuesday morning. Let's just say we forced ourselves to stay for something to eat at Diaz Cafe (fixed menu of stew with pasta and salad for N$44 each), and then got the hell out of Dodge...