Namibia

Heading to Grootfontein where we will meet the San Bushmen, been living there for over 20, 000 years, about 2,000 live the traditional way and speak a clicking language. Found out that there are many languages that click in Africa. I first saw it on TV news years ago when I was in So. Africa, fascinating to hear a news caster speak and click at the same time. These people also can store fat in the buttocks for lean times and the body uses it, then the buttocks goes flat. That does not happen in Caucasian bums. Or fronts, if it did, I could go for a while. We went to a village and followed two young men wearing their traditional thong, lovely walk. We were on a bush walk to have them show us what they used from nature. Plants for medicine, soap, bow, arrow, TB, Muscle aches, water catching area in a tree and shelter as well in a hollow tree. Lots of bead work being done, ostrich shell broken then chi sled to be round, then a hole is drilled and there you have a bead. Also pieces of hollow grass, incised, dyed, cured and there is another style of bead.
Next was Etosha Park where there is set up lights and seats at a watering hole for people to view the animals at night when they are out for a drink. Kind of a Zebra disco. This park is a hugh salt pan, maybe be bigger that Bolivia, will check that out. WE saw here, black jackel, big giraffe, wildebeast all at the watering hole. A tree climbing snake-black mamba or cobra, white backed vulture, lapped face vulture-ugly is the word here, dik-dik's, hyena, zebras, hawk, guinea fowl, ostrich, orricks, gazelles, impala, mongoose, corry buster, kudo, springbuck, rhino at 30 yards!, red harte beast. Lots huh. An interesting note, a male Zebra's genitalia does not show unless aroused and the Elephant's has it's own search engine to find the mark, it is very odd to see that going on, it really does wander around. I have seen so much more than the Big 5, glad I had low expectations as they would have been low.
Now we are in the desert again. This one is different again. We camped at Spitzkoppe, the Matterhorn of Southern Africa. Huge granite outcroppings that change color very dramatically with sun rise and sun set. The moon was full to top it off, somehow I lost my serenity. Went to look for it by myself. Would be a benefit if I did that more often. I heard water running all night in my tent, thought I was in a flash flood zone, knew that I could not be as Paul the outdoors man would not have told me it was a good place to put the tent. Heard it all night, like babbling brook. In the morning I found out it was coming from up the mountain falling from a crack and then going underground. Wish I knew that earlier and I could have enjoyed the sound.
We drove to Swakopmund stopping along the way by the sea to see the Cape Seals. Many babies nursing, not seen that before. We were invited by three locals in our lodge compound for a BBQ. They were on a government sponsored fishing/tagging expedition and very excited about it. They cooked us mutton chops, sausage, jerky from Kudo and Springbok. One had a 'farm' that was over 5,000 hectares next to Etosha Park. He was a professional hunter/butcher, commercially. The other two were pharmacy owner and a local beer CEO. In their opinion they live in paradise. Real hunters and fishermen. Went to a movie, popcorn, what a treat.
At sunrise we drove to see it come up from Dune 45, which is 45 k. out of the city. One had to climb it for the best deal. I made it almost, far enough for me. Spectacular, and I got to see the view I was waiting for in Namibia. The lone tree against the white sand floor of the desert and the red sand dune. Yummy
Fish River Canyon is about as big as the Grand Canyon. Hard for the mind to grasp.There are Quiver trees and that is what the local use the bark for, related to Aloe. Elephant trunk trees, yup looks like them . Barren here except by the river where grapes grow, and the bugs are amazing, and so prolific.
Now, the sunset at the canyon was beyond anything I have ever seen. I took a photo, but it does not capture the magnitude. The colors were all around, on fire and then soft. Bigger than anything I can describe at this moment.