The BIG ADVENTURE

As part of my Jubilee celebrations towards the big Five Oh I decided on a solo trip of a lifetime, exploring Botswana, then on to see the Victoria Falls, heading south through Namibia, back to South Africa. The budget was less than shoestring and inexpensive Baked Beans appeared on my menu.

The older posts are about my preparations and the newer ones are from my adventure to date.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
Dr Seuss


Sunday, February 7, 2010

Living Skeleton

pic - wikimedia.org

Shipwrecks strewn on beaches

Sea of dunes
Seals at Cape Cross

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast.


Life-saving coastal fog

Desert beetles fog-basking while condensation on its back provides its much needed water

Lichens that ‘come alive’ as they unfold their thalli to absorb moisture the moment fog rolls in

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast


Desert elephants plodding their way over dunes

Gemsbok with the most remarkable cooling system which allows their body temps to rise to as much as 44degC but maintain their brain temperature below the brain-cooking deathly 40degC

Jackals scavenging around the fringes of seal colonies

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast


Ancient endemic Welwitschia plants surviving for 100s if not 1000s of years, harvesting moisture from the still-night build up of dew through their leaves

Ground dwelling dune larks

Dune cartwheeling spiders

All part of the Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast


No prizes for guessing the Skeleton Coast takes number 1 spot on my must-see BIG adventure shopping list.

2 comments:

Lori ann said...

you don't have to talk me into it. i've wanted to go forever. i want to see it all minus the dc spiders, i'll visit the himba instead. i've had a facination with them for a long time.
i like the changes you've made here. how's the knitting coming?

Nicky S (Absolute Vanilla) said...

My father used to go up there once a year to fish with his mates. I think it, along with so many other parts of Namibia must just be a fascinating place to visit. The only thing I don't like is what they do to the seals up there.