The previous two days had been very laid back and the meals very filling. Worryingly so, in fact.
But thankfully today would turn out to be the first real chance to work off some of that lying around in bed, just getting up for dinner and stuffing your face flab.
It's an early start for all of us bar Colin who doesn't wear a watch and casually strolls up after we've been waiting on the bus for ten minutes. We're all ever so slightly annoyed and collectively worry if this is going to be an ongoing trend.
Anyway, we do finally get going and we head off to our main attraction for the day, the Sossusvlei dunes. We make it to the entrance of the park within which the dunes are just in time to catch a beautiful sunrise over the dunes themselves. It makes for a good photo opportunity and we all snap away but better things are in store for us.
Red dunes galore!
We gorge ourselves on photo opportunity after photo opportunity. Here's a sand dune with a nice shadow across it, here's one with a picturesque dead tree by it. Here's one with a nicely curved top. Just as we are almost all sand duned out we get to the one that we are to climb.
But thankfully today would turn out to be the first real chance to work off some of that lying around in bed, just getting up for dinner and stuffing your face flab.
It's an early start for all of us bar Colin who doesn't wear a watch and casually strolls up after we've been waiting on the bus for ten minutes. We're all ever so slightly annoyed and collectively worry if this is going to be an ongoing trend.
Anyway, we do finally get going and we head off to our main attraction for the day, the Sossusvlei dunes. We make it to the entrance of the park within which the dunes are just in time to catch a beautiful sunrise over the dunes themselves. It makes for a good photo opportunity and we all snap away but better things are in store for us.
Red dunes galore!
We gorge ourselves on photo opportunity after photo opportunity. Here's a sand dune with a nice shadow across it, here's one with a picturesque dead tree by it. Here's one with a nicely curved top. Just as we are almost all sand duned out we get to the one that we are to climb.
Sand Dune 45.
Imaginatively so called because it's the 45th sand dune out from where they first started counting!
It doesn't look so hard. Starts a bit steep but then levels out before getting slightly steeper again but it looks a doddle. I was a bit wrong though. I try to walk up in the footsteps of people who have walked up in front of me but find my big feet slipping down the sides with every step.
Before I know it, I'm huffing and puffing. Damn!
Each step up is knackering and I manage to do about fifty at a time before having to pause to catch my breath. It's a good excuse to have a look around anyway as the views are spectacular.
Eventually I reach the level bit and things get as bit easier. My feet still slip down but I'm getting used to it and eventually make it to the top to savour the view down the dune
that I have just conquered.
Thankfully going down is a LOT easier and I enjoy running down the last 100 metres at full pelt. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Getting to the bottom, I empty out the sand from my shoes thus starting sand dunes 46 and 47.
After breakfast we do another (apparently easy) walk but the sandy uphill bits still get the heart and lungs going.
A well-deserved lunch is followed by the annual Onyx dung spitting contest. This is exactly as it sounds. Serena has been collected dried Onyx dung whilst we've been walking around the dunes and now a few intrepid members of the group take it in turns to see how far they can spit the marble sized lumps of vegetation. I politely decline despite them telling me that it doesn't taste of anything. It's enough that I know where its been!
It doesn't look so hard. Starts a bit steep but then levels out before getting slightly steeper again but it looks a doddle. I was a bit wrong though. I try to walk up in the footsteps of people who have walked up in front of me but find my big feet slipping down the sides with every step.
Before I know it, I'm huffing and puffing. Damn!
Each step up is knackering and I manage to do about fifty at a time before having to pause to catch my breath. It's a good excuse to have a look around anyway as the views are spectacular.
Eventually I reach the level bit and things get as bit easier. My feet still slip down but I'm getting used to it and eventually make it to the top to savour the view down the dune
that I have just conquered.
Thankfully going down is a LOT easier and I enjoy running down the last 100 metres at full pelt. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Getting to the bottom, I empty out the sand from my shoes thus starting sand dunes 46 and 47.
After breakfast we do another (apparently easy) walk but the sandy uphill bits still get the heart and lungs going.
A well-deserved lunch is followed by the annual Onyx dung spitting contest. This is exactly as it sounds. Serena has been collected dried Onyx dung whilst we've been walking around the dunes and now a few intrepid members of the group take it in turns to see how far they can spit the marble sized lumps of vegetation. I politely decline despite them telling me that it doesn't taste of anything. It's enough that I know where its been!
The contest is won by Sven for South Africa. He later on receives a free beer as reward.
We finish off the long but interesting day with a walk down into the Sesriem Canyon where we get to see our first snake; an adder. It's only just come out of some cold water so thankfully just lies there starting at us drowsily waiting for its blood to warm up so that it can jump us!
Then back to the lodge for a welcome hot shower and snooze before dinner and booze!
We finish off the long but interesting day with a walk down into the Sesriem Canyon where we get to see our first snake; an adder. It's only just come out of some cold water so thankfully just lies there starting at us drowsily waiting for its blood to warm up so that it can jump us!
Then back to the lodge for a welcome hot shower and snooze before dinner and booze!
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