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| Route map of the caper |
Travel time of twenty-six hours. From around Tropic of Cancer to a land south of Tropic of Capricorn. Circa 11,000 kms on air. Three flights with two layovers. Three friends on a discovery of a country from where Planet Earth, as we know it, evolved.
******
Indian travelers on international flights offer you
perspectives that you cannot otherwise imagine. The aircraft settled in mid-air
after take-off at dawn from Mumbai. The crew of Ethiopian rolled out the
breakfast trolleys. A thirty something scraggly beard from the cow belt
occupied the window next to my aisle perch. The flight attendant handed over
the breakfast tray and inquired, “Sir! What would you like to drink”? Scraggly
beard had a one-word response. “Alcohol”. She recoiled in horror. Managed to recover
composure and respond, “We don’t serve alcohol with breakfast”. Scraggly beard
ultimately settled for a chocolate milk shake.
On the return leg, it was afternoon in mid-air. Alcohol was
available for consumption. The fifty something pot-belly (surname Shah, printed
on his boarding pass), occupying middle seat next to me, was asked the same
question by the attendant. The response was curt, prompt. “One Carlsberg
please, with Fanta and ice”.
******
I have rarely managed a wink on flights. Flight time is utilized to catch up on reading. There’s one other activity on international flights, childish as it may seem, that keeps me glued. Watching flight path on the 3D interactive map on the screen in front of your seat. The last leg onward from Addis Ababa to Windhoek, 4200 kms over six hours, was a ride from north-east to south-west Africa. The flight carried us over eight countries. It commenced with the lakes and mountains of Ethiopia, morphed into Kenya (familiar names like Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret popped up) and Tanzania. The heart skipped a beat when `Gombe Stream National Park’ came up on screen. This was where Jane Goodall began her remarkable journey with chimpanzees many years ago. Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola followed, before we circled over Namibia to touch down at Windhoek.
******
For city-bred folks from India, three matters require
reboot when you enter Namibia. Time, space and population. Aspects on the first
two shall emerge as this diary progresses. The expanse of Namibia can house UK,
Germany and Portugal, with room left over. At around 3 million, Namibia has the
least population density (2 per sq. km) after Mongolia.
Except around public areas like malls and government
offices, we did not see a pedestrian. Naming of roads in Windhoek deserve a
separate chapter. All roads in one residential cluster were named after
composers (Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Rossini, Strauss etc.). Elsewhere in
Windhoek, there was an eclectic selection. Guthenberg, Jonas Salk, Pasteur,
Mandela, Olaf Palme are some that come to mind.
One of the `busy’ thoroughfares is named after Frankie
Fredericks. This was exciting for a one-time sports buff. In a continent that churns
an assembly line of champion middle and long distance runners, Fredericks is a
standout as Africa’s best-known sprinter. He lit up the 1992 and 1996 Olympics
with four silver medals in 100 and 200 meters, rubbing shoulders with the likes
of Linford Christie and Donovan Bailey. He gave Namibia its first Olympics
medals after their independence in 1990.
******
The scales may be different. But if you compare the `V’ shapes
of the bottom half of Africa and India, they are similar. Both Eastern and
Western Ghats in India enjoy abundant vegetation and soil fertility. Ditto for
the eastern strip of Africa as you move up from the southern tip of South
Africa through Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. The contrast lies on the western
side as you travel north-west from Cape Town. Desolate, arid land covers the
entire western coast up to Angola. This zone is dominated by the Namib Desert.
The twin towns of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay are perhaps the only meaningful
human settlements here. This topography is attributed to the icy Benguela current.
The current is fueled by coastal upwelling that brings cold, deep water from
the Atlantic Ocean to the surface, alongside wind-driven movement.
Consequently, it cools the air above it, which suppresses rainfall and
contributes to the aridity of the Namib Desert.
******
A nation is known by the beer it offers. In Thailand it is
Singha. Cambodia lets you choose between Angkor and Hanuman. Bia Saigon is the
staple in Vietnam. India is too diverse to agree on its own flavour. The
Namibian equivalent is Hansa, delightfully `krafted’.
******
There is nothing called `public transport’ in this land. If
you do not own a vehicle, your only options are to walk or to hitch a ride. A
tough ask for both, given the vastness and distances involved, and the low
density of traffic on the highways. The average Namibian’s priority in life,
therefore, is to acquire a vehicle, even before he contemplates owning a roof
above his head. The extreme climes, dust and nature of roads do not permit two-wheelers
as a viable option.
******
Namibia drives on the left, like India. About 15% of the
roads are tarred. The remaining 85% are gravel roads, frequently serrated due
to wind erosion and vehicular movement. You need to maintain speed between 60
to 80 kmph on the gravel roads to avoid bumpy rides. This requires skill and
knowledge. We had a travel mate who had spent years in driving on similar roads
in neighbouring South Africa. He was at the wheel for the entire 3,800+ kms route
in our outing. The only blemish in his otherwise flawless negotiation of roads
occurred early in our trip, on the second day. Namibian authorities require you
to have your car headlights on at all times. There are multiple reasons for
this law. Vehicles on gravel roads generate dust clouds that limit visibility. The
long, open terrains allow other drivers to spot you from a distance when the
headlights are on. Somewhere between Mariental and Keetmanshoop the highway
patrol police waved us down. We had omitted to turn on the car headlights. The
polite police personnel took pains to explain our driving violation. They
informed that a fine of NAD 750 (about INR 4,200) had to be paid. They
proceeded to fill an elaborate pre-printed form which, I noted, was headlined
`Charge of Guilt’. We were advised to pay the fine at the nearest police
station, which was at Keetmanshoop. There was major commotion at the police
station, as the cops tried to resolve a noisy dispute with locals. We couldn’t
make any sense of the exchanges since they were presumably in Afrikaans. Amidst
the chaos, we managed to get a word in edgeways with a lady constable. She read
the `Charge of Guilt’, looked ceiling-ward for inspiration, and proceeded to
fill out another long form. This was headlined `Admission of Guilt’, which was
duly acknowledged and signed by my travel mate. A section of this second form
caused us concern. It was an innocent entry that mentioned `Date of court
hearing’, which the constable filled in as 14th December 2026, about
three months from date. Would that mean that we were stuck at Namibia till the
court hearing? The lady’s reply was reassuring.
“Oh no! This is just procedural”.
“What would happen on 14th December”?
“The police shall present the case to the judge. The judge
shall ask for `Charge of Guilt’. Once provided, the judge shall then seek the
signed `Admission of Guilt’. Next, Your Honour shall verify the copy of the
payment receipt of the fine. Once satisfied, the case shall stand dismissed”.
The process of LAW seems more or less constant across countries.
Time is not of essence. The PROCESS is.
******
We stayed at Cañon Roadhouse during our visit to Fish River
Canyon. It is a unique property, guarded by a dachshund named Jellybean. The
property is themed around junked automobiles and allied memorabilia.
As for Fish River Canyon, it is second in size only to Grand
Canyon. Hiking is a popular activity here. One can undertake a hiking trip to
the bed of the Canyon. For a person with adequate fitness, it should take about
five hours each way. We declared ourselves unfit for this exercise.
An early morning hike in the hills overlooking Gondwana
Nature Park was what we opted for instead. The park is home to several rare
species like mountain zebra and black rhinos and extends over 125,000 hectares.
It is privately owned by a consortium of six people. The majority of Namibia’s
land and resources continue to be privately owned; specifically, by former
German and Dutch colonisers.
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| Jellybean |
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| Car decor at Canyon Roadhouse |
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| Sunrise over Gondwana Nature Park |
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| En route Fish River Canyon |
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| Fish River Canyon |
******
Our longest drive was from Cañon Roadhouse to Sessriem. We covered 594 kms in 8 hours. Midway through, we stopped for a coffee break at Helmeringhausen.
This is a human settlement in a (guess what) private farmland of former German
Schutztruppe. Hotel Helmeringhausen, maker of `the best apple pies in Namibia’,
complemented their fare with excellent Americano.
Private game reserves, private ranches, arid landscapes and gravelled
roads led us to the dunes of Namib Naukluft National Park. Google says that at ~60
million years, Namib Desert is the oldest of its kind on earth. The dunes, at
an average of 5 million years, are much younger. We hit a series of landscapes
straight out of John Wayne westerns.
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| The road to Sessriem |
******
We had an early morning head start to capture the sunrise at
Deadvlei and Sossusvlei. How we managed that one-hour head start over others is
a story for another day. In Afrikaans, `vlei’ means `marsh’. `Sossus’ is `dead
end’. So Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, situated shoulder to shoulder, bear similar
meanings. There is a key difference, however. Sossusvlei is an `endorheic’
drainage basin. It holds water, but there is no drainage outlet. At Deadvlei,
the marsh dried up many years ago as the surrounding dunes altered the course
of the river. The trees of Deadvlei died. The dry weather did not permit them to
decompose. They just turned black under the scorching sun, monuments to their
own destruction. There they have remained for the past 900 years.
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| Road to Deadvlei from Sessriem |
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| @ Deadvlei |
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| @ Sossusvlei. Big Mama Dune on the right |
******
Dune 45 is the most photographed dune in the world. We spent
time in taking in the light-and-shade effects on the dunes against a setting
sun. Ascending Dune 45 amidst strong winds, shifting sand, narrow trail and a
considerable gradient was lung-busting. The photo-op from above made it
worthwhile.
******
Night arrived in the desert. The sky dazzled. The whole
country could function as a dark sky reserve. For the keen stargazer, this is a
double delight. Apart from visibility, the position of the stars relative to
earth south of the Equator is acutely different from that up north. You get to
see the alignment of stars differently.
******
We understood why it is a challenge for human settlement to
exist along Africa’s west coast when we arrived at Walvis Bay. Being part of
the Namib Desert, sand dunes rise straight from the Atlantic shores. The desert
heat is in constant tussle with icy, blustery winds from the Atlantic. A cold
blanket of clouds above lends the ocean a menacing dark grey hue. Combined with
the crashing waves on hidden rocks and sand beds, this is not a sight for the
weak hearted. We undertook a couple of heart-in-the-mouth experiences in this setting.
A gravity-defying drive up the dunes of Sandwich Harbour, 40 kms north of
Walvis Bay. A speedboat ride in the Atlantic followed next morning as we sought
sightings of seals, dolphins and whales.
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| Dusk arrives over Atlantic @ Walvis Bay |
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| The road to Sandwich Harbour |
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| Atop Sandwich Harbour |
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| Black backed jackals gorging on a seal corpse on Atlantic shore near Sandwich Harbour |
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| Seal colony @ Pelican Island off Walvis Bay |
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| The colour of Atlantic, in the backdrop of an oil rig and seal colony |
******
Swakopmund is a picture postcard town on the Atlantic coast,
home to the well-heeled white community. The Germans refer to it as `Bavaria by
the Sea’. The weather at Swakopmund is benign compared to Walvis Bay, since it
sits on a convenient curvature on the Atlantic shore. The shops bear signboards
in German, Wilhelmine architectural influence is evident in the buildings. Food
options are eclectic. We preferred to settle in a `biergarten’, gloat over
schnitzels, steak pies and draught and watch the ocean waves break on shore.
******
Mining is a major activity in
Namibia. Forty kms out of Swakopmund, on our way to Spitzkoppe, we saw
signboards leading to Rössing Uranium Mine. No prizes for guessing who owns it.
It is China National Uranium Corp.
Further on in Damaraland, we
crossed the town of Uis. This is a colony built around tin mines.
******
We took a north-easterly direction from Swakopmund into
Damaraland. Two hours on, we hit an extended pit stop. From far away across the
desert floor, the granite hills or `inselbergs’ of Spitzkoppe stood out. The
hills have been around for 120 million years and attracts rock climbers from
all over. We had to do our bit of amateur climbing, too, to capture
Instagrammable photos.
******
In 2007, UNESCO accorded Namibia
its first world heritage site at Twyfelfontein. In Afrikaans, the word means
`uncertain spring’, certifying it as an unreliable source of water. This site
is remarkable for its petroglyphs as a form of rock art. The nomadic San
tribesmen created this art as part of their shamanic rituals between three to
six thousand years ago.
******
Wildlife is spread across the 50,000 sq. kms expanse of
Namib Naukluft National Park. Sightings are common as you drive through the
desert. For concentrated wildlife viewing, however, you need to visit Etosha
National Park, an expanse of 22,000 sq. kms.. There is a method involved in
tracking wildlife here. Given the scarcity of water, man-made waterholes have
been constructed at strategic distances for the inmates of Etosha. As a
visitor, you simply park your vehicle at these waterholes and wait for magic to
happen, your camera on the ready.
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| Sunset. Okakuejo Pan, Etosha |
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| When night falls on Okakuejo Pan, Etosha |
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| Perspective on relative sizes |
******
The technically correct name is Oryx Gazella. Namibians call
it Gemsbok. It is Namibia’s national animal and features in the country’s coat
of arms. A buff coat, black shoulders and tail, black and white stockings and
face mask with ornate antlers. It a sight to behold.
******
Imagine a sandstone plateau, 15 kms wide, rising above
vegetation as a water reservoir-cum-fortress. That’s Waterberg plateau. The rocks
here are over 850 million years old. There are also 200-million-year-old
dinosaur tracks in the vicinity. For those in the know, Waterberg is the prime
bird watching hotspot in the country. With some luck, you also get to observe
elusive fauna like porcupines. Our night stay was a two kms drive from the
lodge reception amongst forests below the plateau rocks. `Solitude’ takes on a
new meaning in such surroundings.
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| Go-away bird among jacaranda blossoms, Waterberg |
******
Namibia is perhaps the only country where, as Indians, we were
met with frequent sideways glances, even direct gazes, from passersby. On multiple
occasions, people walked up to us to inquire where we were from.
As our plane taxied for take-off from Windhoek, words of the
poet played on my mind.
‘মহাবিশ্বে
মহাকাশে মহাকাল-মাঝে
আমি মানব একাকী ভ্রমি বিস্ময়ে, ভ্রমি বিস্ময়ে’॥
Badly translated, that would read:
`Amidst the vast
universe, in the depths of space, through the expanse of eternal time,
I, a human,
wander alone—filled with wonder, filled with wonder.’
******
