WEEK EIGHT 

Monday we made our way to Damaraland which is in the middle of the desert. The drive to our camp provided some of the most beautiful scenery.. Parts of it reminded me of the northern territory, it was very comforting. There were thousands of rock formations, like the Devils Marbles but at a much much larger scale. We went and visited the Twyfelfonte visitor centre to see the rock carvings/paintings created by bushmen which vary from 2000-5000 years old. They were still so clear and we could quiet easily tell what the bushmen had drawn. 
We then spent the afternoon at a 'what would have been' a traditional damara tribal village. Our guide was honest from the outset that there is a small minority of the tribe that still live tradtionally, but they largely live like everyone else now. 
That night we threw a surprise party for Ed, one of the guys who has been with me from day one. It was a great night, celebrating under the most beautiful night skies in the middle of the desert. 

Tuesday/Wednesday we were in Swakopmund, recently becoming a real hot spot in Namibia, for obvious reasons - it's where the desert meets the beach, and it is just the strangest combination. After having spent a couple of days in the dry hot desert, the cold sea breeze was extremely refreshing. Approaching town we passed 'Skeleton Coast' which has several ship wrecks from back in the day - the combination of the hot desert air and cold sea breeze creates a very thick mist, causing serious problems for Captains. 
Tuesday we didn't get up to too much - a walk through the very well developed town, and a drink along the pier. 
Wednesday was a BIG day. In the morning I went sand dune boarding which was awesome. We boarded several dunes which were a real challenge to get up; walking up these steep dunes which your feet just constantly sunk in to. But it was definitely worth it for the ride back down! We had a speedometer which recorded me at 68km/hr for my fastest time. We spent the entire morning there and the views were incredible. 
That afternoon I somehow (quite easily) got convinced to go sky diving! It has been on my bucket list but didn't think I would be doing it any time soon. We jumped from 10 000ft and I think it is probably the scariest but incredible things I've ever ever done! I didn't get to take in too much of the views, but again the desert/beach combination is unforgettable. Once back on solid ground I was on the biggest high, with the weakest knees. It was a fantastic experience. That afternoon we came back to camp and watched mine and An's videos of the sky dive (us two had never done it before).. It was so funny to watch and it felt like we were doing it all over again. 

Thursday and friday were spent in the Namib desert at two separate campsites. Thursday we stayed on Boesman's desert farm where he took us out on a open 4wd telling us all the fascinating things about the desert and how he and game survive here. He told us how rain is bad for the desert and that he never wishes for it. He also went deep into the people that first lived on his lAnd - the Boesman, translated to 'Bushmen'. He holds the, very close to his heart and spoke very highly of them and their way of life. He said that since 1918, white and blacks could purchase a license to kill this tribe because they were seen as animals or aliens - their way of life wasn't right in the eyes of those who didn't understand it. Alternatively, bushmen children were caught and raised as animals. 
Very much like the Aboriginals, many of the Bushman now have no place in society as they aren't properly educated and still value their traditions.. So many resort to alcohol. 
That evening we all slept under the Namib desert sky.. A beautiful sight indeed! 
Friday we headed to Sossuvlei, also part of the Namib Desert.  In the late afternoon we visited 'deadvlei' - a clay pan with dozens of dead tree stumps that are up to 900 years old. There is no moisture in the air and not enough wind to help break down these stumps. Nor is there the predators within the desert to come through and eat them. 
Afterwards we headed to the famous Dune 45.. A very deceiving dune which is popular to climb for sunrise/sunset. We climbed it about 530pm so we missed sunset but it provided some  spectacular views of the desert. It was a bloody hard climb but great exercise! 

Saturday we headed to Fish River Canyon in Namibia, our last stop in the country. The canyon is said to be the second largest in the world, following the Grand Canyon. It's size was phenomenal and we were also treated to a cool light show thanks to the thunder and lightning far off in the distance. We stayed at the Canyon for about 2 and half hours so we watched the sunset from the viewing point with dips, crackers and champagne. It was one of the most breathtaking sunsets I have ever seen - bright pink skies, and a hot orange sun over the canyon. 

Sunday we crossed the Namibia-south Africa border to Orange River where we would spend our last night camping on tour =(. We spent the day swimming in the river and then once the bar opened, we headed straight for it. Tonight we also did K.K or secret Santa, which was a bit of a laugh and a lot of fun. We spent the rest of the night at the bar, turning out to be a much later (1:30) and much bigger night than expected, Particularly with our 430am wake up! 

Till next week xxx