Day 7 to 9 - 6th to 8th November - Swakopmund

Point of departure : Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

Point of arrival : Swakopmund

Accommodation: The rooftop tent - Alte Brucke Resort (www.altebrucke.com)

Km travelled today: 510km Cum: 2 175km (dirt 345km cum 873km)

Number of photos taken: 42 (cum 409)

Countries so far: 2/16

Where to next? Etosha National Park

Day 7 - Friday

Early departure (05h30) from the lodge to try and get to Sossusvlei while the sunrise was still casting spectacular shadows. First stop Deadvlei Pan, a kind of white amphitheatre in the middle of the dunes with wonderful ancient tree trunks providing superb photographic contrast to the whiteness of the vlei, the redness of the sand and the clear blue cloudless sky.

Then on to Sossusvlei itself, where the sheer size of the dunes are quite awe inspiring.In both places we managed to resist the temptation of serious walking/climbing but at Sossusvlei enjoyed the wonderful breakfast provided by Sossusvlei Desert Lodge - thank you!

The Namib Desert - some 80million years old - making it the oldest desert in the world.The dunes move across the terrain all the time and are the highest in the world - at Sossusvlei the highest dune is 325metres (the highest in the world).

Then, before we hit the road, an important stop…. We filled up with diesel!With the memories of our trip in August 2006 still vivid, when we ran out of diesel 40km outside Walvis Bay.Once under way we made the compulsory apple pie stop at Solitaire (highly recommended) and then, barring a small problem with the spare wheel carrier - the clamp on the wheel carrier shaking itself loose (John McGyver Day did temporary repairs with a cable tie… what else), on to Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

Swakopmund dates back to 1892 and is a colourful blend of the old colonial past and the new Namibia.Most of the buildings date back to the early German occupation (before World War I) and have been carefully preserved to retain an old world atmosphere.

After stocking up for the next 9 days of camping, we settled in at our camp site at Altebrucke Resort, a few domestic chores, our first braai (thanks for the wine Di) and fairly early to bed.The facilities at Altebrucke are excellent - grassed site with en suite ablutions and wifi facilities - I am sitting at our campsite with the laptop updating the blog (I am sounding like an estate agent now).

Special message to the little people back home: our new grandson Ethan, and grandchildren Joshua and Jessica and godchildren Ethan and Cameron - thinking of you and love you lots.

The end of our first week.

Day 8 - Saturday - an easy start with Marina updating blog and photos and John doing a few domestic chores.Then we participated in that most African of activities … we walked into town for a bit of light shopping at Woermann Brocke (a German oriented supermarket with fantastic cakes, Christmas goodies etc), sightseeing, photos and coffee at the Café Anton (part of hotel Schweizerhaus).And then a walk back along the sea front.Sundowners were enjoyed at the Beach Bar right on the sea front with a fantastic view of the sea and sunset - our last view of the sea until we get to Egypt.

Our poet laureate has been at it again… For Swakopmund - one of his favourite places

Memories of its German past

Tho so many years ago

Are there for everyone to see

No matter where you go.

The accents, names and buildings too

The coffee shops with cakes on show

The palm trees planted so precise

Like soldiers in a row.

So shaped by desert forces

The sea is what sustains

The cooling breeze, the rolling fog

Conspire to life maintain.

But its part of this brave new world

After all its African too

The colour, music, markets

Reinforce this point of view

Sunday being our last day in Swakopmund, we had a latish start, relaxed around the campsite, did some final shopping at Woermann Brocke and then back to camp for lunch - spaghetti bolognaise.Then our last visit to the Tiger Reef Beach Bar.We debated whether we should go to Etosha via Henties Bay but decided against it and would leave it for a future visit to Kaokoland and Damaraland.