8. Windhoek, Namibia - 3 August to 13 August 2009

We left Koha Guest Farm near Mariental on Thursday 6 August for Windhoek, capital of Namibia, and drove across the Tropic of Capricorn. We have fair weather camping now. We spent 2 nights at Hotel Pension Uhland near the centre of Windhoek. Managed to get the vehicle serviced with the Toyota dealership, and especially enjoyed a meal at a Cameroon restaurant called La Marmite, which served dishes from all over Africa. The Cameroonian Curry and Meat Ragout were well chosen and both absolutely delicious, and enjoyed in a very African setting. Kudu steak was on the menu for lunch the next day, and we also booked 6 nights in Etosha National Park at the Namibia Wildlife Resorts office, starting from 13 August.

From Windhoek we set off for Spitzkoppe and a spectacular landscape of granite mountains, boulders and rocks, with fabulous colours as the sun sets. Within the community-run campsite we had a huge choice of interesting locations, all of which seemed to be below precarious looking rocks resting on the granite rock face. Nothing landed on us that night though!

On Sunday 9 August we drove to Uis on our way to Brandberg, a massif of granite which is Namibia's highest mountain, and we camped the following night at the Brandberg White Lady Lodge - a great camping spot at the foot of the mountains with a spectacular outlook and spacious campsite. We went on a two hour walk with a local guide to view some ancient rock art, including the famous Brandberg White Lady. Amazingly the other couple on the walk were Australian and from Melbourne. That night the locals danced and sang around a fire at the campground - unbelievably melodic and rhythmic.

We are now camping at Ombinda Country Lodge just near Outjo, a town at the gateway to Etosha National Park, and tomorrow night we camp near Andersson Gate, just outside Etosha ready for what we have heard is an excellent experience of game viewing. Looking forward to it.