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Namib Desert: The Red Ocean

Camping beside the red sand dunes of the Namib Desert, some of the highest in the world, is like being on another planet.  Namib, which in the Khoi-Khoi language means "large, arid plain", conveys a peace and magnificence that made me feel strong and very fortunate, as my spirit fed on the almost surreal colors and plants and insects that adorn that desert.  

A camelthorn tree and blossoms in the middle of our Sossuvlei camp site

Constant moisture from the ocean makes the Namib a unique habitat.  The Toc Tokkie, an amazing black beetle, leans forward to allow droplets of morning mist run down its body into its mouth.  

The Tsamma melon abounds in this arid land; it is full of moisture, but it tastes really bad.

Landscapes here can be out of this world, and a simple branch next to a spider hole, or a dry river bed are perfect photo ops!

Some dunes in the Namib are numbered.  Can you imagine  telling someone "see you at Dune 17 at sunset!"  Dune 45, below, is possibly the most photographed sand dune in the world.

Some people wonder what possessed me to climb 700ft-high sand dunes on a sprained ankle --a mishap earlier in the trip.  The images on this page might explain it.  

I don't know the answer�  maybe it was my wish to be surrounded by all that sand blowing over the dunes --a wish stronger than the excruciating pain of the climb itself  �or maybe the lure of feeling all that red sand under my feet.  I only know that reaching the top and being part of that red ocean with waves of sand put me in a state of mind I did not want to leave�

My sprained ankle didn't stop me from a walk through the Sesriem Canyon either.  It's beautiful rock formations show the wonders that thousands of years and water can do.

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Created in  December, 1999, and updated in May, 2001