Namibia Edition 1 - Sept 2018

G'day from Grootberg Lodge near Palmwag in north western Namibia.  Truly dramatic, harsh desert landscape.  Lovely people, majestic animals.  Day one we saw Meerkats.  The inland dunes at Sossusvlei are stunning and we were driven up and down coastal dunes in Swakopmund.  We found desert elephants near Twyfelfontein while staying at a lodge which resembles a Game of Thrones set.  This morning we met Alex the Rhino who is 26 and single.  Lots of photos of course.

Learnings so far:
* They have A B C & D roads in Namibia:  B means bumps, C means corrugations, D don’t even think about it & A aren’t any
* I’ve never appreciated a grader so much (see above)
* Government officials and staff should consider another career
* I love the smell of baboon wee in the morning
* The Germans, French and the Dutch left behind ever decaying bureaucracy and growing mountains of paper
* Africa time is for Africans, the rest of us have to be punctual
* Gravel roads do not mix well with fuel tanks
* The Oryx is a handsome beast and equally tasty however you can’t eat a whole one
* Rest areas along the roadside and posted with a sign depicting an oasis with a tree and picnic table all of which are highly optional in fact rarely evident
* Speed limits are a guideline
* When elephants decide to “rampage” it’s best to leave the area