Northern Namibia.
Continuing north up the coast of Namibia is stunning. Driving through the Skeleton Coast to Sossusvlei have you questioning the reality of global overpopulation. Where is everyone??
Highlights on this leg were seeing one of the 100s of shipwrecks (some above water, some below) along the hazardous Namibia coastline.
One group who finds the coastline homey and habitable: seals!
Cape Cross National Reserve is home to thousands and thousands of sleek, barking, bleating, very smelly seals. Scroll down for videos of this righteous gathering of aquatic mammals.
The weather was scorching and our dirty clothes were piling up so we decided last minute to make a 2-day pit stop at a hostel in Swakopmund to sleep in beds, do laundry, and use the internet connection to catch another Timberwolves game!
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Campground just inside Namib-Naukluft Park
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Packed up before dawn to see sunrise over the copper sand dunes of Sossusvlei
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Oryx in the desert
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Desert carcass
 
          
        
          
          
        
      A small, desert settlement called Solitaire
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Germany bakery
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Driving through Gaub Pass
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Walvis Bay mall for lunch
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Walvis Bay
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      HA!
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Chantilly Café in Swakopmund
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Skeleton Beach Backpackers hostel
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Watching another Timberwolves game
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      2008 shipwreck Zeila
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Cape Cross Nature Reserve
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Seals have little nails!
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      About whaling in Namibia
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Whale skull
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Driving into more Namibian expanse
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Tried "wild camping" (no campsite, just off road)
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Our "wild" campsite ended up being someone's property, so we ended up at Desert Elephant Resort campsite
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Christ Church, Windhoek
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Chameleon Backpackers Hostel, Windhoek
 
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
       
          
        
          
          
        
      Wild camping site (shortly after we were asked to leave)
Seals at Cape Cross
Ari running down Big Daddy Dune in Sossusvlei
Never ending desert landscape
More seals than we’ve ever seen
A springbok ran right past Leo at Sossusvlei!
Deadvlei: 600-yr-ol trees tucked into Sossusvlei
Scratching the itches
