Holiday in Namibia (3): the Quiver Tree Forest & the Fish River Canyon
Sunday was definitely a travelling day. We left the Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch just after 8 am and eventually rolled up to the Gondwana Canyon Village a little after 4 pm, after a journey of 8 hours. We were always travelling directly south, for about two-thirds of the journey on a normal road and for around a third on gravel roads, both straight as an arrow, as far as the eye can see with virtually no traffic.
Of course, we had regular stops: at a little town called Mariental for coffee and to buy some lunch for later, at the wonderfully-named tiny town of Keetmanshoot to buy petrol, and at the Canon Roadhouse in Ai-Ais National Park to use the splendidly-decorated toilets.
Our major stop though – just over an hour – was at the Quiver Tree Forest, otherwise known as the “Giant’s Playground”. This was like being on another planet: a ubiquitous scattering of huge dolomite boulders with plentiful appearances of the distinctive aloe trees known as quiver trees (because Bushmen used them to fashion quivers for their arrows). In fact, these are not trees at all, but plants with deep roots. They are found all over southern Namibia and the northern Cape, but in few places are so many seen together. They look so distinctive with their spiky leaves.
Once we had finally reached the Gondwana Canyon Village, we were allocated our chalets and given a chance to unpack. Then, at 6 pm, a member of staff led us a short walk but a steep climb to a set of giant rocks where we could observe the sunset while having a drink of our choice, preordered and brought up by another member of staff. The sunset was not as red as those we had observed on the previous two evenings, but the location and the light were magical.
Back at the village, dinner was again a three-course affair and this time I ate springbok.
Monday was devoted to the Fish River Canyon. Everyone has heard of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but a lot fewer know of the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Indeed many tours of Namibia miss out Fish River Canyon because it is so far south, but we are on the GRAND tour of the country.
Since we are staying so close to the canyon, we were able to have a late start to the day and left at 9 am. It was just half an hour to the canyon’s northern crest.
The Fish River Canyon is the second largest in the world, only exceeded by the Grand Canyon (which I visited in 1970). Formed about 500 million years ago, it is 100 miles (160 kms) long, up to 17 miles (27 kms) wide, and at points almost 1,800 feet (550 metres) deep. The rocks here are among the oldest on earth.
Our driver/guide Carlos dropped us at the Hikers’ Viewpoint and then waited for us at the Main Viewpoint. You need special permission to go down into the canyon and apparently only last year a hiker died within half a day as a result of dehydration.
We contented ourselves with a stroll from one point to the other, a gentle uphill walk of two miles (three kms). The views were breathtaking and it was difficult to stop taking photographs. As a total contrast to the Grand Canyon, the site is totally non-commercial and, when we visited, we were almost alone.
Without prior notice, Carlos had set up provision of cold drinks and nibbles, so I relaxed with a cold beer. We were there for just two hours but we will never forget it.
The rest of the day was at leisure. The temperature was 38C so I stayed indoors and read. At dinner, I tried something new: a South Africa dessert called malva pudding which was tasty. Following my earlier enthusiasm for star-gazing, I downloaded an app to my iPhone which identified all the constellations for me – I just had to point my mobile at the sky.