Holiday in Namibia (6): Damaraland
The next stage of our busy holiday involved yet another early start and yet another long road journey. So I was up at 5.30 am, put out my luggage at 6.30 am, and had breakfast before we set off at 7.15 am.
First, we drove due north along the Skeleton Coast and stopped to view a fairly recent shipwreck. Then we turned north-east and headed for a region called Damaraland. Two of our stops were to meet by the roadside Herero women resplendent in their colourful dresses and hats and to meet in a Living Museum men and women of the Damara community who did a dance for us and provided demonstrations of their customs. The latter location was the first UN World Heritage site in Namibia.
Further on geographically and much further back in time were the rock carvings to be found in Twyfelfontein (the name means doubtful fountain). There is so little rain here that there is a huge collection of carvings with clear representations of local animals. We were taken on a walk in two parts: a short section which was quite easy (all of us managed this) and a further section which was quite hard (the two couples and I did this).
It was 4 pm – after a journey of almost nine hours – when we arrived at our next accommodation: the Twyfelfontein Country Lodge which – like the Gondwana Canyon Village – was built around the huge boulders in the area. In this case, one of the boulders at the entrance to the establishment features another example of ancient rock art.
Next morning (Sunday), we were not travelling, but it was still an early start because, at 8 am, we set out on a game drive in a 4×4 vehicle driven by a local guide called Stanley. He warned us that he could not promise anything and that we were dependent on nature but, after an hour of seeing absolutely nothing, there was a palpable sense of disappointment in the group. Then, at 9.15 am, we spotted out first elephants.
Stanley explained that the conservancy is home to a total of 35 elephants who move in three distinct groups. The group we had just found consists of five animals. Like all the groups, it is led by a female – in this case, Monica. Our guide informed us that the female elephants have a pregnancy of two years but, owing to recent droughts, there had only been one birth in the park in the last five years. This was Monica’s son Hope.
Then we came across another, larger group: 14 animals led by Rosie. We were able to drive really close to the elephants as they made their way to an artificial watering hole. Soon elephants were coming at us from various directions and one elephant used the side of our vehicle as a scratching post.
All these animals were different from the usual African elephant. The specif local environment has produced a distinct species called the desert adapted elephant. This differs from the traditional Africa elephant in five respects: it has a special aptitude for finding water, it only breaks branches and not the whole tree, it has slightly longer front legs, its feet are a little wider, and overall it is smaller.
We thought that we had seen it all for the morning, but then we came across a group of six giraffes, three male and three female. It was an excellent conclusion to a most enjoyable drive.
We were back at out lodge towards 12.30 pm after a ride of four and a half hours (there had been a stop for coffee and muffins). By now the temperature had risen to 33C and the rest of the day was at leisure.
In the evening, as usual, the group ate a three-course buffet together. I tried oryx (a bit like beef) and shared a couple of bottles of wine with the four ‘golden girls’. After the meal, we discussed our respective travel experiences and, when I suggested that they produce a joint memoir of their travel together, I was told that they already had the title: “Adventure Before Dementia”.
Apparently there was a thunderstorm that night – I but I did not hear it! And, next day, there was no evidence of it.