Moving on to Namibia

So I never did get up  Table Top mountain as it was overcast.  I wish I had climbed Lion Mountain instead .... a smaller 600 m high mountain to the East of Table Top which according to fellow travellers had even greater views of Cape Town.  I did get to Robben island though in the pouring rain and took the obligatory photos of Mandela's cell and "The University of Life".  All very thought provoking.

I also spent an afternoon at Camp's Bay, where all the beautiful people live or stay in luxury hotels.  It was a bit picture book perfect but I did see a few dogs at last being walked by their owners ... definitely no strays though!  I also watched some beautiful bodies playing volleyball for a while and sat on one of the many impressive granite blocks watching the waves.  Too rough for swimming.  Not really my kind of beach any more ...too many people strutting around looking marvellous and what's the point if you can't swim! There are lots of eateries and boutique type shops but apparently you cannot buy alcohol any where except in the bars and restaurants; the residents maintain some control over their little piece of paradise.

And so I eventually met up with my 13 fellow travellers for the next 3 weeks plus Victor the guide, Sam the driver and Mike the cook.  Somehow I suspect the trip is going to be good with this bunch of people.  Met the Intrepid truck too ... better than I thought ... shabby but functional with lots of room to move around.  A far cry though from the luxury coaches in Chile and Argentina.  

We travelled North to Namibia spending one night in a campsite in South Africa before crossing the border over into Namibia.  At one stage a window shattered, we all disembarked but the crew had it sorted in no time (see above).  

The three campsites we've stayed at in Namibia so far have been pretty good ... one of them you could describe as luxurious with luscious grass, clean inviting swimming pool and a bar that serves drinks with lots of ice!  Ice is important here ... it is very hot!  In fact the heat looks as though it may be the main issue on this trip.  This morning we got up at 5.30 because we have 8-10 hours of travelling to do with a couple of short stops.  None of us look forward to the afternoon stint when the truck becomes a bit of a hot house in the afternoon sun. There's lots of ventilation, but with temperatures reaching 47 degrees in the truck it all gets a bit much. Hopefully it will be a bit cooler today as it is a bit overcast.

Fish RiverCanyon:

Last night we watched the sunset over Fish River Canyon ... the second largest canyon in the world.  Just the 16 of us and a whole massive canyon 550ms deep, 170 miles long and 27 miles wide at its widest.  Magnificent.

We drank beer and popcorn.  Mike, the cook, was back at camp preparing supper ... the food he produces occasionally with a bit of help from us is just simply superb ... wonderful tastes ... a bit of a gastronomique adventure!  

And so the Namibia stage has begun ... lots of scrubland so far, zebras, antelope of various kinds, and some ostrich too.  Feel as though I'm on a train as I watch the vast expanses of desert stretch out before me.  Not sure whether it is what I imagined, but it is all good.