December 11, 2011

By Vikki Endjala (Polytech of Namibia) and Ariane LeClerq (Carleton College)

This week we had to leave our beloved base camp of Wereldsend. Even though we’ve only spent a few days at a time here, we have all grown attached and it became our home away from home. Seeing it so empty made us feel like no one had ever lived there. We were also sad to say goodbye because it meant we were getting closer to the end of our trip. Letting Wereldsend shrink into the distance, we drove to the Skeleton Coast National Park and turned north when we hit the ocean. It’s strange to see the abrupt change in environment from the savannah around Wereldsend to the stark desert that leads into the ocean. Most people don’t get to see the area north of Terrace Bay but we were lucky to stay at Mowe Bay, the park headquarters and home of Flip Stander, the area’s leading lion expert. After arriving at our beautiful beach campsite, we decided to explore the coastline down to the seal colony. We were entertained by the baby seals waddling along the rocks and the older ones surfing the breaking waves.

The next day, we got to finally meet Dr. Flip Stander and hear a short talk on his lion research. We were all in awe of his amazing work and lifestyle. (Read more about his lion research here). He has been living almost entirely out of his custom designed Land Cruiser for months at a time, following the many lions he has radio collared and documenting their lives. He was kind enough to take us on a drive through the dunes near Mowe Bay to Oasis Spring. If you were to look up “oasis” in the encyclopedia, you would probably find a picture of this spring. Driving across the dunes, trying to avoid hidden drop-offs, we suddenly saw this huge body of water surrounded by lush reeds and then just sand. Desert elephants and lions often use this permanent water source but there weren’t any around this time so we slid down the dune to the water’s edge. None of us considered the hike back up! All too soon, Flip had to leave us and set off into the desert yet again, leaving us in envy.

The ‘end’ just keeps getting closer and closer and it was time to head back to civilization again. We drove along the coast to the Cape Cross Seal Colony. Having already experienced a thriving seal colony without the tourists, we decided to skip the stench of rotting seal poop. However, we did stop at the turn off for a pee party. We’ve gotten used to peeing whenever and wherever we want so we weren’t prepared for the buses full of tourists who got a free show on their way to Cape Cross. Our clash with civilization continued in the bustling seaside town of Swakopmund. It is a strange combination of a German town in a Namibian landscape. On the south side, it is bordered by huge sand dunes stretching from the Ocean to the famous site of Sossusvlei. Avery, Cassidy and Ariane took advantage of these dunes with an attempt at sandboarding and lie-down boarding. On the lie-down board we reached speeds of up to 80 km/h. While they were busy getting sand in every place you can think of, the rest of the group was exploring Swakopmund and meeting the amazing nature illustrator Christine Marais.

Finally, it was time for our last big drive together – back to Windhoek. We watched the landscape change back through our familiar savannah to more densely forested highlands as we made our way closer to our starting (and ending) point. As the trip wraps up, we are all feeling very strong mixed feelings. We are so excited to return home and see all of you – our family and friends, but also sad to be leaving each other and this great country.

Thank you Round River, and specifically our amazing leaders Bekah and Vehi, for the wonderful opportunities and unforgettable experiences you have given us. It was nxa! (Ask us to pronounce this for you when we get home!)