Monte Christo to Düsternbrook

“The last day of a hike has to be interesting,” Albert says. “It often defines someone’s lasting impression of a trail.” The final day on the Khomas Hochland Trail doesn’t disappoint. The terrain is level and easy to traverse – a welcome change after five days of fluctuating gradients. We walk along a river

course, past more big ana trees like the one in which the tree house was built. We see giraffe spoor, but can’t find its owner. Albert points out an ant lion and some steenbok dung. Everyone is in a silly mood. Albert gathers as many feathers as he can find to put in his cap. Elizna and Yvonne pick up guineafowl feathers and stick them to André’s face with Vaseline. I also get a feather beard. Before noon we reach the riverbed that we crossed on the first day near Düsternbrook. After six days in the Khomas Hochland, we all feel calmer and more in touch with nature – and with ourselves. Driving back to Windhoek, I think about the words of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard: “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” Nowhere else in Namibia will you get such an accessible wilderness experience, with comfortable places to sleep and time alone with your best thoughts. The Khomas Hochland Trail is bound to become a Namibian classic, on par with the Fish River Canyon and the Naukluft. Yes Albert, dis baie lekker op ’n stap!