Sunday Times

WHERE THE DESERT MEETS THE SEA

Moira Smart unearths a multitude of treasures in Namibia’s sands

- © Moira Smart

Over the millennia, prevailing southwest winds have created Namibia’s sand sea, which includes the belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. This was the area we were due to explore from our base in Windhoek. The capital itself has many highlights. For sundowners, we wound up the hill to the Hotel Heinitzbur­g. It was originally a three-storey castle built in 1914 as a gift for Margarethe von Heinitz from her husband. Relaxing on the terrace above the city as the sun drew a curtain on the day was a perfect way to unwind.

“All roads lead to Joe’s” the sign read, and so we were led to Joe’s Beerhouse for our evening meal. The place was humming. Most of the 500 seats in nooks and crannies were occupied. With a touch of guilt we relished sosaties crammed with crocodile, kudu, gemsbok, springbok and ostrich meat. This went down well with a choice of Windhoek lagers.

The next day we left the heat of Windhoek and headed to Swakopmund. Surrounded on three sides by the Namib Desert and the cold Benguela current along the Atlantic coast, it has a mild climate, with fog 180 days of the year — one of the reasons for the many shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast.

After dumping our bags at a German Gasthaus, we were off to Walvis Bay Lagoon, a Ramsar site considered among the top three coastal wetlands in Africa. The low-tide mudflats are an ideal habitat for the rosy-pink lesser and greater flamingos. The abundance of these elegant birds in the silver waters with the sounds of whirling seabirds was a hint of what this birder’s paradise holds. An incredible 70,000 birds, representi­ng 50 species, call this home in the winter months.

Our evening in Walvis was rounded off with a delicious kabeljou at The Raft – a restaurant on stilts on its own jetty.

The highlight of the next day was an excursion with Tommy’s Living Desert Tours. Without a guide, we would never have seen the hidden treasures of these bare dunes, dotted with dollar bushes. But Tommy, a skilled tracker, unearthed marvels of nature dwelling beneath the surface. Fourteen centimetre­s below, it is 14°C cooler. His bare feet must be as tough as leather.

“When it’s hot enough to cook an egg I put my shoes on,” he said.

I had learnt about the adaptation of the oryx and other animals at Sossusvlei. Now it was thrilling to hear about a little creature, whose main source of water is the condensati­on of mist. Early in the morning, the tok-tokkie beetle scurries up to the crest of a high dune to catch the fog before it lifts. As he raises his backside, the moisture collects on his body and runs as water droplets into his mouth. And in turn the chameleon eats the beetle and that’s where he gets his water. Tommy picked up what looked like a black stone but turned out to be a Namaqua chameleon. He enticed it with a mealworm from the glass jar. In a split second, its long tongue shot out and zapped this welcome breakfast.

We weren’t too excited about his next showpiece. A Peringuey’s adder, or sidewinder, nudged out of its reverie into full view. Perfectly camouflage­d, it is known for hiding in the sand with the tip of its black tail exposed to look like a juicy insect to attract prey.

For me the most exquisite find was the Palmato gecko. Like a delicate porcelain ornament it stood motionless on tiny web feet, seeming to smile for the cameras. There was movement as his tongue flicked out to clear an enormous protruding eye.

A perfect way to conclude our stay was at eco-friendly Desert Breeze lodge on the outskirts of town. Perched on boulders overlookin­g the ephemeral Swakop River, the view of the vast dune sea in the changing evening light was sensationa­l.

From the Nama word meaning “vast place”, Namibia had given me a glimpse of its rich storehouse. No doubt many mysteries still lie hidden in its sands and seas.

 ?? Picture: Moira Smart ?? SEAS OF SAND The Desert Breeze lodge overlooks the dry Swakop River and the vast desert beyond.
Picture: Moira Smart SEAS OF SAND The Desert Breeze lodge overlooks the dry Swakop River and the vast desert beyond.
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