Swakopmund -> Sesriem

After my tremendous time spent in Swakop, I had to get back on the road and head southeast, my goal being the Sossusvlei area, famous for its harsh environment, red dunes, white pans and barren geography.

I traveled down the coastline toward Walvis Bay, and the massive sand dunes to my left were beautiful. Millions of tonnes of reddish, yellow sand piled high for many kilometers.

On my way to Sossusvlei, I passed Dune 7, not realizing that it’s the highest sand dune in the world (@ 383 m, 1,256 ft.). I mistakenly thought Big Daddy in Sossusvlei held that title. I guess I’ll need to come back to Namibia to knock that achievement off the list.

Along the way, I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.

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After spending hours driving on Namibia’s famous dirt roads, I came across a very small outpost called Solitaire that basically consisted of a gas station, a scantily stocked convenience store and a restaurant. It also featured some interesting auto displays.

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And my favorite sign:

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I went into the convenience store to buy a beer as the temperature was hovering around 100* and a nice, cold beer sounded wonderful. I bought the beer and asked the cashier if she had a bottle opener, as the bottle was not the twist-off kind. She said no, but a local gentleman standing at the counter said, “I’ll take care of that” and proceeded to grab the bottle and pop the lid off with his teeth. Africans are famous for creating clever ways to solve any problem that presents itself. This guy was yet another example. I thanked him profusely and enjoyed my beer.

On my way out of the convenience store, I encountered another local guy who had the most unique hat on. He kindly have me permission to photograph him.

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Another hour, and I found myself in Sesriem, the gateway town to the Sossusvlei national park. Accommodations at the park entrance are scant, so I had to pay a premium for my lodging, but it was well worth it.

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