Dried up rivers

Continuing on through Namibia, we stopped at Sesriem Canyon on the way to Sossusvlei and the heart of the desert.  Once a river channeled from this inland spot to the Atlantic Ocean, but over time, dunes would form, cutting the river off from its outlet.  Small lakes developed behind the barrier, before being cut off by another dune.  These rows of alternating dunes and dried up lakes hide the roaring river whose past greatness is preserved in the Sesriem Canyon.

It was finally time to explore Sossusvlei, the dead clay pan with ancient trees, surrounded by the largest sand dunes in the world.  These were the images of Namibia that captured my excitement while flipping through guide books at home.  The startling contrast of white clay bottom, red dunes, and vivid blue sky, the gnarled, sparse trees, the heat rippling off the surface.  We hopped into some Jeeps to get to the edge of the dunes, then it was a hot hike in through scorching 70C sand. 

Playing with shadows.  I like how the clay looks like sunglasses.

This is a photo to remind you not to wear open shoes in this sort of situation.

Exhausted from the heat and the hike, we were still determined to visit Dune 45, named for being about 45 km from the main road into the grand desert.  Take off your shoes (but double up on socks) and take two steps for every foot forward.  Hot sand blowing off the edge whips at your legs like pin pricks.  As you ascend, the sand swirls to your left, blurring the hill beyond.  The sky is clear and enticingly blue, and the dunes continue for miles in every direction.

Awesome shot of William enjoying Dune 45, captured by Skye Cameron

I continued playing a bit more with night time photography, having fun with campers passing by with their headlights.  The moon lit up the sky, and the Milky Way swirled behind the tents.  Since returning to Canada, I haven't been able to practice taking night pictures despite frequent camping trips - not because of light pollution, but simply because the sun sets too late.  Where we were camping in Africa, the sun set each evening before dinner, so there was lots of time to watch the stars pivot in the sky, whereas in Alberta, it isn't truly dark until well after midnight, and well after my bedtime.

The truck looks like it's ready to blast off into space, while Brittany flaps dry a cutting board.

Last stop on the rock formation tour before crossing into South Africa was the Fish River Canyon, the second largest in the world.  We watched the sunset from the rim looking over the vast expanse of jagged rock, and, bringing a bit of Canada to the canyon, I built a little inuksuk on the edge.  We had dinner and wine in the dark, reveling in another spectacular African day.  A spontaneous party took over the truck on the way back to camp, with everyone's headlamps jumping over the ruts in the dirt road, music loud and grainy over the microphone, and dancing wild and sporadic with each bump and turn.  It was a short moment that will be remembered as pure liberated living with a great group of friends, and one that really made the trip what it was. 

Photo: Jana Kirk

On our last evening in Namibia, we stayed at a funky campground on the edge of the Orange River, with South Africa just across the water.  The place had an eclectic bar, and since there wasn't much else going on, this is where we spent our time.  And from this humble place, the world's most glorious new card game was developed: Pokuno.  We started out playing poker, but didn't have any chips.  At some point, someone suggested using Uno cards as chips.  Soon, each card was worth different points, and the game got a little crazy, with wins being stolen from under you at the last moment, but "That's Pokuno!"

Shay, Steve, Jana, me, Franny, Brittany, and Tom, founders of the smash hit game Pokuno.  Photo: Shay Dodds

Check out Shay and Brittany's stunning video from their trip, including the Livingstone to Cape Town portion that we travelled together.  It ends with a cheers to the first game of Pokuno, and I get shivers every time remembering the bliss and ridiculous fun of this evening.

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