Chasing That Sunrise: Part 1 - Tales of Namibia

The perfect sunrise is a truly stunning thing. When the sky lights on fire in a million different hues and the first rays are so bright your eyes water...I can't help but feel at peace. It's enough to make me forget about the extra two hours of sleep I COULD have gotten, and it can distract me from the stresses of the day that may or may not lie ahead. It reminds me that the woes, trials, and tribulations of yesterday are all in the past and that a new day is dawning filled with possibilities. It's like this strange beacon of hope and happiness and peace.

And I've been blessed in recent weeks to have been able to catch some truly magnificent sunrises. (and sunsets for that matter....which are also AMAZING, but a friend recently pointed out to me that the beauty of every sunset is really in the fact that it's a sunrise somewhere else in the world. And I couldn't agree more!) With each new sunrise (or sunset), I'm reminded how short every day is and how precious.

So here are my stories of some amazing sunrises, sunsets, and a few experiences in between!

A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take a two-week trip to Namibia. I was doing what's called an "over-landing tour" with a company called Acacia Africa. We would travel in our big truck every day to the next stop on the docket, get out and set up camp (two weeks of sleeping in tents, yay!), explore, make dinner, relax around a campfire, and then do it all over again the next day! It was a FANTASTIC way to explore a place and one of the best trips I have EVER taken. I cannot say enough good things about Acacia or the stellar group of people I got to do all my exploring with.

Our truck! 

I started my trip with an overnight bus from Cape Town to Windhoek, Namibia (about 20 hours or so!).  On arrival in Windhoek, it was pouring rain. SO that left me pretty confined to my backpackers lodge for the day. But everything happens for a reason and there's always beauty to be found even in the greyest of situations...thanks to that non-stop rain, I stayed in all day and all night and got to meet and talk with some very interesting people! Those new friends made my stay in Windhoek unforgettable....and that leads me to my not-so-humble, expertly-devised list of the

14 Things Everyone Must Do in Namibia:

1. Befriend a few local Namibians. Make sure they take you on a walking tour of your city of choice and make sure they plead with a government official to get you in to see the Prime Minister's office because "you came all the way from America and would love to learn more about the country" (This will actually work and you will be shown the Prime Minister's Office, much to your surprise!) Then be doubly sure that you have your new friends drive you around the city at night blasting old school Eminem songs and drinking warm beer from the six pack in the back seat.

A double rainbow right before one of those fantastic sunsets! 

New friends! 

2. Head to Etosha National Park. This is some of the best wildlife viewing in all of Africa...but be warned! If you go during rainy season you might just spend over two hours traveling through the park without seeing ANYTHING. (Because the animals don't all need to congregate at the watering holes for easy viewing). If you're lucky on your second night there you'll catch a fantastic thunder storm with some crazy lightening! And then the next day you will most likely see a giant rhino that looks exactly like a large boulder until it moves slightly and you can see it's horn. Once you see the giant boulder-like rhino, make sure to stop your truck and have someone in your group sound out a loud, exasperated elephant-call [Alex]. This will DEFINITELY make the rhino stand up quickly and begin to look around for said elephant. The pictures you get from this will be amazing and you will regret not taking video footage.

A sunset over Etosha National Park

Giraffe! 

See, he looks like a boulder right? 

Annnnd now he's up! 

Wildlife! 

3. Make sure to visit Otjitotongwe Cheetah Park. Play with the pet cheetahs but be warned! They like to play with flip flops and baseball caps. They might just steal yours if given the chance! Then be sure to watch the feeding of the wild, not-so-tame cheetahs that live in the surrounding reserve.

Me with one of the cheetahs! Photo courtesy of Elizabeth! 

Sometimes they like to climb trees

Pretty kitty

Pretty kitty likes to play with hats...beware! 

This one is a bit feral. And frightening. 

Mmmmm hunks of raw meat. Yummy.

4. Plan to travel with Aussies, Germans, a few fellow Americans, and your token Dutchman and New Zealander (kiwi). The hilarious mixing of accents will keep you entertained for the entire trip and you'll learn all sorts of new words and phrases! I never thought I'd hear someone say "good on ya mate" to me in person, but it happened!

Our group! 

5. Head to Spitzkoppe. These amazing rock formations will literally take your breath away. The natural rock pool halfway up the mountain is perfect for relaxing in the afternoon, and you must make sure to spell out "Africa" with your bodies on the edge of the rocks just before sunset. Then make sure to have a few cold drinks ready to take in one of the most spectacular sunsets you'll ever see, and after dinner, plan to sleep out under the stars. Sleeping out under the stars is an actual MUST. You may or may not wake up in the middle of the night with a spider crawling over your face, but the night sky will be TOTALLY worth it! :)

Group shot just before sunset. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth :) 

Bushman paintings that are "very very old" 

We spell Africa! 

Sunset! 

6. Get yourself to Swakopmund. This coastal resort town will have all sorts of adventure activities to choose from and some cute little markets (complete with overeager shopkeepers who will tell you they'd like you to become their third wife). Make sure to eat at the Tugboat while you're here, it will be some of the best food you've ever eaten.

7. GO SKYDIVING while in Swakopmund! Most people that know me know I've been dying to go skydiving for quite some time now. It was AMAZING! It will be the biggest thrill and adrenaline rush you have ever experienced and jumping out over the Namibian desert with the sea not far off will give you some of the most spectacular views your eyes will ever have the pleasure of seeing. You will be winded and out of breath by the time you land but feel so exhilerated you will immediately ask to go again!

That is a serious smile folks

8. Try sandboarding. It's quite a bit different than snowboarding, and having to walk back up to the top of the sand dunes after every run will make you really miss ski lifts, but it will be good fun all the same. BUT be warned, you WILL be completely covered in sand and you will still find sand coming out your ears for at least three days to follow.

9. Be sure to celebrate your tour guide's birthday with copious amounts of alochol and fun and games. Don't be surprised when your [male] tour guide ends up in a sparkly, sequined dress by the end of the night. Be jealous when you realize he probably looks better in the dress than you would.

10. Clamber up to the top of Dune 45 (one of the highest sand dunes in the world) in time to watch the sunrise. It will be a tough climb and you will be FREEZING but it will be more than worth it when you start to see the sun ascend over the dunes and mountains in the distance. It will deepen your sense of wonder and awe at how truly beautiful our world is and it will reaffirm your belief that Africa is a very special place. And that first cup of warm coffee after you make it back down will taste WONDERFUL and warm you from head to toe!

Sunrise! 

Sand dunes at sunrise 

Such pretty colors! 

11. Make a quick visit to Deadvlei (meaning dead-marsh), near Sossusvlei. The white clay pan has trees that died some 900 years ago or so. Makes for stunning photos! If you're lucky, one of your friends will decide to walk around in nothing but his underwear and attract all manner of interesting stares.

Me! In a dead tree! 

Group shot courtesy of Ritchie! 

12. Hike the edge of Fish River Canyon. The world's second largest canyon is breathtakingly-beautiful, especially just before sunset. Plan to sit as near to the edge as you can get and sit in silence for as long as you dare.

Fish River Canyon! 

13. Canoe down the Orange River that runs along the Namibian-South African border. Sing "Just Around the Riverbend" and be sure to get out and jump off the rocks into the fast-moving water at some point. Try not to think about the fact that there are most likely crocodiles in the water you're swimming in.

14. Finish out your last night on the tour together with lots of good food, wine, human pyramids, and night-yoga. Shower under the stars. Sleep with your tent windows open. Be glad you're alive.

Upon arrival back in Cape Town, know that you will be sad to say goodbye to your new friends and all the fantastic experiences you've just had, but enjoy the last few days together and plan to meet up again in a few years time in Brazil or Bali or wherever the wind might take you all next. :)

"My life is like a stroll on the beach....as near to the edge as I can go..." - Henry David Thoreau

So there you have it folks, the 14 things that are absolutely necessary to have an amazing time traveling throughout Namibia. Let me know if you want to meet me there next time!

More updates to come soon!