Off-roading over huge endless dunes. Sounds like any one of our Thanksgiving weekends at Glamis, but this is half a world away.
The morning started out partly foggy, part heavy overcast which is how this part of the Skeleton Coast sustains the limited plant and wildlife that survive here. From Walvis Bay and Swakopmund you can get to open dunes simply by turning east. They’re everywhere. Close to the coast there is low lying scrub that supports a surprising amount of very small animals.
We were fortunate enough to observe a gecko, a skink, a chameleon, and (not too closely) a side-winding adder. There were also camels, but they were brought here to amuse the tourists.
By noon, the fog and clouds had burned off but it was still windy enough that it didn’t scream, “Sunburn!” I wish it would have. By two, I was feeling a little burned and chapped. I checked the UV index and it reported, “EXTREME.” The next day, my face reported, “EXTREME.” Lesson for next time: bigger hat, more sunscreen.
