Wim reports from the Namibia Landscapes and Wildlife Safari: A Rare Privilege
Sometimes one has an item on ones bucket list that you think may just have to be a dream forever – and sometimes, rarely, that dream is realized.
This happened on this trip … but let’s start with the magnificent morning. We were ready for the first glimpse of the sun, coloring the world with ever changing colors, starting with the softest, almost ethereal hues and developing into vibrant colors … changing the landscape with each passing moment.
The red dunes with the macabre trees changed and evolved as the sun crept higher into the sky.
We found a group of Ruppell’s Korhaan, and spent the next half hour photographing them.
Then for our ‘dream come true’ …
We crossed our fingers as we sought permission from the authorities to enter Dead Vlei in the late afternoon and to remain for a few hours after dark – and to our delight, we received the stamp of approval. Wow! This was something I never really thought would actually be possible, and it was granted!!!
You can imagine our delight as we set out in the late afternoon – to photograph the dunes in the setting sun.
And then, as the sun set, and we were left there completely alone, it truly felt as though we were alone in the planet.
The next few hours were simply magical. The stars seemed brighter than ever, with the crescent moon a shimmering sliver in the sky The massive dunes were huge shadows as they loomed around us, and eerie shadows appeared and disappeared everywhere. It truly was other worldly!
Our cameras pointed in every direction, photographing the Milky Way, star trails, ghostly silhouettes – and at all times we were acutely aware of the silence and peace all around.
Finally we packed up at 22:00, and with a feeling that all was right with with the world, and very aware of the privilege that we had been able to experience, we turned towards the Lodge.
And this time, to complete our stupendous day, we encountered an aardwolf. He was not at all concerned about our presence – he possibly doesn’t meet too many humans around the area at night.
Tomorrow we would like to explore a different area around here …
Join us on one of our exciting Safaris to spectacular destinations. For more info click this link to visit our web page – http://goo.gl/lSJvzK
