Sanding my Love to Uncle Bob - Back to Southern Africa
May 20, 2018, 7:51 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
3. Few days in Johannesburg
After landing in Johannesburg fortunately the passport queue wasn't too long, and I was off to the hotel by the Gautrain. It might be a slight bit faster by Uber, and not much more expensive, but I feel like supporting the Gautrain is the right thing to do. Don't ask why, it's just one of those semi-rational things. Plus, environmentally more friendly?
You know it's bad when you get to a hotel more than 13,000 km from home and the staff all know you like it's been since yesterday when they last saw you....and in truth it's only been a couple of months in reality. Quick check-in, and the first item on my agenda was a three hour nap. It was still early enough in the morning I didn't feel like it would throw off my sleep schedule too much, and I know it would be a huge help with adjusting to the time change.
Nice and refreshed, I woke up and did a walk around the neighbourhood where the first stop was, of course, Starbucks for some "good morning juice." Once again, sad, the staff all remembered me. I guess I'm just one of those memorable people... spend the rest of the afternoon just walking around Rosebank, Parktown, and Parkhurst, just to walk off the jetlag a bit and get the legs moving.
I did stop into the Pick'n Pay, and you know you're in South Africa when there's an entire huge case of boerewors....
To bed relatively early, and managed to sleep until 7am the next morning which was a Sunday, so great job of getting onto local time. Next stop was Starbucks, of course, where I can't seem to escape the name the staff seems to remember me by...
While relaxing, I got a call from my client to make plans for Monday, and she insisted that i get out and explore the city a bit more. I've been coming here for over 20 years now, and while the city has changed I do feel like I stick primarily to the same areas. Little did I know that this would be the trip that would challenge a lot of those "usuals."
Since it was Sunday, my client insisted I head down to Maboneng and check out the Sunday Market. Now, just on the east side of downtown Maboneng definitely used to be a "no-go zone" 10-15 years ago, but I decided that my client (who I trust completely after many meetings) knew better than anyone, so off I went. Short Uber ride, and by chance they dropped me right in front of Origin Coffee. How did they know I was still battling jetlag? Yup, quick iced coffee and I was set to explore...
Into the main market, and the stalls were very lively with delicious smells everywhere. It was going to be a really hard call what to choose for lunch!
Maybe some paella with fresh prawns?
In the end, being tired and not wanting to eat standing, I selected a small restaurant with outdoor seating where I could sit down and people watch while eating. Bottle of ginger beer, some boerewors in tomato sauce, and a bowl of biltong with chips. You can't get much more stereotypically South African than that!
Just as I finished eating the skies opened up, and for the next hour it was a torrential downpour. Was a good excuse to have another beer and another coffee, and as it let up it was early evening and time to catch an Uber back to the hotel.
For anyone who finds themselves in Johannesburg on a Sunday, I highly recommend getting down to the Maboneng Market. As long as you're even marginally travel savvy you'll be fine, and get a great taste of how this amazing city is revitalizing. Now, time to work for a week before taking a well-deserved holiday...
You know it's bad when you get to a hotel more than 13,000 km from home and the staff all know you like it's been since yesterday when they last saw you....and in truth it's only been a couple of months in reality. Quick check-in, and the first item on my agenda was a three hour nap. It was still early enough in the morning I didn't feel like it would throw off my sleep schedule too much, and I know it would be a huge help with adjusting to the time change.
Nice and refreshed, I woke up and did a walk around the neighbourhood where the first stop was, of course, Starbucks for some "good morning juice." Once again, sad, the staff all remembered me. I guess I'm just one of those memorable people... spend the rest of the afternoon just walking around Rosebank, Parktown, and Parkhurst, just to walk off the jetlag a bit and get the legs moving.
I did stop into the Pick'n Pay, and you know you're in South Africa when there's an entire huge case of boerewors....
To bed relatively early, and managed to sleep until 7am the next morning which was a Sunday, so great job of getting onto local time. Next stop was Starbucks, of course, where I can't seem to escape the name the staff seems to remember me by...
While relaxing, I got a call from my client to make plans for Monday, and she insisted that i get out and explore the city a bit more. I've been coming here for over 20 years now, and while the city has changed I do feel like I stick primarily to the same areas. Little did I know that this would be the trip that would challenge a lot of those "usuals."
Since it was Sunday, my client insisted I head down to Maboneng and check out the Sunday Market. Now, just on the east side of downtown Maboneng definitely used to be a "no-go zone" 10-15 years ago, but I decided that my client (who I trust completely after many meetings) knew better than anyone, so off I went. Short Uber ride, and by chance they dropped me right in front of Origin Coffee. How did they know I was still battling jetlag? Yup, quick iced coffee and I was set to explore...
Into the main market, and the stalls were very lively with delicious smells everywhere. It was going to be a really hard call what to choose for lunch!
Maybe some paella with fresh prawns?
In the end, being tired and not wanting to eat standing, I selected a small restaurant with outdoor seating where I could sit down and people watch while eating. Bottle of ginger beer, some boerewors in tomato sauce, and a bowl of biltong with chips. You can't get much more stereotypically South African than that!
Just as I finished eating the skies opened up, and for the next hour it was a torrential downpour. Was a good excuse to have another beer and another coffee, and as it let up it was early evening and time to catch an Uber back to the hotel.
For anyone who finds themselves in Johannesburg on a Sunday, I highly recommend getting down to the Maboneng Market. As long as you're even marginally travel savvy you'll be fine, and get a great taste of how this amazing city is revitalizing. Now, time to work for a week before taking a well-deserved holiday...
May 20, 2018, 9:20 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Washington DC (home); KSA (work)
Posts: 122
! And the copious caviar and cheese on LH.
May 21, 2018, 8:13 pm
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
4. Johannesburg to Walvis Bay with Air Namibia, overnight Swakopmund
After a very long week of even longer days at work, it was time for a bit of holiday before going back to work. Due to prior commitments I couldn't get all my client commitments lined up in one week, so decided to separate them by a week and take some holiday in the middle. So, Saturday morning arrived, and I was off to OR Tambo Airport to get away.
Every time I'm there I totally want to buy the zebra pelts in duty free as a rug, but at a price tag of 16,000 rand, it's a bit steep for my budget!
While I waited, I caught a great view of my plane waiting for us. I had opted to go with Air Namibia for the novelty factor, despite their points not being worth anything. The flight time also allowed me an extra 90 minutes of sleep over South African, so that was a bonus as well. Air Namibia used a contract lounge whose name I can't remember, but it was pretty decent, and I would say about as comfortable as South African's lounge, which I rather like.
No priority boarding queue at all, and it was a mad scrum of European tourists. I think I boarded maybe #100 on the plane or so. Also, it might be the longest jetbridge in the world. If you look at the pic above you can see the part that connects to the plane, but at the top it zigs left and hugs the terminal building finally ending near the nose of where the Turkish plane is parked. Yes, ALL of that is jetbridge!
Air Namibia flight 726
Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) to Windhoek, Namibia (WDH)
Depart 11:40, Arrive 13:45, Flight Time: 2:05
Airbus A319, Registration V5-ANM, Manufactured 2013, Seat 2A
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 36,026
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,556,088
First impression: I love the cabin. Sure, the seats are super old school leather recliners, but they weren't lumpy at all and reasonably firm, and....
...look at that legroom! The inflight magazine quoted 54 inches, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was accurate. Extremely generous for a plane that often does 90 minute to two hour flights! You don't see that often at all!
Sadly, the pre-departure beverage was water, water, or...water.
Flamingo...the in-flight magazine.
After 30 minutes after takeoff, out came the appetizer. A warm piece of what I'm pretty sure was beef, some grilled pineapple, and some orange wedges. Along with a roll...and some South African sparkling wine that was absolutely terrible. I asked to see the bottle, and was met with a "we cannot do that." Uhhh...ok? At least it was a friendly refusal.
Beef, vegetarian, or fish. I went with the beef, and it was straight out of the United Airlines short rib kitchen. Tasted the same, looked the same, and once again, repeat after me: like grandma's cooking. Now, remember this meal...we're going to be coming back to it later...
Soon we were over the amazing landscape of Namibia...
Arrival was about 15 minutes late, which worried me because I only had a 45 minute connection to begin with. I had tried asking the flight attendants if this would be an easy connection, and they didn't seem terribly interested in helping me. Encountered probably one of the rudest immigration officials I've ever met anywhere in the world who finally stamped me into the country, but not before making very clear that she disliked me.
The path to connecting flights led me...right into the arrivals hall, where fortunately the departures hall was just a two minute walk away. It wasn't entirely clear if I needed a new boarding pass or what, but there were literally hundreds of people queueing in the checkin lines, so decided to head for the door to security and try my luck. They seemed a bit puzzled with me (since everyone else was going straight from a check-in counter to the door towards security and departures) but apparently after explaining I was connecting that was enough.
Security was pretty quick and easy, and then....immigration counters. Wait, I'm on a domestic flight. Why are there immigration counters. Well, I just walked up and told the guy I was on a domestic flight, and he waved me through. Turns out the one room departures lounge has five gates that handle both international and domestic traffic.
I didn't have to worry about the close connection since we left over 30 minutes late, so soon it was time to walk to our plane. I tried to snap a pic, but was very sternly chastised by a ramp agent. Ho hum.
Air Namibia flight 715
Windhoek, Namibia (WDH) to Walvis Bay, Namibia (WVB)
Depart 14:30, Arrive 15:10, Flight Time: 0:40
Airbus A319, Registration V5-ANN, Manufactured 2012, Seat 1F
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 36,210
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,556,272
Unlike the previous flight, pre-departure sparkling wine was offered. Unfortunately, it was pretty terrible again.
Nothing to say about the 30 minute flight, except it was absolutely packed. Oh, and we got a "snack":
Pretty sad...and again...make a metal note of this for later...
Arrival in Walvis Bay was a casual affair, and passengers continuing to Cape Town were asked to remain on board, which seemed to be about 75% of the crew. Finally snapped a pic of our plane upon arrival:
Just walk from the plane to the terminal...it's out there somewhere...
Finally, the terminal building...one of the smallest I've ever seen...and this is the "new" terminal!
I had rented an SUV from Hertz for the five days, and when I arrived the contract price was more than double what my confirmation said. First, there was a one-way rental fee when Hertz Platinum told me there wasn't. Then there were about six or seven different insurances, etc. The guy seemed confused, but I just crossed out and initialed what I refused to pay for, and he was like "oh, ok." I figured this would get interesting when I returned it. Oh, and the Walvis Bay location no longer takes AmEx, but he was "pretty sure" they do in Windhoek. He eventually agreed to let me go by writing down the credit card number, and we were off.
Drive into Swakopmund was just under an hour, and finally I found my hotel the Swakopmund Plaza Hotel. I had booked the larger "family room" since it was only slightly more, and it still wasn't very large, so I was glad I'd spent the little bit extra:
It did, however, have an amazing view of the South Atlantic Ocean:
Oh, and it also had a lovely beer garden right on site which brewed its own beers. Unfortunately, they weren't very good...
Walking along the beach:
Local house in old german architecture:
Sunset over the jetty bridge:
Africa meets the South Atlantic Ocean waves:
Sunset from the jetty:
More old German architecture:
The Hhenzollernhaus - a 1904 baroque building that's been during into condos:
Kcki's Pub, location of tonight's dinner. First thing that struck me: the staff switching back and forth between Afrikaans and German, with English clearly the third language. I actually didn't know before this trip that more Namibians speak Afrikaans as a first language than English.
Determined to explore the deliciousness of African wildlife, started out with a springbok carpaccio:
Followed up with an oryx burger and a side of Sptzel:
The first of many malva puddings on this trip:
With that, it had been a long day so I walked back to the hotel and promptly crashed. Only to wake up at 12...and 1230, and 1, and 130....clearly something had gone off (most likely airplane lunch based on timing) and I was suffering one of the most violent cases of food poisoning I'd had in many years. Fortunately, around three o'clock, with nothing much left in my system I finally managed to get back to sleep, and prayed that I would feel well enough the next day to even consider the five+ hour drive ahead of me. I hoped so, or this trip was over before it even began....
Every time I'm there I totally want to buy the zebra pelts in duty free as a rug, but at a price tag of 16,000 rand, it's a bit steep for my budget!
While I waited, I caught a great view of my plane waiting for us. I had opted to go with Air Namibia for the novelty factor, despite their points not being worth anything. The flight time also allowed me an extra 90 minutes of sleep over South African, so that was a bonus as well. Air Namibia used a contract lounge whose name I can't remember, but it was pretty decent, and I would say about as comfortable as South African's lounge, which I rather like.
No priority boarding queue at all, and it was a mad scrum of European tourists. I think I boarded maybe #100 on the plane or so. Also, it might be the longest jetbridge in the world. If you look at the pic above you can see the part that connects to the plane, but at the top it zigs left and hugs the terminal building finally ending near the nose of where the Turkish plane is parked. Yes, ALL of that is jetbridge!
Air Namibia flight 726
Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) to Windhoek, Namibia (WDH)
Depart 11:40, Arrive 13:45, Flight Time: 2:05
Airbus A319, Registration V5-ANM, Manufactured 2013, Seat 2A
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 36,026
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,556,088
First impression: I love the cabin. Sure, the seats are super old school leather recliners, but they weren't lumpy at all and reasonably firm, and....
...look at that legroom! The inflight magazine quoted 54 inches, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was accurate. Extremely generous for a plane that often does 90 minute to two hour flights! You don't see that often at all!
Sadly, the pre-departure beverage was water, water, or...water.
Flamingo...the in-flight magazine.
After 30 minutes after takeoff, out came the appetizer. A warm piece of what I'm pretty sure was beef, some grilled pineapple, and some orange wedges. Along with a roll...and some South African sparkling wine that was absolutely terrible. I asked to see the bottle, and was met with a "we cannot do that." Uhhh...ok? At least it was a friendly refusal.
Beef, vegetarian, or fish. I went with the beef, and it was straight out of the United Airlines short rib kitchen. Tasted the same, looked the same, and once again, repeat after me: like grandma's cooking. Now, remember this meal...we're going to be coming back to it later...
Soon we were over the amazing landscape of Namibia...
Arrival was about 15 minutes late, which worried me because I only had a 45 minute connection to begin with. I had tried asking the flight attendants if this would be an easy connection, and they didn't seem terribly interested in helping me. Encountered probably one of the rudest immigration officials I've ever met anywhere in the world who finally stamped me into the country, but not before making very clear that she disliked me.
The path to connecting flights led me...right into the arrivals hall, where fortunately the departures hall was just a two minute walk away. It wasn't entirely clear if I needed a new boarding pass or what, but there were literally hundreds of people queueing in the checkin lines, so decided to head for the door to security and try my luck. They seemed a bit puzzled with me (since everyone else was going straight from a check-in counter to the door towards security and departures) but apparently after explaining I was connecting that was enough.
Security was pretty quick and easy, and then....immigration counters. Wait, I'm on a domestic flight. Why are there immigration counters. Well, I just walked up and told the guy I was on a domestic flight, and he waved me through. Turns out the one room departures lounge has five gates that handle both international and domestic traffic.
I didn't have to worry about the close connection since we left over 30 minutes late, so soon it was time to walk to our plane. I tried to snap a pic, but was very sternly chastised by a ramp agent. Ho hum.
Air Namibia flight 715
Windhoek, Namibia (WDH) to Walvis Bay, Namibia (WVB)
Depart 14:30, Arrive 15:10, Flight Time: 0:40
Airbus A319, Registration V5-ANN, Manufactured 2012, Seat 1F
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 36,210
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,556,272
Unlike the previous flight, pre-departure sparkling wine was offered. Unfortunately, it was pretty terrible again.
Nothing to say about the 30 minute flight, except it was absolutely packed. Oh, and we got a "snack":
Pretty sad...and again...make a metal note of this for later...
Arrival in Walvis Bay was a casual affair, and passengers continuing to Cape Town were asked to remain on board, which seemed to be about 75% of the crew. Finally snapped a pic of our plane upon arrival:
Just walk from the plane to the terminal...it's out there somewhere...
Finally, the terminal building...one of the smallest I've ever seen...and this is the "new" terminal!
I had rented an SUV from Hertz for the five days, and when I arrived the contract price was more than double what my confirmation said. First, there was a one-way rental fee when Hertz Platinum told me there wasn't. Then there were about six or seven different insurances, etc. The guy seemed confused, but I just crossed out and initialed what I refused to pay for, and he was like "oh, ok." I figured this would get interesting when I returned it. Oh, and the Walvis Bay location no longer takes AmEx, but he was "pretty sure" they do in Windhoek. He eventually agreed to let me go by writing down the credit card number, and we were off.
Drive into Swakopmund was just under an hour, and finally I found my hotel the Swakopmund Plaza Hotel. I had booked the larger "family room" since it was only slightly more, and it still wasn't very large, so I was glad I'd spent the little bit extra:
It did, however, have an amazing view of the South Atlantic Ocean:
Oh, and it also had a lovely beer garden right on site which brewed its own beers. Unfortunately, they weren't very good...
Walking along the beach:
Local house in old german architecture:
Sunset over the jetty bridge:
Africa meets the South Atlantic Ocean waves:
Sunset from the jetty:
More old German architecture:
The Hhenzollernhaus - a 1904 baroque building that's been during into condos:
Kcki's Pub, location of tonight's dinner. First thing that struck me: the staff switching back and forth between Afrikaans and German, with English clearly the third language. I actually didn't know before this trip that more Namibians speak Afrikaans as a first language than English.
Determined to explore the deliciousness of African wildlife, started out with a springbok carpaccio:
Followed up with an oryx burger and a side of Sptzel:
The first of many malva puddings on this trip:
With that, it had been a long day so I walked back to the hotel and promptly crashed. Only to wake up at 12...and 1230, and 1, and 130....clearly something had gone off (most likely airplane lunch based on timing) and I was suffering one of the most violent cases of food poisoning I'd had in many years. Fortunately, around three o'clock, with nothing much left in my system I finally managed to get back to sleep, and prayed that I would feel well enough the next day to even consider the five+ hour drive ahead of me. I hoped so, or this trip was over before it even began....
May 22, 2018, 3:31 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Belgium
Programs: Miles&More/Iberia plus
Posts: 91
Brings back memories from last november
Curious wat your experiences with Hertz Will be in Windhoek
I’ve been fighting with them for Months over some additionele charges they put on my credit card
Too bad about the dood poisoning, Namibia has incredible food
Curious wat your experiences with Hertz Will be in Windhoek
I’ve been fighting with them for Months over some additionele charges they put on my credit card
Too bad about the dood poisoning, Namibia has incredible food
May 22, 2018, 7:25 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
5. Driving Swakopmund to Sesriem, overnight
Fortunately after falling back to sleep around 3 or 4am I managed to sleep until 8am, and only woke up feeling terrible - and not like death. I felt well enough to try and shower and leave the room, and at least see what breakfast looked like. I was craving salt for obvious reasons, and figured I might get a little food down.
The breakfast buffet all looked totally unappetizing, but used it as an excuse to force myself to eat some cinnamon buns and bacon, and get some calories and nutrients back in. I was feeling so dodgy I even skipped coffee and went with tea, and actually started to feel moderately human afterwards.
Human enough that I decided to go for a little walk outside and see if I could see anything more in the daylight. To say it was a little foggy out would be an understatement:
Woerman House, now a museum and library:
Under the pretence of needing calories and caffeine, I stopped for a nibble at Cafe Anton for their Apfel Struedel as a few friends had recommended. Unfortunately, my piece wasn't very good and the crust was actually a bit raw in spots. The espresso was, however, pretty good, and there may have been a second one....and still no signs of the upset from the night before other than feeling slightly nauseous. This might be the quickest bout of food poisoning I've ever dealt with!
The Leuchtturm - lighthouse - and one of the symbols of the city:
Rather gory war memorial near the lighthouse:
Fr Kaiser und Reich!
I found the monument rather fascinating in all its gore!
Memorial to those killed in the Two World Wars:
Walking back along the still foggy beach back to the hotel:
Got back, packed up, took some meds, and hoped I would be well enough for the long five hours of driving ahead. At least I reasoned that if I started to feel too awful again I would at least be in the middle of nowhere where nobody would be witness!
After checking out I got back in the SUV and stopped by a grocery store to stock up on supplies for the next three long days of driving. Lots of water, caffeine, and some Pringles for good measure just in case I needed the salts. Headed out of town, and within an hour I was near the turnoff for Dune 7. It was pretty good roads all the way here so far, and I was beginning to think this might not be too bad. Well, except for the fact there was exactly zero cell reception at the dune. Note the tiny people climbing the dune to get a sense of perspective:
Golden sand against clear blue sky: #nofliter
I still wasn't feeling 100% so opted to skip climbing the dune and proceeded further east. Had to stop in front of the Walvis Bay airport sign for a selfie to prove I was there:
However, soon after the airport the road turned to gravel, and then even rougher gravel. The car was handling it pretty well for the most part with minimal sliding and despite the challenging terrain, it was even worse off the road:
I probably drove another 90 minutes to two hours, stopping every 20 minutes or so to give the arms a rest from the jarring of the bumpy roads on the steering wheel. Eventually I made it to the Tropic of Capricorn. Hey baby...what's YOUR sign?
Finally after nearly four hours of driving I made it to the "town" of Solitare, which is located in the middle of nowhere in the desert. I thought I was probably just a little over an hour from my destination at this point, but it was nice to finally sit down at the cafe and rest a bit. This is the only sign of civilization for hours, so a popular waypoint with tourists on their way to the dunes.
Old abandoned petrol machine in Solitaire:
Grave of Percival "Moose" McGregor who had died just a couple of years prior, and was well known in Solitaire for his bakery.
Rusting out truck cab. Spectacular against the blue sky and desert:
Rusting car in the desert:
Welcome to Solitaire sign:
After enjoying a piece of apple pie it was back into the car to finish off what was hopefully the last hour or so stretch to the lodge. Waze was acting a bit crazy (did I mention there was no data signal anywhere in the desert, and only the gas station in Solitaire had weak wifi?) and took me a bit of a longer route off of a "C road" and onto a "D road." If the C roads were gravel and bad, I shuddered to think what a D road would be like. Fortunately, it was really no worse...maybe even better...and after a bit finally made it to Sossusvlei Lodge.
First disappointment: again no internet, except in the reception area and bar, and even that was rather weak. Fortunately, my hut/tent/whatever you want to call it for the night did have one small weak AC unit, but I was able to move the bed right under it and sleep really well:
Plenty of space in the room:
Huge spacious washroom with walk-in shower:
Sunset on the edge of the desert:
Gorgeous pink hue in the sky:
Wandering a bit further from the lodge, and hoping not to run into scorpions or other wild critters, the sunset got even more vibrant:
Dinner was a buffet affair, and tables were assigned. I sensed a sense of pity from the staff that I was all alone, and they acted like it was the first time they'd seen a visitor not in a group. They walked me over to my sad and lonely table for one, and I set out to explore the buffet. It was a carnivore's dream, with just about every type of wild game you could imagine for grilling:
I guess I was feeling better and my appetite had returned! Boerewors, oryx, haartebeast, springbok...had to get my protein levels back up!
With that after a long day of driving I was exhausted, and crashed hard for eight hours. I was told it was a good idea to get up for sunrise over the dunes, but I just couldn't be bothered...
The breakfast buffet all looked totally unappetizing, but used it as an excuse to force myself to eat some cinnamon buns and bacon, and get some calories and nutrients back in. I was feeling so dodgy I even skipped coffee and went with tea, and actually started to feel moderately human afterwards.
Human enough that I decided to go for a little walk outside and see if I could see anything more in the daylight. To say it was a little foggy out would be an understatement:
Woerman House, now a museum and library:
Under the pretence of needing calories and caffeine, I stopped for a nibble at Cafe Anton for their Apfel Struedel as a few friends had recommended. Unfortunately, my piece wasn't very good and the crust was actually a bit raw in spots. The espresso was, however, pretty good, and there may have been a second one....and still no signs of the upset from the night before other than feeling slightly nauseous. This might be the quickest bout of food poisoning I've ever dealt with!
The Leuchtturm - lighthouse - and one of the symbols of the city:
Rather gory war memorial near the lighthouse:
Fr Kaiser und Reich!
I found the monument rather fascinating in all its gore!
Memorial to those killed in the Two World Wars:
Walking back along the still foggy beach back to the hotel:
Got back, packed up, took some meds, and hoped I would be well enough for the long five hours of driving ahead. At least I reasoned that if I started to feel too awful again I would at least be in the middle of nowhere where nobody would be witness!
After checking out I got back in the SUV and stopped by a grocery store to stock up on supplies for the next three long days of driving. Lots of water, caffeine, and some Pringles for good measure just in case I needed the salts. Headed out of town, and within an hour I was near the turnoff for Dune 7. It was pretty good roads all the way here so far, and I was beginning to think this might not be too bad. Well, except for the fact there was exactly zero cell reception at the dune. Note the tiny people climbing the dune to get a sense of perspective:
Golden sand against clear blue sky: #nofliter
I still wasn't feeling 100% so opted to skip climbing the dune and proceeded further east. Had to stop in front of the Walvis Bay airport sign for a selfie to prove I was there:
However, soon after the airport the road turned to gravel, and then even rougher gravel. The car was handling it pretty well for the most part with minimal sliding and despite the challenging terrain, it was even worse off the road:
I probably drove another 90 minutes to two hours, stopping every 20 minutes or so to give the arms a rest from the jarring of the bumpy roads on the steering wheel. Eventually I made it to the Tropic of Capricorn. Hey baby...what's YOUR sign?
Finally after nearly four hours of driving I made it to the "town" of Solitare, which is located in the middle of nowhere in the desert. I thought I was probably just a little over an hour from my destination at this point, but it was nice to finally sit down at the cafe and rest a bit. This is the only sign of civilization for hours, so a popular waypoint with tourists on their way to the dunes.
Old abandoned petrol machine in Solitaire:
Grave of Percival "Moose" McGregor who had died just a couple of years prior, and was well known in Solitaire for his bakery.
Rusting out truck cab. Spectacular against the blue sky and desert:
Rusting car in the desert:
Welcome to Solitaire sign:
After enjoying a piece of apple pie it was back into the car to finish off what was hopefully the last hour or so stretch to the lodge. Waze was acting a bit crazy (did I mention there was no data signal anywhere in the desert, and only the gas station in Solitaire had weak wifi?) and took me a bit of a longer route off of a "C road" and onto a "D road." If the C roads were gravel and bad, I shuddered to think what a D road would be like. Fortunately, it was really no worse...maybe even better...and after a bit finally made it to Sossusvlei Lodge.
First disappointment: again no internet, except in the reception area and bar, and even that was rather weak. Fortunately, my hut/tent/whatever you want to call it for the night did have one small weak AC unit, but I was able to move the bed right under it and sleep really well:
Plenty of space in the room:
Huge spacious washroom with walk-in shower:
Sunset on the edge of the desert:
Gorgeous pink hue in the sky:
Wandering a bit further from the lodge, and hoping not to run into scorpions or other wild critters, the sunset got even more vibrant:
Dinner was a buffet affair, and tables were assigned. I sensed a sense of pity from the staff that I was all alone, and they acted like it was the first time they'd seen a visitor not in a group. They walked me over to my sad and lonely table for one, and I set out to explore the buffet. It was a carnivore's dream, with just about every type of wild game you could imagine for grilling:
I guess I was feeling better and my appetite had returned! Boerewors, oryx, haartebeast, springbok...had to get my protein levels back up!
With that after a long day of driving I was exhausted, and crashed hard for eight hours. I was told it was a good idea to get up for sunrise over the dunes, but I just couldn't be bothered...
May 22, 2018, 7:39 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,233
I love when they act all sad when they say 'just one?', and I'm all like "can you place me at a sad table for one a little closer to the 'choose your own meat and get it grilled' station? Because that's all the dining companionship I really need."
Only thing better than people watching at a restaurant is people watching at a buffet. Buffets bring out the true nature of the diner. LOL
Enjoying this amazing TR. You are doing the itinerary I have planned in my head for a couple years. Enjoying watching it play out.
Only thing better than people watching at a restaurant is people watching at a buffet. Buffets bring out the true nature of the diner. LOL
Enjoying this amazing TR. You are doing the itinerary I have planned in my head for a couple years. Enjoying watching it play out.
May 22, 2018, 11:45 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,610
I also got "addressed" for taking pictures of planes on the secure side of the Windhoek airport. I didn't have any problems with Hertz Windhoek however. I stuck around until they closed out the account and took a paper copy of the closed folio.
May 23, 2018, 9:22 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
I'm probably in the minority here, but let's have more pics of malva pudding! My favorite! I always try to get it when I go on a cruise, especially if there are some kitchen folk from South Africa. And now I'm hungry for malva pudding with none in sight. Damn it.
May 23, 2018, 9:41 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
I love when they act all sad when they say 'just one?', and I'm all like "can you place me at a sad table for one a little closer to the 'choose your own meat and get it grilled' station? Because that's all the dining companionship I really need."
Only thing better than people watching at a restaurant is people watching at a buffet. Buffets bring out the true nature of the diner. LOL
Enjoying this amazing TR. You are doing the itinerary I have planned in my head for a couple years. Enjoying watching it play out.
Only thing better than people watching at a restaurant is people watching at a buffet. Buffets bring out the true nature of the diner. LOL
Enjoying this amazing TR. You are doing the itinerary I have planned in my head for a couple years. Enjoying watching it play out.
Ask and ye shall receive! Many more were consumed....
May 23, 2018, 7:19 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
6. Dunes, dunes, dunes, and overnight Moon Mountain
I was clearly tired from the night before when I slept poorly due to being up with food poisoning half the night, because even though the cabin was very bright and there was a fair amount of noise as people got up for sunrise at the dunes, I slept...and slept...and finally woke up at 9am just in time to get some breakfast and check out of the lodge before heading into the park.
A view of my cabin/room/tent from the outside:
First stop inside the park was at the lodge where I was able to buy the park permit, and drive into the park. I guess I hadn't paid all that much attention when planning, as it was nearly a 40km drive to the first big dune, "Dune 45:"
Feeling much better today, I decided to head up the dune. Note the little person for scale:
Up we go! Fun with perspective:
More fun with perspective and shadows...it was a very hot and dry climb to the top...and surprisingly windy up there!
After hiking up it was back in the car to drive 30 minutes further to the main attraction...Dead Vlei, Big Daddy Dune, etc. So you have to (well you don't HAVE to, but unless you're good with a 4 Wheel drive on very loose sand you need to) drive to a car park, and from there take an overpriced shuttle the last mile or so.
Dropped off after a mile, I'd managed to chat up a nice Portuguese couple which was fun for the Portuguese practice...but trust me when I say, following them was NOT the best idea. Normal people? They walked in a line towards the Dead Vlei, but I figured the Portuguese must know what they're doing...so followed them to the left on this pic, up that big dune...not following the line of people and the semi-worn trail:
Big mistake I learned after 20+ minutes of very hot hiking to the top...only to realize I was absolutely no closer to Dead Vlei...but hey, at least I could see it from way up there. Down, down the due we go. Now, mind you, it was nearly 100 degrees fahrenheit at this point because I was stupid and had started late...and there was zero shade obviously, and I hadn't brought a head. Smart right?
But once I finally got to Dead Vlei, the sights were amazing. The contrast of the dead trees against the sand and the bright blue sky was absolutely stunning!
Again, amazing....and I take terrible pics!
Slowly starting the walk away from Dead Vlei:
Not being well-prepared, I opted to skip the hike up the Big Daddy Dune. If you're going to do it, bring lots of water, covering for your head, and start early in the morning.
On the way out of the park, I stopped to snap a pic of the UNESCO World Heritage Site marker:
After leaving a park I stopped at the lodge again to grab a small snack and some diet coke and water to rehydrate before getting on the road. It was about an hour drive from the park to my lodging for the night at Moon Mountain Lodge.
It was about 20 minutes out of the way, but I totally backtracked to Solitaire again because...I was hungry and the apple pie was THAT good!
First off, let me say, the setting is stunning. The lodge is perched on the site of Moon Mountain, and unless you're VERY good with a 4 Wheel Drive there's no way you're making it up to the lodge yourself. Fortunately, they see you coming and send a car down to get you.
First off, the big down side: internet is only available in the lodge, and has been broken for nearly six months. Coincidentally, they're also recently under new ownership, and it definitely seems like upkeep hasn't been great. In addition to internet, the path lighting to the tents at night was out, and if I hadn't had my phone as a flashlight it could have been a dangerous walk.
Right, first off, the inside of my tent...well, "Executive Suite", but it was a real tent...canvas walls and all. Note the door on the right to the bathroom...which was almost the same size as the tent, and connected with a small walkway:
Did I mention stunning views? Sunset from the lodge:
Sunset in the other direction:
One of the best things about the lodge in addition to the view was the dinner buffet. Plentiful selections, and with maybe 40 guests in the whole place there was plenty to eat...and really tasty as well. Drinks were a la carte, but very reasonable, and the staff really did go out of their way to be as helpful as possible. Overall, it was a really enjoyable night, even without AC and internet.
Off to bed...another long day of driving tomorrow to Windhoek!
A view of my cabin/room/tent from the outside:
First stop inside the park was at the lodge where I was able to buy the park permit, and drive into the park. I guess I hadn't paid all that much attention when planning, as it was nearly a 40km drive to the first big dune, "Dune 45:"
Feeling much better today, I decided to head up the dune. Note the little person for scale:
Up we go! Fun with perspective:
More fun with perspective and shadows...it was a very hot and dry climb to the top...and surprisingly windy up there!
After hiking up it was back in the car to drive 30 minutes further to the main attraction...Dead Vlei, Big Daddy Dune, etc. So you have to (well you don't HAVE to, but unless you're good with a 4 Wheel drive on very loose sand you need to) drive to a car park, and from there take an overpriced shuttle the last mile or so.
Dropped off after a mile, I'd managed to chat up a nice Portuguese couple which was fun for the Portuguese practice...but trust me when I say, following them was NOT the best idea. Normal people? They walked in a line towards the Dead Vlei, but I figured the Portuguese must know what they're doing...so followed them to the left on this pic, up that big dune...not following the line of people and the semi-worn trail:
Big mistake I learned after 20+ minutes of very hot hiking to the top...only to realize I was absolutely no closer to Dead Vlei...but hey, at least I could see it from way up there. Down, down the due we go. Now, mind you, it was nearly 100 degrees fahrenheit at this point because I was stupid and had started late...and there was zero shade obviously, and I hadn't brought a head. Smart right?
But once I finally got to Dead Vlei, the sights were amazing. The contrast of the dead trees against the sand and the bright blue sky was absolutely stunning!
Again, amazing....and I take terrible pics!
Slowly starting the walk away from Dead Vlei:
Not being well-prepared, I opted to skip the hike up the Big Daddy Dune. If you're going to do it, bring lots of water, covering for your head, and start early in the morning.
On the way out of the park, I stopped to snap a pic of the UNESCO World Heritage Site marker:
After leaving a park I stopped at the lodge again to grab a small snack and some diet coke and water to rehydrate before getting on the road. It was about an hour drive from the park to my lodging for the night at Moon Mountain Lodge.
It was about 20 minutes out of the way, but I totally backtracked to Solitaire again because...I was hungry and the apple pie was THAT good!
First off, let me say, the setting is stunning. The lodge is perched on the site of Moon Mountain, and unless you're VERY good with a 4 Wheel Drive there's no way you're making it up to the lodge yourself. Fortunately, they see you coming and send a car down to get you.
First off, the big down side: internet is only available in the lodge, and has been broken for nearly six months. Coincidentally, they're also recently under new ownership, and it definitely seems like upkeep hasn't been great. In addition to internet, the path lighting to the tents at night was out, and if I hadn't had my phone as a flashlight it could have been a dangerous walk.
Right, first off, the inside of my tent...well, "Executive Suite", but it was a real tent...canvas walls and all. Note the door on the right to the bathroom...which was almost the same size as the tent, and connected with a small walkway:
Did I mention stunning views? Sunset from the lodge:
Sunset in the other direction:
One of the best things about the lodge in addition to the view was the dinner buffet. Plentiful selections, and with maybe 40 guests in the whole place there was plenty to eat...and really tasty as well. Drinks were a la carte, but very reasonable, and the staff really did go out of their way to be as helpful as possible. Overall, it was a really enjoyable night, even without AC and internet.
Off to bed...another long day of driving tomorrow to Windhoek!
May 24, 2018, 8:56 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,555
7. Moon Mountain to Windhoek, overnight Windhoek
Despite the lack of air conditioning and any city noise at all on Moon Mountain I slept like a rock and woke up just as the sun was coming across the horizon. View from my private plunge pool just outside my tent:
Yup, I think if I spent a few more days here I might have actually managed to relax enough to enjoy the peace and quiet of the amazing surroundings:
The road into Moon Mountain...it's definitely "real" and "remote" Africa:
Leaving breakfast, the sun was coming up just over the mountains:
Headed out to get an early start, because I wanted to make it to Windhoek in time to see a bit of the city. Of course, I stopped at the bakery in Solitaire one last time for another piece of apple pie. Third visit, and I finally noticed the pictures of Moose McGregor hanging in the bakery:
So, this is where things got a bit messy. Maybe 30 minutes out of Solitaire, I saw a warning on the "D" road that I was on that trucks were not permitted due to steep inclines. I figured hey, how bad could it be, there would be some sort of serious warning if it was that big of a deal - right? I should probably preface this by saying that I don't really deal well with heights.
Well, after 30 minutes more of driving, that's when I saw it. The road took a very sudden right turn, and started heading up the side of the mountain, on a long and winding road with switchbacks and no guardrail, at roughly a 15% incline. It also kept going and going. I froze probably a minute in, and was like "ok, backing DOWN this thing at this point is going to be even worse, not to mention 2-3 hours probably out of the way to find a better route, so hey...you've lived a good life. Go for it."
Yeah, I'm being a little dramatic because I hate heights, but it really is a pretty bad road. Fortunately, it's been bricked over so at least you're not sliding on gravel. The road crossed up over the Spreetsoogte Pass which is bad enough to have its own Wikipedia entry. According to Wikipedia, the road varies between 16% and 22% grade, making it even worse than I thought.
I was way too whiteknuckles the whole way to stop for pics, but a couple from google:
So, I admit that based on these pics it doesn't look too terrifying, but if you need to see for yourself, the D1275 from Solitaire towards Windhoek will do it for you. I promise.
Anyways, I lived...and at the top I was terrified that if going up was rough (when I looked down at the road in front of me the whole way), I was scared how bad going down would be when I couldn't avoid looking down, down, down. Well, surprise surprise, we never went down. We were actually drive up onto a plateau, so thank God for small miracles?
Driving the rest of the way to Windhoek was pretty easy, and the road actually turned to asphalt for the last 45 minutes or so. Waze did a great job of guiding me all the way into my hotel at the Hilton Windhoek, and had no problem getting the car parked and surviving the trip without wetting myself. After patting myself, I checked into my first super comfortable hotel with great AC in a few days and went for a walk.
Right outside the hotel was a statue of Curt von Francois, the founder of Windhoek in 1890:
Along the walk I stoped at Cramer Ice Cream, which tempted me with a waffle with amarula ice cream:
One of the best parts of Africa is the streets named after dictators:
Christuskirche:
The Independence Museum, with a statue of Sam Nujoma in front of it:
Very North Korean looking statue - it would not at all surprise me if Mansudae Overseas was responsible for this in addition to the statues in Senegal and other places.
Speaking of streets named after now former (sort of, since he's still living in the Presidential Palace) dictators, it's Uncle Bob Avenue!
After a long hot walk, I retired back to the rooftop pool at the Hilton where I had a couple of ciders and just relaxed.
View from the roof wasn't half bad at all:
At the recommendation of friends i negotiated a taxi on the streets to take me to Joe's Beerhouse, which was supposed to be a Windhoek institution. Based on the literally hundreds of people hanging out drinking and eating, I'd definitely found the most happening place in the entire country. The oryx lasagne was definitely a one-of-a-kind treat too!
Back to the Hilton, where the city looked just as amazing at night:
Off to bed, because it was time to get up early and fly to Zimbabwe in the morning!
Yup, I think if I spent a few more days here I might have actually managed to relax enough to enjoy the peace and quiet of the amazing surroundings:
The road into Moon Mountain...it's definitely "real" and "remote" Africa:
Leaving breakfast, the sun was coming up just over the mountains:
Headed out to get an early start, because I wanted to make it to Windhoek in time to see a bit of the city. Of course, I stopped at the bakery in Solitaire one last time for another piece of apple pie. Third visit, and I finally noticed the pictures of Moose McGregor hanging in the bakery:
So, this is where things got a bit messy. Maybe 30 minutes out of Solitaire, I saw a warning on the "D" road that I was on that trucks were not permitted due to steep inclines. I figured hey, how bad could it be, there would be some sort of serious warning if it was that big of a deal - right? I should probably preface this by saying that I don't really deal well with heights.
Well, after 30 minutes more of driving, that's when I saw it. The road took a very sudden right turn, and started heading up the side of the mountain, on a long and winding road with switchbacks and no guardrail, at roughly a 15% incline. It also kept going and going. I froze probably a minute in, and was like "ok, backing DOWN this thing at this point is going to be even worse, not to mention 2-3 hours probably out of the way to find a better route, so hey...you've lived a good life. Go for it."
Yeah, I'm being a little dramatic because I hate heights, but it really is a pretty bad road. Fortunately, it's been bricked over so at least you're not sliding on gravel. The road crossed up over the Spreetsoogte Pass which is bad enough to have its own Wikipedia entry. According to Wikipedia, the road varies between 16% and 22% grade, making it even worse than I thought.
I was way too whiteknuckles the whole way to stop for pics, but a couple from google:
So, I admit that based on these pics it doesn't look too terrifying, but if you need to see for yourself, the D1275 from Solitaire towards Windhoek will do it for you. I promise.
Anyways, I lived...and at the top I was terrified that if going up was rough (when I looked down at the road in front of me the whole way), I was scared how bad going down would be when I couldn't avoid looking down, down, down. Well, surprise surprise, we never went down. We were actually drive up onto a plateau, so thank God for small miracles?
Driving the rest of the way to Windhoek was pretty easy, and the road actually turned to asphalt for the last 45 minutes or so. Waze did a great job of guiding me all the way into my hotel at the Hilton Windhoek, and had no problem getting the car parked and surviving the trip without wetting myself. After patting myself, I checked into my first super comfortable hotel with great AC in a few days and went for a walk.
Right outside the hotel was a statue of Curt von Francois, the founder of Windhoek in 1890:
Along the walk I stoped at Cramer Ice Cream, which tempted me with a waffle with amarula ice cream:
One of the best parts of Africa is the streets named after dictators:
Christuskirche:
The Independence Museum, with a statue of Sam Nujoma in front of it:
Very North Korean looking statue - it would not at all surprise me if Mansudae Overseas was responsible for this in addition to the statues in Senegal and other places.
Speaking of streets named after now former (sort of, since he's still living in the Presidential Palace) dictators, it's Uncle Bob Avenue!
After a long hot walk, I retired back to the rooftop pool at the Hilton where I had a couple of ciders and just relaxed.
View from the roof wasn't half bad at all:
At the recommendation of friends i negotiated a taxi on the streets to take me to Joe's Beerhouse, which was supposed to be a Windhoek institution. Based on the literally hundreds of people hanging out drinking and eating, I'd definitely found the most happening place in the entire country. The oryx lasagne was definitely a one-of-a-kind treat too!
Back to the Hilton, where the city looked just as amazing at night:
Off to bed, because it was time to get up early and fly to Zimbabwe in the morning!