Every journey has to have an ending. This long journey would end in South Africa. However, there was still a lot to see and do before that moment. First we had to get through our final camping experience.
We woke up early the next morning, as we did most mornings, as we wanted to get into the Namib NaukLuft National Park as soon as the gate opened. It was still dark when we woke up, and the night sky was incredible. With hardly any light pollution, the stars were lighting up the morning sky. It was another great morning in Africa! After eating breakfast, we picked up the people who chose to stay at the hotel instead of camp.
I was eager to climb Dune 45 as I appreciate a good challenge. Dune 45 is a popular sand dune that people can hike up. Hiking up sand is no easy feat, but I was determined. When we pulled into the parking lot, I was one of the first out the door and dune bound. I’m not so good at hiking with others, especially if they walk at a slower place, so I put my hood on (it was incredibly windy) and went for it.
It wasn’t a long hike, but a hike where you have to keep going because if you stop too many times, you won’t want to continue. Additionally, there is a narrow path to follow, and you more or less have to walk in a single file line with all the others attempting the challenge. I did make sure to stop to enjoy the view. It probably took me about 30-45 minutes to hike up, and five minutes to get down. Instead of following the same path down, most people, including myself, ran down the side sinking deep into the sand as they went. It was a fun experience, and I managed to bring some of the Dune 45 sand home with me! Not that I wanted to, but it managed to make its way to California in my socks, shoes, and pants!
After Dune 45 we drove a bit farther to see the famous dead trees. To be honest I had never heard of these trees before this trip, but they were quite interesting. We had to drive to another parking lot and then wait for the off road shuttle to take us to another dune. We had the opportunity to also climb this dune just for the chance to once again run down it. I of course chose to do so. The hike up was not fun, but the run down was!
We were then in the area with the dead trees called Sossusvlei. The trees are thought to be around 700 years old. They are not petrified and have not decomposed because of the weather. While they aren’t pretty trees, they are interesting and so was the journey to get there!
We ended the adventure in the park with a tour of Sesriem Canyon which was near the campground. It was a short little tour, and I think we were all happy about that. We were tired from the day, and I was tired from all the sand hiking! It was back to the campground for most of us. We had one final night in the tent, and I wasn’t sad about it.
The next day we continued our drive towards South Africa. We were off to a small town where it was more of a pit stop than a destination. However, on the way we stopped to visit the Quiver Tree Forest and Giant’s Playground.The Giant’s Playground is a bunch of boulders that are stacked on each other. A lot of them are in positions that don’t seem to be balanced, but yet they don’t fall.
Among the boulders, you might spot a quiver tree. A quiver tree is native to southern Africa and is a type of succulent plant. They are very unique looking. After a short drive farther down the road, we came to Quiver Tree Forest where quiver trees were all over. It was a photographer’s dream. Additionally, we were entertained by the rock dassie, which resembles a gopher or groundhog.
The next day we headed to our last stop in Namibia. Along the way we stopped at Fish River Canyon to take a walk along the ledge. The canyon is the second largest in the world. To hike down into the canyon, hikers are required to get a permit, and most of the hiking adventures are around 4 days. The walk was nice, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to hike down into it.
We arrived at our last hotel in Namibia, and I had high expectations for it as the pictures were lovely. However, we arrived at the time of year when they were cleaning all the pools and foundations, so everything was drained, and really there wasn’t much to do. I did some laundry in hopes that it would dry before leaving the next day.
At dinner that night, one of the waiters offered me a box of dates. And when I say a box, I mean a massive box. I wondered why I looked like I wanted to buy an extra large box of dates, but he asked the right person because I did. Well, I agreed but then didn’t have money on me so someone else in the group did. The dates were good, but taking that box on and off the bus for the next few days was a pain.
The next day was our last border crossing. We were finally driving into South Africa. Before heading to Cape Town, we stopped at another small coastal town where we had a wine tasting scheduled for us. Well, it wasn’t exactly a wine tasting. It was to teach us how different flavors like sweet, salty, etc., impact the taste of wine in either a good or bad way. I had been to wine tastings before, but never something like that. It was interesting! We followed up the wine with dinner, and I got a steak that was sub par.
The next day we drove farther south to Cape Town, South Africa, which was our last stop on the trip. It had been a wonderful trip, but I was looking forward to getting home. Considering I only had one day in Cape Town, I wanted to make the most of it. I worked with our guide to schedule a private tour to go see the penguins and the Cape of Good Hope. To be honest, I wasn’t really familiar with the penguins or the Cape of Good Hope, but it sounded good to me. A couple of other people decided to join me on my adventure.
As soon as we arrived at the hotel in Cape Town, probably around 1:00 pm, we rushed to check in, drop our bags in our room, and then meet our tour guide for the day. He’s a friend of our tour guide and was incredibly friendly.
Our first stop of our final day in South Africa, the penguins. I didn’t realize that the penguins were that far out of Cape Town. Well, I guess it didn’t help that the route our driver took had a closed road so we had to backtrack and take a different route. It probably took us about 45 minutes to an hour to drive to Boulder Beach where we would pay to enter the park and see the cute little penguins. It’s a protected area so they built pathways above the sand to walk on. Visitors have to stay on these pathways. It was a bit crowded, but there were a lot of penguins, and they were definitely worth the visit.
Some were swimming, some were waddling on the beach, and others were just sitting around. There were also a lot of chicks!
We saw the penguins, got our pictures, and were then on our way.
It was a bit rushed, but we were racing the sun as we wanted to get to the Cape of Good Hope before the sun set. The drive to the Cape of Good hope wasn’t as long, and the views were beautiful.
Our first stop was at a sign that said CAPE OF GOOD HOPE which was a photo opportunity. I’m not one for waiting in a line to take a photo with a sign. Instead, there was a little hike up the mountain that I wanted to do instead, so of course I did it. My long legs can move pretty quickly, especially when I know we are short on time. I got to the top and enjoyed the view of the ocean and then quickly went back down. My companions then forced me to take a picture with the sign, so I did. I gave into the peer pressure.
There was one more stop to make in South Africa. We wanted to get to the Cape of Good Hope Lighthouse, which was built in the late 1850s. Our driver hustled, but when we arrived, the funicular to the top was no longer working. If we wanted to get to the lighthouse, we would have to hike. Like my mom, I will always accept a good walking challenge. Luckily the hike was up a paved path. I made it to the top before the sun set, and it was the most spectacular view. It felt like I couldn’t take enough photos as the view kept changing as the sun was setting. It was the perfect way to end a wonderful trip.
We made it back to the hotel and rushed to meet the rest of our group for our final goodbye dinner. It was hard to believe my 5 weeks in Africa had come to an end. However, it was absolutely worth it! I will, without a doubt, go back. There is so much more to explore! See you later, Africa.
Thanks, Andrea, for sharing your incredible trip with us through words and photos. If you have questions or comments for Andrea, be sure to put those in the comment box below.