|
Post by Baz Faz on Mar 15, 2017 19:30:38 GMT 2
Is that Mrs M giving you the eye from the pool?
|
|
|
Post by kuskiwi on Mar 15, 2017 19:48:35 GMT 2
Pleased I got up extra early to read this and enjoy the photos. Lovely. Thanks
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 20:59:46 GMT 2
voy, kusi, more in a minute. baz, it certainly is. Giving me the 'stink eye'. After I took a photo of her swimming naked in Spain in our pool and her little white po-po breaking through the water, she made me promise never to take one of her in a pool again. Like that isn't going to happen.
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:03:30 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:06:53 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:09:15 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:10:54 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:12:20 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:15:36 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:17:05 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 15, 2017 21:18:51 GMT 2
Baz, I managed to grab a couple more photos of Mrs M in a pool. I hope she never sees this thread or I'll wake up one night dead with a knife in me.
|
|
|
Post by Baz Faz on Mar 15, 2017 23:19:39 GMT 2
Go on, Mark, show. After all we always post photos of Mrs Faz.
|
|
|
Post by sophie on Mar 16, 2017 0:39:08 GMT 2
Great pictures.. I love the mountain shots. Better not post the pool pictures, Mark, you are worth more to us alive than with a knife sticking out of some body part...
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 7:13:56 GMT 2
Baz, I somehow have missed the photos of Mrs Faz in her birthday suit, mermaid like, in a pool. I'd be obliged if you could re-post them.
|
|
|
Post by auntieannie on Mar 16, 2017 11:47:48 GMT 2
wow! amazing!
Edit: oh, my post appeared now. oh well... completely out of context as usual.
|
|
|
Post by Baz Faz on Mar 16, 2017 12:20:12 GMT 2
Mark, would you like one of Grecian instead?
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 12:43:22 GMT 2
I have seen the one with his underpants on his head and if that is the standard, then no thanks.
|
|
|
Post by slowcoach on Mar 16, 2017 13:45:47 GMT 2
After a spot of lunch back at the petrol station cafe at Sesreim we stopped nearby at somewhere sort of well known but few seem to go there after the excitement of the sand dunes, the 4wd trip and the physical torture of climbing Dune 45. It is called Sesreim canyon and is just a km or two from the gate. Only about 600m long it is good to get out of the heat of the sun. I'll take you a walk through it - The odd thing is that without the Canyon or rather the ephemeral Tsauchab River that is noticeable by its absence, there wouldn't be a vlei and probably no passage through the dunes, no tourists, and no pictures. I like that old canyon. The four rivers catchments that mark your journey largely define the northern limits of the Southern Namib, perhaps the most striking being the way the red sand sea rises immediately from the left bank of the narrow dry bed of the Kuiseb River and its right bank is on the sand poor Central Namib.
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:21:25 GMT 2
I tend to mentally use the road through Swakopmund, Windhoek and out through Gobabis, the B2/B6 to define whether and inaccurately I am Southern or Northern, simple soul that I am. But there can be vast differences in landscape and geography, never mind all the other factors, within each area. Knowing I am in the Namib-Nakluft Park, NamibRand Reserve, any of the designated areas called a Conservancy, or have strayed into the Sperrgebeit passes me by unless I happen to see a sign saying so. As for remembering the names of all the rivers, dry or otherwise, is a lost cause. My memory chip needs defragmenting.
In fact is was only yesterday Mrs M asked me what the name of the river was forming the border in the north west with Angola. I had to look it up and yet I should know, I've been up there often enough and watched the fruit bats. As for a reference I saw naming the Dorob National Park I had no idea where that was until I found out it stretches from the Kuiseb River south of Walvis bay to the Ugab River way north of Mile 108. Nope, didn't know that either.
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:39:59 GMT 2
The next day we had a steady and uneventful drive back to Windhoek where we'd only had a cursory supermarket stop on the way out. We came, as usual, a bit of a back way and the distance was shorter but takes a longer time. There is a route joining a main tarmac road but we wanted to avoid that as much as possible. We had to climb from sea level, more or less, up to the giddy heights of Windhoek at around 1700m. Apart from one steep(ish) bit is was easy going -
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:41:38 GMT 2
We had an afternoon and a day in the capital, which Mrs M wanted to do, but I knew it as not the most interesting of cities at all. I normally give it a complete miss to get to the 'good stuff' elsewhere. We took a fairly comprehensive walk round to get a view of the place and see what it was like. It is unavoidable that as I do go around I look at things more as a potential resident, because you never know where in the future we might end up, than a tourist. Nevertheless, the weather was warm and sunny, not hot like in the desert, and we had our walking legs on so we meandered around looking at stuff. The capital area was first established around 1840 due to there being permanent water and hot springs but after various local conflicts it fell into neglect. In 1890 saw a resurgence due to the Germans who based themselves there. As with Swakopmund, major changes happened 25 years later when the British took over aided by troops from South Africa. It became a sleepy city for many years, even though it was growing by people coming to try and find work, until the mid-1950's when major infrastructure works were commenced. This accelerated after independence in 1990 to such an extent that the city is struggling to expand due to geographical difficulties. Mainly being surrounded by rocky hills. That is also one of the reasons the main airport is over forty kilometres away. Look over my shoulder as we have a walk round anyway. You'll get the idea -
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:42:54 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:43:53 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:45:00 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:47:38 GMT 2
Air Namibia problem number 2 – as we were due to fly out the next day, early and had to take the car back and be all the way at the airport for 07:30 at the latest I was trying to check the flight was still running. There is no website for Windhoek airport to check departures nor for Lusaka airport to check arrivals. I couldn't still check the booking on the airline website and the office in the city was closed. So I had to ring the help line. Eventually I got through. There was information as regards the flights on other websites but only for a 16:10 departure home and not our flight. I was assured by the help desk person our flight was running but for some reason he didn't know if we would have to go to Harare first or not. Poor state of affairs but we decided to keep to our original schedule anyway and see what happens. In the mean time and as we'd seen what we wanted to see in Windhoek, there is Dann Viljoen Nature Reserve not far out of town I thought we'd have a look at. Not for the game, as there isn't anything of note and no predators, but because there are a couple of walking tracks we could, yet again, stretch our legs on. We were greeted by the resident ostrich by the visitors centre - We set off for a walk in the countryside, only a few kilometres, but using all my years of knowledge of expeditions, rough terrain, survival techniques and hostile places I made sure we left with plenty of supplies, namely a packet of Werther's Originals. We did have some water though. The track started –
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:48:57 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 14:50:46 GMT 2
|
|
|
Post by auntieannie on Mar 16, 2017 15:04:00 GMT 2
thank you! I am still very impressed by the light in the pics. love it. loved the whole report. thank you.
|
|
|
Post by Voy on Mar 16, 2017 15:26:23 GMT 2
What Annie said! just out of curiosity,what brand is the church with the "dutch" gables? it's cute.
|
|
|
Post by OnlyMark on Mar 16, 2017 19:02:34 GMT 2
Voy, it's a Lutheran church called Christ Church/Christuskirche. Started to be built in 1907 and consecrated in 1910. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church,_Windhoek You're welcome, both of you.
|
|