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South Africa: Clamwilliam - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning, for the first time since we started our trip we woke up after 7.00 am; we are so accustomed to waking up before dawn, that it seems to have slept until midday.
From our terrace we have a wonderful view of the artificial lake, formed by the dam, on the Cederberg Park and on some of the Cederberg Range; what a landscape, for a moment we want to not go out of the house, stay on the terrace all day and admire this sight, but then we decided to prepare and to leave, today a good day of roaming around awaits for us.
South Africa: Northern Cape - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we woke up, early as usual, not for a safari but for our departure, today we have a long day ahead to travel through the Northern Cape that will take us to Clanwilliam, located in the Western Cape; it is to be said that South Africans did not have much imagination in giving names to these provinces.
We leave early from the campsite of Twee Rivieren, within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and, as a first step, we must do the immigration to South Africa.
Kgalagadi: Cheetah - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
The nights in the Kgalagadi Park at this time of the year are cool but they are forgiven by giving you an amazing starry sky.
The alarm clock rings early today as well, very early, we want to take full advantage of the time available and the early hours of the morning are the best to watch animals because they are more active, the central hours of the day are too hot and especially the felines tend to sleep in the shade.
We begin well by seeing a beautiful example of pale chanting goshawk and a rare lanner falcon.
Kgalagadi: Gemsbok - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
We arrived at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, skidded customs formalities for leaving Namibia and paid the park entrance fee at Mata-Mata Gate.
We are looking forward to exploring the park, and two South Africans who are coming out of the gate tell us that they have seen lions about twenty kilometers from here.
However, before driving on the park's roads, it is necessary to deflate the car's tires, here sandy trails are present virtually everywhere; while deflating tires we constantly think about the lions, we absolutely want to see them.
Kalahari desert - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Tonight the temperature was particularly stiff and this morning, leaving the duvet was a test of strength, in any case we woke up at dawn to enjoy the day; today the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is waiting for us.
During the night we heard a noise of hooves that seemed too heavy to be those of the antelopes, we spied on and saw a group of horses galloping toward the unknown; who knows where they came from.
After a quick breakfast we leave towards the Kgalagadi, a wild and relatively poorly mass tourism park.
Tropic of Capricorn - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Today we have to leave Windhoek to move South, but first we have to pick up the car from the mechanic.
Yesterday, in fact, we brought our Toyota Hilux to do a good check-up, check the wheels and grease some gear after all the sand of the past days, but especially to re-weld the bullbar.
Namibia on the road - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Today we left Swakopmund and in about 3 hours of asphalted road we arrived in Windhoek, Namibia's capital.
Even Windhoek, like Swakopmund, seems to have changed a lot, and yet a few years have passed since the last time we've been here, but we know that things in fast-growing countries such as Namibia change suddenly.
They have built larger access roads to the city, new buildings, both governmental and private, and the standard of living seems to have improved.
Swakopmund - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
This morning we take a ride around Swakopmund, or Swakop as the locals call it; the center is not very large and can be easily walked on foot.
The most paradoxical thing about Swakopmund is that it does not seem to be in Africa, but in Bavaria or in a remote village in the German countryside.
Cape cross: seals - Photo Credits: Romina Facchi
Technically, the Dorob National Park is still part of the Skeleton Coast, even though it is outside the infamous Ugab gate with the skulls, and, witnessing its danger, on its coast there are several wrecks of some ships that were stranded here.
We are on the C34, coming from the North and from the Skeleton Coast Park, and heading to Swakopmund; here the sand dunes can only be seen in the distance and the landscape is more monotonous, so the terrain is less slippery and we proceed at a more sustained speed.
Skeleton Coast: Shipwreck South West Seal - Photo Credits: Silvano Greco
This morning, when we woke up, we looked out of our window and saw a dense fog on the Atlantic Ocean while the waves were crashing on the beach; but we are on the Skeleton Coast, it could not be otherwise.
After breakfast we get in the car, that is as wet as if it was raining, and we leave; today we drive on the Skeleton Coast stretch from Terrace Bay leading to Ugab Gate, from here we will continue to Swakopmund, crossing the Dorob National Park.
The C34 runs parallel to the ocean and allows us to cross different landscapes.