SATURDAY 26TH - ATLANTIC OCEAN

We are now comfortably settled at Alte Brucke, an accommodation complex in Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. Surprisingly it is very cold here. There is apparently a very cold current which sweeps along the coast causing cool and foggy weather to prevail. We didn't see the sun at all yesterday once we got within 5 kilometres of the coast.

We started the day with a visit to Burnt Mountain a discoloured mountain with a burnt appearance.

From there, we went to the feature known as Organ Pipes. Not bad but they are obviously hard up for features to drag people over the atrocious roads to the area.

Along the way we stopped to negotiate the purchase of some firewood from the locals. We have done that twice now. The villagers collect it and leave it in piles by the side of the road for the passing campers to purchase. We aren't camping but do have open fires when dinner is prepared from The Beast as it will be tonight at our beach barbeque. We will be dressed for the snow to attend the beach barbeque.

 

We also stopped at a roadside stall operated by the local himba and herero women. The herero women are the ones with the impressive costumes on, a contrast to the himba.

 

Once we got to the coast, the roads became salt roads, very smooth and a welcome relief. 

Our final activity for the day was a visit to a seal colony. The local fur sea colony is very healthy and very entertaining to watch, but very smelly.

The coastline here is apparently quite well known for the number of ships wrecked on it. We passed one of the wrecks, a large fishing boat which has apparently been there for 10 years. It is now a great bird rookery.

 

Dinner last night was at a local restaurant. Great oyster farming area here.