From Damaraland to Swakopmund

We started our drive at Mowani Mountain Camp which is tucked away in the rocks and boulders of Damaraland. I guess you could say this is the high desert, temperatures in the 90’s even thought they are going into winter and so very dry. But all good things must come to an end and so we left for our next stop, iSwakopmund. The drive took us 4 or 4.5 hours and we took some very small sand and gravel roads. Even though the roads went on for miles and miles, we didn’t see one car for at least two hours. We went through tiny places like Granietkop and Anixab where there was a pretty large school, but no one around because it was Saturday. After that we passed a small house and I took some photos from the car window, an older women saw us and came to the road side stand where she had some crafts and rocks for sale. We got out to see what she had and her grandchildren came to see us, the older girl who spoke English asked for food. The ‘farm’ was dry and desolate, there may have been goats or cows somewhere, but we did not see them. It is hard for me to imagine how these people survive, but they are very smart and know how to use the plants and all the resources around them to survive. We bought some rocks and a bracelette and left them with some food we had for the car ride and peanut m and m’s I brought for the plane!
The little girl said she was so happy! We wished we had more to give them.

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Imagine living on the side of this road.

Because it is so remote, it is unlikely a passerby to stop and buy crafts or anything else they may have to sell very often.
The women is dressed in the traditional Herro fashion, with the long dress and the hat that looks like horns.
After that meeting we moved on through Uis, a ver small town and We stopped to refuel but with only one attendant, many cars waiting and the men with trays of rocks who were hoping to make a sale, we decided to go.
More sand roads to follow and then finally a tar road. It was ‘luxurious’ to take a Seinfeld reference! We picked up our speed and stopped in Henties Bay for gas and a coffee. Henties is a fishing village surrounded by some shipwrecks and what looks like small vacation homes. It was a good place to stop and stretch our legs.
Finally we reached Swakopmund. The center part of town shows the old buildings from the colonial time when Germany was governing the area. It is quaint with cute stores and restaurants.