What it’s Like to Be Walking on the Moon

An excursion to the moon landscape on earth

It’s something that fascinated humankind for centuries. The moon. And pretty much anything in space. Anything one can’t touch or see with their own eyes. At least not from close up.

Let’s get back to the moon. The moon turns with our lives and around our lives. Yet he is so far away. Some might dream of visiting the moon one day. Others just would love to know what it’s like to walk on the moon. To see how it feels.

Walking on the moon.

How does it look? Up there? We imagine the moon with a lot of nothingness. There’s no life out there. They say. There are lots of craters on the moon. Apparently.

According to the descriptions and photographs these days about the moon, we imagine a very lifeless landscape up there. And this is where my photographs come in.

Fitting the descriptions of the moon this specific area in Namibia, located close to the coastline, is called the “moon landscape”. It’s part of a national park protected for the future.

Those mountain ridges, lichen fields, and endless horizons of nothingness are what attracts every year thousands of tourists. Because it’s so opposite of everything on earth.

Our planet gets described as the blue planet. But the only blue in this landscape is the sky. If one can see it. If there’s no low-hanging fog covering the blue of the sky.

Our planet is known for humankind to be the representation of life on planets. Because it’s the only planet we know where there is life. We describe the earth with lots of plants, green grass, and flowing water.

But none of that does exist here.

In the moon landscape in southern Africa.

Whenever I do come out here to show this spectacular scenery to friends and family my thoughts get carried away. To other centuries. To other countries. And to the moon itself.

I love being out here. It’s somewhat eerie. Sometimes. Where there’s no wind. Then it’s quiet. Very quiet. Now and then you’ll hear a lost bird in the sky. Looking for his home.

In a landscape with no trees in sight.

There is life out here. But it’s not visible. Not at first sight at least. One must have patience. Good eyes do help. And to spot certain animals who live in this lifeless place you must have some luck too.

When you get out here with others do go for a walk. Walk along these endless mountain ridges. Let your eyes swing across the horizon. Let your thoughts be taken by the wind.

And open your heart for it to be taken in by the beauty of this place.

An immense variety of landscapes on earth do represent that every place is like no other. They are all unique in their own way. They might remind you of someplace else. But they won’t be the same.

And this is what makes our planet so special. The sheer variety of incredible landscapes with lifeless areas and others filled with an abundance of life.

And this is why I love traveling. To see different places. To experience diverse landscapes. And to inhale the beauty on earth.

More about nature writing…

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Anne Bonfert is a traveler. Photographer. Writer. Teacher. Skydiving instructor. Adventure enthusiast. Nature lover. And fell in love with the African continent.