PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE
On the Road Again
Week 23 of the photographic documentary of my daily life
This week is full of adventure. Lots of green. In the desert. Wildlife. In the endless plains of the country. And it’s about taking in the beauty of nature. I love going on road trips. Because I can see so much.
Diversity.
That is what Namibia is about. Lots of diverse landscapes. That change as the road starts turning. Roads don’t turn a lot in Namibia. They often go straight up to the horizon. But then there’s something new awaiting you.
Today we fixed the last things on the car and for the car. Excited for the upcoming trip I can barely sleep and don’t know what to do with my time. That’s how I am. I don’t plan things far in advance. Because when something is planned I can’t wait for it to happen.
Like today. I know we’re leaving tomorrow. But I get restless already. I know I have to pack a lot and shouldn’t forget anything. But I would prefer to leave NOW.
After half a day of packing, we left town. Full of excitement. And filled with gear. Gear for wild camping. Food for a few days off the grid. Water for longer. Because you never know. In the desert.
Today we looked for signs of rain. The first signs were the clouds in the sky. Building up for the next rainstorm. The other signs were bundles of grass all across the landscape.
Bundles of life.
That’s what I call them. Green plants appearing in the desert. When the desert comes alive. After it receives some raindrops.
A cemetery. Of cars. In the desert. This is Solitaire. A place in the middle of nowhere. Showing its harsh living conditions with stranded cars of older times.
Solitaire is more than that. It is a refill station. To refill your tank. Or hopes. Just before you thought you got lost in the desert. Then it appears. To share some words with other travelers. Or to stock up on small groceries.
Today’s drive is about different shades of green. Driving along the edge of the dunes of the Namib desert we get to see lots of sand. Red dunes. Rocky gravel plains. And green meadows. In between all of it.
A sign of life. Because it rained. A few days ago. And because the desert doesn’t need much. Rain. A little bit of water is enough. Enough for the plants to come out. And thrive.
This was my view when I woke up this morning. A rooftop tent is my home. At the moment. For a few days. Or weeks. Who knows. And I love it. Every other day I have a new view. More fascinating than the previous one.
Sleeping on top of your car keeps you away from predators and lifts you into the wind. Which is great on hot days like these. When the temperatures at night barely drop below 40 degrees Celsius. Sometimes.
Most of the time my tent is inside a tree. Because the car is parked in the shade. Under a Camelthorn tree. Or whichever tree is available.
Spending the day at the Canyon Roadhouse I had plenty of time to write, read, and enjoy the camp. Lots of birds were visiting us at lunchtime. Having set up the camp underneath a huge Camelthorn tree we were the base of most of these birds.
My partner had spread some old bread on the ground and all of a sudden we had a busy bird feeder right in front of us. This yellow beauty was the first one to arrive. A southern masked weaver.
Thanks, mom for the research. Being a birdwatcher she has all the knowledge and the right books to let me know which birds I capture on the other side of the world.
Today we left our lovely camp at the Roadhouse to drive further south. The first stop was at the Fish River Canyon. It’s my second visit to Africa’s largest canyon. My first visit has been six years ago. When I was still a true tourist in the country.
The Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world and is just as dry as the Grand Canyon. Visiting this area in raining season, just after the landscape received some rain is a first for me.
Instead of focusing on the size of the canyon and its majesty, I took a close-up shot of the white flowers that covered the entire landscape. I’ve never seen these flowers before.
Not before this trip at least. And now, they are everywhere. I love it. Will post a collection of them in a different article.
“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” — Henri Matisse
This was it. My week in photographs. My week on the road. My week in the desert. My week filled with lots of diverse landscapes, birds, and plants in the rocky areas of the country.
This challenge started by Dennett in July 2020 has brought me lots of joy and a new vision in life. Nature and the small things in life are what fascinate me.
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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.
