Damaraland & Skeleton Coast - Going Wild

Camping wild in Damaraland

The sun is quickly dropping, so we begin looking for that 'perfect pulloff' for wild camping. We see a valley and a relatively clear path, so the South African pulls off. It's a rocky road, but the valley is beckoning. We make it down with no real issue, and assess our new home. A short walk reveals rhino prints, leopard tracks, hyena prints, and a myriad of other animal activity. Great - looks wonderful! I'm not nervous.... (ha) But we decide, irregardless, to sleep under the stars and forego our tents for the night. The boys invented a new game - rock bowling, so we play a bit until the sun sets. Then its fire time, and star gazing. 

The night passes without any attacks, and I actually sleep pretty well. No scorpions - it's all relative right? We pack up and head to the Skeleton Coast, and it feels like we are driving on the moon.I never thought vast nothingness could be so beautiful! On our way down the coast to Swakopmund we pass an abandoned oil rig, shipwrecks, flamingos, and the Cape Seal Reserve - the smelliest place on earth, where I was 'lucky' to witness the birth of a baby seal. I'll spare you the details! Yikes. We had lunch at the only place possible - and I finally see a meerkat! Oh, and it also climbed on my head :) The drive was going great until just after lunch, on a quiet, desolate stretch of road we run out of petrol. I cannot imagine a worse place to have this happen. So, we either sit and wait for a car to come by or walk the 8+ kilometers to the next town in the blowing sand. We decide to wait.  Two cars pass without stopping, but finally a truck pulls up and the South African hops in the back with the gas can. Phew - saved again! The rest of us await his return. An hour later, we are back on the road and arrive in the civilization of Swakopmund after dark - and just in time for sushi - what a treat :)                         

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