The Sky is so Blue

You can't imagine the vast open space between Johannesburg and Windhoek.  It is flat, arid, and red.  Sometimes there are roads in a straight line intersecting the space.  North to South, diagonal, some squares.  There are many salt pans, dead lakes with no water in a salty white circle.  Every 400 miles or so there is a small human settlement for no apparent reason. 

 The topography breaks up a bit as we get closer to Windhoek, with some ridges and rivers, but the monotony remains.

It is only as we land that the landscape becomes more apparent.  Upon landing and leaving the airplane, the first thing you notice is the heat.  It is dry and hot.  Next, the sky is so blue.  There is no haze and you can see farther here than anywhere else I have ever been.  Mountains nearby are crystal clear as if the are standing next to you.

The airport is small and everyone is very warm and friendly.  You don't feel the stress and social distrust that is so common in Joburg.  My bag is ready when I get to the carousel and my driver is there to help me get into my 4x4.  It is a 30 minute drive into Windhoek to do the paperwork, where he explains how the car works, how to setup the tent on top, how to us the gas lamp, cooking stove, etc.  We spend an hour doing these things before I drive off to fill the tank with 140 liters of diesel that should last me 1200km. 

My first trip is only 25km North to the Immanuel Wilderness Lodge, a nice african guest house run by a German couple from Hessen.  The lodge is in the hills surrounded by sticky green cactus, thorny trees, lovely flowers, and hills in the distance.

It is incredibly quiet and peaceful here.  The only sound is a golden retriever barking, some doves in the trees, and the distant rumble of trucks on the highway a mile away.  It is clear that there is absolutely nothing to do here and this lodge is just a convenient rest stop for travellers who land in Windhoek and want to stay somewhere in the bush before venturing North to Etosha.

My room is in a charming chalet with architecture that is very African.  The room is simple and clean, with a nice bed, hides on the wall and floor, and a mosquito net above. 

I arrive just before dinner, and there is only one other guest tonight.  We dine at separate tables and dinner is an interesting mixture of African and German - oryx tenderloin in a creamy mushroom sauce with rice.  The food is good and its nice to speak German in Africa! 

On the way back to the room I met a pregnant springbok (I think this is what she is) sitting on the path.  She is obviously used to humans as she was not at all concerned when I walked close and took her picture.

Am now going to sleep as its been a long day and there is another day tomorrow.