In our way to the Big Daddy
We were staying at And Beyond Desert Lodge and on September 22 the activity of the day would be to travel to the Dune Big Daddy in Sossusvlei. We woke up very early because we had to take advantage of the fact that the heat would be less suffocating considering that we were in a desert region.
Follow our Ranger
We traveled an hour and a half from the hotel to this very touristy area of Namibia. Our hotel guide, Michael, drove the jeep and we parked at the foot of the dune. We weren't the only ones in this attraction.
We followed him and of course, from the previous day he suggested we dress appropriately to withstand the heat and the sand of the desert. We started to climb. Of course it was difficult considering that the dune has a very soft surface, due to the sand.
My heroes
My family decided to go up but I wanted to go straight to Death Valley, famous in all the photographs in magazines and specialized books in Namibia. As we went up, other tourists and perhaps Namibians were following us, so even though our guide asked me if I wanted him to accompany me, I walked alone towards the parking lot and then towards the famous valley. I realized that that day I would not embark on the adventure of walking to the top of the dune. But my husband and my daughters were determined to live this adventure. Adrenaline rushed through their veins like good Swiss adventurers. I decided to go on the nice side of adventure and wait for them contemplating Death Valley.
With a panic of waking up the hyenas or meeting a snake or an oryx
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| On the top |
When I was at the foot of the dune, I didn't see anyone. But he remembered the way a little. I saw the tree that showed a watermark. I remembered it from the explanation. Our guide told us that that year it had rained so much that the valley had been flooded. If to our surprise that arid land had been completely full of rain. I continued on my way but I was completely alone. No one else was approaching the dune to climb it. It seemed that they had already closed the entrance to the dune and no one else could enter to climb it.
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| Amazing view from Big Daddy! |
I started to panic because I remembered the snakes that cross the valley and even the interior of the dune. But not only that, I was terrified of an encounter with the hyenas that live in that place. This I had already told you in my previous post. And of course, of the Orix, ruminant mammals that although they would not kill me to eat me, they would do so because they felt threatened by this intruder.
That day the feeling of panic approached me. I felt very alone in the midst of all the people, whom I could not see. I knew that my salvation was a couple of meters away, but I could not find the way. Michael was reassured when I returned alone on the road, because he knew I was carrying my bottle full of water. I knew that nothing could happen. Or is it perhaps? Well, fear grew and I already saw the first one full of her babies peeking out of the first bush. And I started screaming and running.
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| I was in love with this tree at the Death Valley |
Then I remembered everything I have learned on safaris. Predators chase everything that moves, a ranger had told us during one of the game drives. Stop running. I had decided to run because it was urgent for me to get to the parking lot.
I knew I had made a bad choice, I did not climb to the top of the dune, I returned halfway. But it was too late. It was no time to regret it. Fear kept taking hold of me and I started screaming. Help!
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| My swiss people, happy after reach the top! |
Nothing, no one answered me nor did I find anyone. Then the image of the mother hyena came back to my mind, angry because she woke up her cubs. This is something I also learned in one of our game drives. Hyenas sleep during the day, during the mild heat of the African savannah, in this case, the desert.
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| More about this beautiful and quiet place |
So be quiet. Suddenly I started praying. Please don't find me a snake and less hyenas. Suddenly I stopped being afraid of the Orix.
Drink water and I came up with the idea of climbing a hill or mini dune. I thought, well, maybe I will find the snake but I need to look in that direction and look for the parking lot. And yes, I did. I had already found my address.
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| Can you believe it? Sometimes rains in this part of the world |
Walk to the place and ask a guide for the way to the valley. When I got to him, what I found was the best image I have of Sossuvlei.
I can't believe the rain has flooded this arid region. The scattered dry tree trunks were the perfect setting for taking selfies or group photos. It didn't take long for my family to come down. They had the best experience sliding down the valley once they reached the top. There were my Swiss goats. They were not the alps, but they were in the heights. His spirit was fueled by adventure and risk.
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| Our ranger preparing the lunch |
The tick that bit my daughter
Even if I didn't climb the dune, I was dead. I think the psychological stress and of course, the heat, had defeated me that day. I climbed the jeep as best I could and Michael took us to a place near the dune ideal for a picnic. We sat comfortably at one of the tables of the place and our guide dazzled us with the food that the hotel had prepared for us.
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| Back to And Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge |
Suddenly I felt like a mosquito and shook my foot. Anyway, we regain strength and before we leave, my daughter shows us a picket on her ankle. And it wasn't just that, I found the tick nesting in his sock.
Yes, this bug bit it. Luckily my daughter was able to shake the animal. The tour guide explained to us that probably an Orix was lying under that tree and the ticks had attacked him. That explained why we had found one on our picnic table. The ranger took a disinfecting spray from his wound bag. The picket was not at all delicate.
Well, it was not snakes or hyenas that we encountered on this excursion to Sossusvlei, but a tick of an Orix !!!!
Back at the hotel, we leaned back in our seats and rested from this adventure. The sun hugged the road and our vehicle, but our guide had provided us with our third can of cold drinks.
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| Sunset at the Lodge |
At the hotel, our hosts were waiting for us with the famous wet towels to refresh our face and hands. We had a few hours to relax and sunbathe by the pool before going to dinner placidly under the stars of the Namibian sky.
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| My paparazzo |
The adventure continued. The following morning the alarm clock would ring very early, before dawn for the next adventure: a balloon ride through the sky of Sossusvlei. This I will tell you in the next post. Thanks for reading me!
