Namibia Naukluft Lodge

And another one!

We didn’t see any rain the whole time we were away. Temperatures hotter here in Autumn than in the UK Spring. This is the view out from the lodge across the plain. As we had been driving we had seen different nests of different weaver birds - we had seen scruffy ones dotted about in one tree, neat and tidy handing individual nests and also the sociable weaver birds who build a giant city - each living in their own nest within the giant whole. They can get so large that the weight breaks the tree. Here it has been supported to help take the weight. There are other creatures which share the nest - some are predators feeding on weaver eggs and young but others are supposed to be more symbiotic and eat the predators. Heidi, our guide, felt that these others were not entirely innocent of eating weaver young too though….

This nest is probably the most impressive that we saw… though we saw many on lots of different trees and even on telegraph poles….

These little fellas are really amazing….

and here is a better photo of the weaver birds… pretty unspectacular for such spectacular nests...

to give you an idea of size...

A nest with a view...

You can’t see how full of flowers and life this grassy expanse is…. ground squirrels and yellow mongoose and lots of birds squittering about encouraged by the available water and scraps left out for them all to nibble...

The lodge is in front of a koppie that has a path up it. Path is a very loose term it just means that some of the stones had arrows painted on them but it was no more or less easy than going up any other part of the rock pile! The rocks are a granite that sound hollow when they are hit. This is because of the weathering means that they lose their outer layers like an onion and it is the air within them that makes the hollow sound. The area is known for its quarrying of granite as the stone that remains underground still has its strength.

Woody and the weavers...

Photo quality not ideal but here is a photo of the ground squirrels who were abundant and some of the little purple forget me not like flowers that were everywhere...

You can see also that whilst it looks lush and green when you walk over it there is a lot of bare soil between plants...

A furry friend….

Fearless!

My phone was charging so didn’t get any photos of our walk up the koppie but we got as high as we could (nearly to the top which was a giant granite boulder with no purchase to get up) and then a short walk back down again for the drinks we had carried up with us as the sun was going down. it was truly beautiful...

Sunsets are common and always beautiful in Africa

This was the whisky we were recommended to get by Mike, a member of our group….We all bought different alcohols for cocktail night which was held on Woody’s birthday...

Supper was held in the boma which was barbecued in front of us… you can see the floodlit koppie behind

And afterwards some of the staff sang to us….

I have a video of this but will send it separately as it is a big file...

And this is Malva pudding - not my favourite but traditional so good to know what it tastes like…

The next day was an early start and a drive to Sossusvlei to get to the National Park in order to get there as it opened as in the dunes it is too hot in the heat of the full sun and also you don’t get the shadows which set off the beauty of the dunes. When the sun is overhead there are no shadows to give the full effect of their shape and height.

As we drove it appeared that there was mist but it was really the disturbed dust still hanging in the still air...

Queueing to get in! Next up… Big Daddy…..

Love W&B xxx