Tuesday, 8 May 2018

The Not So Dolphin Dolphin Cruise


First up - to give you an idea why you can’t lose weight in Namibia.. a typical breakfast spread. Yoghurts, cereals, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, porridge, rolls, cold meats, fruit salads, salad…. and the view from our breakfast table…



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We started off by another viewing of flamingoes… this time with lovely reflections in the water...
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and the crowds watching the crowds...
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We had been driven back to Walvis Bay for this and then onto the Harbour again to go on a boat trip out into the Bay to see what we would see.
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The seals are happy to be fed!

And the pelicans are not shy either… and even less so when there is a breakfast to be had...
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This is an old boat that is left anchored in the harbour. It is great for both birds and for the fishermen who use it as a platform...
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This little fella was following us and was amazing at jumping so was well rewarded for his efforts
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There are many boats waiting for their work permits or to change crews...
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We were rejoined by Pely and his friend who were also hoping for Scooby Snacks
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This is the lighthouse that was originally built on the end of the spit but over time it has extended so it appears to be quite a way inland along the spit. The colouring is as it is because against the hazy dusty skies and red/gold sands the traditional colouring cannot be seen so it is now in colours that stand out against the sky. Next to it is Pelican Point Lodge. According to the boat tour guide it is very popular with honeymooners, more so with the young men as there is really nothing else to do there and nowhere to spend money as there is not a single shop to be shopped.
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The spit was also incredibly popular with seals - there were thousands in different groupings and we could hear them bleating like sheep even on the boat. The waters were also full of them swimming about and playing.
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Oysters don’t naturally grow here but someone worked out the ideal salivation and temperature conditions and would grow them inland. They would then be sold to farmers who would grow them out in the harbour for sale and we had them with champagne for lunch.
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This is the boat which can do drilling which we saw on the horizon from land.
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The leftovers from lunch were popular...
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And we had some spectacular views of the pelican’s flying above us
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This rich guy… fed up of getting bird poo on his boat had got himself a floating garage...

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We did see some dolphins but no photos as hard to catch and they tended to be just fins or under water.
On our return we were dropped off at the gemstone museum. A look round the shop found no dioptase...
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No fear for prisoners caught by these police!
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One Eileen had gone off to find a fabric shop and she had been so excited she fell in….
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Woody had gone for a rest but Eileen, Beverley, Pauline and myself tried to get a drink at the end of the pier...
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Sadly it was closed but the views were good...
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The waves were crashing but thankfully we all managed to time our walk along and back and no-one got a wetting… Instead we went to Cafe Anton (another recommendation) which was well received especially at the sight of the cakes! I bought a lemon meringue and a florentine and shared them with Woody later. They were both amazing and the lemon meringue also had a nutty coating round the outside of it. Without proper takeaway boxes Woody was lucky it got back safely! The tables ere decorated with these lovely grasses.
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We did some shopping on the way back and passed this lady. She is from the Herero tribe and they like to charge for photos so this is a sneaky one from a shop window…Apparently the choice of dress is more complex than just tradition….Heidi told us that the headdresses are reminding of the cow horns which are revered by the tribe and keep them alive
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Yummies back at the hotel...
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In the evening Heidi drove us out to the moonscape for our evening drinks
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One small step for man….
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The sunsets are lovely here though the sun does drop very quickly
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Better hope you’re not desperate!
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We got back too early to eat so we went to the Hanza Hotel for drinks! And this time we were allowed in...
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It is beautifully decorated…
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And even the toilets are classy!
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Dinner was in a German style restaurant. The young man at the next table is actually having a beer out a glass boot - Heidi said usually several people share one of these!
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Woody had smoked salmon salad and I had pork with bread dumplings….
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Then it was off to bed to prepare for the next early start!

xxx

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