Small Holiday Big Dream

Our itinerary for today was simple. Stock up on supplies and head north to Madisa camp in Damaraland.

Food Lovers market was a great stop for groceries, and Namaqua Meat Market was the place to go for biltong and braai supplies. We took out some more cash and filled up the car and were good to go.

Driving along the coast to Hentiesbaai is fairly dull, the sea is close by, but there isn’t much to see.

We avoided stopping at the shipwreck after hearing about thefts at the car park there, plus it really doesn’t look like much from the road.

We also passed on Cape Cross, running out of daylight was becoming another possibility, and the sight of thousands of seals didn’t appeal.

The gravel road heads inland towards Uis (pronounced: Oi-ss) slowly but surely the temperature started to rise. The major gravel routes in Namibia are wide – so wide in fact you have multiple choices of route. Often we would find ourselves driving all the way over on the right-hand side of the road, which was possibly 6 or 7 lanes wide, this was because it looked the smoothest. Oncoming traffic was very rare, and you could spot the dust plumes miles off, however we still though it prudent to move over to the left for the frequent blind summits.

Brandberg mountain came into view, the tallest mountain in Namibia, and possibly worth an explore if we were staying for longer. There is some unique flora and fauna in the area, as well as some cave paintings such as the white lady, which we had to miss out on this time.

In Uis there is a great stop for lunch called the cactus and coffee, there is also a well rated campsite here. Uis is a small town, although the leaflets at the coffee shop will tell you it’s been officially downgraded from village to settlement, the reason for its existence is the tin mine nearby. Tin mining activities ceased nearly 30 years ago, and the town has been in steady decline, however there is new hope that the mine can be opened up to mine other rare rocks and minerals, lithium being recently mentioned as present.

Along the dusty gravel roadsides many locals set up small stalls selling ‘precious’ rocks. We didn’t buy any as we didn’t have much need for a colourful rock, but it was nice to see some people after a few hours of nothingness.

The landscape changed as we headed north from Uis. More interesting contours to the land with rocky outcrops dotting the horizon. There was evidence of desert elephants by the sides of the roads, but we couldn’t spot any. Locals will offer to take you to see them, they (the elephants) seem to prefer the dry river channels far away from the roads, which seems fair. We would see plenty more elephants later in our trip.

Turning off the C35, the road got worse, lots worse. Much of the way we opted to drive up on the side of the road, rather than in the deeply corrugated lane. As sunset approached we pulled up to Madisa camp, a stunning location amongst the rocky outcrops in Damaraland.

Climbing up to the top of the closest outcrop, we watched a beautiful sunset, which AI can describe like it’s cheating another GCSE exam:

As we embarked on our journey, a sense of anticipation filled the air, and with every step we took towards the closest outcrop, the excitement grew. It was a path less traveled, a climb to the top of a natural wonder, and as the golden hour approached, we could feel the enchantment building. With each upward stride, the world transformed around us.

Upon reaching the summit, we were greeted by a breathtaking spectacle: a canvas of colors painted by the setting sun. The sky blazed with vibrant hues of red, orange, and purple, casting a warm, soothing glow over the landscape. From our vantage point on that outcrop, we witnessed nature’s grand finale, an awe-inspiring sunset that left an indelible mark on our souls. This moment, perched atop that rocky throne, was a reminder that sometimes the most profound beauty can be found in the simplest of experiences.

Afterwards we returned to our tent and set the braai going.

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