Palmwag Lodge

Continuing Namibia coverage continues... After leaving the skeleton coast at the north end we headed inland back into the desert. Excitement building as we moved closer to the animals. My companions were more more focused on animals than I was, I was quite enchanted to just be here.

We stayed the night at Palmwag Lodge (and as seen in my picture taken during a morning hike). A welcome bit of greenery amongst the sun blasted hills. That's pronounced "pal em whah" so they don't think you're just another clueless tourist.

We had a really nice (and long, more than 12 km) hike in the morning and a game drive in the evening. (meaning driving around in a land rover looking for game). On the hike the guide got us quite close to a herd of zebras much to the delight of the avid photographers. In the evening we saw a giraffe, at first from a far distance and then quite close up. Giraffe's are graceful and gangly at the same time and one wonders what they're thinking . Another day we watched one contemplate bending down for a drink for what seemed to be hours, weighing the need for a drink against the defenseless position that is required to reach down to the water.

Although it wasn't really on our way, we had made a detour to Twyfelfontein to see the rock art. Quite inspiring. If I was a bushman I would like nothing better than to hang around that lovely valley, with a spring, and tell tales and chisel some pictures into the rocks. In the visitor center there was interesting interpretive information regarding the pictures origins and meanings.

Map

Olympic update: Sunday I caught the last part of the final sailing race in the 49er class. I'm not sure when sailing became a demolition derby but the action was really over the top. The wind and waves were really heavy and that boat is just not able to handle that weather. Teams were capsizing right and left, mostly to windward after weathering a puff and then being unable to keep the boat upright. Time to ask that age old question: when a boat is upside down (like the Americans were) when it is blown across the finish line, does it count?