Day 21 – 27: Swakopmund to Palmwag via Skeleton Coast

Distance travelled from home: 5 090 km

We had a few days at Windpomp 14 to rest, and really enjoyed the time off. Lots of laundry, and just hanging around. Eric caught a nice galjoen, but the fishing was not good overall. The guide who took Hein’s team out to fish said that the water was too clean. We know from previous years that the best fishing is when the water is more champagne-coloured where the waves roll.

Landi showed Hein all our favourite spots and landmarks around Swakop, and he had a thorough fishing trip with the team, covering from Horingbaai in the north (between Mile 108 and Mile 72) to Sandwich Harbour in the south (60 km south of Walvis Bay).

The ‘oosweer’ prevailed throughout the week, with more and sometimes less wind, and an unexpected rainbow without the rain…

On Sunday we took the coast road towards Kaokoveld, visited the Cape fur seal colony at Cape Cross and then onto near Torra Bay, then turned inland towards Khorixas. We camped at Palmwag Lodge, an oasis in the desert.

Lichen near Wlotskasbaken

Cape fur seals – thousands of them in the water..

Collapsed oil rig from the late 70’s

The road along the coast is beautiful, as only Namibian roads can be beautiful. Stark nothing for kilometers on end and changing slighly to different nothingness.

Skeleton Coast Gate

Where the road turn north between Khorixas and Palmwag, there is more vegetation and the effect of the recent rains is visible.

Palmwag is notorious for the desert elephants. Their tracks and dung were visible in the road, but we did not see any.

The trip was long and uncomfortable, as the heat from the ‘oosweer’ was unbearable. It was in the upper 40’C most of the day with the strong wind from the east.

Next: Kaokoveld…..