Thursday, August 1st: Sesriem
No need for an alarm clock because by 5 AM, our neighbors are already up and about.
We’re a bit more efficient now—everything done by headlamp—and folding the tent is no longer a mystery to us.
We leave 10 minutes after the gates open. Dawn is breaking, and it’s much less cold than yesterday in the Namibrand: 9 degrees!
An hour later, we arrive at the parking lot accessible to 4x4s. They can’t go any further and must take the shuttle for a cost of $170N per person, while 4x4s can tackle the soft sand.
The shuttles are already there, waiting. We’re alone, so we decide to take one since there’s no wait. Yeah, okay, we’re wimps… Fine, we *could* have walked those 6 kilometers—it’s flat, and the track is wide. But when we saw the shuttle waiting, the decision was made in a flash.
It’s 8:10 AM when we arrive at the parking lot, and we’re about to climb Big Daddy when my husband realizes he’s lost the car keys. We’re completely stressed out.
We ask the next shuttle driver to check for us. He tells us to wait here—he thinks they fell out of his pocket from the vehicle’s vibrations.
We cross our fingers and wait… 20 minutes later, the shuttle that brought us unloads its passengers, and before we can even ask the driver, a woman steps out holding the keyring.
Phew! What a relief! 🙂
Much more relaxed now, we grab our backpacks and set off to climb Big Daddy, which is over 300 meters high. No problem—we can’t get lost; we just follow the tracks. We walk along the dunes on the left.
Then the climb begins… When you take one step forward, you slide half a step back, so progress is *really* slow. The upside? We have plenty of time to admire the landscape unfolding before us. 😉
It takes us an hour and a half to reach the top. Wow, that’s quite a hike!
Well, looks like this is a popular meet-up spot!
But even if you’re not in great shape, taking it slow works. When you reach the top of the dune, the view makes it all worth it. It’s simply stunning—endless dunes as far as the eye can see. I’d have really regretted not making the climb.
We soak in the view for a while before running down into Dead Vlei. It reminds us of our descent into the volcanic ash of Pico Grande—magical. You can hear the sand singing, and we love it. Plus, it’s way less tiring than the climb! 😮
It’s 11 AM when we reach the Vlei. The walk is really pleasant, though the heat is starting to kick in. On the dune, there was wind, but down here, there’s not a breath of air.
We spend a good while admiring this iconic landscape.
