Namibia > On to Twijfelfontein

Last night, Cheryl mentioned that today would be a long travel day. She also said that there would be no time for the two planned activities along the route. We disagreed and insisted that we wanted to do both activities. This meant that we had to have breakfast by seven o’clock, pack up the tents, and load the vehicle on time. At exactly seven o’clock, we drive toward Outjo to refuel and stock up on supplies. Thomas takes care of the food, while we get water. We then continue toward Khorixas. About 30 kilometers past Khorixas lies the Petrified Forest, a forest over 200 million years old. With a guide, we walk through the park and receive an explanation of how the forest was formed.

Namibia - The sometimes endless road through the landscape

Our next destination is Twyfelfontein. The road is gravel, and the bus shakes a lot over the bumps. Thomas keeps up a good speed but (fortunately) slows down in time for the potholes. At Twyfelfontein, Cheryl is a little unsure whether this is the White Lady hike. It turns out it is not. Since we are there anyway, we visit Twyfelfontein. Again, we walk with a guide through the beautiful surroundings. We see the dramatic rock formations and ancient rock paintings of the Bushman tribe. The sturdily built guide finds it all quite tiring, especially since we want to complete the 45-minute walk in just half an hour. After a steep climb, we reach the Twyfelfontein water source, which sometimes has water and sometimes does not—hence the name. The spring is less impressive than expected; the water is murky, and many insects hover around it. However, the walk to it is stunning. Back in the bus, we continue toward the Brandberg, the highest mountain range in Namibia with its black rocks.

Namibia - A rock painting of a kudu at Twijfelfontein

At first, following the signs, we arrive at a small Buried Mountain, which turns out to be the wrong range. To reach the Brandberg, we still have quite a journey ahead. This route is longer than expected, becoming a recurring theme of this trip. At the Brandberg, the hike to the White Lady rock paintings takes one hour through the valley each way. Thomas does his best to arrive on time, driving as fast as safely possible over the bumpy roads. Despite this, we do not arrive at the Brandberg until half past four. The sun sets around six o’clock. Siegfred, the guide, was already on his way home when he saw us arriving. He turns back. Although the office is closed, he is willing to give a tour if we can walk at a reasonable pace. We stride through the valley toward the White Lady. Thirty-five minutes later, we are at the rock painting. Normally, the guide gives more explanations along the way, but this time we go straight there. Siegfred has enough time to explain the origin of the paintings. On the return walk, he has time to give additional information about plants and animals. Gradually, it gets darker. The last part of the walk is in twilight. With the help of a flashlight, the route is still visible, though attention is needed to avoid loose stones.

Namibia - The rock formations at Twijfelfontein

It is a fun experience, but I realize that we should not have started the walk a quarter of an hour later. By the time we reach the parking area, it is completely dark. We head to the campsite. Siegfred drives with us for a while and is dropped off two kilometers from the turnoff to his village. We continue along the dark roads to the town of Uis. Driving in the dark is much slower. Thomas must pay careful attention to the potholes as well as any animals crossing. The campsite is located in the middle of Uis and is surrounded by a concrete wall—cozy! Quickly, we set up the tents and organize the kitchen. We also help Thomas prepare the meal, which tastes great and is complemented by a good bottle of wine. After a refreshing shower, we go to bed at half past ten.