The drive to Sesriem was beautiful, flat landscapes, jutting mountains and incredible rock formations. We stopped for lunch (sandwiches) along the way and arrived at the Sesriem campground at around 4pm where we pitched our tents and set up camp. The camp was nice, with a beautiful view of the mountains and with a nice little swimming pool (which you obviously need in the desert?!)
That evening we went to a nearby sand dune for a hike and to get a glimpse as to what we would be up to the next day. While the beginning wasn't too bad, the dunes steadily got steeper and steeper and my shoes slowly began filling up with sand. By the end of the hike my shoes were so full of sand it was uncomfortable to walk - my toes literally had no space! I found myself emptying them as soon as we got to the top, only to have them fill again on the descent.
There were some stunning views of the landscape however, and some grazing oryxs'. We found a nice spot and sat and watched the sun set over the country, what a nice way to end my first proper day in Namibia!
The next morning began at 4:30am, where we woke up and headed to Dune 45, named so because it is 45km from the main campsite. As we arrived at around 5:30am there were already lots of cars and lots of people milling around. So we joined the line of tourists (literally .. there really is only one, direct path to the top) and began the climb up Dune 45. This was considerably steeper than the day before and took about 15-20minutes to reach the top, where we sat and watched the sunrise over the Namib desert. While it may have been slightly cheapened by the many other tourists at the site, it was a serene moment watching the sun come up over the dunes. 
After running down Dune 45 it was time for breakfast (toast and baked beans for vegan), before heading to Sossuslvei for a 5km walk.
By this point it was nearly 8am and already very, very hot.We had a 5km walked to Deadvlei, a white clay plan with lots of dead trees. The walk was very flat, with only one sand dune that you had to climb, and another that was optional to get a view over the top of Deadvlei. There was also Big Daddy, the tallest sand dune in the region, but I opted not to climb it because I was pretty sure I would die. Instead I climbed the dune that overlooked Deadvlei to get a view from above. Still tiring but where a cute little desert lizard was spotted.
The walk through the desert was beautiful though, with sand dunes in the background, cracked ground, acacia trees and a few scorpions, it was basically everything you would expect and more.
Human tracks ruining the pristine sand dunes ... luckily they go back to normal pretty quickly though.
Deadvlei
(View from on top of the sand dune)
By the time we got to Deadvlei it was about 9:30am, but it felt like it was about 3pm in the afternoon. It was definitely understandable why we had left so early in the morning, as the afternoon heat would have been unbearable. We finally left at around 12pm, where we went back to the campsite and had lunch, a quick swim and then a much needed nap.
The day ended with a visit to the Sesriem Canyon to have a little poke around and then watch the sunset from the top. The next day it was back to civilisation (and wifi). While the desert was incredibly beautiful, part of the reason I enjoyed the trip so much was being able to disconnect from everything. It was a good time for thinking, reflecting and preparing for the future (and deciding where I want to go next ....). The Namib desert as incredibly beautiful however, and I could honestly say it was one of the best experiences I've had abroad so far.
At the moment I'm back in Windhoek and have spent the day exploring the city, heading to Swakopmund tomorrow and then will start to make my way down south back towards South Africa ... or something like that .. we'll see!
Springbok by the bathrooms at the campsite
Until next time!
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