NAMIBIA - The emotions land

A trip to Namibia is not simply a vacation, it's a dream, the return to the roots, perhaps because they live the adventure in the oldest desert in the world: the Namib. Expanses of red sand burning, a sea of dunes that stretch as far as the eye, some high up to 500 meters.

 

ETOSHA PARK - OKAUKEUJO REST CAMP

I remember with intense emotion to arrive at the rest camp nell'Etosha Park, our guide, Elena, a girl Venetian simpaticissimo, we talk about the puddle of water near the lighted area, where, after sunset, the animals go to drink. A bit skeptical, to experience before, after dinner, with camera and video camera, I go to the pool, sure to spot some jackal to the limit ... .. but when you come around, the pool gives me an incredible ... dozens of elephants, an entire herd, consisting of females with small stop on the banks ... I remain, in the general silence, broken only by the clicking of cameras, to observe them for long time, excited to care that these savannah giantess devote to their children and for games that they are between them, thick as a child, spray with still some uncertainty, with their tender and comical proboscis, constantly supervised by mothers who as all the mother of the world are in constant apprehension ... .. But the excitement continues .... The flock in small groups, slowly moves away from the pool, to be replaced by some families of rhinoceros, which, strong powerful weapon in their offensive-defensive, drive, in most occasions, other herbivores that try to approach the .... after a while 'is the round of the giraffe, that poor, should make a huge effort to drink ... in practice diverge the most of the long legs to bring the head at ground level. The watch with bated breath ... at the moment are completely vulnerable to a predator! Surprises are not finished ... ... sense, most do, they're finally getting all of those who expect from 20.30, when virtually the long wall that surrounds the pool, at a safe distance, especially to protect the tranquility of the animals, began to fill up with guests. It just whispers .. with emotion, in different languages ... Lowen, Leeuwen,. lions, lions leones ... ... ...! Frantically, trying with my binoculars and magically materializes a trio, consisting of 2 females and one male, who is out of the clearing and slowly with almost nonchalance is approaching the water .... One sssssssssssssss ... turns quickly in the various groups that worked up to this appearance, but we are downwind and can not udirci ... in fact, quietly approaching the puddle and started drinking. To the excitement caused by the vision of the group I had not noticed the arrival of a fourth lioness, who is blissfully lying on the side of the pool closest to our location .... The frame it perfectly with the camera, I can see her eyes slowly close from time to time. I spent 5 hours since I arrived at the pool and only the atavistic fear that I take, because I was almost alone, makes me desist from still remain.
These images will remain forever in my mind and in my eyes ... ..

ETOSHA PARK

But other adventures await us ... We have been a few days nell'Etosha Park ... we have come far and wide the "pan", a depression salty, arid, and dry, where his dazzling expanse on thousands of animals, especially herbivores, are perennial search ... of springbok, kudu, impala and beautiful Oryx (antelope all) ostriches, zebras, giraffe, gnu. We stop at the first big pool where a myriad of animals, are intent on drinking .... It is something incredible, I did not think that so many animals could be grouped so quietly. I am fun to observe a group of zebras playing splashing water, and then run away, frightened by the flight of birds that run over their heads. Unfortunately, it is already time to leave this wonderful place ... we have many miles of dirt road to reach the isolatissimo village Opuwo from which we start to reach the north of Namibia and the Epupa Falls.

KAOKOLAND - OPUWO

Alarm at 4.00 ... a group of zombies slowly exits the room to get under way at the table where they serve meals, outdoors, under a large wooden shed ... .. starting at 5.30, it is still dark, at 5, 45 the sun finally rises ... all quiet ..! Levataccia ... !!!!?? But fortunately not on the train to Caserta ... ..!....( seat of work)!
Travel to the Epupa Falls, crossing the territory of Kaokoland, we expect 400 km. of dirt road and, despite the levataccia, no one sleeps ... un po 'to the constant bounce that off-road, but mainly for its wonderful landscape. The Kaokoland is a vast desert territory, we are very far from "civilization" we do not operate a radio, mobile phones, there are no homes, very few vehicles moving on these roads that are lost forever ....
We will stop for a snack, eaten quickly on the platform roof racks: sandwiches with cheese, boiled eggs, fruit juice and nescafe. The cars still curious Himba boys, the local population are youth pastors, they offer sandwiches, which I gladly accepted and can be photographed with us.
Many km. ahead again, then quickly all on board are 2 cars traveling away from each other because of the fine dust that covers the entire street, which prevents you view and recover even slip in ... ....
Along the way we stop to visit a Himba village.
The Himba are one of the last African nations to be still affected by the western lifestyle. Still live in the wild, organized in tribal villages composed of one or more families. I am very faithful to its traditions and not let themselves be blinded by the easy comfort of the "culture" Western.
The huts are made of a structure supported by tree trunks and covered with earth mixed with dried animal dung.
The Himba are nomadic and villages are composed of a few huts. Near the huts there are pens for sheep grazing, the source of livelihood of these people. Himba women use sprinkled the body with a moist mixture of earth and red clay that gives the skin a reddish appearance, considered very attractive. Hair is carefully hairdressers with objects made of metal and leather and also are mixed in equal measure.
The Himba are generally very hospitable (in secluded areas in which they live is not crowded with tourists). Can be easily photographed. On arrival at the village like, as a sign of benevolence, the offer by tourists salt, sugar or (unfortunately) cigarettes, the only concession to consumer goods from the world of so-called "civilized".
Not many km. separate us from the waterfalls, but it takes several hours because the dirt is hard, Greti crossing rivers and forcing the driver to a huge effort.
In the vicinity of the area falls suddenly silent, all overlooking the water, and green is the predominant palms. It makes a warm and humid suffocating vision of all that water does not cool to be sure. Among those rocks were formed in small natural pools ... you are bathing in happily certain groups of local residents and tourists of the nearby camp.
I must say that you envy greatly ... I was willing to do the same ...
But Stoica, with the rest of the group, we are 14, including Elena, our guide and another Italian driver, a South African boy, I make a brief excursion on the hills that surround the falls.
It 'time for lunch already, equip the table ... we pull out of the luggage containers with food that Elena was prepared by the chef of Opuwo: rice salad ... then eat the blue cheese, bananas and oranges ... c' is the ritual of coffee .... we all need a big jar of nescafe dose necessary, diluted with water, a thermos of hot, almost too hot to drink the water on board ... there is no room for a fridge ... it was the constant in this trip, when it was on a trip, it was almost always drunk in warm water.
After a short nap, which is necessary especially for the two guides, we call on the road, we expect many exhausting miles of the trail .... When you live in happiness because we are fascinated by the landscape that we cross. Stops are highly technical .... to pee, smoke, stretch my legs and rest your legs back massacred by continuous jolt!
The village of Opuwo sees us come now to the evening, tired but happy for the wonderful day living.

LEAVING FOR NAMIB

The next day we attente Namib desert, the oldest in the world. This is the land of our origins, we ran into svelte plain, not at all protected from the animals, the women of the lineage of Lucy, the mother of us homo sapiens.
and the adventure continues ... ... ..

The Namib

I well remember the excitement experienced at the first encounter with the desert: I was silence, trying to "make light" of images in the eye and in spirit as much as possible ... the immediate desire, even a po 'child, was rolled down from the dune , walk barefoot in the sand made cooler by sunset looming. Or stay sitting alone listening to the wind comb and continuous change in the profile of these magnificent hills red and watching the fire road, a black satin ribbon, which seems lost in infinity, our most distant horizons. To test the suggestion, and perhaps even the awe of the desert must climb the dunes at dawn or at sunset, walking on their sharp ridges. From the top you can embrace the infinite spaces of the desert and feel the ineffable voice of his silence.
Lift our eyes and see the charm for a sky of intense cobalt t'illumina that the soul and the time it stops in an unreal silence.

...THE GREETINGS...

Always feel a sense of suffering away from this spell, by the vision of many animals that inhabit these regions, which are sometimes hard to find (cats especially) is so immense that their territory.
Come back, for sure, in fact in 2004 .... but that's another story and another story.
Have a nice trip! ...