Ingredients for a Namibian picnic:
Take at least 12 of your closest friends, 3 innocent visitors and a few dogs.
Add fishing rods, 4 x 4''s, enough food to feed the 5000 and plenty of cases of Namibian beer.
Blend in umbrellas, chairs, tables, blankets, sarongs and a variety of gas equipment.
Finally add manly looking tools , smelly bait in cooler boxes and water for the dogs.
Don''t forget the sunscreen, and a thick jersey!
Method:
Wake everyone up at 5:30 to be ready for the 6:30 am rendezvous in Swakopmund.
We set off from Wlotkasbaken, North of Swakopmund, towards Walvis Bay. Our first stop, which was to be one of many, was south of Walvis at the salt pan. Tyres pressures were reduced, the weather was discussed and the visitors were encouraged to lick the salt.
Aptly named Sandwich Bay is where we were heading for our picnic.
Following the one lonely sign, we appeared to be travelling in a sandy wasteland shrouded in mist, desolate in the extreme.
Finally, through the mist the beach emerged, we stopped and everyone got out. The men headed off to the waters edge with fishing rods while the naive visitors started unpacking the cars. We were stopped by the other woman, they knew the drill.
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The guys returned after 5 minutes declaring this section of beach "no good" for fishing today.
This routine was repeated at least 5 times in the next 10km.
The last stop rendered us speechless. Think of every cliche you have ever read regarding beauty, none of them do justice to Sandwich Bay. No trace of humans was evident and the natural beauty was unlike anything I have ever seen.
The sound of the sea, the dunes that whistled and shimmered. The dominance of nature over man.
Big sky, endless sea, the colour palette perfectly contrasted and the shades and hues of the blues, greens and yellows assault your consciousness. The largeness of it diminishes you while making your soul soar and your heart smile.
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After breakfast and running up and down the dunes, some lazed, some swam, balls, bats and other water toys were produced and the mood was good.
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Suddenly, we are packing up and have to leave fast. The tide is coming in and there is only a small window period left where there is enough sand to drive out on. The locals joke about not getting stuck while the visitors look a little anxious.
Obviously, we got stuck…. You can read the full story of what happened next here.
But, ultimately…sandy, tired, happy and educated in the ways of picnics Namibian style, our verdict was "very different, cant wait for the next one!".
About the blogger
Di Brown is a travel writer and map maker, ShotLeft advocate.
She is passionate about South Africa & tourism.
Also known as the Roaming Giraffe, she''s a big fan of these tall creatures.
Find her online at:
Twitter: @DiBrown5
Blog: www.jabedi.com
Stay in Namibia
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