The Spitzkoppe

This big chunk of rock in Namibia is the same type of stone as my rock-climbing playground in Canada. It's also the same height - to within 10m. So many of the lines and patterns reminded me of The Chief, but the coarse texture, and "Lion King"esque colouring were distinctly Namibia. The coarse texture is a result of the mineral differences which result in Namibia's precious stones. The Skipzkoppe is loaded with precious stones, and people illegally mine for them using a hammer and chisel. The colouring was striking and kept me looking for a baboon holding a baby cub above his head above an obedient animal populous.

We got the royal tour from our man Eddie. Started with a set of 4000 year old rock paintings made by the San peoples (aka Bushmen). From what I can tell, art wasn't their cultural forte. They depicted some bad ass stuff though - like hunting for lions with a bow and arrow. Kudos to whoever does that.

The best part was the game drive. The gate to the area containing game was locked, so we went to the park's gates. "We should come back later," Eddie says. So we waited three hours and came back. "Its in town," Eddie says. So we drive into town (a school and maybe ten buildings). "Other side of town," Eddie says. We end up at a tin hut (shown here) with four men living in it. They yell back and forth (yelling with the verbal clicks sounds awesome). "He buried it," Eddie says. So we go back to the gate to start digging. We dig, there is no key - the game drive has become a game walk.

My first sightings of some DLTs (deer-like things), warthogs, and stunning African birds. Raphael pauses a lot to take photos and Eddie and I end up waiting for him quite a bit. Eventually, I take off to do some bouldering - making it up into some cool spots.

In the evening, Raphael and I climb up to a vantage point to watch the sun set. We're treated to the sights of a family of rock dassie playing together. Later that night, lying beside the camp fire a scorpion walked under my legs. I scream like a girl while Raphael threw it into the fire. Even in a dry area like this, the beetles are the size of my fist and night-time produces for some very mysterious and loud noises. The joy of camping in Africa has begun.