Dunes and desert, Namibia

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Favorite thing: almost mystic landscape of dead trees among the red orange dunes....
and the sensation to be ALONE!

Fondest memory: the highest dunes in the world....an ocean of sand...all is pure orange and red....becoming yellow in the middle of the day;blue of the sky;white of the salt,green of rare plants....

I had forgotten the splendid night sky could be so full of stars!

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Favorite thing: Get up to see the sunrise out at Sossusvlei, and if possible arrive early enough so that you can climb the sand dunes, you really won't regret it.....

Fondest memory: Looking up every night at the perfectly clear sky and watching the stars.

Fondest memory: From Windhoek we drove to Walvis Bay. To see more of the interesting country side we decided not to take the direct way. Insteed we took the Oos Pass and passed the Namib Naukluft Park. Even if it was a very long ride it was worth it. For hours we didn't see any car.

Favorite thing: It is a DRY and at times quite windy country, at least as far as the south is concerned. The wind will drive the sand across the paved roads and unpaved pads, and your car will easily get stuck if you don´t pay attention.

Fondest memory: Kolmanskop... well, not quite my fondest memory but walking around the desert-encroached buildings was, I thought, rather interesting. It was especially eerie in the hospital where the sand came in all the way to almost the top of the room.

Favorite thing: climb Dune 45 in time for sun-rise. All overlands will go to the dunes, anyway. Climb up from the gentler side and crash down through the steeper side of the dune. Great fun!

[Photo credit: Maria from the Netherlands]

Favorite thing: Take a balloon ride over the dunes out of Sossusvlei. While the view of the dunes on land is amazing, their tru majesty can only be fully apprecaited from air. It is a living mosaic of color.

Fondest memory: Watching sunset at a watering hole in Etosha. Is there anything more spiritual than witnessing true wildlife happening right in front of your eyes? With the setting of the sun a hole new world emerges. Oh to be aroused out of a deep sleep by the roar of a lion are things that a true adventures dreams are made of.

Favorite thing: DUNE 45
The most famous dune of Namibia, in Namib Naukluft Nat.Park. We went there early in the morning (4 o'clock!!!) to see the sunset from above. In the photo I am sitting in the middle of the way up, those little figures are at the very top. I climbed it barefoot, it was cold before the su rose, but it got much hotter afterwards. The best part of it was running down the dune, like sliding and rolling on the sand: 15 seconds to go down after a 40 minutes climbing!!!