Namib

Pictures from Spitzkoppe, Twyfelfontein, and Palmwag

September 27 Swakopmund, Cape Cross, Spitzkoppe

September 28 Twyfelfontein, Palmwag

Spitzkoppe is a spiky mountain not far from Swakopmund. We camped there overnight, and were taken on a short walking tour by one of the local people who operate the campsite there.

We climbed one of the small hills in the area to see the natural arch.

Besides being picturesque, Spitzkoppe is also the site of a collection of Bushman rock paintings. These paintings are found all over southern Africa.

At this site not only are there rock paintings, there are also Bushman engravings.

The Twyfelfontein site is operated by the Namibian government, so we had to take the guided tour. Our guide was obviously not a Bushman, but her native language, Damara, contains some "click" sounds that are commonly found in Bushman languages.

Farther north again, we camped at the oasis of Palmwag. Here there was a small number of desert elephants. They are the same species as all other elephants in Africa, but since they live in the desert, they have some special adaptations like smaller size and being able to drink less frequently.