Waiting for the Wind to drop – Sossusvlei

The next day I woke up early again to check the wind. It was still strong, so I went back to sleep. When I got up, I could have a leisurely breakfast and enjoy the lodge’s pool and the view from my room – a desert plain with mountains in the distance, occasionally visited by groups of Oryx. 

In the afternoon, I went to visit Sesriem Canyon – also in the national park. It was an interesting fissure in the ground, protected from wind and sun, so ideal to visit at that time.

After visiting the canyon, I noticed that wind had dropped so I continued the road to the end, to visit the more famous giant dunes. I arrived first at the “Dead Vlei” – an atmospheric area of dead trees at the base of “Big Daddy” dune. All the other visitors were heading in the opposite direction, leaving the park. In Afrikaans, a “vlei” is a low-lying area of ground, sometimes filled with water, sometimes dry.

From there I continued to the very end of the road, along a sandy track that was only suitable for 4×4 vehicles, to Sossusvlei itself. I arrived at around half past five to find that everyone else had left and I was the only visitor. Ahead of me rose Big Mommy dune, but since I had to be out of the park by sunset, I did not have enough time to climb it. Instead, I enjoyed the perfect calm and the company of a solitary Oryx who had wandered this far. I resolved to hike the dunes the following day, whatever the weather.