A hike around the Deen Veljoen Game park and farewell dinner at Heinitzburg

ALLIE: DAY 18: Sunday, 4^th of March

A hike in a game park and a relaxing afternoon at the chameleon

               

Wilderbeast in the game park

How to spend our last day in Namibia? There aren’t many options. So we drive 20 km out of town to the Deen Veljoen game park. A strict looking black lady takes detailed account of our passport numbers, nationality, car number etc. At another office we are asked to pay 90 rand entrance fee. For what we wonder? Instead of finding a lush green paradise we enter a barren landscape where only some herds of wilderbeast, a few kudus and mountain zebras manage to survive. 

But we are supposed to hike 9 km on the roiboos trail. It’s already getting very hot and we still haven’t found the start of the hiking trail. The nature conservation people seem to be enthusiasts in scouting, because we have to search for white sticks or arrows to make sure we are on the right trail.

Kudu (internet photo)

 At the top of the highest peak (1754m) we are rewarded with a nice few to the “skyline” of Windhoek and its surrounding mountains. Following a dried out river bed we eventually arrive back to the “restaurant”. Having made my husband walk for 2 hrs in the scorching heat I promised him a nice cold beer at this place – but the restaurant is closed. Oh dear! We walk on and manage to get hold of a cold cider just a minute before the Kiosk lady also decides to shut and go for lunch. Good grief! The rest of the afternoon is spent at the backpackers lodge with writing, swimming and relaxing. Time for a sun downer. We try the exclusive “Heinitzburg”, now a posh hotel in the style of a German fortress situated on a hill overlooking the city. But the gin tonic doesn’t turn our to be what we, or let’s say – a proper Englishman in form of Phil Dunnington – would expect. So Phil gives the staff a lesson in how to prepare a proper English GnT. We end up in having at least 6 gins and lots of tonic!

Heinitzburg restaurant

As our farewell to Namibia or let’s say to African cuisine we dine at the “Restaurant Africa” set at the old colonial museums building with a splendid view across the city and a beautiful setting sun.

It’s getting time to move on. We certainly haven’t seen all there is to see in Namibia, but I think we have gained a good insight into local lifestyle, various landscapes and the dangers of travelling here!  

Chameleon Lodge Windhoek

PHIL: Mar 4/Day 18

Allie back on form and raring to climb mountains. She sees one in a nearby wildlife park with a 9km trek to a peak marked 1750m.I gasp, but when we get there it is evident that the trail starts at 1500m, so it’s quite acceptable even to me. Quite a bit of wildlife and hardly any humans, so a very satisfactory end to our stay in Namibia.

Back to the Chameleon Backpackers for a packing and e-mail session before our early departure tomorrow.