The smell of coffee was too much this morning – stuff healthy lemon water.
The winds from last night had brought in wisps of clouds over the mountains. As we packed up, more ominous grey clouds swept in.
The trip to Sendelingsdrif took us 4 ½ hours. We again experienced the full kaleidoscope of changing scenery from flat sandy plains and river beds, to the craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and onto our destination, the lush Orange River.
We had been taking an easy drive along sandy roads, surrounded by mountains, it felt as though we were traveling in a crater. Then we had to ascend the ‘crater wall’ of Domorogh Pass - OMG - if I thought Helshoogte was bad, this was seriously scary. ‘Camelman’ decided half way up to try low range, clearly he wasn't the one on the cliff side. The view from the top, however, was well worth it, absolutely spectacular.
In this harsh landscape water is a great scarcity and only the hardiest of life forms survive. We experienced a few drops of rain along the way, a rarity. Despite the conditions, the Richtersveld is regarded as the only arid biodiversity hotspot on earth, with a variety of plant and bird life, much of which is endemic to the area. The area is also on the UNESCO’s world heritage list.
This place is a botanists dream. We were fortunate today to travel over Akkedis Pass and into areas lush with vegetation. The flora in the park boasts some 2700 species – with 600 existing no where else in the world. My favorite plant is the Halfmens, a rare and endemic succulent. From a distance, these trees look like humans looking towards the north.
Our chalet at Sendelingsdrif, situated on the banks of the Orange River is cute and cosy. Shortly after arrival we witnessed an amazing sight – a troop of baboons, including babies, swimming across the River.
I spent a very relaxing afternoon, sitting in the sun, watching the River flow past and catching up on admin and reading.
We had a great braai in the evening. Lots of laughs and lots of red wine.
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