Gradually we began to get used to the warm welcome, often singing & dancing, from the welcoming committee. This time arriving at Damaraland it was no different. The refreshing drink and cool towel were more than welcome after the tire replacement.
The campsite lies in a sparsely populated stone desert. It is a unique area with special and unspoiled nature. You will find ostriches, jackals and oryxes, but this region is best known for its rare black rhinos and desert elephants. After we put our stuff in the room we enjoyed the peaceful silence, the stunning view and a good glass of Negroni.
For the next morning, we had planned an exciting excurtion in search of the rare black rhino. Implication was getting up early because of about a 1 hour drive to the rhino habitat. The road was bumpy, what else, and dusty. Because the black rhino is an endangered species, and can be agressive at times, we picked up a state ranger to accompany and protect us.
Actually, you can never be sure in advance whether you will see a rhino. In this case, it wouldn’t even be that bad, because the scenery and nature alone made the drive worthwhile.
But guess what, we were lucky to see one. Not from close by but from a safe distance.
Rhino: check.
Only one to go, the desert elephant. And that search we have planned in the afternoon. For a while it looks like the weather is keeping us from leaving because of a sandstorm. But together with our guide we decide to hit the road after all. And that was an excellent decision.
Eyes and mouth well covered we leave our camp site.
The tempered light during our search is magical. About 45 minutes later, the sandstorm subsides and we slowly discover the silhouette of some elephants.
The essence of the dessert lies in the invisible, in the omnipresent silence. Tranquility.
The elephant is adapted to this. They weigh tons but you hardly hear them striding by. It’s as if they are walking on slippers and don’t want to disturb you.
