Hitting the Dunes in 4x4's

  Swakopmund, Namibia
November 24, 2013We both slept well last night and Bill was feeling better. 
 
After a halfhearted attempt at breakfast we headed to the lobby for our pickup. Penda drove us and four others to the office where we signed our lives away. 
 
Martin, our very tall guide, fitted us with helmets, selected our 4x4's, gave us a brief demo and safety briefing. After we were informed that if we broke it, we bought it, we headed out. 
 
We both got off to a slow start with the manual transmissions. After Bill realized that you needed to give it full throttle and I stopped up shifting when I wanted to down shift (it was completely opposite of my brother's ATV when I was young). Funny how easy it is to fall into old habits. 
Once we got the hang of it, we started flying up and over the dunes Boom - Pow!. When you go full throttle over the dunes it feels like you are on a roller coaster! 
 
When we stopped for a short break Martin explained that there is a lot of iron in the sand and pulled out a magnet to illustrate his point. It is believed that the sand will turn from the buttery yellow colour to red like Sossusvlei when the iron oxidizes. 
 
After our adventure we headed back to the hotel. Our plans of sitting by the pool and strolling along the beach were foiled by the overcast and breezy weather. The sun did not burn off the fog today and it is quite cool out. When we did venture out, we were discouraged by the closed shops and restaurants. The weekends are very quiet in Swakopmund. 
 
When we first arrived in town, we made a reservation for dinner at Tug Restaurant. Good thing, because it was very busy this evening. Danie Hugo tug boat was named after a former railway commissioner and was in operation from 1959 until 1984. The boat is now home to the restaurant that we dined at this evening, Tug. So, naturally, we were thinking about Tim's pup this evening!!
We enjoyed our view of the jetty and the Atlantic Ocean, wine and delicious steak and seafood.
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