Cape Town & Namibia

Cape Town:  A two-hour flight from Durban to Cape Town, enabled us to rejoin the ship late on day one of a two day visit.  One day was not enough  to explore such a beautiful city – however, a hop-on/hop-off bus tour gave us a good feel.  Sadly, the cloud was down over Table Mountain so our views over the city were from lower down. 

As in most big cities, great areas of poor housing were a massive contrast to the wealthy areas.  Camp Bay is not only a select place to live, but enjoys white sandy beaches, up market restaurants and (so we were told) a hide-away for celebrities! 

Borealis berthed near the Waterfront, which is a maze of shops and cafes which proved (on Easter Sunday) to be a magnet for locals to take their families for a day out.  This is certainly a city to be revisited and explored in more depth. 

Walvis Bay, Namibia:  The Namib Desert covers an area of 13,000 square miles along the coastline, and for 140 miles inland, in Namibia.  It is the oldest desert on the planet and receives less than two inches of rain per year.  The Benguela Current runs along the coast.  The meeting of this cold current with warmer tropical waters means that coastal fog is a daily occurrence.  However, the fog has become the lifeblood of the desert, as it provides sufficient moisture for small mounds of greenery to form, which in turn gives various small creatures water and a place to hide. 

With their ingenuity, our guides could recognize any signs in the sand of something buried, then carefully dig with their hands to unearth several creatures who have adapted to life in the desert. 

Tyres on the 4 x 4 vehicles were lowered to maintain a better grip, before we delighted in a hair-raising ride up, down and around the dunes!

Iron deposits are spread on the wind, giving a black hue to the dunes.  This is eventually oxidized turning the sand to a red, terracotta-type colour.  Another ‘pinch-me’ moment, when I realized that I was in the middle of the oldest desert in the world, and in the middle of Africa!

Mining provides income for the country – uranium, diamonds, gold and other minerals are exported via the enormous deep-water harbour in Walvis Bay. 

I must mention here the very friendly and highly accommodating immigration officials in Namibia.  The whole process (we had to be ‘stamped in’ and ‘stamped out’ again) took place onboard – the officials were all very welcoming and full of smiles – making the procedure the quickest and most pleasant that we’ve encountered throughout the entire voyage.  Well done, Namibia!