Part 4: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa

And so the journey is complete....I can hardly believe this 63 day epic adventure is done! Here is what Part 4 looked like:

When I first booked this trip I was anticipating that I would get to see some amazing sights, but probably go crazy being around people all the time.  Instead, I've loved the conversations, jokes and personalities on this trip.  It's so interesting to see how a random group of people with a common purpose can manage to get along and even enjoy each others company whilst experiencing some pretty amazing stuff together.  Then there's the crew who somehow manage to stay enthusiastic about answering the same questions time and time again! Here are some of the highlights of this last part of the trip.........

Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Okavango Delta is a huge inland waterway formed at the end of the Okavango River.  Instead of running into the sea, the river finishes in landlocked Botswana and spreads out into a huge system of small waterways before eventually being evaporated or transpired.  I expected it to be beautiful, but the remoteness of the area we visited made it even more special.  The first night we spent on an island with some facilities, then the next night on a remote island with just us and our tents.  All our bedding, tents, cooking stuff and food had to be put into mokoros and poled up the river.  They even took us back out onto the delta for sunset pics.  All night we could hear the hippos and were given instructions on what to do if we came across a hippo during the night...jump into the nearest bush and hope for the best!

With super skilled poler Meshak

So so relaxing!

It might look basic, but such a
 beautiful warm shower!

Another day, off to another island an hour away....

Mokoros are the best transport ever

The most spectacular sunset.  Just looking at this pic makes me happy :)

Early morning ride back to the mainland

Team photo with all the mokoro guys!

Etosha National Park, Namibia
This was our last game drive of the trip so I was excited to make the most of it.  Some of us were running out of creatures we haven't seen, so of course a critically endangered black rhino (we had only seen the more common white rhinos before) turns up right next to us keen to have his photo taken!  We also visited the salt pans and saw lions getting up to some funky business.

Before Etosha we visited the San Bushman living museum.  We learnt how they lived in the past and got to listen to their cool clicking language!

Hello Black Rhino!

Look at that cute squishy mouth!

Hanging out with my critically endangered friend...

Yawning leopard....so cute

With a mini Thomas on the salt pan

I love the colours in this pic.  He looks so lonely though!

Dusty sunset

Aww...lions in love

Oh yep, definitely in love....

Swakopmund, Namibia
Swakopmund is like a little oasis in the middle of dry nothingness.  I'm beginning to realise why there are only 2.3 million people in Namibia....it's a whole lot of desert and not much else!  Staying here for three days was also special because I'd been sleeping in a tent for 4 weeks straight and here we got to have cabins!  Things certainly are more westernised in Namibia, so time for some treats and wifi.  In contrast to this we also got to go on a township tour to Mondesa and DRC (Democratic Resettlement Community), a temporary area for people waiting for subsidised housing.  A lady running a school there really touched my heart.  She was denied an education herself so she is determined to ensure these kids living in a temporary situation don't miss out on opportunities.

On the way yo Swakopmund we visited the Cape Cross seal colony....so smelly!

The beachfront at Swakopmund.  Yep, I'm still in Africa....I think....

Spot with wifi = time for some study! (I'm doing Masters by distance)

Dressing up like Herero ladies (a tribe of Namibia). The hat represents the horns of a cow.

Apparently yummy grubs

Dried oryx meat at the market

Part of the Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC) in Mondesa

Children at Ubuntu school singing Worship songs for us :)

Namib Desert, Namibia
I have always thought Moshi was dusty, but nope.  Namibia is a crazy kind of dusty.  The dust is fine like flour and gets into everything!  Thankfully the absolutely stunning beauty of the desert makes up for it.  I was really looking forward to this part and it wasn't disappointing.  Climbing up sand dunes to see the sunrise.....it's something I will never forget.  Dusty, scorching hot then freezing cold, but so so beautiful.

Our campsite at Spitzkoppe

Tropic of Capricorn....in the middle of random nothingness

Camping in the desert

Looking back down Dune 45 after scrambling up for sunrise pics

Pictures just can't capture the colours :(

Half of Namibia in my shoes

Deadvlei - a white clay pan that has been cut off by sand dunes

Showing off my cool shirt at Fish River Canyon.....the journey is almost done!

Team 63 - Troy, Nat and I - the only original crew left!

Muhammad taking pro sunset pics at Fish River Canyon

And so now the journey is done and I'm hanging out in Cape Town for a few days before flying back to Moshi.  Here are a few pics of the journey along the Western Cape, just to show how crazy different it is to Namibia.....and prove that I did actually make it to South Africa!

I'm hoping to get out tomorrow and see some of the sights of Cape Town (in the rain???), but  would love to "do" South Africa properly sometime in the future.  I'm feeling so thankful to God for the huge blessing this trip has been!  I'm more in awe of his creation than ever before.

God bless...next post from back home in Moshi!