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<blockquote data-quote="BillB" data-source="post: 944420" data-attributes="member: 9985"><p>It was still dark as we struggled out of bed before 5 a.m. the next morning. This rising at unimaginable hours was a necessity if we wanted to see the great sand dunes at the best time – dawn. In order to save time in the morning we had showered the previous night</p><p></p><p>We met up in the car park with the rest of our troupe and took our seats on the bus. A packed breakfast had been prepared for each of us, which saved more time. When I opened mine I was happy to see that it was low in carbs – boiled egg, ham, cheese and so on.</p><p></p><p>As we arrived at the gates of the national park the sky was just beginning to lighten, though the sun hadn’t yet appeared over the horizon. More cars arrived behind us and after a while a ranger turned up, greeted all the drivers and opened the gates.</p><p></p><p>We drove in and after a mile or so David pulled off the dirt road and onto a smaller track. On the right were some smaller sand dunes, though to say they were smaller is only a matter of degree. They were still pretty high. Behind us the sun began to peep over the horizon and illuminated the dunes in front of us with its golden light. Behind us were more and bigger dunes: from behind them rose two hot air balloons which drifted along the line of dunes. After this photo opportunity we carried on down the road stopping here and there to watch the changing light.</p><p></p><p>Further on still we came to the really big dunes: Dune 25 being the first one we came to. This is one that can be climbed and I set out with the rest of our group. Jackie doesn’t function well in hot conditions so she stayed behind in the shade of a tree. The Namibian sand dunes are claimed to be the highest in the world, and as I faced Dune 25, I could well believe it.</p><p></p><p>We walked for about 10 minutes across the desert to the base of the dune before beginning the climb. This became really hard going as the sand is loose and it was a case of 4 steps forward and 3 steps back. However, I’m a hardy soul when necessary, so I struggled on. In front of me the couple who had been on the plane in the row in front of us had halted and were gazing down the side of the dune. A beetle had climbed up the dune and stopped near the top, but his tracks in the sand were clear to see. It was a heck of a climb for a little beetle, though he wasn’t heavy enough to dislodge the sand the way I did.</p><p></p><p>I looked back and could just make out Jackie’s outline in the shade of the tree. I slogged on up the sliding sand, pausing now and then to catch my breath. About the 3rd or 4th pause the sudden thought hit me that I was insane to be doing this; when does hardiness become foolhardiness? So I turned, took a few pictures and began sliding down the sand. I got to the bottom and headed back across the desert until I reached the tree under which Jackie was taking her ease. Oh my goodness, how good the shade felt after my exertions in the full sun.</p><p></p><p>The light was still beating down on the dunes from the side and we got a full view of the phenomenon for which the dunes are famous – one side of each dune was turned to a light amber colour by the red light from the sun while the side that the sun didn’t touch was jet black. This was too good to miss to an enthusiastic photographer like myself and I snapped away, hoping to get that one shot that justified all the outlay and the effort.</p><p></p><p>When the rest of the group came straggling back we set off again for the other famous sights, Sossuvlei and Dead Vlei. I passed on the thought of a further climb and contented myself with taking photos. As we moved further into the national park we came upon a European who was driving himself and his family in a hire car. He had got it wrong and ended up with his wheels up to the axles in soft sand. All the rangers stopped their vehicles and went to help. A trapped vehicle is a serious problem and they all set to with a will to get the vehicle out. One ranger got into the driver’s seat while others helped rock the car back and forth until it got some traction. They got it out of the sand and drove it carefully onto some firmer ground. The driver was very grateful.</p><p></p><p>As we drove along the track the light was constantly changing. It’s a harsh, arid land, but it’s also incredibly beautiful.</p><p></p><p>After we left the park we drove on to Sesriem Canyon, another remarkable feature. This canyon is so deep that it usually holds water well into the dry season, so for the early Afrikaans trekkers it was a Godsend.</p><p></p><p>I stood as close to the edge as I dared, seeing as it was a bit on the crumbly side, and caught a glimpse of the river running far below. Those early trekkers were clearly a hardy and determined bunch to cross this sunblasted desert in trek wagons. My admiration for them grew immensely.</p><p></p><p>We got back to the lodge in early afternoon and settled for a rapid cleanup prior to heading for the lunch buffet, a welcome dose of fresh salads and meats. After that it was back to our semi-tent to do some packing in preparation for our departure the next morning. After we had packed what we could there was just time for a shower and a few moments flop with our Kindles and then we headed towards the bar for our pre-dinner drinks.</p><p></p><p>Dinner was a barbecue again, but the dishes were varied enough to try some new dishes, or try something that would be cooked differently.</p><p></p><p>Once again the stars twinkled brightly and as this was our last night in the desert I spent a lot of time looking up at them after dinner. Is it too much of a cliche to say that they were like polished diamonds scattered on black velvet? I went to bed with regret that night and that’s not something that happens often.</p><p></p><p>The next day’s drive was 230 miles to Windhoek so it was going to be a long and bouncy day. And so it was. However, with toilet stops and a couple more stops when anything unusual was spotted we still arrived in the outskirts of Windhoek just after 1 p.m. We stopped at a shopping mall and found a pleasant little café where we had a light lunch with our lady friend who had found our lunch restaurant in Swakopmund. We were served with the smiling friendliness that we had become accustomed to from the people of Namibia.</p><p></p><p>It was only a short drive to the Country Club where we were going to spend the night and once again have dinner in the restaurant. All in all, an enjoyable way to spend our last night.</p><p></p><p>The next morning we had the chance to sleep in as we didn’t have an early departure scheduled. I was awake early anyhow, but that’s my usual habit.</p><p></p><p>At the airport we asked the young lady who was checking us in if she could send our luggage straight through to Luxembourg. She tapped a couple of keys on the computer and shook her head. But, we assured her, it had come all the way through from Luxembourg a couple of weeks ago when we arrived. But our entreaties were in vain. She was adamant. The computer said no. I asked, mildly, why does it work in one direction but not the other. “I’m only a trainee,” she said, piteously, and at that moment her supervisor appeared. She looked at the screen. No, it’s not possible. But, I pointed out, we are going to have to wait for our luggage to come through at Heathrow, then we’re going to have to go outside and check in again. I received no answer. Clearly we were on a loser here. So we gave up and went through to the lounge.</p><p></p><p>“Once we get to Johannesburg I’m going to have a word at the help desk, I said. And that’s what I did. The helpful BA employee looked stunned when I told him the story. Of course you should be able to check your luggage straight through, he told me, the Windhoek flight was a BA affiliate. He took my luggage tags which had been stuck to the back of my passport and set to work at the computer. The result was that he changed the destination of our luggage to Luxembourg within the system. “Now I can’t guarantee that it will arrive on the same flight as you,” he said apologetically, “but if it doesn’t, go to the BA lost luggage desk and they will take care of you.” We thanked him profusely and headed for the lounge.</p><p></p><p>A couple of hours later our flight was called and we set off with our previous travelling companions for the departure gate. I was surprised to see there were two departure gates. I looked out of the side window on the jetway and discovered that our plane was an Airbus A380, the double decker giant aircraft that airlines were just getting delivered. The two jetways allowed the lower and upper decks to be boarded simultaneously.</p><p></p><p>Our seats were on the lower deck and very luxurious seats they were. They had some nice touches in the way of reading lights, TV screens and seat adjustments. I liked the extra comfort we were enjoying. Dinner was impressive: for our starter we chose quails’ eggs with asparagus and when we both ordered steak for our main course the stewardess asked how we would like it. Rare, we both said. And that was exactly what we were served – a nicely grilled rare, tender steak. The rest of the flight passed comfortably and shortly after breakfast was served we began our descent into Heathrow. Our scheduled landing time was 05h25 but we were early on arrival and we actually landed at 04h45. And thus began one of the most unusual experiences of our lives.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BillB, post: 944420, member: 9985"] It was still dark as we struggled out of bed before 5 a.m. the next morning. This rising at unimaginable hours was a necessity if we wanted to see the great sand dunes at the best time – dawn. In order to save time in the morning we had showered the previous night We met up in the car park with the rest of our troupe and took our seats on the bus. A packed breakfast had been prepared for each of us, which saved more time. When I opened mine I was happy to see that it was low in carbs – boiled egg, ham, cheese and so on. As we arrived at the gates of the national park the sky was just beginning to lighten, though the sun hadn’t yet appeared over the horizon. More cars arrived behind us and after a while a ranger turned up, greeted all the drivers and opened the gates. We drove in and after a mile or so David pulled off the dirt road and onto a smaller track. On the right were some smaller sand dunes, though to say they were smaller is only a matter of degree. They were still pretty high. Behind us the sun began to peep over the horizon and illuminated the dunes in front of us with its golden light. Behind us were more and bigger dunes: from behind them rose two hot air balloons which drifted along the line of dunes. After this photo opportunity we carried on down the road stopping here and there to watch the changing light. Further on still we came to the really big dunes: Dune 25 being the first one we came to. This is one that can be climbed and I set out with the rest of our group. Jackie doesn’t function well in hot conditions so she stayed behind in the shade of a tree. The Namibian sand dunes are claimed to be the highest in the world, and as I faced Dune 25, I could well believe it. We walked for about 10 minutes across the desert to the base of the dune before beginning the climb. This became really hard going as the sand is loose and it was a case of 4 steps forward and 3 steps back. However, I’m a hardy soul when necessary, so I struggled on. In front of me the couple who had been on the plane in the row in front of us had halted and were gazing down the side of the dune. A beetle had climbed up the dune and stopped near the top, but his tracks in the sand were clear to see. It was a heck of a climb for a little beetle, though he wasn’t heavy enough to dislodge the sand the way I did. I looked back and could just make out Jackie’s outline in the shade of the tree. I slogged on up the sliding sand, pausing now and then to catch my breath. About the 3rd or 4th pause the sudden thought hit me that I was insane to be doing this; when does hardiness become foolhardiness? So I turned, took a few pictures and began sliding down the sand. I got to the bottom and headed back across the desert until I reached the tree under which Jackie was taking her ease. Oh my goodness, how good the shade felt after my exertions in the full sun. The light was still beating down on the dunes from the side and we got a full view of the phenomenon for which the dunes are famous – one side of each dune was turned to a light amber colour by the red light from the sun while the side that the sun didn’t touch was jet black. This was too good to miss to an enthusiastic photographer like myself and I snapped away, hoping to get that one shot that justified all the outlay and the effort. When the rest of the group came straggling back we set off again for the other famous sights, Sossuvlei and Dead Vlei. I passed on the thought of a further climb and contented myself with taking photos. As we moved further into the national park we came upon a European who was driving himself and his family in a hire car. He had got it wrong and ended up with his wheels up to the axles in soft sand. All the rangers stopped their vehicles and went to help. A trapped vehicle is a serious problem and they all set to with a will to get the vehicle out. One ranger got into the driver’s seat while others helped rock the car back and forth until it got some traction. They got it out of the sand and drove it carefully onto some firmer ground. The driver was very grateful. As we drove along the track the light was constantly changing. It’s a harsh, arid land, but it’s also incredibly beautiful. After we left the park we drove on to Sesriem Canyon, another remarkable feature. This canyon is so deep that it usually holds water well into the dry season, so for the early Afrikaans trekkers it was a Godsend. I stood as close to the edge as I dared, seeing as it was a bit on the crumbly side, and caught a glimpse of the river running far below. Those early trekkers were clearly a hardy and determined bunch to cross this sunblasted desert in trek wagons. My admiration for them grew immensely. We got back to the lodge in early afternoon and settled for a rapid cleanup prior to heading for the lunch buffet, a welcome dose of fresh salads and meats. After that it was back to our semi-tent to do some packing in preparation for our departure the next morning. After we had packed what we could there was just time for a shower and a few moments flop with our Kindles and then we headed towards the bar for our pre-dinner drinks. Dinner was a barbecue again, but the dishes were varied enough to try some new dishes, or try something that would be cooked differently. Once again the stars twinkled brightly and as this was our last night in the desert I spent a lot of time looking up at them after dinner. Is it too much of a cliche to say that they were like polished diamonds scattered on black velvet? I went to bed with regret that night and that’s not something that happens often. The next day’s drive was 230 miles to Windhoek so it was going to be a long and bouncy day. And so it was. However, with toilet stops and a couple more stops when anything unusual was spotted we still arrived in the outskirts of Windhoek just after 1 p.m. We stopped at a shopping mall and found a pleasant little café where we had a light lunch with our lady friend who had found our lunch restaurant in Swakopmund. We were served with the smiling friendliness that we had become accustomed to from the people of Namibia. It was only a short drive to the Country Club where we were going to spend the night and once again have dinner in the restaurant. All in all, an enjoyable way to spend our last night. The next morning we had the chance to sleep in as we didn’t have an early departure scheduled. I was awake early anyhow, but that’s my usual habit. At the airport we asked the young lady who was checking us in if she could send our luggage straight through to Luxembourg. She tapped a couple of keys on the computer and shook her head. But, we assured her, it had come all the way through from Luxembourg a couple of weeks ago when we arrived. But our entreaties were in vain. She was adamant. The computer said no. I asked, mildly, why does it work in one direction but not the other. “I’m only a trainee,” she said, piteously, and at that moment her supervisor appeared. She looked at the screen. No, it’s not possible. But, I pointed out, we are going to have to wait for our luggage to come through at Heathrow, then we’re going to have to go outside and check in again. I received no answer. Clearly we were on a loser here. So we gave up and went through to the lounge. “Once we get to Johannesburg I’m going to have a word at the help desk, I said. And that’s what I did. The helpful BA employee looked stunned when I told him the story. Of course you should be able to check your luggage straight through, he told me, the Windhoek flight was a BA affiliate. He took my luggage tags which had been stuck to the back of my passport and set to work at the computer. The result was that he changed the destination of our luggage to Luxembourg within the system. “Now I can’t guarantee that it will arrive on the same flight as you,” he said apologetically, “but if it doesn’t, go to the BA lost luggage desk and they will take care of you.” We thanked him profusely and headed for the lounge. A couple of hours later our flight was called and we set off with our previous travelling companions for the departure gate. I was surprised to see there were two departure gates. I looked out of the side window on the jetway and discovered that our plane was an Airbus A380, the double decker giant aircraft that airlines were just getting delivered. The two jetways allowed the lower and upper decks to be boarded simultaneously. Our seats were on the lower deck and very luxurious seats they were. They had some nice touches in the way of reading lights, TV screens and seat adjustments. I liked the extra comfort we were enjoying. Dinner was impressive: for our starter we chose quails’ eggs with asparagus and when we both ordered steak for our main course the stewardess asked how we would like it. Rare, we both said. And that was exactly what we were served – a nicely grilled rare, tender steak. The rest of the flight passed comfortably and shortly after breakfast was served we began our descent into Heathrow. Our scheduled landing time was 05h25 but we were early on arrival and we actually landed at 04h45. And thus began one of the most unusual experiences of our lives. [/QUOTE]
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