Even more of the desert dust...

We left Desert Rhino Camp behind the next morning in the capable hands of James (with Lonni in the co-pilot seat) who flew the little Cessna just like some would ride a motorbike. Very capable and manoeuvred it with consummate ease. A talented young pilot of 23 who has been flying for Sefofane for 18 months. We landed at Swakopmund on the coast to refuel after having to come down under fog and cloud and following the road into town at around 400 feet for the last 30 minutes of the flight - which was fabulous. It was cold there and very bare, a temperature drop of around 20 degrees in less than 5 minutes.

After refuelling we took the scenic flight over the ocean and desert for as much as we could, over abandoned diamond camps and seal colonies, couldn't see the shipwrecks because of the fog, but we did see the coast where the huge desert dunes meet the sea. Very spectacular views of the monster red dunes, including Big Daddy, Big Mamma and Dune 45 - supposedly the most photographed dune in the world - and a brilliant (new word from the Englishmen) landing by James at Sossusvlei. We were met by our new guide, a Nama man called Petrus who was a truly gentle man, and who took great care of us at Sossusvlei.

Both camps are run by Wilderness Safaris and are quite beautiful, with fabulous staff. Sossusvlei was perched on a hill with an incredible view over the plateau to the mountains. All stone cottages with a private balcony which included a cold plunge pool. We were the next to last across the hill and we needed a cut lunch and most certainly a waterbottle to get to and from our room, but once again the room was beautifully decorated using local craft works, natural desert woods and seed pods etc. and again, the fabulous white linen. A ceiling fan helped keep us cool and showers could be had at any time. Both of us are certainly learning about water conservation however.

Once again the cool washers and drinks met us as we arrived (apple juice and grenadine - very nice). We lunched and then had a "siesta" and then afternoon game drive and sundowners. This time atop a mountain with one of the most spectaacular views - all we could say was "wow". Once again we saw few animals except springbok and oryx, but there are ostriches and cats, although we didn't see any cats at all, or even any sign of them. However, on all our safaris we saw at least one new species every day - I reckon that's pretty good going.

Next day we had a start in the dark to arrive at the national park as the sun rose and we visited the dead vlei and Big Daddy (which none of us climbed - just over 320 metres). The big white clay pan with its dead trees and surrounded by red dunes is certainly spectacular. Lunch under a camel thorn and then a return to camp again for a siesta, which was a hot and dusty ride. An evening trip to Seisrim Canyon was really interesting, there is even a water pool deep in the canyon that has frogs.

We were treated to lunch the next day at the "posh" Littlte Kulala camp and then our pilot Simone flew us back to Windhoek in a slightly larger plane. We even had a ten minute hop from the international airport to the local airport when we arrived. Fairly bumpy as it was an afternoon flight.

And now I'm back in J'burg and have said goodbye to Lonni who is on her way home - it made me cry of course, I will really miss her.

I'm about out of time on the terminal but will be able to update regularly from Nairobi where I fly tomorrow. With any luck I'll be able to add some pictures at last.

The trip remains amazing

lotsa love

Lyndall

Dubai - friendly, progressive and with more sunshine ... (advertising billboard)

Friendly, progressive and defintely more sunshine here in Dubai. Another great day of desert adventures and amazing sights. Today, after wasting most of the morning waiting for Lonni's jewellery delivery that turned out to be in white gold instead of yellow (so got sent back to be delivered correctly tonight), we took the blue line bus around Jumeirah - a tour of the construction zone. Here's some more Dubai fast facts:

• 25% of the world's cranes are in Dubai
  
• It's the second largest construction activity in the world (Moscow beats it - but Dubai only has 1.4 million people for goodness sake!)


• Construction goes on in shifts 24 hours a day
  
• They can build a full floor in 4 days


• Never use your indicator to change lanes - just wander where you will....


• Dubailand is under construction - bigger than any Disneyland in the world


• An expat can never be granted citizenship, only a lifetime residency
• Petrol is cheaper than water - the equivalent of around 35 cents per litre


• And there's heaps more but I'm too tired to remember (and I still have to pack and we have a really early start in the morning (ready in the lobby by 7.15 am) with an 8 hour flight to Johannasburg)

Tonight we went on our desert safari - great fun dune "bashing", saw a camel farm and had dinner under the stars. Lonni rode a camel in the Dubai desert too!

That's all for tonight folks - a big day tomorrow and it's midnight already. Lonni's already in bed and I still have to pack and have a shower.

TOMORROW - 8 hours in the air, but who's counting?.

The big red bus goes round and round... Dubai Day 2

Here it is - the big red bus - and indeed it does go round and round. Your ticket is valid for 48 hours and you can get on and off whenever you like as the "red line" bus makes 12 stops around Deira and some of Dubai's many malls and souks (including the gold souk), and the "blue line" bus does a tour of Jamireh - the new Dubai that's home to "the Palm" and the Burj Al Arab - the world's most luxurious hotel.

We hopped on and off a few times today, including a stop at the Dubai Museum which is quite fascinating (and air-conditioned) and decided that we would go back to the gold souk tonight. Siesta time (when the souk closes) is 2.30 to 4.30 pm, but the shops then remain open until 10.00 pm. We figure it will take us at least that long to see even a tiny fraction of what's on offer. There must be thousands of shops, not hundreds, and each stuffed full of gorgeous golden items. We'll take a hotel car back this evening and maybe get them to collect us - the hour's wait at City Centre for a taxi yesterday almost did it for us with taxis. 18K gold is around 75 dirhams a gram (a shade over $20) and that's before you bargain! Guess the credit card is in for a little work tonight.

Driving round Dubai is a hot and congested experience (the bus guide says that the evening peak hour is from 2.00 - 10.00 pm, and the morning peak hour from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm), but not quite as hot as walking it. We got off at the stop nearest our hotel (Lonni says a klick away but I reckon a bit more than that) and I wouldn't recommend that anyone walk that in 43 degree heat in the middle of the day when they are as unfit as I am! I thought I would expire but Lonni told me she would be traumatised for life if she had to give me mouth-to-mouth so I struggled on until the hotel, but I tell you it was touch and go! Lon reckons it feels like 33 degrees, I reckon it feels like 53 degrees!!

Dubai is building a rail system for the city - 25.5 billion dirhams - which will be the longest continuous driverless system in the world. They are setting a few records in this fast-growing city, where rumour has it that the oil will run out in 2010 (according to the bus driver). Here's a few fast facts:

• just over 4000 sq km
  
  



• 1.4 million people





• 20% only are Emeratis, the rest are ex-pats from over 200 countries





• 75% of the population are men and 25% women





• the crime rate is less than 2% (it feels really safe although we do get male stares a bit) - all the dhows are unloaded onto the walway beside the road and there are no security guards or anything to stop anyone walking away with the goods - they can be left there for days, quite safe
  
  
  

We heard the muezzin call for the first time today - the midday call happened while we were at the museum. There are a lot of mosques as you might expect but not all are as obvious as you might think either. This one is a hidden mosque, set in a courtyard - a Shi'ih mosque beautifully decorated with blue tiles.

More later - after the Gold Souk...

And here she is - gold and diamond girl!

You can't possibly come to Dubai go to the gold souk and then NOT BUY GOLD, diamonds was my little optional extra. Don't fret Micheal I can explain...

The longer I stay and the more I see makes me realise everything in Dubai is like a competition with everything being the (insert adjective here eg. biggest longest fastest) in the world, which is ok except I'm in the wrong career I need to be an engineer or even a brickie! (I think there professions where its ok not to care and over here make bucket loads).

The gold souk was good, the spice souk was overwhelming with smells - not all of them good and some combinations were just plain gross - and the people, I've finally seen a good looking native -I can totally understand why there are only 25% women here!

Suffice to say experience experience experience not all good -mum threatening to die when I was simply having a pleasent stroll in the afternoon sunshine - but not all bad - all service with a smile.

Hope all is well in everyday Australia, missing everyone heaps, say hi to the dog for me xox

Time for bed folks - we've done lots of walking - the souk was BIG and so much to see - really too much for you ever to think you've had a good look at even a fraction of it. We made a few small purchases at bargain prices and had some interesting conversations with shopkeepers. Couldn't wait for a shower however, 8.30 pm and the perspiration is still poring when you're outside. Don't think I'll have time to upload the photos tonight - it's a slow process -but have added one of my favourites from the day.

TOMORROW - more on the buses and a desert safari experience....