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travel@pangolin.liNamibia 2003
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Namibia 2003
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Part 1 Etosha
Part 1a
Animals Part 2
Otjitotongwe Part 3 Highlands Part 4 Van Zyl's
P. Part 5 Marienfluss Part 6 Kaokoveld
Part 7 Damaraland Part 8
Twyfelfontein Part 9 Namib Part 10 Wolwedans Part 11 Gamsberg Panorama pics Namibia '03 Gallery |
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contact last updated: 30-Jul-2005 Text/pictures subject to copyright by pangolin.li |
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Part 5 - Marienflusstal, Kunene River and Camp SyncroTravel detailsHaving mastered Van Zyl's Pass, we drove on to the Marienfluss-Tal (at km 185 from Opuwo) and to the Kunene River, where we stayed in the Campsite of Camp Syncro in Otjinungwa (km 225) for two nights. A short trip brought us to the rapids (15 km total). We left Marienflusstal towards Rooidrum. Again, we used GPS coordinates from Wouter Brand, and The Shell Map of Kaokoland (Kunene Region), 1:625 000 (issued 1996). Check also the main page for more info on maps and books about Namibia.Contact me if you'd like to get our GPS data of this trip. And do check out our Namibia '03 photo Gallery. MarienflusstalComing from Van Zyl's Pass, the road first runs in a side valley, which opens up into the main valley not far from the Y Junction (km 185, left to Rooidrum, right to Kunene River). The riverbed is crossed at km 197, and the track leading towards Camp Syncro branches off the main track at km 218, near the airstrip.The drive down Marienflusstal is one of the most beautiful experiences we had during our trip. Marienflusstal (Maria River Valley) is a broad valley formed by the Otjinjange river - nowadays an ephemeral river. Its Northern boundary is the Kunene (Cunene) river which also forms the border to Angola. Marienflusstal is extremely arid, so its red sand is covered by dry grass and small hardy plants most of the year - leading to an impressive contrast of red sand, yellow grass and blue sky, bounded by dark hills (check out the Panorama site for a nicer picture). We saw much more animals here than before at the pass or the highlands: a big family of ostriches with 3 adults and 9 young, several oryx and springbok...
The road down the valley is quite good - and it is wise to stay on it, since side tracks of only a single vehicle can be seen for years in this hyperarid environment. You're not allowed to camp wildly in the valley (same for Hartmann's Valley), so once here you proceed to the Kunene river. There are two accommodation options there: Camp Syncro, and the Okarohombo Campsite operated by the local Himba community under the auspices of NACOBTA. Both are within a few kilometers of each other, and both offer shaded campsites near the Kunene river, braai sites, toilets and showers, but no provisions or firewood at all. The differences? Camp Syncro is actually a luxury lodge whose four bungalows are usually booked by fly-in tourists. If none are there, campers can use the camp site under a big tree. Furthermore, Camp Syncro is operated by Koos Verwey and the local Himba, whereas Okarohombo is managed by Himba alone. Check out the Panorama site for the Kunene sunrise picture!
We stayed at Camp Syncro, because JJ and Micha had liked their earlier stay there a lot. It had a very relaxed atmosphere, with Koos telling anecdotes of the Himba and his life there, with local Himba women offering us handmade baskets covered in the same reddish-brown earth-butter mix that covers the women's bodies (an initiative Koos had started with them), with the two lady chefs giggling loudly when Susanita started to apply this ochre paste to her own body, with kids coming over for Susanita's drawing lesson, with the old Himba man asking again and again for eyedrops - and with lots of lazy hours... Camping at Camp Syncro felt in a way like being part of the people there, not just like being a guest. Top of page What to do there?Walk - to the Kunene gorge in the East, to the rapids in the West, to the Marienflusstal in the South. We went to the gorge with a local boy as our guide, on a hot day, and saw lots of dassies (and one snake having dassie for lunch). For the rapids we took our car - but the last part was done on foot since JJ and Micha luckily didn't dare to drive down the last dune... The rapids are not big, but spread over a wide area. Somehow a strange sight in the middle of this arid region. You can't swim in the Kunene due to crocodiles, but there is a clear rock pool near the rapids.
Koos also offers "cultural safaris" in his Kaokohimba Safari enterprise. Might be a good thing if you want to get in touch with the Himba culture more deeply. I believe it would also be interesting for flower lovers like me to have a botany excursion in this arid region with someone who knows about it... Next time I maybe bring a copy of the recently released "Plant Guide for the Northern Namib" by Antje Burke... We left Camp Syncro (km 240, after our trip to the rapids) towards Rooidrum after two days. The Y-Junction (left to Van Zyl's Pass, right to Rooidrum) comes at km 281. Top of page Go to:
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