After settling into our campsite at the base of Spitzkoppe’s monumental boulders, we head out on an afternoon walk to Bushman Paradise — a cave with one of the finest collections of ancient rock art in Namibia. A local guide shows us the way in exchange for a small fee or tip.
This scenery is breathtaking. Every few minutes the rocks change color on a spectrum from gold to purple, depending on the intensity of the sun and shifting shadows.
Field of yellow grains add to the picturesque landscape.
Check out the curvature of these formations, the way each strand of rock has settled so perfectly into a pattern with its neighbor.
Can you spot a meerkat hiding in the photo below?
Meerkats are part of the mongoose family and they only live in this part of Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Angola, South Africa). They live in clans of about 20 members. The last time our overland guides passed through this area two months earlier, a new litter of pups had just been born. Now they’re getting bigger and more curious…
Perhaps it’s because they’re growing up next to a campsite, but these meerkats aren’t shy around humans. In fact they’re downright cuddly.
Meerkats have sharp nails to dig for food — insects make up most of their diet, but they also eat lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, centipedes, eggs, and plants.
A few more photos from our walk to Bushman Paradise…
The main Bushman Paradise cave is more difficult to reach (there’s a chain handhold and the ground is smooth and slippery) so we visit the smaller area instead.
Our guide points out some of the artwork that was painted here centuries ago — a giraffe, hippos, rhinos, and even human figures. Unfortunately vandalism has become a common problem since tourism increased, though violators are liable for criminal prosecution.
Here is a close-up of a rhino painting. Can you make out its horn?
We head back to camp as the sun begins to set.
Hi donkey!
The numbered sign below points to a designated camping area. Thankfully each camp site is set far apart from the others, which makes for a unique outdoor experience. If they were on top of each other it’d be less enjoyable.
Liz from Australia and Lisa from New Zealand pose en route to camp:
These birds’ nests are prominent throughout the area, decorating tree branches like nature’s Christmas ornaments.
I fell for Spitzkoppe 30 minutes after our arrival, and a few hours later I’m totally in love with this place.
Our group has big plans for tonight… time to celebrate African Christmas! More on that tomorrow…
I visited Namibia on a 12-day tour from Windhoek to Cape Town with Acacia Africa. They discounted my tour in exchange for blogging and photography; opinions are my own.
