12/10 NP Namib-Naukluft

Today we started early. We left the hotel at 5.45  and took breakfast with us. Distances are long. It is cool, 12 degrees, but we know that it will be above 30 degrees later in the day. The sun has not yet risen. Later we understand that an early start is important at such high temperatures. It is a long way to drive to the NP Namib-Naukluft and we entered the area as car nr28. 
We drove  quite far and later had to switch to a four-wheel drive to get farther into the park. Here we parked and started our walk on the red dunes at Sossusvlei. Not everyone is joining, and some returned before the peak was reached.  It was hard work.  But fun. On the edge we enjoyed our breakfast and the way back was easier. Back at the bus we drove right away to Deadvlei, not far from the place where we had climbed to the top of the dune.  Deadvlei is an old pan with skeleton trees which are more than 5000 years old. We also visited the Sesriem Canyon, right in the neighbourhood. It is 30m deep and carved out by the Tsauchab river.  The name Sesriem comes from the Dutch 6 riemen or six leatherstraps which was needed to hole water from the stream. Now it was all dry and we could walk on the bottom. In the late afternoon we had time to use one of the swimming pools at the lodge.