Day 111- Swakopmund 22/1/13

A really great day driving around the Dorab national park and "the valleys of the moon". Our guide really knew his stuff and told us many things about local botany, insects, geology, politics etc - I just wish that I could remember what he said! The scenery really is desolate, and one would think there is nothing at all to be seen, until Gerald showed us what to look for - from the underground spider's web to the welwitschia plant. This latter was the highlight of botanist Steve's holiday, and the other four of us were also fascinated. It seems that no one still understands how it lives / survives - a recent study has shown that the textbooks are all wrong, but still did not explain how it functions in this waterless world.

The desolate desert is being used increasingly for "apocalypse" type films, the latest being "Mad Max 4" (which of course I have not seen). In fact our bungalows were used as the film set for the recent remake of "The Prisoner" (I gave up after the first episode).

Oryx steak for dinner - absolutely delicious.