Leg 85, Sesriem, Namibia to Rakops, Botswana
DAY11_15.PLN (10.3 KB)
Western Namibia is truly amazing, so many great sights!
11-15 Sesriem Airstrip FYSS 4:46 AM
11-15 Sossusvlei Lodge Landing Site FYMN 4:53 AM
11-15 Maltahohe Airport FYNG 4:59 AM
11-15 Witwater West Airport FYMS 5:08 AM
11-15 Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge Airport FYSL 5:17 AM
11-15 Afro Venture Airport FYMA 5:23 AM
11-15 Maltahohe Airport FYNH 5:30 AM
11-15 Kerweder Airport FYMT 5:38 AM
11-15 Wolwedans Airport FYWD 5:46 AM
11-15 Maltahoehe Airstrip FYMH 6:12 AM
11-15 Mariental FYML 6:36 AM
11-15 Anib Lodge Landing Site FYMR 6:46 AM
11-15 Wohlzufrieden Airport FYHV 6:54 AM
11-15 Lidfontein Landing Site FYHX 6:58 AM
11-15 Bitterwasser N.Sta Airport FYHO 7:09 AM
11-15 Pokweni Glider Airport FYPO 7:17 AM
11-15 Gravenstein Prv Airport FYGV 7:32 AM
11-15 Windhoek Airport FYWC 8:03 AM
11-15 Eros FYWE 8:31 AM
11-15 Hosea Kutako Intl FYWH 8:41 AM
11-15 Dordabis Carpet FYRE 8:59 AM
11-15 Witvlei FYWI 9:29 AM
11-15 Georgia Peter Schomarz Landing Site FYHD 9:52 AM
11-15 Wittenau Pfanne Landing Site FYAG 10:00 AM
11-15 Aminuis Airstrip FYAM 10:16 AM
11-15 Ncojane FBMY 10:48 AM
11-15 New Xade FBDA 11:41 AM Virtual vision landing
11-15 Rakops Airport (Tau Pan) FBRP 12:17 AM Virtual vision landing
Flight time 7:31 27 stops
The view from where I landed yesterday at Sesriem
Sossusvlei Lodge Landing Site, one of many lodges around here
Those part circles on the right are part of Desert Quiver Camp
The view in the other direction
The view from Elegant Desert Lodge
Witwater West Airport, called Geluk Airstrip on Google, next to Namib Sky Balloon Safaris
This area is indeed perfect for Balloon rides
View from Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge Airport
And from down on the ground, &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
West from Nubibberge looking West
Near Wolwedans
On the way to Meltahoehe
Anib Lodge Landing Site, leaving the mountains behind
Wohlzufrieden Airport
Bitterwasser Lodge and Flying Center
From ground level
Gocheganas Nature reserve
One more mountain range to cross to get to the capital
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia
Since I’m Dutch by birth, the place names all make sense to me (wind corner)
Again, I never heard about Dutch colonial history growing up in the Netherlands…
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/dutch-colonization-wreaked-havoc-from-asia-to-africa/1075570
Actually Namibia was a German colony from 1884, the Dutch were there in the 17th century
Christus Kirche in Windhoek, build from 1907 to 1910
The independence museum, Namibia gained independence in 1990
German rule ended in 1915 after being defeated by South Africa
Since Africa is the birth place of homo sapiens, don’t foul your own nest comes to mind. It’s hard to stay positive about humanity, learning more details about the history of Africa. And I’ve yet to visit the Middle-East…
Back to escapism, near Dorbadis
Approaching Witvlei (white marsh)
Witvlei where 1,400 Ovaherero from Otjimbingwe defeated the Orlam Afrikaners in 1864 in the first Herero-Nama War. Can’t escape history here.
Later the Ovaherero became the subject of the Herero and Nama genocide, the first genocide of the 20th century between 1904 and 1908. In July 2015, the German government and the speaker of the Bundestag officially called the events a “genocide”.
Aminius, a cluster of small settlements and lodges at the Omongwa pan, western Kalahari desert
Approaching Ncojane while flying over the Kalahari desert
It’s actually raining in the desert
Ncojane, Botswana
Leaving Ncojane behind for some night flying
Localized rain and thunder
The skies cleared up on the way to new Xade (population 930 in 2001)
Star gazing over the Kalahari desert
I flew on to Rakops Airport next to Tau Pan, lightning flashes showing the terrain along the way
The next airport on my list doesn’t have a runway listed in the G1000, thus a good place to stop. Plus the terrain should be getting interesting again over Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.