Reception advised we would be collected for our next tour at 1pm so we were able to check out at 11am and wait in the lounge using their excellent internet. It was surprisingly cold but sunny and nice having breakfast on the terrace. The Olive Grove (name of the street) Guest Lodge has possibly the nicest breakfast menu we have ever experienced. As well as the buffet with fruits and cereals there is a hot menu with lots of different options. The menu itself has information and games on it, including colouring in for kids. We both chose the Namibian breakfast, which was delicious although toast comes slightly after instead of with/under the eggs. 
Our driver arrived at 12.30 and is named Baron. He gave us packs containing information about the next few days’ tour and we climbed into an air conditioned Toyota Landcruiser. There are 5 other guests. A German family of parents and teenage daughter. The father is chatty and friendly, the mother (or step mother- we can’t tell as her and the daughter don’t seem to interact) doesn’t understand much English and the daughter understands and speaks English well but chooses to only interact with her father. She’s a teenager. Also a Singaporean oncologist who lives and works in London and a fire service manager from Lincolnshire. 

Jen had warned us that for this part of the tour we got a driver but not a guide. She needn’t have feared. Baron, and the company he works for (African Extravaganza) go out of their way to ensure you learn heaps and and get the most from the tour. He is excellent. 

After picking up the others we set out on a long drive east and then south to the Namib desert. The world’s oldest desert. We had a couple of comfort stops at little places and then climbed up over a high mountain pass. There were great views at the top over the beginning of a flat, vegetated desert with huge granite outcrops and hills dotting the landscape. It was hard to photograph the enormity of it all, particularly with the sun to the front of us. The daughter loves photography second only to having profile and silhouette shots taken by papa and then mama when the images are not good enough. Seriously, they can only work with the material they have. 

One of the stops was to look at this huge Weaver Bird nest. Weaver Birds use the same nest for generations and they can grow to weigh over a tonne (the nest, not the birds). They are often associated with Tree Cobras that love to get the eggs and chicks. We didn’t see any (Cobras or birds). 

With all of us taking multiple photos and stops to look at zebras, oryxes and various other antelopes (increasingly in the dark) we arrived at the Namib Naukluft Lodge after the sunset, which was a shame.  

The Lodge looks west and has a lovely outlook over semi desert on a property that used to be a huge farm. The accomodation is very comfortable and quite like a New Zealand motel with a large lounge/bar and terrace area. It has a great shower. 

We had a lovely meal in a barbecue area just off the car park. It is called a bouma (spelling uncertain) and is an area surrounded with a circular wall designed to keep out the wind, and sand.

 the walls in Windhoek might also be for wind and sand protection?

An early start tomorrow as we are off to the sand dunes.