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Deadvlei, 2nd of April 2024 - Walking down Dune 45, we cross West-Flemish (!), Germans and a group of Asians. The latter wearing legionnaire caps, dust masks and cycling sleeve pieces covering their arms. When I ask where they come from they say ‘Tsaina’. I playfully do the v-sign (you are a donkey) above the head of a woman being photographed, her friend gets the giggles, and she asks me to repeat my gesture for a selfie with her. This time I do a well-behaved v-sign at hip height (peace to the world). So now I will be on a faraway server pixelated with two anonymous Chinese women. 

The road up to Deadvlei is a bit challenging with deep sand and potholes, but nothing our Japanese workhorse cannot handle. The ride is bumpy and Karin and Gwen are forcefully shaken in the back, they complain with moderation... We walk the remaining kilometre to Deadvlei, the valley on the cover page picture of every guidebook about Namibia. It is indeed mind-blowing. A desiccated clay pan with skeletons of trees that died 600 years ago. They are now black and scorched by the heat in the valley. This is one of the most photogenic places I have ever seen. Most of the tourists climb Big Daddy, the highest dune in the area, from which you have a nice view on Deadvlei. We stay in the vlei and enjoy the relative calm of the morning. We sit down on a ridge to contemplate it all and in front of us there is a dune gecko diving into the sand. Show time! 

Desiccated tree in Deadvlei (FDC)

Jeroen’s boots full of sand (FDC)

This dune gecko showed his skills and sand-dived for us (FDC)

Alive and kicking among the dead trees (FDC)



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