The Diviners

B and I have decided to embark on new career paths as seekers of water. We are showing unique skills in this field, and also feel it could offer more flexibility to accommodate our travels.

We had a long drive from Windhoek to Sesriem in the Namib Desert. This is a gorgeous drive through the Naukluft Mountains. It’s dry mountain desert, but subject to flash flood when there is rain in the mountains and the seasonal rivers run over the roads. We drove through a few rain storms outside Windhoek before we reached the gravel C24 highway. We crossed water a few times but nothing much.

Just past the junction of C24 with another highway, we reached a full-on river, with pretty sizable waves and obvious fast current, rushing across the road. There was a transport truck and a few other 4X4 vehicles stopped to wait it out. We waited an hour with little sign of it going down, so backtracked to take the other route via the C24 through the mountains. As it turned out, we had taken this route last year as well. The river and the road kept merging, but nothing like that. Apparently these rains affect the roads 2-3 days in a year, but this was the first time in about 3 years the rains had come.

We finally arrived at Sesriem campsite after dark. We just settled into the tent when the wind came up and the torrential rains started. On other visits to this place, which is serious desert, we were told that it virtually never rains here. Sometimes the canyons and pans fill, but from water in the mountains that rushes in or when the aquifers fill up. Somehow, we coincided with the once in many years rain. Thankfully, it was brief.

Fortunately, we woke up to clear skies that seem to be sticking around. Things are dry and sandy again. This is just about my favourite place on earth, so I’m just happy to be here. It feels good to be hot and dry. The night skies are spectacular, with more stars than I knew could exist and clear views of the milky way.