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Dead trees & dunes

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      During the other morning we spent at the Sossusvlei dunes, we headed out to one of the most photographed locations in the Namib Desert; Deadvlei. In simple terms, Deadvlei is a lake that has been dry for hundreds of years with the remnants of what used to be wetland trees. Now, these trees are famed for their minimalistic beauty and they make excellent photo subjects. Deadvlei is reached via a short hike above a small dune which leads you down into an otherworldly landscape. At sunrise, the dead trees create incredible silhouettes against the brightly-lit dunes behind. Walking around Deadvlei, you’ll notice the cracked and salty surface of a dry lake bed. Looking up, the steep slopes of Big Daddy Dune, a popular tourist attraction, loom over you. And if you look close enough, you will probably see hikers traversing the crest of Big Daddy Dune in hopes of catching the sunrise on top. To me, Deadvlei felt like a strange combination between surface of the Moon and the ...
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Sand dune sunrise

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      Anyone who has traveled to Namibia before knows that a trip to this country is incomplete without an excursion to the spectacular Sossusvlei dunes. These mountains of sand are famed around the world for their breathtaking beauty and immense height. While the crowds usually arrive at the dunes midday, we wanted to wake up at sunrise and capture the incredible and golden morning light. The contrast between sunlight and shadow on dunes is unmatched, and the dissimilarity between light and dark creates defined lines leading up the crest of the dunes. Watching the morning sun rise above the horizon while being the only person on top of a massive dune in the middle of the Namib Desert was one of the most remarkable travel experiences I have ever had. Looking through my phone screen, I could not believe that the picture I was about to snap was a real landscape, not a Windows wallpaper. My footsteps were the only ones that had been made on this particular dune in a long tim...
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A walk with the cheetahs

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      To spend the morning before heading off to our next destination, we decided to take a walking tour with three orphan cheetahs at the N/a’an Ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary. The mother of these cheetahs was sadly killed by poachers when her children were young, but the three male offspring are now kept on a large portion of fenced-in land at the sanctuary. Cheetahs need to learn essential hunting skills from their mothers in order to survive as adults, and since these cheetahs are orphans, they would not have been able to properly sustain themselves in the wild. The three cheetahs still have plenty of land to roam on, however, deeming them still somewhat wild animals. We took a guided tour to the cheetahs’ land where we would walk alongside all three of them for about an hour. At first, the three of them ran away from us towards the other side of their enclosure. This would force me, my dad, and a hesitant German couple to bushwhack through the shrubs in hope of seeing our ...
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Dunes meet the sea

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     After our first night in the city of Swakopmund, we awoke early to begin our day tour of the well-renowned coastline that lies south of town. The sand dunes along this stretch of Atlantic coast are famous for how they creep all the way up to the ocean and then drop off. Here, only certain times of day allow tour vehicles like ours to pass between the dunes and the sea; it all depends on the tide. The end goal of the tours here is to reach the spot known as “Sandwich Harbour”, a remote stretch of flat beach surrounded by towering dunes behind. Although the shoreline is wide and open at Sandwich Harbour, passing between the dunes and the sea further up the coast in some spots can be treacherous. In our case, we were able to narrowly avoid incoming waves against the dunes and plow through when the waves would briefly recede for a few seconds. We safely made it in and out of Sandwich Harbour, but it was certainly a thrilling experience to see waves come ashore below our ...
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Arrival in Namibia

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      If there is a single word I could use to describe my impressions of Namibia; remote. Namibia is the second least densely populated country in the world, and it is obvious. Approximately three people per  square kilometer inhabit the country, with the majority of its population residing in the capital and largest city of Windhoek. The only major airport in Namibia (WDH) is located about 27 miles from the city center. Even driving on this well-traveled route between the airport and Windhoek, the absence of any towns, developments, or buildings is noticeable. A dry and mountainous landscape near Windhoek resembles something similar to southern Arizona in my mind. After completing a lengthy customs and rental car process, we drove to the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary (I am not typing that again), where we would be spending the night. Walking around the grounds at sunset, I captured some silhouetted tree photos with an orange twilight in the background. The air in...
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1 night in Cape Town

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      We flew on Qatar Airways from Doha to Cape Town, South Africa; the furthest south I have ever been. My initial impression of the city was being amazed the spectacular topography that surrounds it. Table Mountain looms over Cape Town and its iconic silhouette is well recognized throughout the region. Walking through shopping centers here, you will find many bags, shirts, and various souvenirs with the outline of Table Mountain incorporated into the design. We spent the afternoon and evening exploring around the famous Victoria & Alfred waterfront. This lively marina is lined with shops and restaurants, and views of downtown with Table Mountain in the background are seen all along the stretch. At sunset, the mountain is illuminated with incredible golden/pink lighting. Ritzy developments on the slopes of Signal Hill overlook the harbor and large catamarans fill the docks.
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Layover in Qatar

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         After enduring a long and grueling flight from Atlanta, we spend our first “night” of our trip in Doha; the capital and economic hub of Qatar. I say “night” because we were technically inside the country for only about ten hours, with a good portion of those spent exploring the city. Although this was a relatively brief layover, the city of Doha certainly left its impression on me. Driving towards the city center, large, futuristic skyscrapers arise from the desert. Doha is lined with countless architectural wonders, and it seems that every square foot of the city has been carefully planned and designed. We spend a couple hours walking around the waterfront with views of the skyline at every corner. The temperature during the day here averages around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though this sounds extreme, the heat is bearable for me because it is dry heat, not humidity. With the lack of moisture the air and the sun behind the buildings, walking around ...
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