This is a series in which I describe a typical Tuesday during our travels. This will give you an idea of what we do on an average day – sometimes exciting and sometimes mundane.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017: Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe, Namibia

8:09am – Woke up in our cabin in Swakopmund, Namibia and drank some orange juice. Showered and got ready, then started packing up our things. Took everything out to the truck to our two lockers, which we rearranged after having stayed in the cabin for three nights.

10:13am – Gave our keys to Makori to check out of the cabin, then walked into town.

10:22am – Arrived at Village Café and sat outside to have breakfast. I ordered a cappuccino and Texas toast with bacon, onion, and eggs. Jon ordered a coffee and muffin.

A cappuccino for breakfast at the Village Cafe.

11:42am – Moved to a small table inside the café to sit in a room with our friends. Spent time online, checking email, bank accounts, Facebook, etc.

Some of our friends, all taking advantage of the wifi before we head off to camp!

12:28pm – Walked a block to where our truck was parked and got on. Drove to the activity booking office to pick up a couple people and then left Swakopmund. Listened to podcasts and looked out the window on the drive. Ate a few pieces of biltong for a snack.

Our Intrepid truck, waiting for us in Swakopmund.

Biltong for a snack on the truck!

2:58pm – Stopped on a gravel road on our way to Spitzkoppe to take a few pictures of the mountains, which is where we would be camping for the night.

The road to Spitzkoppe – like most in Namibia, unpaved.

3:29pm – Truck dropped us off at the entrance to the campground so we could walk through and see where everything was situated. On the walk to our campsite, five wild horses ran over to see us and then walked away.

The wild horses roam free around Spitzkoppe.

3:40pm – Overview of our plans for the afternoon with Makori.

3:43pm – Set up our tent at the base of a large rock. Sat under the awning in the shade and drank a beer while chatting with the other members of our group.

We took advantage of the shade provided by the awning to relax in the hot afternoon heat.

4:56pm – Eddie, a local who would guide us to see some cave paintings, arrived and led us on a walk through the desert.

Eddie led our hike to and from the caves, pointing out interesting things along the way.

5:40pm – Arrived at the caves which contain paintings from 2000-4000 years ago. They were used as communication between the nomadic families who would pass through the area. Most paintings were of animals.

One of the many cave paintings – this was much clearer and brighter than some of the others.

6:05pm – Eddie showed us a few other things in the area – trees and bushes that were used for food and medicine. We started the walk back to camp.

6:53pm – Arrived back at camp. Jon and a handful of others climbed up the large rock situated next to our campsite. Jenny, David, and I climbed up a smaller rock nearby.

Some of our group climbed up the large rock to watch the sunset.

7:19pm – We all watched the sun set from our respective rocks.

We all enjoyed the sunset over the rocks in the desert.

7:48pm – Gathered around the fire where Makori was cooking lamb steaks.

7:53pm – Washed our hands and ate dinner around the fire: lamb steaks, baked potatoes, and a green bean/carrot mix.

Dinner by the campfire in Spitzkoppe.

9:05pm – Helped with washing up and flapping our dishes dry.

9:34pm – Climbed up the small rock to sit and look at the stars. We could see the Milky Way and many constellations in the southern hemisphere. Yousup took pictures with his camera of the sky – it was beautiful!

Our talented friend, Yousup, took a picture of Jon with the Milky Way and night sky. (photo credit: Yousup Lee)

9:56pm – Walked to the ‘bathroom’ (drop toilet) and brushed our teeth, then got in the tent to go to sleep.