Alan Jones Flying Carpet Articles

Sesriem

It's a long drive to Sesriem from anywhere. It's in the hottest part of the Namib desert, in the Naukluft Park, central Namibia. Where the dust pours like liquid penetrating food seals and tightly closed lips.

But despite all the dust the air seems so clean and sounds seem clearer. Our old faithful Ford F250 has taken a beating from this rocky land as the heat shimmers off her hood in the shade of a large thorn tree. We're parked at the campsite at Sesriem. Apart from the few trees there is nothing living as far as I can see. As you look into the distance the horizon seems to dance like a mad thing. Tomorrow we will drive to the huge Sossusvlei sand dunes, the largest dunes in the world, and the "vlei" itself. In a place like this it's hard to imagine that we, soft, water filled humans, have had any impact on this planet at all.

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Added on February 07, 2003