Namibia Rocks

Twyfelfontein, Namibia
February 27th, 2009

In search of the desert adapted elephant and rhino we headed for the Brandberg Mountains. Arriving in the area we noted how un-desert like the area seemed and questioned the desertness of the elephants. It was quite lush and green. Still optimistic for a sighting we drove around for ages specifically near the riverbeds and ended up asking a few locals whether or not they knew of the whereabouts of the mammals. According to the residents the recent rains have made the area too wet for the elephants and they think the elephants are more around the Twyfelfontein area. We were also warned that the animals are very difficult to spot.

Somewhat disappointed we drove in the direction of Twyfelfontein. The gravel roads weren’t in great condition due to the heavy rains received so we dodged massive craters and managed to stay on the parts of the road which weren’t washed away due to water erosion. Following a few road diversions due to dry river crossing roads which weren’t what I’d call dry, we arrived at the Twyfelfontein lodge. No elephant sightings. Climbing out of the car and towards the lodge we noted the amazing rock engravings of animals near the entrance. After thoroughly enjoying a cold one at the bar, we decided to go to the nearby ‘gallery’ of rock art. This certainly didn’t disappoint.

The World Heritage site was spectacular to say the least. A picture says a thousand words, but an experience like this makes one speechless. I will however try my best to capture the moment for you. The surrounding area is still and calm, with rich red and brown rocky hills and green rocky lowlands. Tall dark and pale green grass grow beside tidy dirt paths edged with fist sized rocks which lead to different areas of carvings. Some of the carvings are circular, symmetrical patterns and others depict animals including lion and giraffe. These works of art are approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Absolutely awe inspiring.

p.s. Also had our third snake encounter here, Karel saw a snake on the rocky part of the path and said ‘move back snake’ which I took as ‘look closer a snake’ hence the photo