2004 January to March
This was my first trip to Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge. Indeed, I had never been south of the Equator before! And I was going to be showing people around the night sky in the middle of the Namib Desert, about which I knew nothing! For an astronomer this is not such a daunting task as, say it would be for a guide taking people through the Amazon Rainforests without ever having been there. I was well prepared with star-maps, plus I had been given a one-to-one planetarium show by Dr John Mason at the South Downs Planetarium. For the next six weeks of my life I would be seeing things I had never seen before, on the ground as well as in the sky.
These pictures were taken with my humble Pentax 'Super A' 35mm film camera, which now belongs to a lady in Canada! I will let my pictures tell you the story of my first visit.
All photos copyright Caroline Beevis unless otherwise stated.
Namibia 2004
On top of a 'giant sandpit' (Dune 22)
My Office (the observatory)
Ranger Marcelino
Room 1
Dune 7
Ridge of Dune 22
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge villas ('rooms')
Room 1
Dune 22 ridge
View from Dune 22.
Observatory and astronomer composite
Setting Moon and quiver tree
Distant Sossusvlei Dunes
Mountain slope
Melissa tree-hugging
Me tree-hugging
Goeran, Jutta and Ranger Marcelino
Strange footprints!
Springbok
More strange footprints ...
Sesriem Canyon. Photo credit C. Beevis
Packed breakfast on a mountain (the yoghurt leaked ...)
Out-of-focus baboon
Melissa and me (having climbed the wrong mountain ...)
Me and two (very) old friends
Soccer match with neighbouring lodge team. Coached here by Nestor (who had recently broken his ankle climbing the Sleeping Baboon mountain).
Photo credit C. Beevis
Goalkeeper (with not much to do ...!)
Walking towards Dead Vlei.
Staff walking at Sossusvlei
SDL staff on visit to Dead Vlei (Ruthie is on the right).
Contemplation
Relaxation
Dry, clay pan in Dead Vlei.
A drink under the hot sun by a solitary tree.
A section of Dead Vlei
Dunes and mountains (Melissa seated in distance).
Melissa and me.
Rangers
Namib Sunset
Oryx carcass
Belinda and Maretha having a bit of fun with my guitar.
The poisonous Euphorbia Virosa cactus.
Esmerelda and Melissa sunbathing by the staff pool.
Lizard
Staff breakfast at Sossusvlei
Sundowner with guest and Dorette (lodge manager).
'Captain Front'
'Captain Back'
Swimming in the staff pool.
Dune wave, Sossusvlei
Desert lizard.
Ranger Nestor having a guitar lesson.
Me entertaining at the staff village.
My not-so-enthusiastic audience (oh dear ...)
Me with the guys.
That's better ... Philamon with my guitar.
Teddy bears all made by Dorette.
The staff village. A good walk round the mountain from the lodge. Did it several times.
Surrounded by a wave of children from Maltahohe school. I'm playing a song on my guitar before hearing them all burst into four-part harmonies singing a Namibian song. Many of these children had no parents. None of them had any shoes. The lodge supplied 'E Pap', (that's how it was pronounced anyway), a nourishing meal to each child every day through donations from lodge guests.
Entering Dead Vlei
Dune shapes.