Namibia or planet Mars?
Boundless freedom in the midst of extra-terrestrially beautiful landscapes paired with diverse flora and fauna – that is Namibia for me.
There are very few places on earth, which I would absolutely like to visit a second time. The red dunes of the Namib Desert and especially our campsite under the sparkling Milky Way at the Spitzkoppe are definitely among them.
Namib desert
The Namib – translated as „the place where nothing is“ – is the oldest desert in the world, dating back 12 to 20 million years. The sand dunes, which today characterize a large part of the Namib, are estimated to be about one to two million years old.
At sunrise and sunset, they glow in all shades of red, from bright orange-red to a very dark brown-red – very similar to the surface of the planet Mars, by the way. The reason for this is the oxidation of iron, i.e. rust.
This scenery looks even more extraterrestrial in contrast to the white salt and clay pan with the up to 850 years old camel thorn trees of the Deadvlei preserved there in the dryness.
Gallery
Here you will find a selection of my personal favorites. All images you can of course also order from me as a print.
Spitzkoppe
Spitzkoppe, the Matterhorn of Namibia, is of volcanic origin. The 5669ft high mountain consists of magma, which never reached the earth’s surface and cooled over millions of years. The surrounding soft rock weathered while the hard granite remained. The perfect backdrop for the Milky Way.
Hoba Meteorit
The Hoba meteorite is the largest meteorite ever found on Earth. It hit the earth about 80,000 years ago at an age between 200 and 400 million years. It consists of 82% iron and has a current weight of estimated 66 tons.
But there are also theories that the meteorite is an extraterrestrial spaceship. I had to listen therefore nevertheless smoothly once whether in the inside a few aliens are to be heard.
