We had two nights in the seaside resort of Swakopmund and on Sunday, whilst the younger members of our group went off and did fun activities such as sky diving (I think I wait for my hundredth birthday for that) we recharged our batteries by strolling along the beach and watching a few birds, mainly cormorants and gulls, and observing others doing more adventurous water sports.
Kelp Gull
Hartlaub Gull
Although we were warned that it could be cloudy and fresh here we both managed to catch rather too much sun.
Typical seaside activities
In the evening we had a visit to a local township. Although we have visited Africa several times we have never felt inclined to do this, seeing it as rather voyeuristic. However, we had confidence in the ethical values of our tour company National Geographic G- Adventures and the reassurances of our guide, Julian, that we went along with it. It was, in the end, a very enjoyable experience, with a visit to a local market and to the home of a member of the Herero tribe; a lesson in the local click language from a women at an orphan centre; a visit to a local hostelry followed by meal of local foods at a restaurant in the township. The main reason for including this in my nature blog is that I did attempt the dish of caterpillars, some of which we had seen earlier at the local market.
Dried fish at the township market
Bags of caterpillars
Click below for gallery of today’s photos:
Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos 