Tag: Africa

We all know this applies to life,

but

did you know it applies to your horse as well 🙄🤪

I was going to show you the result of failing to steer –

but it was so unpretty it will have the website shut down

if I show you 😂

Suffice to say, on the third day,

finding myself flat on my back,

with the horse I was supposed to be bonding with,

nowhere to be seen 🙄

I realised I had to steer my Schnapps,

particularly when galloping!!!!

It all began with an invite from a friend to join her on the

https://www.namibiahorsesafari.com/namibdesertsafari

“toughest, hardest, fastest commercial ride on the planet,

This is a Challenging safari; suits experienced riders”

to quote the ‘blurb’

Some context of where we were going:

Namibia;

close to home, but then again, not so close.

To be more precise, from just outside Windhoek

(Windy corner),

to the west coast town of Swakopmund

(mouth of the Swakop river)

And what does Swakop mean, do I hear you ask?

You sure you want to know?

I quote:

Swakop” in Swakopmund is derived from the Nama word “Tsoakhaub,” which translates to “excrement opening” or “anus,” referring to the Swakop River’s tendency to carry debris, including dead animals, into the Atlantic Ocean during floods.

Right, now that we have cleared that up. 🤪

Approximately 320 km give or take, over 8 days, or 7 if you consider we walked for most of one day.

But hey, let’s just say – a long way.

Why did I ever think I could do this ride?

Well actually I didn’t think I could.

Namibia Horse Safaris thought I could.

So there you have it.

I paid my not small fee, booked the flights

stopped for moral support, hugs and good food ‘at home’

to sustain me for the adventure ahead.

And just like that, a short flight to Windhoek to reunite with ‘old’ friends and make new ones.

A day wandering round Windhoek brought back memories of ‘before horses’ 😆

Food, lots of food;

views to take your breathe away

There was history, relegated to the ‘back rooms’; not a happy past.

There were modern new skyscrapers that I did not photograph, but I assure you they look like modern skyscrapers the world over.

and of course, shopping

I was so focussed on surviving the upcoming ride, I did not have a blog/story in mind so was not ‘geared’ for this – apologies 😆. If you know me and writing, you will have some idea of how nervous I was about the ride – no writing!)

And just to drag out the misery, we had a half day to play –

well it was fun, but the horses will still ‘looming’

Fun it was : the UNESCO site

Slogging up Dune 45

And sliding with great joy down again

It was SO beautiful

These are the images most have of the Namib Desert, dunes, colour, sand and all the tiny beetles and things we saw as we walked around.

But there is another kind of desert,

as we soon discovered, barren, flat, dusty desert and in our case,

after the first rains in tens of years, covered in a fine grass.

There were three ‘crews’ on this trip:

Guests, from USA, Australia, France, UK, Botswana and Canada.

The crew, without whom nothing would happen.

and then, of course, the Rockstars of the entire affair ;

THE HORSES.

Loving life, whether bums in the saddle, or in a seat

There were celebrations to be had, horses to be ridden

Tummies to be fed, both ours and our horses with such gratitude to the ‘crew’ who cared for both.

Sylvester, Colin, Willem, Liesbet

So much love and care went into all that they did for us,

and their beloved horses.

Andrew, Mr Boss 😉, and the beautiful, kind, fun loving Cassie & Greta who both know a thing or two about horses and riding.

There was exhilaration for the experts

And terror for some of us others (well not quite terror, 😜)

There was down time,

cuddle up and keep warm time

Solitary thoughts time;

for horses and people 😊

Quiet time

Moments of solitude

And times of tough walking which has it’s own stories to tell 😉

Happily after the slog down, we found a tiny bit of water for the horses

And a tiny bit of shade for very very hot riders turned hikers 😊

And as we all know, whenever there is a downhill,

there must be an uphill.

There was and it was UP hill, so no photos.

But we made it through the Kuiseb Canyon with some effort.

And continued the adventure always westwards towards the coast.

Looking ahead…..

…..anticipating what was to come….

…letting the others take the lead….

…such an amazing adventure that this was

There were diversions along the way

With the constant of my mobile bedroom;

snug, secure, and very flexible 😉

Wherever we chose, we were happy and content.

With night skies to keep us company –

no words or photos could do them justice.

On a trip as long as this, as challenging as this, with diverse a group as this, chaffing was inevitable.

Some of it literally chaffing; with the saddles, or in my case, the ground,

and some of it metaphorically as personalities rubbed this way and that.

But at the end of the day,

with a little help from our friends, 🤣

we made it to the coast,

intact, physically, mentally and socially.

And our AMAZING horses never let us down once.

Well, mine let me down,

or to be fair, Left me down as she galloped on.

I alone am responsible for the fall –

note to self ;

always remember to steer 😉

but that story is for another day 🤪

Still together, we look to reaching our destination

The Atlantic Ocean.

Champagne on offer – and why not? 🤪🥂

An amazing experience

320 Kilometres; 8 days; I guess an achievement of sorts 😂

And now time to unwind, relax, shower

and share another two days of

reminiscing and sharing before we all go

back to our ‘real worlds’

Although I often wonder which of my lives is more real.