Deadly serious

I suppose one downside to getting so much done so early, it means there's no much more of the day to do some work. This afternoon was our first taste of labour. We were here to volunteer after all. We were driven out a short distance from the main site to a series of tree nurseries where we had to water some sapplings. Not the best photo to illustrate but once inside the perimeter fence, which is electrified to defend against baboons (and an area much larger than this indoor segment), we were handling water recycled from the sewage system - shit water, they called it. And it smelled as such. And so, with our hands getting wet and eventually drops covering out clothes, it was no time to get out the phone or camera. It was dull work but didn't take more than a couple of hours. Katarina and I were also given a pothole to fill so with a wheelbarrow and a pile of dirt, we did some road maintenance. That was somewhat more satisying. I think we did a decent job.

It was quite remarkable that we were back at the main camp by midday. We'd done an 8-10km hike chasing GPS coordinates over rocky terrain and still we'd only just begun the day. In fact, the rules around here were quite strict so when we got to the table by 12.06pm we were told off by the staff for missing the 12pm deadline. Wow. Give us a break! Actually, they're all so nice around here so nobody was really upset. And our meal was just what we needed. Very satisfying. Unlike the previous location, here we get a full on table service with all the trimmings. Not bad.

Feeling good about ourselves we began the two or three kilometres back. Thankfully it was flat, as far as anything is flat around here. Oddly enough everything is flat but never is the ground flat beneath your feet. You're always stepping on a stone. It's like someone had lifted a mountain and dropped it from a great height. Namibia seems to be the remains of some biblical explosion. I find myself falling back to take photos and so end up running most of the way to catch up. It's not good for my feet. But we all feel quite satisfied with ourselves.

Our twelfth GPS location took us up a steep slope of sliding rocks. It wasn't tough but still we had to be careful. Slipping would be easy. In among the rubble, like someone had bombed a city, we found our final half can but without a new location. We figured it was the end of our hunt and called in. We did so with a radio transmitter - there's no mobile coverage out here - and were told to climb over the slope and begin our journey back. Our target had been three and a half hours for the whole hike and we might just make it.  

At each site the GPS tracker takes us there's a collection of stones or branches to mark the next coordinates that are left in a half cut cola can. But it's not always obvious and still requires some careful attention. This one, however, was easy to pick out, topped with a huge Kudu horn. The kudu is now a much more rarely seen antelope out here. They used to be far more numerous but overhunting sent them into hiding, alongside outbreaks of diseases like rinderpest and rabies that decamated the population. Kudu horn I also read is sometimes used as a shofar in Jewish ceremonies. Go figure.

My camera stays firmly in my palm no matter where I go, whether climbing up steep inclines or down through crevaces. Half the time I'm falling behind having to run to catch up and doing my sore feet no favours. But I'm permanently in awe.

In among the rocks we come across a tiny chick seemingly trapped between the stones. We stand around in pity and at first attempt to free it. But instead of being trapped we wonder if if it's in fact just a baby hiding and waiting for it's mother. We leave it alone accepting we don't have the knowledge to decide and whatever the case nature will do its job either in bringing back it's mother or in providing a small meal for a hungry carnivore. Who are we to know better?

The rock formations here are stunning and I spend more time than anything just gazing at the rocks beneath our feet or those that surround us. From the sky this is clearly ancient lake and river bed but from the ground it's almost sculpture. I know next to nothing about geology apart from recognising the obvious signs of sedimentary rock that is present everywhere like an ancient dump of Roman brick. Every now and then, after the terrain begins to become familiar, it changes shape again, with new textures and new formations. It might all be formed by running water but you wonder exactly why one rock is shaped like the gills of a mushroom and another like marshmallow and yet all around is scattered the shards of stone discarded by ancient torrents. It's a geologist's paradise. Of course, it also adds to the stress on our feet and after a while I begin to crave something flat. Out here a pavement is something strange and exotic.

Strictly speaking we were here to track animals not the plants but while Namibia, particularly in the south, has few tall trees, when you find them they stand out like beacons, and more often than not, like elderly inhabitants bowing to the sky. In the absence of a dendrologist I have to assume, with the help of the internet, that the tall, smooth barked one, is a moringa ovalifolia. They occasionally shoot upwards out of the sedimemtary rock, screaming for life with wrinkled knuckles and knobbly elbows.  The second tree I have assumed is Eucalyptus, which we found almost disguised among the fallen boulders of a rocky valley, but huge and majestic with tentacled roots reaching down into the dry gravel. This particular tree drew our attention as we heard buzzing from a small cave behind it. For a moment we were intrigued but then realised it could well be the remains of a leopard meal. A little further long was one of our next GPS locations.

Our first GPS destination was about 2.5km away and a long trek across the stony wilderness. The sun was rising slowly from behind casting long skinny shadow giants before us. It was difficult to know what we were heading into, into such an unknown terrain. But our priorities were tracks and scat, otherwise known as paws and poo. Between the five of us I felt least confident to contribute so fortunately the others were quick to identify herbivore prints and scat, which were scattered all around us. At home you avoid them, cursing other dog owners, but here they are our message boards. Some tracks appear randomly between the sparse bushes but others follow natural lines in the ground. Perhaps a few zebras walked their first, then an oryx, maybe a few baboons. Over time these loose tracks form highways over which other prey will pass and upon which predators will hunt. Together these animals will share paths both literally and figuratively. It's like we are given a chance to peek into...

We weren't offered a lie in for our first morning and were leaving for a hike at 8am. So it was still dark when we woke in our tents after a night of animals calls. There was no chance either of us would be showering in the cold and dark (in the wild) so it was a case of wet wipes to freshen up. Breakfast was on offer and I had some muesli and bread. Impressively, they even had soya milk which made our lives much easier. They seemed very willing to cater for our disorders. Doug then gave us a few minutes of training using the GPS receiver and sent us on our way. It was an 8km hike but using GPS. We were to find the first coordinates, at which point we would find the next and continue until the end. It was a way to test our ability handling GPS. With the sun only just rising, we headed out into the desert on our own, in awe already at the Martian landscape around us.

We returned to the camp and prepared for the evening, which was pizza. There was an outdoor pizza oven and we had pizza doughs made for us with our chosen toppings. We took it in turns to cook them ourselves two at a time, careful they don't burn to a crisp. We did a decent job. With it being winter down here in the southern hemisphere it quickly cooled once the sun went down but not so much that it was unbearable, so we hung around the warm oven and chatted with our new friends. We still couldn't believe how short a time we'd been here and how much we'd done. Our tranquility was briefly interrupted buy a cricket slowly moving across the ground and eventually climbing on to the chair I was sitting in, shocking me somewhat. I can't say we've seen many insects but these are clearly the most common. They are huge and ugly, but fortunately very slow moving. The pizzas washed down with beer purchased at the bar at the equivalent of about £1 a bottle. There are two ma...

The talk was over and it was time to feed. Just before drove out here, we were shown how the food was prepared: seven huge chunks of meat sprinkled with egg shells or vitamins (to supplement a diet normally rich in other organs). One by one the two tourists hurl the meat into the air and either one cheetah makes a leap to catch it or two or three launch themselves together and tussle over the slabs of zebra meat. At no point do we feel in danger or expect them to jump in, but in theory they could. I can't quite believe we've only been here two days and already we get to see so much of the cheetah. Something I feared we might even miss. These animals are a delight to watch and clearly the sexiest of the big cats.

We are joined by a couple of tourists. This site also has a lodge with about five or so chalets and tourists pay extra to see this. For us it's included. Doug gives some background to the site and about the cheetahs while we stand around in awe. The seven cheetahs are within touching distance and circle us clearly hungry and expecting to be fed. At times they start to creep inside but Doug warns them back with a wave of his hand. These might be big cats but they respect our status as much as we must do theirs. We are told the cheetah is very much unlike their other big cat cousins. In many ways they share features with dogs, especially with their non-retractable claws that help them run. Unlike many of their carnivore cousins they don't have a great sense of smell and rely on excellent sight and their ability to outrun anything. But if it isn't moving it ain't food.

And so, after 15 minutes or so of rattles and squeaks as the truck (not sure if I'd call it a bus) grinds its way over the parched earth we arrive at a long fence that borders a large cheetah enclosure. Generally animals are wild here, it's not a sanctuary or a wildlife park, but they do have two seven rescued cheetahs in a large enclosure. Before we even enter, the big cats begin to stroll up to the fence in anticipation. We drive through a double gate as the cheetahs gather round and then Doug accelerates suddenly and we all cling on to the metal frame of the truck as we judder along at 50-60kph, but prove a poor match for these majestic of all sprinters. They even have a go, waving their paws at us as we try to pull away. Soon the path runs out and we stop by a raised wooden platform.

With little time for further rest we soon head out on the road again. Like yesterday when we arrived at the sanctuary and were quickly out on a truck walking with cheetahs, today we waste no time and jump into the pack of an open-air truck (at least with seats this time) and head off to the cheetah enclosure. It's the first time we see the scale of the landscape. So far we've either been in the sanctuary and not seeing much beyond the immediate bush, or in a car where everything was at a distance from the road. Here we are finally in the landscape and it's unlikely anything I've seen before. Huge rock strewn plains, like a Martian plateau, are ringed, in the distance (and it's difficult to gauge how far) by table-top mountains. It's like we've been dropped on to the set of a sci-fi movie. But for a few plants, I might expect to see the Opportunity rover chugging along round a lifeless boulder.

We are given about 30 minutes to unpack and clean ourselves up. Our tents are about a ten minute walk from the main buildings and it's clear how much of an oasis this is, in the middle of a very arid landscape. It's easy to forget this is a desert. We receive a short presentation and induction from the main coordinator and researcher, Doug, a Scot who seems more keen to crack a joke than talk about the animals. However, we do learn more about the research done here and their main project, the leopard. The greatest challenge here is human animal conflict and the greatest flash point is farming. Over the past 150 years farming has spread to the further reaches of this arid landscape and at every point a native carnivore has found its home invaded. The researchers here are trying to find ways of maintaining a balance. A way to save the wildlife while also respecting the farms.

With there being so few of us (apparently in a week or two is the high season for volunteers), we are given a tent each. Of course, Katarina and I are sharing. Ours is named Big Daddy, after the largest sand dune in the nearby desert. I am immediately relieved. My biggest concern coming out here was accomodation and these luxury tents were nothing to worry about. Inside was spacious with two areas, one with beds (no sleeping on the floor) and a second large space for all our bags and clothes. And also a porch outside. And luckily the whole tent was off the ground - what might crawl in at night was another big concern of mine. The toilets and showers were outside but right next door and again with so few of us we are not even sharing those.

Out of the dust road, we stop briefly at a supermarket. The roads here may be underdeveloped, but that's only because it's not very economical to tarmac thousands of miles of road for a population of only thousands (down south especially). The supermarket is vast and as well stocked as anything back home. So much so we are a little overwhelmed and so settle on some chicken and chips from a takeaway next door. The four or five hours of constant rattling finally comes to an end and we arrive at what will be our home for a week. There are many people here because it's also a junction between three sites. Those from the more distant site are travelling back and we've join from the north. We are all quickly seated for a plate of beef casserole. Over the course of an hour those going back north, or those travelling further south, drive on. Only five of us remain.

Although some of the journey is with tarmac, most is not. There are only a few major arterial motorways in Namibia and the rest is dirt. The journey very quickly becomes a cross between roller coaster and earthquake simulator. The constant vibration from the dirt road makes everything squeek - the windows, the doors, the seats, our heads. It doesn't end, for hours. It becomes so much a part of the experience that you forget what silence is like and when we stop for a break, it feels strange. But as we travel further south, away from the city, the road also begins to rise and dip, sometimes in quick succession. If you are not careful and not ready for it, you could get whiplash. It's almost like riding a horse. It's 100kph over dust and dirt.

After stuffing our backpacks into the rear alongside about a dozen others, we are last to get on the bus. We take seats at the front, just behind the driver and soon pick up some passengers on route. Those of us who got on first were all white, mostly students, volunteering at one of the two sites further south. But the two or three passengers we collect are black, some of the staff who work at the sites and who may have travelled great distances. With Namibia being so vast (twice the area of Britain) but a population of just 4 million (less than half of London) people are used to travelling far for work.

We are one of the first to arrive for breakfast at 6.45am. It begins to lighten and we catch our first sunrise over the African bush that surrounds us. Last night this place was filled with drunk students, all volunteering at the sanctuary. We see a goat jump into the ashes perhaps hoping to enjoy the last of the heat. A few others gather with their backpacks ready for the long drive.

It's always a worry with any activity when you have to sign a document absolving your organiser of all responsibility should anything go wrong. These forms went even further and want to pass on to us the costs of anything that goes wrong. Not that we have much choice to sign. However, with so many young people passing through I don't blame them for protecting themselves.   In the wider show you'll see a handheld foghorn device (for want of a better name). This was there for emergencies during the night. Fingers crossed the baboon isn't deaf. 

It was a surprisingly comfortable night in our tent house but the photo gives away the cold. Well we did wake around 6am so there was still an hour or two before the sun was up. It was certainly too dark and cold to shower outside and after a night of shrieking baboons I wasn't going to step out naked into the darkness. We also had to pack everything up for our first move. We're only here one night so might carry our bags to the main site for a drive south into the desert (not that anything isn't desert here!).

We finally get chatting with others including one young woman from Garston and marvel at how small the (white) world is. Finally it's pitch dark by 8pm and the stars start to glow all around. A strong crescent moon takes away some of it but still it's the most stars I've seen for as long as I can remember. However the southern sky looks unfamiliar almost like an alien world. The Southern Cross, a prominent constellation for antipodeans is completely unknown to us. With everyone gone we head back to our hut and wrap ourselves in thermals, a duvet and blanket to finish our first day in Namibia.

As the sun takes its dying breaths some of the fauna come out to watch us eat. We are surrounded by the bush and whatever wildlife that might pass by.

We return to the bushcamp and put on some warmer clothes as the sun drops and temperature follows very quickly. I have four layers on before we head out. But we don't go far as supper of fish and chips is served only a few meters away. It's welcome food as we look over the day's photos and then call home. We bought 36 minutes of WiFi for £3. Others are with us eating but we keep to ourselves mostly trying to take stock of our first day.