Namibia

At 55 million years old the Namib Desert measures its life in geological time. Its sand dunes are some of the largest in the world with Big Daddy, Dune 7, measuring 1256 feet, roughly the height of the Empire State Building. And it is only one in a vast sea of sand dunes that continue to shift and change, driven by the winds that shape this coastal desert.

Sossusvlei, lying within the Namib-Naukluft National Park, is the single most arresting landscape I have ever seen. But I found Dead Vlei even more powerful than the towering dunes. This old salt pan within Sossusvlei has been dry for over 500 years but skeletons of dead acacia trees continue to stand - black against the red of the dunes. Seeing it is riveting and eerie, like watching a particularly violent thunderstorm.

Near the entrance to Sossusvlei is Sesriem Canyon, a narrow gorge formed from centuries of erosion. During flash floods the Tsauchap river becomes strong and fast enough to carve out this 100 foot deep canyon. It took two million years but it’s still hard to imagine it after seeing the endless dryness of the desert.

Images: Namibia, Dune 45, Dead Vlei, and Sesriem Canyon. All taken August, 2007

Comments

[Christi]

The picture of the dead acacia trees is way cool. I enjoyed this posting.