Namibia — Arriving in Walvis Bay and Heading Toward Dune 7 (and a cruise rant)

This has been a long trip. You may recall that we started off visiting the Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida; took a cruise to Southhampton; flew to Bucharest; headed down to Cairo; then south to Aswan; whereupon we boarded the Jaz Celebrity for an eventual cruise up to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings; but not before first visiting the Philai Temple Complex and Abu Simbel. After taking a few days’ break in Istanbul, we then headed farther south to Cape Town, South Africa. Well, we’re past all that now, and it’s time to board NCL’s Norwegian Dawn, where today’s stop is Walvis Bay, Namibia. You may recall that we’ve been on Norwegian Dawn before, including during this tragic voyage: A Tale of Tragedy at Sea,

But before I get to Walvis Bay and beyond, I’d like to take a moment to dispel the notion you may have that I only tell you the good when it comes to cruising. I do not, as some of you may recall with this disaster (and the reason I wll never set foot again on a Carnival ship): Touring the Carnival Victory — And Why Carnival can suck it on any future cruises. Today it’s NCL’s turn to feel my wrath, which is a real shame as NCL is one of our favorite cruise lines. But everyone’s boarding in Cape Town, and I mean everyone’s, was an unmitigated disaster.

NCL sent arriving guests a scheduled time to “ensure” a smooth, minimal-delay check-in and boarding experience. Riiight. Bear in mind that on a trip of this nature one expects guests who have time to burn. That means seniors. That means people who do not have any business waiting in a long lines under a hot African summer sun for at least three hourse, and probably closer to four. No shade. No seating. No water. In short — a total disregard for the safety and well-being of the largest demographic expected to show. Thank goodness for MSC. Why MSC? Because MSC personnel took pity on all these abused NCL passengers and took it upon themselves to distribute bottles of water. Note to NCL: that is no way to treat your clientele, and risking passenger health through negligence, inadequate staffing, poor and often contradictory information and directions, and failure to plan is just plain stupid. You were lucky this didn’t end in a medical emergency for someone.

But enough about NCL stupidity. Let’s board our tour coach and start heading out for today’s adventure. First destination — Namibia’s famed Dune 7 and the Dune Belt inside the Dorob National Park.

The Dune Belt of Dorob is famous, but the most famous dune of all is Dune 7. This massive mound is one of the largest dunes in the world, and a popular spot for climbing.

While this desert may look devoid of life, don’t be fooled. Even in broad daylight, under a hot African sun, near a road traveled by AWDs hauling multitudes of tourists, you’ll find…

And this cute little guy, the …

Wednesday I’ll take to on a photo tour of Namib-Naukluft National Park. Until then, one last look at the Dunes of Dorob:

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