Sundowner

 As I've proposed way too often, you can never tell what ends up being a memorable moment on a trip. All too often it ends up being something utterly spontaneous. On the recent Namibia trip, after a day spent exploring the extraordinary Sossusvlei, I found that I was scheduled for a Sundowner. Since my travel agent had done such a good job so far in planning the trip I wasn't too worried about it, but I was tired and the thought of getting out of the pool didn't sound that appetizing. The hotel was on the edge of a cliff, and I assumed that the Sundowner was simply walking up to the top to get to, duh, watch the sun go down. As it turns out it was far more substantial. It ended up being a two plus hour jeep ride that was led by a very nice young man named Niklaas Gowaseb, and the only people on the trip were Serina, the hairdresser from Osaka who I ended up travelling with from Windhoek, and me. As with the rest of Namibia the natural beauty was simply overpoweringly beautiful. It ended when we pulled up to the edge of the cliff and Niklaas asked me to help him carry a cooler. He then set up a mini-bar and we sat and watched the sun go down. It was easily one of the most memorable evenings of my long life.

Niklaas pointing out that these were oryx scat and not coffee beans.

Serina enjoying the view.

Heading out in our truck.

Mommy and baby oryx.

I might have moved a little closer to the end of the cliff if it weren't for the wind whipping so dramatically. It had "Idiot Tourist Falls to Death" headline written all over it.

Niklaas laying out the mini-bar.

Niklaas and Serina were a wonderful crew to enjoy the evening.

I recently sent this picture to my friend Steve and said, "Hey, Steve, I found a desert in Namibia." He was not surprised.

And the requisite sundown to end the Sundowner. I'm starting to miss Namibia so much. It took so long to plan, and, well, get there, that I assumed that I would only go there once. However, I think I've determined that I'm definitely going back. As much as I like travelling alone, I definitely want to go with someone next time just to share it all.