We take the C13 North to Helmeringhausen, on a decent dirt road. Helmeringhausen is another one horse town, literally just one street, but it has a shop, liquor store, hotel, campsite, restaurant, clean bathroom and even a fuel station which stocks 50ppm diesel. They also have the ubiquitous old rusty cars which Namibians seem to love so much. We fill up with beers and diesel, and then drive the 4km back, to turn down the C27/D407, to find Duwisib Castle. This road is less maintained but ok to travel at speed. We pass a huge herd of goats on the road.
Nicki has picked up a stomach bug, so is not feeling lekker, but everyone else seems fine. The scenery changes at every turn, but we are surprised just how lush this section is, with verdant green hills standing out against the platinum grasses.
We finally reach Duwisib castle, but we are about half an hour early for opening, which is 13:00. The castle is in the middle of nowhere, basically in the desert. It is constructed from red stone, looking like a real castle with turrets and slit windows.
We find a shady picnic site in the day visitors area, and enjoy another delicious lunch. After lunch we head into the castle, paying N$50 per person. The castle was built by a German Schutztruppe Captain Hansheindrich Von Wolf & his millionairess American heiress wife Jayta. Construction commenced in 1908 and completed in 1909, and the couple lived there until 1914. They bred horses, and farmed with livestock.
In 1914 the Von Wolfs travelled to England to buy another stallion, but while at sea World War 1 broke out and the German liner they were travelling on had to seek sanctuary in Rio de Janeiro where they were interned. Eventually they managed to get to Europe on a neutral ship. Hansheindrich joined the German forces and fell in the battle of Somme on 4th September 1916. Jayta moved to Munich, remarried, eventually returning back to the USA but never returned to Duwisib.
The castle changed owners a few times before eventually being bought by the government in 1979. The entrance hall in the tower is the most impressive part of the castle, various ornaments including swords, guns, art and photos decorated the walls. We walked clockwise through the castle, moving to the dining hall and interlinking staff quarters. The rooms have some furniture in them but not all original. The ceilings are especially high providing a cool interior. The courtyard garden is dominated by palms, lush and green, a world apart from the dry landscape outside. A small pool occupies the center of the garden.
On the other side of the courtyard are more rooms, some being used as offices. We made our way back to the tower and descended to the cellar, which is bare and spooky. Climbing to the top of the tower there is another room with an amazing view over the landscape. The castle history is fascinating, but somehow the renovations, changes and repairs over the years have diluted the authenticity of the place.
We leave the castle shortly thereafter, following the Xxx road towards Sesriem. We pass through both the Namib Rand and Namib Naukluft parks, both teeming with game and awesome scenery. We stop for two jackals close to the road, in front of herds of springbok and gemsbok. The jackals seem to be foraging for something tasty to eat.
Eventually we reach Sesriem, the gate to Sossusvlei, and the Sossusvlei Lodge, just next door. This will be our home for one night, and is a touch of 5 star luxury after camping! The lodge is in Bedouin style - the entrance is impressive with red and yellow adobe walls, covered in canvas drapings, with beautiful patterns raked into the stones.
We are "welcomed" by Cornelius, the slightly dour but actually very efficient receptionist. We are given drinks and cold towels, so refreshing after our long journey. We are shown to our rooms - each is its own unit, the front with adobe walls and the rear tented with canvas, it gives a sense of "camping" in the desert, but actually much more luxurious! Each unit also has an outdoor sitting area, looking out over the landscape, a desert veld where apparently some animals can be seen.
We head back to reception to sort a few things out for the next day, and also explore the resort. We climb a very steep tower which has awesome views over the whole area. Gitti and I enjoy the sunset from up here. There is also a lovely refreshing pool, a beer garden and a large restaurant.
Around 6:30 we meet for dinner, choosing an outside table on the balmy evening. The veld outside the lodge is lit up, in case any game come by. The friendly waitress explains how the various stations of the buffet work, and we head off the check it out. This place has everything... We start with a carrot and ginger soup, and then decide to head straight for mains, while we still have our appetites. We are really impressed with the grill section, where they have 9 different game meats to try, all beautifully marinated and braaied to perfection by the skilled chef. We each try two different meats... Zebra, oryx, springbok, impala, hartebees, kudu, eland and more. There are also regular meats to choose from. The game is the best I have ever tasted, fresh, tender and delicious. Each meat has a slightly different flavour and consistency... After this, some go back for Mongolian stirfrys while others sample the salads and starters. Finally, we tackle the huge selection of desserts and teas, all of which are very good. We head to bed and sleep wonderfully in the soft beds.
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Location:Sesriem, Namibia
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