X-FILES
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The Prehistoric
KUISEB RIVER
Home of the People of the !Nara
Deserts are magical
places indeed, with the
Namib being the oldest
desert in the world.
Following advice from
friends, we decided
to get a closer look
at the desert and
especially the Kuiseb
River, with Kuiseb Delta
Adventures on their
Historian and Living
Desert Quad Tours.
hile Walvis
Bay
and
Swakopmund
have
much
to offer in
terms
of
entertainment, on this specific trip we
longed for the silence of the desert.
The Namib Desert offers fantastic
contrasts - from mysterious mountains
and barren plains to prehistoric rivers
and dunes with feminine lines. The
desert appears to be without life, and
it is only when you take a closer look
that you begin to realise the extent to
which people, animals, plants and
insects have adapted over aeons to
be able to survive in this seemingly
barren place.
Our first encounter with Kuiseb
Delta
Adventures’
lightweight
fully automatic quad bikes was
tremendously encouraging. The bikes
are used merely as a means of transport
to take the groups to inaccessible
places. Fanie du Preez, our guide,
soon proved to be particularly
environmentally conscientious and
he insisted that everyone follow
his exact tracks while he took us
on an adventure trip through the
dunes of the Namib. “Please do not
drive on the old layers of mud and
do not drive over a Tok Tokkie,” he
kindly requested from the members
of our group.
One moment we were high on
the summit of a dune and the next
we were diving down to the bottom
again. One woman in our group was
initially rather scared, but our guide
let her drive directly behind him and
trained her until eventually she drove
with much confidence. This tour is
indeed ideal for the whole family
– both young and old.
As our guide was exceptionally
familiar with the area, he showed
us all the fascinating secrets of the
desert. He explained how the Tok
Tokkie beetles get their water from the
fog, and how quickly the Namaqwe
chameleon has to run in order to catch
these beetles, which are his source of
water. He also showed us how the
sidewinder snake hides away in the
sand to catch the dancing lizards.
At the bottom of one of the dunes,
I suddenly realised that we were
standing in the middle of a graveyard
of the ancient inhabitants of the delta
- the Topnaars or ‘People of the !Nara.’
These historic human skeletons have
been exposed by the wandering dunes
and within years will be reduced to
sand by the relentless desert winds.
Fanie informed us that the Topnaars
buried their dead exactly where
they lived. “Look carefully and you
will see pieces of their pottery, the
different kind of beads they wore, as
well as stones that they used as tools,”
says Fanie.
It has been scientifically proven
that these people resided in the area
at least 8 500 years ago. Today, only
about 400 of the Topnaars still live
their traditional life as goat farmers in
the Kuiseb. The people’s staple diet is
that of the two desert fruit - the !Nara
and the Sirub.
“I think their first ancestors were
Beachcombers (strandlopers) who
found this river mouth friendly to live
in. Here they found fresh water, wild
animals and lots of desert fruit to eat,
while they were protected from any
enemies by the surrounding desert.
They probably later came into contact
with the Khoi-Khoi (Hottentots)
and because the Khoi were more
numerous, took over the Khoi-Khoi
language, which they speak today,”
suggests Fanie.
We were shown numerous
fossilised tracks at the site - not only
of humans - but also of nearly all the
land animals of Namibia, including
elephant, rhino, buffalo, giraffe,
eland, kudu, warthog, spotted hyena,
and so forth. It was clear that this
delta was a paradise before the dunes
Text: Robert Jones
Images: © Kuiseb Delta Adventures &
iStockphoto.com
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indwe – NOVEMBER 2006
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W I L D L I F E . . . N AT U R E . . . W E L L N E S S
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of the ‘Sea of Sand’ crossed the river 4 million years
ago, and killed all the vegetation on its way up north.
Today, the only desert animals found in the area are the
oryx, springbok, ostrich, brown hyena and jackal.
At the end of the tour we visited a Topnaar artist,
Jackie, and his wife, who have lived in the dunes all
their lives. I bought a painting of the desert from him - a
souvenir I will treasure closely, and which fitted easily
into my suitcase.
It was clear that our guide, Fanie, has a passion
for the desert and that it would be difficult to find a
better ambassador of the desert, than him. He has
explored these dunes for years and nothing evades his
searching eyes.
This desert experience was undoubtedly one of the
highlights of my Namibian holiday. I will definitely be
back - and if this does not prove to be possible - will
treasure these memories forever.
Bookings for this desert experience are essential.
To book, contact:
Kuiseb Delta Adventures
Walvis Bay
Mobile: +264 (0)81 128 2580
Tel/Fax: +264 (0)64 202 550
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kuisebonline.com
SA Express operates conveniently scheduled flights
to Windhoek and Walvis Bay. Book online at
www.flysax.com.