The forecast was for temperatures in the high 30s, but always a possibility of cold nights, so a mixed bag was packed for my great Kalahari adventure. This would be my first visit to the northernmost area of South Africa covered by the red sands of the Kalahari – the largest continuous stretch of sand dunes in the world – and I had chosen to combine it with a bird- and game-spotting safari to ensure that (a) I wouldn’t get lost or stuck in sand, and (b) would have companionship of knowledgeable people so that I would know what I was looking at. The dunes do not shift as in other deserts, but run in parallel lines roughly north-west to south-east, and the vegetation is regarded as savannah due to higher rainfall (relatively speaking) than a true desert. Years of prolonged drought have taken a heavy toll on the region and trees that have survived decades, even centuries, are dying despite roots reaching 60 metres to the hidden rivers deep below the parched sands. The once abundant plant life and the birds and animals that it sustained has diminished as Earth’s climate enters a phase of change, yet it remains one of the world’s wild places undeniably worth visiting to experience the reality of the struggle for life without that most precious of all nature’s gifts – water.
This was my second tour with Karoo Birding Safaris and I chose them again because of their vast knowledge of and love for this land, a lifetime's experience adventuring in the harshest of conditions and for Ralie being like another mother. Their unflappable good humour and ability to overcome any obstacle we encountered (fortunately very few, but their fireside stories were a delight!) made it a trip to treasure. I hope to pass on some of that knowledge, together with my impressions of this journey into the wild yonder, so that you will also want to set off on such an adventure and find yourself in that great silence.
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