The day begins with a small but satisfying realization: the hot water system at our camp is working perfectly. Annette had to wait a bit for her shower to warm up, but since Michael likes to lounge in bed a little longer in the mornings, he lucked out with fully warmed-up pipes. The air was a crisp 12°C (around 54°F), but shaving and brushing our teeth under the morning sun was a real treat.
While Michael was slowly getting ready, Annette took some time to capture the surroundings and our little cabin in photos. The Great Spitzkoppe, just behind our camp, looked especially stunning in the morning light, as did the natural details all around us. Locals proudly call the Spitzkoppe “Namibia’s Matterhorn,” and standing in front of it, you can see why. According to the internet, the Great Spitzkoppe rises to over 1,700 meters (about 5,577 feet), while the Little Spitzkoppe is a bit shorter. Still, the peaks didn’t appear quite that tall—until a quick GPS check on our phone reminded us we were already standing at 1,100 meters (around 3,609 feet) above sea level. We hadn’t even noticed the elevation gain during the drive; the road had been so straight and smooth. We were genuinely impressed.
Soon after, a flock of black birds descended on our terrace, eagerly picking at the leftover crumbs from last night’s dinner. Naturally, we couldn’t resist and fed them a slice of bread—bad tourists!
We noticed that some of the birds seemed to be juveniles—almost the same size as the adults but still being fed by them. The adults had red eyes, while the younger ones seemed to have white. Sadly, we couldn’t capture the feeding moment in a photo, but on the edge of one image, there’s a cricket defending itself from what it thought was an attack. It stood tall and chirped defensively the entire time—though the birds paid it no mind.
Eventually, we realized we were hungry too. Our breakfast was simple, mostly because we hadn’t brought coffee or tea—something we completely overlooked. So we ended up sipping sparkling water, at least served with a bit of style in borrowed cups. Oh well, we nailed the cool box logistics; we can afford a few oversights.
Then we set off on a short hike, just over 7 kilometers (about 4.3 miles), to explore the area surrounding the Spitzkoppe. After so many days in the car, it felt great to move.
This dramatic landscape was formed millions of years ago, when magma rose into a hollow chamber underground but never breached the surface. Over eons, the softer rock above eroded away, while the harder granite remained, exposed and sculpted by the desert climate. Unlike in Europe, there’s no vegetation layer here—so the bare rock gives the mountains a unique and striking appearance.
Time to head off—before the heat kicks in. Our first destination: the Small Bushman Paradise. The area is fenced off now, due to past vandalism by careless visitors, so you need a local guide to enter. We were lucky to find one who walked us through the area in exchange for a small tip and explained everything beautifully.
There are ancient rock paintings here, estimated to be 2,000 to 4,000 years old, created by the San people who once lived in this region. They were a small-statured people, not more than 1.5 meters (under 5 feet) tall, who traveled in nomadic groups of 15–25, following the wildlife and the water.
The paintings are done in red and white pigments. The red came from the blood of game animals; the white from a curious mix of rock hyrax urine and ostrich egg contents. Rock hyraxes are about 50 cm (20 inches) long and look like oversized guinea pigs—but unfortunately, we haven’t seen one yet.
Among the painted animals, we spotted a rhino, a zebra, an elephant, and an ostrich, as well as human hunters crawling on all fours. The sun was beating directly on the rocks, so we had to shade them a bit to really make out the details. It’s astonishing how well these artworks have survived the elements. We also took a photo with our guide, John, proudly (or perhaps ironically?) wearing a cap that reads “Best Guide in Namibia.”
Next stop: the restaurant at the Spitzkoppe Community Rest Camp. It’s a bit early for lunch, but the road ahead is long, so it works out. Along the way, we saw dozens of crickets on the road, feasting on their squashed comrades—grim but fascinating. Our minds began seeing patterns in the rock formations: snakes, elephants, birds, monkeys, even dinosaurs. Nature sparks the imagination out here.
We finally reached the rest camp. The restaurant, nestled against the granite backdrop, looked like something out of an old Western. We each had a delicious chicken burger with fries—honestly some of the best we’ve had on the trip. The food in Namibia has consistently exceeded expectations—very European in style and taste, which suits us just fine.
Refueled, we headed back. Over lunch, we’d had the idea to collect firewood along the way, so we could grill our sausages later. Fortunately, we had a foldable shopping bag with us. Handy!
Not far from the trail, we came across a Welwitschia plant—a truly odd-looking survivor from another era. It’s over 110 million years old as a species and only grows in the Namib Desert. Despite its gnarly appearance, it’s fascinating: just one pair of leaves that keeps growing longer for hundreds of years. Botanically impressive, if not exactly beautiful. Still, it deserved a photo.
Eventually, we reached the Rock Pool, a natural granite basin that collects and holds rainwater. We had to climb a bit to get there, but the view from the top was worth it. You can see all across the plains, right up to the Spitzkoppe. It’s easy to imagine how the San people once relied on pools like this to survive. We took some close-ups of the colorful granite textures while we were at it.
From there, it wasn’t far back to the Spitzkoppe Cabin Camp. We spent the afternoon resting, blogging, washing some clothes (we’re traveling with just carry-ons!), and sketching out tomorrow’s plans. And we check out our tour on komoot which we have used to track our hiking adventure.
As evening fell, we finally put our self-collected firewood to use. It took a little effort to get the fire going, but once it caught, it burned beautifully. We grilled Boerwors, a Namibian sausage specialty, and served it with dark bread, peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes—a simple, hearty meal.
Eventually, the sun dipped behind the mountains, casting everything in a warm golden light. Tomorrow’s shower water is already heating up. Time for bed. Good night!
