We all have these photos … throwback photos!

It’s described as ‘nostalgia-inducing pictures … from a different era of your life”.

Every Thursday we will throw a few photos of ‘way back when’ on our blog. Why on a Thursday? Because it’s just a day away from the weekend … and we love weekends!

You are welcome to join in or just enjoy the photos (#TB Thursday).

May/June 2016 – West Coast and Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, South Africa

This was our second day in the park. After our first night at Potjiespram, we were now on our way to De Hoop campsite, which is only 44km (27 miles) away. But before we packed up, we first headed down to the Orange River to watch the sunrise while enjoying a cup of coffee. Why does coffee taste so much better in nature?

Sunrise at our campsite Potjiespram

The facilities in the park are very basic (but it was more than adequate for our needs). Some campsites have showers (cold water only) and then there are a few with self-catering units. We didn’t mind taking a cold shower (in the middle of the day) because the weather was nice and warm. The average daytime temperatures are relatively mild, but it can get extremely hot during the summer … then even the cold showers are too hot!

Ablution facility at Potjiespram

When we started packing up, we had quite a few spectators. Vervet monkeys occupied the tree branches and literally surrounded us (at a safe distance). We had to quickly make sure our food was loaded into the car first before we could pack the rest of our camping stuff away.

Vervet monkeys

On the way to De Hoop campsite we stopped several times to enjoy this rugged landscape. It is a desert area characterised by deep gorges and high mountains. In fact, it is full of changing scenery from flat and sandy to high mountains of volcanic rock and then the lushness of the Orange River.

Orange River with high mountains in the background

As mentioned in a previous post, one of the trees that is very famous in this area is the Quiver tree. Another famous plant is the ‘Halfmens’ (loosely translated it would be Half Human). It is a type of succulent and native to the Richtersveld and southern Namibia. We were lucky to see both on our route between Potjiespram and De Hoop.

Quiver tree (left) and “Halfmens” (right)

Flat area between high mountains

Although it is a dry and arid region, it is still possible to find many birds and other animals here. In our previous TB Thursday post we told you about the genet at our campfire. Besides the genet (and the vervet monkeys of earlier), there are also scorpions, bats, rabbits, porcupines, squirrels, hyenas, leopards, foxes, jackals, zebras and various antelopes. As we were driving we saw a few antelopes running away. It looked like kudus.

Kudu and her calf

We also stopped at The Hand of God, which is a boulder with the impression of a large hand. Locals believe that God pressed a hand on this rock face and left His handprint on the mountains.

Hand of God

When we reached De Hoop campsite, we pitched our tent on the grass on the banks of the Orange River. Although another couple arrived later, it was quiet and peaceful.

Our campsite at De Hoop

Since this was our first trip in our Jimny, we weren’t as geared up for wild camping as we are these days. This meant we had no portable shower (with hot water) or a camping fridge … but we made a plan!

A black shower bag in the sun to heat our water

The Orange River was the perfect fridge for our beers

De Hoop campsite is one of the most popular spots in the park and we loved our two day stay here. As always, we ended our day with a big fire while enjoying the night sounds.

Evening fire at De Hoop campsite

In our next TB Thursday post, we’ll show you more of De Hoop campsite (and some animal visits).