Fish River Canyon

There is not much vegetation in the Fish River Canyon except for the odd Quiver tree. Second in size to the Grand Canyon, it is quite impressive to drive along the canyon’s lip for kilometers on end and peer into the snaking River far below. An old story is told here if one can read the rocks and formations.
We followed the Canyon to the Ricterveld which is another mass of Rocky Mountains, and camped along the Orange River in Namibia. Crossing the Orange on a small Ferry brought us back into South Africa and we crawled along over steep passes to camp again on the South African side of the Orange River. Many birds, lizards and fish lived there and it was great place to swim with our own sandy beach. Exiting the Ricterveld we passed many diamond mines on our way back to the Atlantic.
The Namakwa coast is very different from the Skeleton Coast further north. The Atlantic surf beats huge smooth boulders interrupted with flawless white sand beaches. Fur seals occupy some areas of the coast and the low vegetation is very diverse and colorful. At certain times of the year it is a Mecca for wildflower enthusiasts. We saw very few travelers when we were there.