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Rock Art of Namibia Expedition 9th - 25thJune, 2018 Site references based on numbering system of Ernst-Rudolf Scherz False colour images processed with dStretch, a freely available software developed by Jon Harman

Day 0. - Windhoek

Our party arrived on various flights a day or two before planned departure, staying at the calm and pleasant pension Moni. As we were to spend all nights at proper accommodation, there was much less preparation needed than on our previous trips, allowing me to make a few quick sorties to photograph Windhoek sights which were always on the list just never had the time. One was the unique street corner adjacent to the Christuskirche, the principal Windhoek landmark. One may endlessly debate the deeper connotations, however one thing is certain: Windhoek is the only spot on the earth where one may stand on the corner of Fidel Castro street and Robert Mugabe avenue...

Another little gem that does not appear in any city guide is the rather unglamorous sounding NEO Paints Factory in Lazarett street. What makes it special is the series of amazing murals encircling the building, created by the globally acclaimed Chinese born street artist DALeast. I must have passed it dozens of times, as it is just at the corner of the street where Mark Held has their garage, now taking a break between rounds to the airport I finally had the time (and the right light) to photograph them.

Day 1. - Windhoek - Spitzkoppe

With everyone safely in Windhoek (in the company of all luggage) without any delays or mishaps, we started out after breakfast in our Toyota Quantum minibus rented from Mark & Nadine (Dornbusch Car Hire) like on all previous trips. The morning drive to the Spitzkoppe via Okahandja and Karibib was rather uneventful, the roads were empty on a Sunday morning. We drove non-stop till Usakos, where we had to stop for fuel, rudely awakening the slumbering jet-lagged party.

From Usakos it was just a short remaining drive till the Spitzkoppe Tented Camp, overlooking the granite mountains. The place was a bit of an unknown quantity, booked at the last minute after it became clear that Ameib ranch is firmly closed due to a legal dispute. It turned out to be a very pleasant place, having huge tents with attached open bathrooms spread out among the big acacias bordering the small riverbed. A particularly nice added flair were the three tame ostriches which grew up in the camp, and were extremely inquisitive (and a little intimidating at close quarters - they are HUGE), following everyone and everything that moved. We were just in time for lunch, after a quick settling-in we took our meal in the open dining room overlooking the Spitzkoppe before heading out in the afternoon.

Our first stop was "White Ghost shelter" at the Klein Spitzkoppe (Scherz site 89/A) about 30 kilometres from the camp. This is the most interesting among the cluster of sites reported by Breuil and Scherz among the lower granite knolls to the south of the main massif. The strange club-wielding (?) white figures (representing the youngest layer at the site) have no clear analogies elsewhere.

We continued the "Fine Giraffe shelter" (Scherz 89/C) on the far side of the broad plain between the hills. This was the first test for the Quantum (which had a raised suspension but otherwise a regular 2wd), as the site was adjacent to the top of a large anchored dune with a steeply ascending sandy track, which the minibus easily handled with a full load. The site needs a little bit of scrambling over low rock ledges to reach, and true to its name presents a pair of very fine giraffe high up on a wall (too high for Breuil to copy them) plus a wealth of other paintings along a long rock wall.

With the sun rather low we retreated to camp to have our first proper African sunset and sundowner, with the ostriches and the Spitzkoppe as backdrop.

Day 2. - Spitzkoppe - Omandumba West

Morning entertainment was once again provided by the ostriches who by now were perfectly accustomed to our presence. Despite the 9 hour jet lags everyone made a convincing attempt at appearing to be awake, after breakfast we set out to the gate of the Spitzkoppe protected area just a few hundred metres from the camp.

After picking up the obligatory guide at the entrance we drove to the eastern part of the mountain, where a big sign and a fixed chain marked the path leading up to "Bushman's Paradise", the largest rock art site in the area (Scherz 92/E), located in a very picturesque lush hidden valley surrounded by barren rocks. This site was copied by Breuil, and was much damaged by the practice of wetting by subsequent visitors, but with dStretch most of the original scenes may be restored.

Before returning to the car we visited a lesser site, 92/F which is usually bypassed by the guides and visitors. The setting is very similar to the main site, it is in a large hollowed-out shelter on the far side of the valley which must have made an excellent living place, however the paintings here are much fewer.

We were a bit squeezed for time as Harald & Dieke Rüst were expecting us for lunch at Omandumba, we made a quick visit to the other principal site at Spitzkoppe, the "Sphinx shelter" (or "Big Rhinoceros shelter" as Breuil called it, Scherz's site 92/A) but these days it is referred to as the "Small Bushman's Paradise". Our timing was perfect, the paintings just moved into the shadow with the ground in front of them still radiating the heat.

Omandumba West at the north western corner of the Erongo is only 45 kilometres from the Spitzkoppe as the crow flies, but along the zigzagging roads it was almost 100, we reached the Bush Camp mid-afternoon. After a quick lunch and settling in to our tents we started out on a round of the sites in the southern valley, starting with the biggest and finest site of the farm, "Torchbearer's rock" (Scherz 131/N) named after the group of little figures which appear to hold torches (or something...).

We continued to the southern end of the valley, to "Tuba rock" (Scherz 131/L) and the adjacent "Crown boulder" (Scherz 131/M), both having been visited multiple times on previous trips.

At the right of the "Crown boulder" there is a small passage leading to the rear of the same rock, which has the lovely panel of what appears to be a bee swarm chasing a number of running figures. Further to the right there is another, less distinct but similar depiction (of a swarm ?) with some indistinct human figures in an unclear superposition.

We still had enough time before sunset to walk across the grass plain to the small site of 131/I at the foot or the granite island at the middle of the southern plain (with the "Cave" campsite at the far end). As we neared the site, a noisy band of baboons fled the surrounding trees and started climbing the rock face at an impossible angle, hurtling choice insults at the unexpected intruders.

Day 3. - Springboksfontein

The entire day was planned for the visit to the sites of Springboksfontein, along the western side of the Erongo just across the low ridge bordering the southern plain of Omandumba West which we visited the previous afternoon. While the sites are just a few hundred metres form the border of the farm, to reach them with car takes nearly an hour, driving along the road to the village of Tsumeb, then taking the track to the spring and the sites beyond. Learning form the aardvark burrow mishap fo the previous year, with the 2wd minibus we took no chances, and parked at the end of the driveable track and continued on foot to the sites. We started at Breuil's "Battle Boulder" (Scherz 98/F) which was fully exposed to the sun, but with the low sun angle and the good quality paintings and rock surface this was not as disturbing as at some other sites.

Now knowing where to find them, on this visit we could properly photograph the black rhinoceros and the group of opposing archers (with one figure seemingly pierced by a number of arrows) in the dark crevasse at the left of the site which are almost completely invisible on the dark wall, and were unnoticed by Breuil.

While we took turns to photograph the main panel, we also had time to visit the nearby small site, Scherz's 98/K.

We continued in the deep grass along the edge of the rocks to the next site in the row, Breuil's "Nursery boulder" (Scherz 98/E), so named on account of the group of tiny figures (though most probably not children) adjacent to a group of larger (and later) figures who were identified as women by Breuil, but this is by no means certain.

On our 2017 trip I found a small cave a short distance to the west of the "Nursery boulder" with a single animal figure inside that was not reported by Scherz. This time having more time we found two more panels at this site, including one with a pair of oryx drawn in outline only, accompanied by other more conventionally depicted animals.

Continuing along the perimeter of the hills we soon found "White giraffe rock" (Scherz 98/N), a rock wall with a very fine giraffe painting which we missed in 2017. While the giraffe is the only figure readily discernible, there are many more paintings along the wall, only visible with dStretch.

Rounding a promontory we entered the next broad grass filled valley jutting in to the foothills of the Erongo. "Porter's shelter" (Scherz 98/B) is at the narrow end of the valley, with a row of porters that is almost identical to the scene on "Porter's boulder" at Omandumba West.

"Dark mantles shelter" (Sherz 98/A) is in reality an isolated huge boulder in the middle of an elevated terrace above site 98/B, along the easiest path across the ridge to Omandumba West. This is arguably the finest site at Springbokfontein, with the pair of cloaked figures which gave rise to the name appearing on the dust jacket of Breuil's book on the Erongo sites.

There is a lesser panel at the rear of the boulder which we missed on the previous visit, depicting among others a very fine zebra.

Following a lengthy photo session we re-traced our steps along the well-trodden path in the grass back to our vehicle, and moved on to the broad valley immediately to the north. This too was filled with high grass that sprang up after the good rains in the past season, so dense in places that it completely obliterated the track in places. Successfully navigating around a deep aardvark hole we reached the rock of Sherz's site 98/O with a large and fine panel of paintings, and also a perfect shaded spot for a quick lunch.

After lunch we walked to the two nearby sites, 98/H with the row of tiny dogs or hyenas, and 98/G on the side of a boulder near the north western edge of the valley.

We returned along the track to spring to take the fork towards site 98/I the northern valley, the scene of our aardvark burrow mishap the year before. Strangely now there was no trace of the burrow which trapped one of our vehicles last year, someone apparently made a considerable effort to fill it and repair the seldom-used track. We left the minibus before a gully crossing with soft sand and walked towards the end of the valley where we expected the site to be among a cluster of large boulders. This site was named "Rüst boulder" by Breuil after Harald's father who originally found it, the paintings were straight forward to find based on Scherz's unusually precise description of the location. There are only a few figures here, but two of them are unique, depicting two double-headed animals with no parallels anywhere in the region that I am aware of. Unfortunately they are quite hard to see as they were subjected to numerous wettings, but with dStretch they become well visible.

Coming out of the valley, we made a short walk to the last site in the area on the side of a small isolated granite knoll, 98/L which was also copied by Breuil (and Scherz). There is only a single painting here, a very fine rhinoceros head which seems to lack the rest of the body, quite possibly it was never completed.

On the way back we attempted to find an interesting site that was shown by Herr Rüst to Jeff some 15 years earlier in the vicinity of Tsumeb, however we could not find a track leading into the general direction, and it was too far to walk to with the limited time available till sunset. We did have enough daylight though to make a leisurely return to Omandumba via the track cutting across the junction of the main road. We passed an isolated boulder not far from the track, and after a walk-around we did find several panels of paintings all around the boulder, the best a group of animals and human figures at the rear. While Scherz did report some sites in the general area, the actual paintings and location did not appear to match any of the published ones.

As we finished photographing the panels Joana casually asked whether I have seen the viper. What viper?! It emerged that I nearly stepped on it as I was taking the photos. Returning to the spot it took several minutes to find it, almost completely submerged in the granite gravel and perfectly camouflaged, my footprint just three centimetres from its head... It turned out to be a hornless horned adder (Bitis caudalis), a common (and not lethally venomous) puff adder species in Namibia with a very varied colour pattern to match its actual habitat.

Continuing along the track we saw another promising cluster of huge boulders nearby. There were several good shelters but all lacking paintings, we only found a small scene at a rather inconspicuous vertical rock section on the side of the passage crossing among the boulders.

Day 4. - Omandumba East - Omandumba West

In the morning after breakfast we drove over to Omandumba East, the part of the farm managed by Harald's younger brother Didi, with a cluster of sites at the north western corner. Didi fixed the tracks recently, now the important ones can be easily accessed without any 4wd. We started at sites 132/C and 132/D close to each other along the foot of the mountain bordering the farm to the north, both reported by Scherz.

We continued to the huge shelter at the western edge of the valley, 132/E which is the finest site of the eastern part of Omandumba, with two large panels of paintings along the rear walls.

Not being in any particular hurry, we had time to search for site 132/F which we missed last year, looking for it too far to the East near the two sites we visited earlier in the day. Now, with a better understanding of the topography Scherz's description made more sense, we easily found the cluster of boulders a bit over a hundred metres to the north east of the large shelter.

As we returned to Omandumba West we stopped by the road to see a nearby new site recently discovered by Harald & Dieke, with a some very unusual baboon and hare depictions among more common animals and human figures on a small panel along the side of an inconspicuous rock.

After the rather busy past days it was nice to have a relaxed lunch and a little time to just do nothing at the lovely Bush Camp built by Harald and Deike a couple of years ago, now the main guest accommodation on the farm.

After the afternoon rest Harald took us out to the southern part of the farm that is only accessible with 4wd, starting at a site he recently found to the north of the cluster recorded by Scherz. The site (tentatively designated 131/X) consists of a large shelter with only a single figure on the low rocks along the rear, and nearby two boulders, one with a nice large panel of human figures.

We continued along the bumpy track only recently built by Harald to one of the highlights of the southern area, Scherz's 131/D with the fine kudu and other depictions. While we were busy snapping our photos, Harald wandered off and soon came back reporting that he found a new panel of paintings just a few dozen metres away with a couple of fine human figures.

Our next stop was the site known as "the priest" on account of the unique cloaked figure (Scherz 131/O).

On our return towards the camp we made another stop at the deep shelter with a very complex panel of paintings at the rear wall (Scherz 131/Q, "Strys cave").

It was approaching sunset, but we still had time for a quick stop at a nearby fine site (131/K), which we missed on previous visits. There is a large panel of paintings with a multitude of human figures, giraffe and other animals (plus some other panels on nearby boulders for which we had no time on this occasion).

Returning to the tent after dinner, in the adjoining bathroom I have found a large gecko with prominent dermal scutes which I have not encountered before, appearing rather like a baby crocodile. It was a Turner's gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri), apparently very common in the area.

Day 5. - Omandumba West - Klippdachsberge (Erongo Wilderness Lodge)

The Abbé Breuil stayed with Harald's father at the Omandumba farmhouse, but he did not see any of the southern sites, those were only recorded by Scherz subsequent to Breuil's visit. However a cluster of sites were copied by Breuil, all of them to the north east of the farmhouse, close to the edge of the neighboring Anibib farm. In the past we never visited these, now we allocated the morning to see them all, having confirmed their location with Harald. We started at the easternmost cluster just a few hundred metres south of the Omandumba East sites across the granite ridge which we visited the previous morning. The large boulder with a deep crevasse ("Scherz fissure", 129/I) was easy to find, containing a very fine panel with numerous springbok and a large human figure.

Nearby there is another large boulder, Scherz's site 129/K, with a spacious shelter underneath containing several separate paintings, the finest of which is a large giraffe.

The best known site in this area is Breuil's "speaking kudu shelter" (Scherz 129/G) with the striking figure of a kudu with a turned head. This site proved to be rather elusive, using Scherz's description we spent quite some time looking for it until finding it just a dozen metres from where we stopped with the minibus.

The last site of this group, 129/H is about 100 metres further East along a small valley, along a rock wall under a much larger overhang with some rather damaged, barely discernible paintings.

On the return we stopped to climb up to the small but very fine recently discovered site ("David's shelter", 129/L) with the human figures with full facial features, a very rare occurrence in Southern African rock art.

Leaving the minibus at the San Living Museum we took the footpath to the terrace to the north (just behind the Ai Aba lodge on the other side of the ridge), to Breuil's "Porters' boulder" (Scherz 129/E), a large rock with the very fine panel of porter figures on the eastern side.

A little further east there is a big shelter formed by a mass of huge granite boulders, with a few paintings (Scherz 129/B, which the Abbé noted but did not copy). From here there was a clear view to the western end of the terrace with the granite hill and the last site of this cluster.

"Strey boulder & wall" are right at the foot of the granite hill, inconspicuous from a distance but impossible to miss when there. The boulder is supported by a column with the paintings (including the very fine oryx) on a vertical section right under the boulder. There is a rather precarious ledge in front of the paintings with a good three metre drop which is rather difficult to access, the Abbé made his copies using a ladder. On the nearby wall there are some more paintings, including the intriguing elongated dark figures.

The last site we visited, Scherz's 129/C, is at the end of a small granite knoll near the road leading to the San Living Museum. It turned out to be an unexpectedly fine site, with numerous figures on two large panels.

We returned to the Bush Camp for lunch, then we packed up to move to our next stop, the Klippdachsberge at the north eastern corner of the Erongo near Omaruru. These prominent granite hills hide a number of fine rock art sites, including Paula cave, a site that was copied (but eventually never published) by Breuil.

In Breuil's and Scherz's time there was only a farmhouse behind the hills, but about a decade ago a fine tented lodge was established in a secluded and very scenic spot among the granite hills. While some of our party elected to take the opportunity to have a nice relaxed afternoon, the rest of us went out for a walk to one of the remote and almost never visited sites.

At first we walked on a marked walking trail, but on approaching the largest of the hills the path turned a different way, and we had to find our way through the thick bush along the foot of the hill. The big opening in the side of the hill was clearly visible, but also we could see that the way up will be rather difficult, comparable to a climb on the Brandberg with big rock ledges and thick vegetation. Frank wisely decided to walk back to the lodge along the nearby track leading to Paula cave, and it was just the three of us with Amy & Joana who tackled the hill. It was a tough half an hour climb to get up to the large shelter at the foot of the vertical cliffs, referred to as Strey cave by Scherz (116/F) presumably on account of the finder. The dense vegetation and the lack of any discernible path showed that the site had not been visited for a very long time. The paintings, while not well preserved, are rather special, with a number of white rhinoceros and an apparent hippopotamus accompanied by a long tailed canine. If indeed the animal is a hippopotamus (could also be a hornless rhinoceros) that would make it unique, as to my knowledge they are not depicted elsewhere in the region.

We had to make our retreat after a rather hasty photo session as the sun was rather low, and it was a good hour back to the lodge (we made it just before sunset). As we reached the foot of the hill we noticed a pair of black Verreaux's Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) circling above, their nest was just a few dozen metres above the shelter in the cliff face.

Day 6. - Klippdachsberge - Ekuta - Anibib (Ai Aba Lodge)

We had a quick breakfast and an early start to beat the sun at Paula cave, which starts shining on the paintings by late morning (the lodge inexplicably organises their tours only in the afternoon, when the paintings are practically invisible). Breakfast at the lodge was accompanied by the usual entertainment of a big flock of lovebirds chirping loudly above the bird-bath located strategically just outside the restaurant window.

As we drove towards the shelter we encountered several Damara dik-diks, one posing long enough for a good photo. Leaving the car behind we made the short climb to Paula cave (named after the wife of the farm owner who found it in the nineteen thirties) in the side of a granite hill, which is most unusually a true deep cave, apparently hollowed by seeping water. The paintings are located on both sides of the entrance, we had a comfortable hour at the site before the sun started encroaching on the right panel.

As we were driving back to the lodge our driver spotted a small snake just abeam or the track. It turned out to be another horned adder (with horns this time), much darker than the one we saw three days earlier matching the surrounding terrain and vegetation.

We had our lunch at the Wilderness Lodge, then packed up and started out to Ekuta farm inside the interior of the Erongo, to visit the amazing Ekuta cave that is best seen in the afternoon. Like last year, our guide was Karl Hinterholzer, the owner of the farm who discovered the site when he was just eight years old. With the wealth of paintings at the shelter (the largest site at the Erongo) we spent the whole afternoon there, taking time to see and photograph all the finer details.

While we were taking the photos a pair of lovebirds perched on a nearby tree provided some noisy entertainment, and Karl's dog sniffed out a sand snake hiding among the rocks of the shelter floor, causing a momentary commotion. Finally everyone was satisfied and we walked back to the car below.

As we were driving back from Ekuta to the main road we saw some movement among the shrubs. After some time they moved out into the open and we could recognise them as a family of bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis), a species I have never seen before in the Erongo.

We continued back along the road to Omandumba, reaching the Ai Aba lodge before sunset. Returning after dinner to my room I found another pair of Turner's geckoes hiding behind the terrace light, cautiously emerging after I stood still long enough.

Day 7. - Anibib (Ai Aba Lodge)

When we visited Anibib for the first time in 2017, we only saw a fraction of the sites on the farm. The Abbé Breuil recorded a number of sites close to the boundary with Omandumba, of which we only saw two. This time we were very fortunate to have Martin Steppe as our guide for the coming two days. Martin is the former manager of the Ai Aba lodge, and over the decade he spent there he discovered in the range of about two hundred paintings scattered about the property. While our time did not permit the visit of all (and many would not have been worth the effort), Martin promised us a good cross-section of the more important sites, including a visit to all recorded by Breuil. Interestingly at Anibib Scherz did not add anything to the repertoire, he merely catalogued the sites known to Breuil. He used area 124 for the western part of the farm, and 125 for the eastern part, for practical purposes in the following I have used a continuation of this numbering system to refer to individual sites visited, but as most remain unpublished this is just a preliminary (and incomplete) listing.

After an early breakfast we started out at the north eastern corner of the farm, visiting a group of three nearby sites (125/L1-L3) while they were still shaded by the high hills to the East. The first one had a beautiful pair of giraffe among other figures depicted on the side of a large isolated boulder.

Continuing north along the track we stopped by a large boulder which contains at the rear a unique panel of non-figurative paintings (125/K). This type of paintings are younger than the fine figures common in the Brandberg-Erongo region, and occur in greater numbers (both paintings and engravings) in the more inland parts of Namibia, but this panel is the only such known in the Erongo.

A few hundred metres further along the track we went in among a cluster of boulders to a very fine large panel of paintings with several giraffe (125/M, the last site we visited in 2017).

Yet another couple of hundred metres further we visited another cluster of four sites (125/N1-N4). The first one had a faint but very fine depiction of an eared serpent, a theme common at the Brandberg but quite rare in the Erongo.

The second site of the cluster on a medium-sized boulder, with some traces of paint exposed to the sun did not appear interesting on first look, however shading and dStretch revealed a very fine group of hunters with bows and other accessories.

After a short walk we reached the third site of the group on the side of a tall boulder, which turned out to be one of the highlights, with a large panel of diverse paintings that include a scene of an angry elephant with flapping ears (probably protecting its young shown just behind) chasing two running hunters.

The fourth site of the cluster only had a few paintings, but one of them was a very nice rhinoceros with exceptionally large horns.

Continuing north, we passed an inconspicuous boulder with a narrow crevasse in its side, where a part fell off due to heat cracking. Incredulously, at the very rear of the crevasse, at a place almost impossible for an adult to squeeze in, there was a very fine panel of springbok (125/O).

We reached the foot of a huge granite dome near the northern border of the farm, with a cluster of three sites (135/P1-P3) near its eastern edge. The first site was just a couple of figures on a low rock along the path leading up to the main site.

The principal site of the cluster was hidden among a mass of jumbled granite boulders, with several panels of paintings on vertical walls including some rather unusual human figures.

The cluster was complete with a small site under a solitary granite block sitting on top of the smooth top of the dome about half-way between the other two sites.

Re-tracing our train we descended from the granite dome which offered a perfect view over the surrounding country, and drove towards the old abandoned Ameib farmhouse with the adjacent waterhole fed by a windmill driven pump. At the waterhole we encountered a fine herd of kudu and a pair of giraffe, our first big game sighting of the trip.

We finished our morning round at a pair of sites (124/L1-L2) close to the northern border of the farm, the first one with a very fine kudu cow and a giraffe on two adjacent boulders.

The second site a short distance away was a larger panel of paintings along a low vertical rock wall with several giraffe among other figures.

After a quick lunch at the lodge we departed again, this time to the western part of the farm near the dry riverbed that flows from Omandumba West, to the sites recorded by Breuil. We started at "Big Hill", a granite ridge where Breuil reported three sites (Scherz sites 124/B1-B3). We started at "Kudu wall", a large panel of paintings with a number of fine kudus among other depictions.

To the left of the Kudu panel there was a deep shelter formed by a slanted boulder leaning against the main rock, in it a panel of paintings which much to my surprise matched those of Breuil's "Tree cave", which based on Scherz's description was supposed to be somewhere higher up the hill and to the right of the Kudu panel.

On a higher level, at a position commanding a perfect view over the plains of the southern part on Anibib, we did find Breuil's "White giraffe shelter" where we expected it to be. dStretch reveals a strange upside-down gazelle that is partially overpainted by the white giraffe.

Strangely just 60 metres further East on practically the same level along the hillside Martin found another large site (124/B4) with three distinct panels of paintings along the site of a prominent rock outcrop, including a pair of "sphinxes" which are practically identical to the ones seen at Spitzkoppe. What was perceived by Breuil to be horns on the head appear on these examples to be bow and arrows. It is strange how both Breuil and Scherz missed this large and fairly obvious site.

Near the top of the hill Martin found another small site, 124/B5 with a few small but well preserved human figures.

Leaving "Big hill" we drove to the northern end of the roe of sites recorded by Breuil. Leaving the car by the track we started at the site with the pair of fine elephants (124/J) which we have seen in 2017

Rounding the rock promontory we came upon an area of towering rocks and huge boulders surrounding a little open plain. This was Breuil's "Deserted place" (Scherz 124/I), with several distinct panels of paintings on vertical rock faces.

One panel at the base of a rock tower was particularly nice, with a fine kudu bull and several quagga's (an extinct zebra subspecies).

The paintings continue around the south side of the rocks (124/I2), though less exciting than the main panels.

Between the two distinct places we found traces of paintings on a vertical rock face, which dStretch revealed to be a nice panel of animals.

After this detour (needed because the "Deserted place" sites are not visible in the morning sun) we returned to the western sites, starting at the prominent roadside boulder, Breuil's "Mourning boulder" (Scherz 124/A) on account of a scene which he perceived to be the depiction of a funeral.

We continued to the property gate, then along the fence marking the border with Omandumba to the south western corner of the farm, to one of the finest sites at Anibib, "Red Elephant shelter" (Scherz 128/C) so named on account of the large elephant on the main panel.

There is a cave at the rear of the site, with some interesting figures holding arrows (or sticks) with double points, a theme that was chosen as the logo of the Ai Aba lodge.

With the setting sun we just had enough time for one last site, Breuil's "Reconciliation boulder" (Scherz 128/E) not far off the way back to the lodge.

It was nearly dark by the time we reached the lodge after this full day, with Venus chasing a new moon on the western horizon.

Day 8. - Anibib (Ai Aba Lodge) - Uis

We made a very early start before breakfast to beat the sun at two principal sites in the valley just behind the Ai Aba lodge. We started at "Rain clouds cave" (Scherz's site 125/A1), a huge shelter formed under some enormous boulders, with a striking row of rain clouds along the right side, plus numerous other panels on both sides of the triangular roofed shelter.

"Giraffe boulder" (Scherz 125/A2) was about a dozen metres away, with a large panel of paintings on the side, where after some time we could count over a dozen giraffe in various sizes.

Returning towards the car we passed "Elephant's wall" (Scherz 125/B) which has a number of fine paintings, including the elephant that gave the name to the site. By the time we were finished the sun was about to rise over the hills to the east, placing most of these paintings in direct sunlight for the rest of the day.

The last site of this cluster, Scherz's site 125/C was right next to the lodge, just beyond the last chalet. It contains two panels of paintings, including some more "sphinxes"

After breakfast we set out again to the north eastern part of Anibib. We reached a granite ridge about two and a half kilometres to the north of the lodge, which I recognised as the place we walked to the previous year, finding a large but completely empty shelter along its northern side. This time Martin was taking us to the southern side, crossing the smooth granite on top of the broad whale-back like ridge.

While the northern side of the ridge was empty, the southern and eastern perimeter contains a cluster of five sites (125/E1-E5). The first one was a small panel on the side of a low rock with some fine human figures.

A little further west the next site is a large shelter under a boulder, with a big panel of very fine miniature paintings.

The third site was a long low wall along the southern edge of the ridge with a complex panel of paintings, depicting a large number of human and animal figures, inculding a pair of fine quaggas.

The last two sites were in the extreme west of the knoll, small shelters in the sides of boulders with some fine paintings in both.

Returning to the car we drove to an area of large boulders and a low ridge near the old Anibib farmhouse. Martin led us to an area seemingly closed off by shrubs, and taking a narrow path entered a small opening in the side of the rocks (site 124/K). Shading the wall, we could see a huge figure exceeding a metre in height on the wall of the opening, the largest one known at Anibib (and the entire Erongo to my knowledge), comparable to the "giant" in upper Amis Gorge on the Brandberg.

With most of the morning already gone, we had only a short time left to cherry-pick the best of the remaining sites. We returned to Breuil's northern group to visit "Paradise rock" (Scherz 124/H) so named because of the snake surrounded by a multitude of other animals, including the strange long-tailed creature.

We continued to "Boyle's egg", the huge upright boulder with several panels of paintings all around its base, including a panel of elongated figures which I completely missed on our previous visits.

Returning to the eastern part of Ameib we made hasty stops at the two major sites adjacent to the track which we have already visited in 2017, sites 125/F and 125/H.

We concluded our Anibib visit at the huge boulder overlooking the northern plains (site 125/J) with large and well preserved panels of paintings all around, another site visited in 2017.

Thanks to Martin Anibib surpassed all expectations both in terms of the quantity and quality of the sites. We returned for lunch to the Ai Aba lodge fully saturated, taking a short rest before packing up to depart.

The drive to Uis was uneventful, we reached the White Lady Bed & Breakfast well before sunset, allowing for a little lounging by the pool before dinner.

Day 9. - Brandberg, Lower Tsisab Gorge

We were on the road again after an early breakfast to see the sites of the lower Tsisab Gorge at the Brandberg. It was a perfectly clear and reasonably col morning as we approached the mountain to pick up our NHC guide, Quinton at the parking and ticket office before continuing on foot up the path along the Tsisab. Leaving the "White Lady" site (T1) for the end of the day, we started at lowest of the Tsisab Island sites, "Tiara cave" (T2) with the beautiful pair of giraffe, one of the finest scenes in the valley.

We continued to the small but beautiful "Ostrich Shelter" (T3) with some very fine animal depictions, then on to the adjacent huge Jochmanns shelter (T4, the first site known in the area, marked by the original graffiti on an adjacent rock).

The Jochmann shelter is unique for having some very large scale figurative depictions high above the more usual smaller scale human and animal figures. Breuil attempted to trace them, but his copies leave much for imagination, with dStretch now it is possible to get a better, but by no means clear picture of these strange paintings without any ready parallels at the Brandberg.

Following the usual route past the huge "Pyramid rock" we climbed up to "Skeleton shelter" (T8) near the end of the island with the strange skeleton-like figures next to an indecipherable blob.

Leaving our packs behind we continued to the End-of-island shelter (T9) two hundred metres further upstream, a spacious shelter with some interesting figures, including a red and black half human - half animal figure (very similar to the one in the "White lady" shelter).

We had lunch in the shade of the "Skeleton shelter" which also provided an opportunity to explore the area. There was a site fancifully named "Two lovers" (T23) by Breuil on account of a male/female couple in the shelter. Searching the rocs to the north it did not take too long to find the large shelter, with the very faded figures which Breil copied. More interestingly there was another panel that was not mentioned by Breuil, with a double row of large dots superimposed by a single human figure (the dots echoing the patterns seen in the Jochmann shelter).

On our return we stopped at the "Pyramid shelter" (T5) at the base of the huge rock, now fully in the shade. We were rather surprised to find the area in front of the paintings covered with elephant dung, apparently the herd which wrought havoc in the lower part of the valley took rest here - fortunately they have not rubbed against the paintings, at least not visibly.

Crossing the Tsisab riverbed near the spring marked by a huge wild fig tree, and leaving our packs at the Elephant shelter we climbed the far hillside to one of the ultimate treats of the Brandberg, the "Girls' School" shelter (T11) with the row of exquisite female figures (and many other scenes). After checking out a prominent but completely empty rock above T11 we returned to the Elephant shelter (T10) for a quick photo session before continuing back towards the "White Lady"

Nearing the lower end of the Tsisab island we passed the huge boulder at the edge of the watercourse like many times before. Now its normally fully sunlit northern side had a small patch of shade along its bottom edge revealing a few paintings, identifying the site as Breuil's "Big Rock" (T16).

A little further downstream I found another site, Breuil's "Rock of the dispute" (T14) right next to the path, another site which we always walked past without noticing on our way to the Tssab Island.

We reached the "White Lady" shelter (T1) just before the sun set behind the high ridge to the North, providing full shade and the best viewing conditions for the last two hours of daylight. We spent a good forty minutes at the site, taking photos in turns from the small viewing platform before making our retreat to the car park then to Uis for the night.

Day 10. - Brandberg, Lower Numas Gorge

We took another early start in the morning, driving along the West Brandberg road towards the entrance of Numas Gorge along the western side of the mountain. We made a stop at the big cluster of Welwitschias soon after turning off onto the rough track skirting the Brandberg along the western side.

The track posed no challenge to our Quantum, it had a quite impressive terrain capability, only limited by the rear ramp angle. We reached the end of the trail into Numas with the sun still behind the mountain, and continued on foot towards the sites reported by Scherz. The valley underwent a major transformation from last year, there was fresh growth and pretty flowers everywhere, indicating that the runoff of the summer rains reached the bottom of the valley.

We started at the lower cluster of sites, first with Scherz's site K2 fiercely guarded by a day gecko, then continued to the fabulous eared serpent framing a giraffe at site I.

Continuing upstream to the upper cluster of sites along the well trodden zebra path leading to the springs, there was more green vegetation everywhere. The fresh growth was not restricted to the watercourse, suggesting that some rain fell here in the lower part of the valley.

We took a lengthy time to see and photograph all the sites reported by Scherz around a small granite ridge paralleling the watercourse just before the "zebrawater" spring. The sites here are not particularly large, but almost every one contains some unique scenes.

The "zebrawater" spring, dry last year was now flowing with water that collected in a large clear pool, offering a nice opportunity to cool off before walking back to the car in the now rather noticeable midday heat. Along the way we passed a few sites that were out on the sun earlier in the morning, then looked for a suitable shaded spot to take a quick lunch.

After lunch we drove back a short distance to visit the small side valley containing Sherz's site A. This area too was teeming with life, with bright flowers, lizards and butterflies everywhere.

Mid-afternoon we started making our way back to Uis, a fairly long drive around the Brandberg on the bad roads. We stopped again at some Welwitschias and a very picturesque ridge made up of ancient schists, dotted with a number of resinous Commiphora virgata shrubs facing Domschlucht and the south western side of the mountain.

Day 11. - Twyfelfontein

After breakfast and saying good bye to Analene and Karl, we left Uis towards the north, driving to Twyfelfontein a little over a hundred kilometres distant. We started along the regular tourist trail, having Terry as our guide, who used to be the chief of the NHC guides at the Brandberg till last year. We first climbed up to the terrace with the well known Prancing Kudu slab. We were so quick that the panel was still in the shade, so we spent the time waiting for the sun to climb above the top of the cliffs visiting the large rock with the prominent shelter at the base at the edge of the terrace with the only paintings along the tourist trail. Near the paintings there is also another fine slab with engravings which we could visit while waiting for the sun to rise.

Once the sun was above the ridge, the kudu panel comes out at its best in the mid-morning light, also revealing the numerous symbols carved on the slab that appear to pre-date the animal figure.

We descended past the spring to the lower level, where a ravine descends from the plateau top, with a jumbled mass of huge slabs at the bottom, with two of the best known panels at Twyfelfontein, the Lion Slab and the Rhinoceros Slab (the latter very hard to photograph).

A little further up the valley there is the panel with the large elephant. The tourist trail ends there, but according to Scherz's description there were further sites up the ravine which we have never visited before. Having Terry with us meant we could turn off the trail to explore further, and after some searching we did find a very fine large panel a few dozen metres upstream of the elephant, the Springbok Slab with a number of very fine animal representations and numerous hoof and footprints.

The Springbok Slab has a second panel at the rear left, with a fine rhinoceros at its top with the shape of its footprint represented at the base of its legs. There were several lesser panels further up the valley. Scherz reported engravings also on the high plateau above, but for those we did not have time on this visit.

After this detour we returned to the regular tourist trail to see the last series of panels along the built path. We have not sensed it along the way, but we took a good three hours to complete the classic circuit, where tourists are usually herded along under an hour.

While we completed the classic tourist trail at Twyfelfontein, we were far from having seen all the sites. Twyfelfontein is a broad and deep valley extending into the surrounding sandstone plateau for several kilometres, and while the main concentration of sites (with the built trails and mandatory guides) is near the spring and old farmhouse (near the present-day visitors' centre), there are several clusters of other sites along both sides of the valley and along both flanks near the mouth of the valley. One such concentration was incorporated into the Twyfelfontein Country Lodge, our accommodation for the night located just a short distance to the North of the valley entrance. The site now forming the entrance to the lodge was called Ceremonial Place by Scherz, and consists of several panels on this cluster of huge rocks. As we arrived, the main panel was in perfect light, as were the mysterious rows of dots along the side of the same rock.

Some of our party elected to stay at the lodge for a lazy afternoon, while the rest of us set out to find a number of sites reported by Viereck and Scherz along the western side of the valley, not far from the Lodge. We started at the place Scherz called "Sieben platten" (seven slabs) on account of the seven engraved panels in close proximity to each other. Following a trail branching off from the main road we soon came to the sandy riverbed with a sign visible on the far side. Leaving the minibus on solid ground before the river we crossed the sign marking the protected heritage site, and soon found the first of the seven panels on the side of an upright slab. As we explored the rocks, it became clear that once a big boulder rolled down from the plateau and split along the bedding planes into three slabs, with two remaining upright and the third fallen, with engravings on all five exposed sides like on the pages of a book. The remaining two panels were nearby, on other flat blocks.

Viereck found a single shelter with paintings along the western side of the valley, a shelter a kilometre or so to the south west of the seven slabs. As we started walking along the valley edge (following a well trodden trail) we passed a large rock with some more engravings on its smooth side.

It took some searching back and forth along the valley side, but finally we did find the shelter containing a number of fine (but very faded) human figures, with a rather complex series of superpositions. Adjacent to it we found the large rock with further engravings, including a rather difficult to access panel on the smooth top of the rock.

By the time we found and photographed all the sites the sun was rather low, it was close to setting just as we returned to Seven Slabs and the minibus. We just beat the sun along the short drive, reaching the lodge in the last rays of sunlight.

Day 12. - Twyfelfontein - Okaukuejo (Etosha Park)

In the morning before departure we had a good look at the remaining engravings of the "Ceremonial Place" at the lodge entrance, which were barely visible in the shade of the previous afternoon. Along an east facing weathered rock face there is a huge panel with hundreds of figures and foot/hoof prints, possibly the largest single panel at Twyfelfontein.

At the base of the main rock near the lodge there is a low shelter carved out by a watercourse passing under the boulder, extending deep into the rock. Scherz indicated some paintings inside. Taking a peek there was nothing readily visible, however photos taken with flash revealed figures on both side of the tunnel-like shelter.

This was to be the very last rock art site visited on our trip. The previous evening we have agreed that while very tempting, the extra 200 kilometres on gravel roads to visit the engravings of Piet Albert's koppie near Kamandjab, compared to the direct route to Etosha mostly on asphalt, is not quite worth the time taken up by the detour. That time could be better spent having an extra afternoon of game watching at Etosha, not having to worry about reaching the park gates before they close at sunset. Leaving Twyfelfontein we made a quick stop at the "official" Petrified Forest site, a region North of Twyfelfontan where a number of large tree trunks have been preserved in fluvial sediments in the Permian era, touted as one of the major sights of the region. The NHC managed site is a bit of a let-down, the "forest" is in reality there is only a single half excavated complete fossilized tree trunk (quite impressive though) in an area littered with fragments of fossil wood, visitable only with a mandatory guide. In retrospect it would probably have been a better choice to visit the dozens of other sites on community land in the area, some of which probably have more to see, or at least are in a less artificial landscape.

After passing Khorixas our progress became quick on the good asphalt road. With only a quick fueling stop in Outjo, by lunchtime we were approaching the gates of the Etosha Park. We had a quick lunch at the very pleasant Toshari Lodge just outside the gates (a place to consider for staying overnight on a future trip), then continued to the Okaukuejo complex, the main accommodation at Etosha. Having only camped there before, it was a pleasant surprise to find very pleasant large rooms, overall much better than expected from such a tourist factory. After a quick settling-in we went out with the Quantum to make a round of the nearer waterholes to the East of Okaukuejo, but the wildlife was rather scarce. The waterholes were mostly deserted, and we only saw a scatter of zebras and other usual suspects along the road. As sunset approached our luck became better, a car ahead spotted a family of bat eared foxes foraging in the tall grass, and another cluster of cars stopping by the roadside indicated something interesting there. It turned out to be a resting lioness, obediently posing then springing up and trotting away in perfect light on an afternoon hunt.

As we returned to Okaukuejo the waterhole was surrounded by a few elephants and zebra with the spectacular sunset background. My memories from our first Namibia trip in 2005 was that the viewing terrace at the waterhole would become very crowded at sunset, but in the elapsed time the platform was considerably widened. This time even though there were numerous visitors, they were well spread out and much less disturbing.

After dinner we returned to the now floodlit waterhole, just in case. It was all deserted, but just as we were about to retire for the night two vague shadows appeared on the far shore. As they approached the water it became clear that they were a mother rhinoceros with its young. After some time three more rhinos arrived, then a group of giraffe, patiently waiting for their turn. As the rhinos left, a herd of elephants arrived, apparently all having an unwritten schedule at the waterhole. We turned in while the elephants were still merrily splashing about, we could even hear their trumpeting from the rooms before falling asleep.

Day 13. - Okaukuejo - Namutoni (Etosha Park)

As the Toyota Quantum with only three small sliding windows available for photography in the back is not ideal for game wiewing, we split into two groups in the morning. The African novices and keen photographers went out on the early morning game drive offered by the lodge (the advantage being that they may leave in the dark, reaching the more distant waterholes at dawn, while private vehicles are only allowed out after sunrise). The rest of us had breakfast and waited till sunrise for the gates to open, spending the time at the Okaukuejo waterhole, which turned out to be completely empty except for a lone hyena.

Once the gates opened we followed the game drive party along pretty much the same trail through the chain of waterholes, returning to the lodge an hour after the others who took breakfast after the drive. It is arguable who had the better time. The ones on the game drive saw a pride of resting lions near one of the waterholes, but it was bitterly cold in the open vehicle, and other than the lions they cannot really claim to have seen much more than we in the Quantum. In fact the morning catch was rather poor, most of the waterholes were almost completely empty, and along the road on the plains we only saw the common species. On our return, at the Nebrowni waterhole just before the lodge, we did see a lioness taking a drink after a fresh kill.

Our original plan was to spend two nights at Okaukuejo, but as the place was full for the second night we needed to move to Namutoni, the other tourist complex at the Eastern side of the park some 150 kilometres away. We left Okaukuejo mid-morning, driving slowly along the road leading East, turning off at the waterholes and other viewing spots. For the first two hours we saw only birds and the same grazing species we have already encountered, though there were a couple of fine herds of wildebeest and hartebeest that allowed us close without showing any concern. However there was hardly any trace of the big game Etosha is so well known for, we have seen more in the evening at the Okaukuejo waterhole than on any of the drives. The only variety was a pair of giraffe munching the treetops near the road, well past the half-way point to Namutoni.

Finally the spell was broken about fifty kilometres before Namutoni when Jeff spotted an elephant on a distant ridge. Turning off the main road towards the Batia waterhole we encountered two more, then some more, and as we reached the waterhole it was teeming with life, with elephants mingled with big herds of zebra and impala. With this waterhole finally appearing as we expected all others, we spent a lengthy time here photographing and just watching the comings and goings. A particularly amusing interlude was the arrival of a single warthog, which was given a wide berth by all creatures wherever it went, including the elephants, their snorts clearly indicating their displeasure.

After we had our full measure of the spectacle at Batia we continued towards Namutoni, the only remaining excitement being a pair of Secretarybirds passing near a posing Lilac-breasted Roller at the side of the road.

After settling in to our rooms and a little rest we went out for an afternoon drive with our Quantum, starting at the Klein Namutoni waterhole a little to the East of Namutoni. We found a fine herd of giraffe there taking their turns at the water, surrounded by an enormous flock of guineafowl, running en masse to the water as soon as the giraffe gave way, only to take flight at the slightest scare, performing this show repeatedly.

We continued to the Koinachas waterhole which at first appeared empty, but then se saw an indistinct movement along the shore. It turned out to be a family of Banded Mongoose, appearing to be a single creature from a distance, hurrying down to the water in close pack, then fleeing as soon as everyone had their fill.

We spent the remaining daylight at the Chudob waterhole, where the only action for a while was a noisy group of Grey Go-Away-Birds (Coracias caudatus), so called by the bushmen hunters because they make a loud rattle when spotting any humans or other predators, allowing potential prey to make a quick getaway. After a while a little mongoose provided additional entertainment, and finally a young elephant and a giraffe arrived on the far bank before we had to leave to reach the camp gates before sunset.

We went to the waterhole adjacent to the old German fort to finish the day, but the only action was the group of fellow tourists perched on the fort tower watching the sunset.

Day 14. - Namutoni - Windhoek

Before departure we made a quick round of the waterholes North of Namutoni, but found them all empty. We returned to Klein Namutoni where saw had the giraffe and the guinea fowl the previous afternoon. Now only the guinea fowl were there, keeping a safe distance from a lone jackal. After a while a second jackal approached picking a fight with the first, ending with the looser (we could not follow which one) whimpering away in a hurry.

Returning to Namutoni we cleared out our rooms, and made a brief round of the fort before starting the long and rather uneventful drive back to Windhoek.

The drive to Windhoek took up most of the day, with only a brief stop for a late lunch in the Okahandja Country Hotel. We reached the Pension Moni by late afternoon, dropping off our party and then quickly driving to the Dornbusch garage to exchange the Quantum for two Toyota Hilux pickups with Mark for the coming two days, the second driven by Joana.

Day 15. - Windhoek - Sesriem

We made an early start to cover the four hundred kilometres to Sesriem as soon as possible, first driving on the surfaced road to Rehoboth, then taking a series of C and D roads to Sesriem and the Le Mirage Lodge, where we were to spend the night. On approach the lodge looked like a rather grim fortress-like building from the outside, but on the inside it was a lovely little oasis, a very pleasant place to spend our last proper night.

After a quick lunch and settling in to our rooms we set out to the dunes of Sossusvlei, still a good 90 kilometre drive from the lodge till the end of the 4wd track. Leaving the cars we dispersed among the dunes, some climbing the highest for the amazing view, then re-converging on the vehicles when it was time to start going back.

We trickled back towards the Sesriem gate stopping as something interesting came our way, watching the sun all the time as here too the gate closes at sunset and all who have accommodation outside must leave by that time. It was almost dark by the time we reached the lodge a good 20 kilometres further from the gate.

Day 16. - Sesriem - Windhoek

For this last day we had nothing on the agenda but to return to Windhoek for the night, and get ready for departure the next day on the various flights home (or for some on the next stage of the journey, to Botswana). As watched the sunrise from one of the towers of the Le Mirage lodge, we saw several hot air balloons ascending at the edge of the dunes for the sight-seeing flights.

We could afford a lazy morning in the lodge before having to make the move. The landscape behind the restaurant looked like a perfect spot to take our group photo, depicting a much tidier bunch than the usual appearance by this stage on our other trips.

Late morning we departed towards Solitaire, taking a different route on the return for variety. We stopped for lunch at the Solitaire Lodge, decorated by a number of derelict old cars, preserved from complete decay by the dry desert climate.

Continuing on the direct route towards Windhoek, we passed by the Tropic of Capricorn sign along the D1265, providing another good opportunity for a group photo before the end of the journey.

For June 2019 we are planning a repeat of essentially the same itinerary (with some variations), making a 16 day circuit to see a wide selection of the Rock Art sites of Namibia plus some of the natural wonders of the country, staying at lodges and guest farms along the way. Please visit the News page for any updates (or "follow" the FJ Expeditions FaceBook page).