Take a moment to reflect on your life. Do you put time aside to simply do something with absolutely no regret? We are dependent on life hacks like technology to make our existence more comfortable, fast food restaurants to feed us and TV shows and internet to entertain us. We have become a generation where it is easier to go to the drive-through car wash than put on slacks on a Saturday and do it ourselves. It is convenient to drive a car with a roof tent or book in at a bungalow than teach your son how to pitch a tent. Connecting with ourselves and relaxing has become a trip to the shopping mall, a day at the spa or a quick round of 18 holes. To top it all off, at the first birdie you hit, you immediately take a photo with your smart phone, adjust the light with a filter on Instagram, Tweet it, and post it on Facebook.
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Yes, at this moment I am indeed using a computer to write this blog post and it will be posted on the internet but I am not a hypocrite. I am not saying it is all bad, I am just saying there has to be balance.
Within the 20 million year old dunes of the Namib Desert, lies such a balance. A timeless connection between the elements of millenniums. There are plants that reach a ripe age of more than 1000 years and more. Such a plant is the Welwitschia mirabilis. That is why it is so important not to damage any part of this plant.
Another timeless legend in the Namib Desert are the petrified dunes. These red dunes have solified to rock and are more than one billion years old.
The dunes in the Namib are also some of the highest you will find in the world with a height of up to 300m.
Now that you have the facts, let’s take a deeper look into the enchantment of the Namib Desert.
It is a destination where your eyes can see more than just landscapes; you can actually see but at the same time, feel eternity.
Here you can spend your time with absolutely no regret. There is nowhere you have to be, no calls coming in, no emails that need answering; just you and the magnificence of nature.
Imagine you are standing on top of a dune in the desert. Bend down and pick up a handful of sand. Close your eyes and listen to the sound of the wind, with your arms stretched out, let the sand fall through your fingers.
This is the most relaxing type of therapy you will get anywhere and you don’t have to pay for it. It is like one massive Zen garden.
The Namib Desert is a love story. When you look at the horizon, you will see clear blue skies holding hands with the dunes. They have a secret love affair that no one knows about. At night they part and give way to the stars and the moon to keep the dunes company. The stars, the blue sky and the clouds are so close you can almost touch them. It almost feels as if you are wrapped in the arms of eternity.
It is a photographer’s paradise as no two photos will ever be the same. Every single moment of every single day, as the wind gently caresses the sand, the contours of the dunes changes.
Not only is it a canvas, but also an empty book where poets write about the kaleidoscope of colors. Each ray of the sun falls differently on the landscape and the shadows form mystical patterns.
This paradise is a place where time stands still, but be weary because when you blink, something has already changed.
The Namib - a timeless connection.
Jessica Thomas is a local freelance writer. She is an eccentric young lady who has a love affair with writing. Get on board her journey of discovery.
(Images by Charlie du Preez)
