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The scenery around Sossusvlei and the Namib Rand Nature
Reserve is stunning. Enormous sand dunes tower above desert landscapes dotted with white clay and
salt pans. Picturesque mountain ranges
overlook grass covered valleys. In many places, there are many of the mysterious fairy circles in the grass.
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Our scenic flight from Sossusvlei to Damaraland took us directly
over the dunes, and we had a clear view of Dead Vlei and Sossusvlei Lake. The desolate landscape stretches all the way to
the Skeleton Coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery gradually changes as you approach Damaraland where rivers have cut
canyons through the largely unoccupied wilderness.
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Damaraland presents a completely different landscape and is
the location of the Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site where you can see thousands of ancient rock carvings created
by bushmen. Damaraland is also home to elephants that are specially adapted to living in the desert.
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In Etosha National Park, we came upon thirteen lions. With five adults were eight cubs, four of which were quite tiny, likely only 3 or 4 months old. The bigger cubs were only a few months older.
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Like other countries in Southern Africa, wildlife is on display in several of Namibia's regions, but there
is really a high density of animals in
Etosha National Park. On nearly every game drive, we saw literally countless antelope, giraffe, zebra, and birds. Sometimes
it seems that elephants are everywhere, and you occasionally even see the rare black rhino.
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