The following is a gallery of photographs that I have taken on my travels around this magnificent planet. I hope you enjoy them!
Cool Places: Deadvlei, Namibia
Deadvlei used to be a shallow pool fed by the Tsauchab river. When the river flooded, the Camel Thorn Trees that grew there thrived. After a change in the climate, however, drought hit the area, and sand dunes cut Deadvlei off from the river. The trees died, and what was left was a white pan of dry, crusty clay. Because the air is so brutally dry, the dying trees did not decompose and are left as a testament to the desert. They’re estimated to be close to 900 years old.
It’s a very cool area that we got to by driving down an expansive, wind-scored, desert valley, which is about as inhospitable as any place on earth can be. On both sides of the valley, mountains of rust coloured sand rise up in magnificently sculpted dunes. The best time to go is early in the morning when the knife-edge crests of the dunes create a stunning contrast of light and shadow. Deadvlei itself is a short hike across low dunes, and the Big Daddy Dune that towers beside it makes an impressive backdrop.
