October 17 - Erongo to Damaraland Wilderness Lodge

Yellow bellied Eromomela

Today we had a long day with a fair bit of travelling.

The day started, as did the day before, with a brief bird walk in and around the grounds of the Erongo Lodge. Again Harlaub’s Francolin remained invisible and very very quiet. The Yellow bellied Eromomela played the game though and was seen well by all.

The balance of the morning was spent driving. Birding highlights along the route included our first Tawny Eagles and Crowned Lapwings. A few Purple Rollers were seen well.

Twyfelfontain Lodge

Lunch was taken at Twyfelfontain Lodge and from there we visited some San Rock engravings. These too were quite amazing as was the scenery in which they were positioned. The engravings were various – some detailing, like an ancient map, the location of water holes etc while others pictured local wildlife. Other panels, depicted critters clearly from far away – Seals, penguins, flamingoes -  to our surprise. Human hands and feet were often part of the panels. Again, to my mind at least, it was fascinating.

Rock-hopping Ray at Twyfelfontein

Wikipedia says;
Twyfelfontein (Afrikaans: uncertain spring), officially known as ǀUi-ǁAis (Damara/Nama: jumping waterhole), is a site of ancient rock engravings in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia. It consists of a spring in a valley flanked by the slopes of a sandstone table mountain that receives very little rainfall and has a wide range of diurnal temperatures.

a map rock of sorts - figures representing water and springs

The site has been inhabited for 6,000 years, first by hunter-gatherers and later by Khoikhoi herders. Both ethnic groups used it as a place of worship and a site to conduct shamanist rituals. In the process of these rituals at least 2,500 items of rock carvings have been created, as well as a few rock paintings. Displaying one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa, UNESCO approved Twyfelfontein as Namibia's first World Heritage Site in 2007.

Sandstone rocks at Twyfelfontein are covered by the so-called desert varnish, a hard patina that appears brown or dark grey. Engravings were effected by chiseling through this patina, exposing the lighter rock underneath. The indentations were created over the course of thousands of years. The oldest engravings might be as old as 10,000 years, and the creation of new works probably ended by the arrival of pastoral tribes around 1000 AD. Three different types of engravings can be distinguished at Twyfelfontein:

• iconic imagery (images of animals, humans, and fantasy creatures)
• pictograms (geometric rock art like pecked circles, rows of dots)
• indentations for or from everyday use (grinding hollows, board games, gong stones)

Additionally, the site contains rock paintings at 13 different locations, with depictions of humans painted in red ochre in six rock shelters. The similar occurrence of rock paintings and rock engravings is very rare.

a rock menagerie

Giraffe and footprints

The hunter-gatherers made most of the iconic engravings and probably all the paintings. The carvings represent animals such as rhinoceroses, elephants, ostriches and giraffes as well as depictions of human and animal footprints. Some of the figures, most prominently the "Lion Man"—a lion with an extremely long rectangular kinked tail ending in a six-toed pugmark— depict the transformation of humans into animals. This transformation and the depiction of animals together with their tracks make it likely that they were created as part of shamanist rituals. The more simplistic perception that they only show hunter-gatherers' attempts to acquire food is now thought to be naïve.

a clear giraffe

Engravings of animals that certainly never occurred in this area, like a sea lion, penguins, and possibly flamingos indicate that the hunter-gatherers might have had contact with the coast more than 100 km away. A modern archaeological survey led by Sven Ouzman questions these descriptions of Scherz' initial investigation and describes the not easily recognisable fauna as "strange animals"—rough work of animals, possibly giraffe, that did occur at Twyfelfontein.

figure of a penguin

scenery around Twyfelfontein

A visit to nearby local geological features, the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain, followed before a journey northwards to the aptly named Damaraland Wildernesss Lodge.

Alan discovering he has little or no musical talent

The journey was interrupted by a quick bird along a river bank. Yellow billed Hornbills were seen as well as Carp’s Tit and a few new birds as well; Bare cheeked Babblers, Brubru and, unbelievably, the Bird of the Day, Groundscraper Thrush.

Bird of the Day, Groundscraper Thrush.

Bare cheeked Babblers

Flying Bananas aka Yellow billed Hornbills

Our lodge seemed, and most clearly was, isolated. Perhaps as a result the staff worked very hard to make us feel welcome; singing, dancing and were quick to chat. ‘Desert Rose’ and her staff family were wonderful. 

'Desert Rose' - right and Candy left