Khorixas, unofficial capital of the former Damaraland!
In close proximity is the Petrified Forest, where a
cataclysmic event millions of years ago deposited giant tree trunks which subsequently turned to stone. Today the Namib's living fossil plant, Welwitschia mirabilis, grows among these
prostrate fossilised trunks. Twyfelfontein (meaning doubtful fountain), to the west of Khorixas, resembles a large, open-air art gallary. This treasure house of rock engravings left
by stone-age artists is regarded as one of the richest collections of rock engravings in Africa. The Abahuab Camp near Twyfelfontein, managed by local Damaras, is one of several
community projects in the area.
South of Twyfelfontein is the Burnt Mountain, a panorama of desolation with coloured rocks contrasting vividly against the grey-black surroundings.
The Organ Pipes, a mass of basalt slabs in a ravine gouged out by a river, is another geological curiosity in the area. South west of Twyfelfontein is the Doros Crater, where fossil
remains have been found among the rocks.
The northern Kunene Region is home to the Himba people, a nomadic tribe of Herero origin that still lives and dresses according to ancient
customs and traditions. This is one of Namibia's last remaining wilderness areas, with off-the-beaten track destinations such as the expansive Marienfluss and Hartmann valleys, the
splendid Epupa Falls, the wild and beautiful Khowarib Schlucht and Witbooisdrift, site of a Dorslandtrekker monument. Four-wheel drive vehicles are necessary for exploring this remote
north-western part of the country. |
