Today was a very exciting day. For today was the day that we collected our rugged Nissan 4×4 off-road, modified for African camping roadtrips, complete with two roof-mounted pop-up tents! For those who care about cars, the features and gadgets are as follows:

• Nissan 2.4l Hardbody high-clearance pickup truck with hard-enclosure over the boot-thingy.
• Two roof-mounted tents, sleeping four in total.
• Two-high, four-high and four-low wheel drive.
• Main and reserve fuel tanks to go the extra mile. Oh, and a jerry-can too. (Total 2WD range about 1000km.)
• Two spare wheels and loads of tools which I haven’t the foggiest idea how to use.
• Camping water tank to help with the washing up.
• Two gas canisters with cooking and lighting attachments.
• Fridge/beer cooler.
• Indicators and windscreen-wiper controls in the opposite position to every other car we’ve ever driven (causing amusing moments at every junction — thank god there’s no rain here).
• A spade mounted on the exterior for rugged looks and desperate recoveries from failed 4×4 excursions.
• Stickers on the side saying “4×4 Off-Road” — to assure onlookers that we are really hardy campers.

And the four of us (recall that we’re travelling with Chris and Jasmin, a German couple) set-off south towards the desert. Our twelve day road trip will take in Dune 45 at the Sossuvlei desert, the quaint German seaside town of Swakopmund, the desolate Skeleton Coast, shipwrecks and all, finishing with a self-drive safari in Etosha National Park.

Namibia is a large country, perhaps the size of France, but only has two million residents — that’s about two people for every square kilometre. On the more remote sections of our trip it’s unlikely that we’ll see anyone or anything for hours on end — a large helping of wilderness coming up!

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