On November 19^th 2023 we arrived in Keetmanshoop. Shortly after the town we turned onto a gravel road that took us to the Mesosaurus Fossil Camp, thirty kilometers away.

However, we didn’t go to this place because of the fossils but because of the quiver tree forest. Since we only had to drive a hundred and fifty kilometers that morning, we arrived there at midday. Everyone else didn’t arrive until a few hours later – for good reason, as it’s brutally hot here during the day.

There is only shade under a large tree in which there is a huge nest with social weavers. These birds build their nest until the branch it is on breaks and they have to find a new place to nest. Luckily that hadn’t happened yet; and so, we were able to park Mahangu under the tree. We spent the hours until it got cooler and the light was better for taking photographs, in the shade and regularly wetting ourselves and Orapa with a wet cloth. This was the only way to bear the heat to some extent.

At 6 p.m. the quiver trees were optimally illuminated by the setting sun. Brigitta set off with her Nikon towards the strange trees that stood a few hundred meters away. I stayed in the shade with Orapa. From there we watched her work while I enjoyed an ice-cold Windhoek Lager and gave the kitten a cold compress…

PS: If you want to know more, read here.