Tsumkwe

Tsumkwe is not much more than a crossroads with one main route running through it and difficult sand roads leading off north and south. It was a South African army base, hence the sign on the map showing an airport, but there is very little here but a few houses, shops and businesses.

It is however, the administrative capital and main town of Bushmanland - once home to many Bushmen (San), indigenous people of this land. They are small people with distinctively tufted hair and fine features, and penchant for telling and acting out hilarious stories. Their language is full of clicks, denoted by an exclamation mark '!' when written, and although wonderful to listen to, almost impossible to learn. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle of living off the land, its animals and plants, is almost lost now and only a few traditional communities are left.

Visits to some Bushmen villages and their vanishing way of life are offered by several safari companies and usually leave from Tsumkwe to the Khaudom Game Reserve. Although the town has basic supplies, it seems they no longer have fuel, so make sure you are self-sufficient until you reach Grootfontein or Divundu.

Further south and east is a vast expanse of wooded savannah where antelopes and elephant roam. Here you will also see the 'upside down' Baobab Tree, whose fat trunk and spindly branches make it appear the wrong way up. There are also some seasonal pans, which after rains (Jan to March), come alive with greenery.

At this time travel becomes even more difficult than usual, as whole areas turn into impassable floodplains. 4X4 vehicles are advised. From April the land begins to dry out, and in July and August the daytime temperatures are at their most moderate with cold desert nights.

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