October 13: Dune 45

Happy Friday the 13th.  We awoke at 5:00 am in order to make it to Dune 45 for the day’s sunrise.  This beautiful dune at km marker 45 is one of the biggest attractions of Sossusvlei National Park.  We were joined by at least 50 other early birds who were attempting to catch the same worm.  Because of the crowds, it was a bit difficult to get that perfect picture as many solo shots had several strangers in the background.  The red colored sand, due to its iron oxide content, was cool on our feet as we made the climb to the peak of this massive dune. According to Google, “The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia.  The sand here is 5 million years old.” The fascinating shape of Dune 45 and accessibility makes it the most photographed dune in the world.