The Desert: To see a world in a grain of sand

Sossusvlei means dead-end marsh and is situated in the middle of Namibia. It is an area that is formed by a river, which is dry since long time back. When you are flying in over the marsh it looks like a big lake on the map, why the endless rocks and sandy dunes become quite surprising.

Sossusvlei is like a Blake poem, where it is spreading out under the sun. And while I see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower it makes sense if he actually wrote his words here. Where nature is urgently fighting for survival while time seems to stop in it's own infinite seconds.

The sand is red, yellow and pink and we were told that the largest dunes were created 5 million years ago. They are possible to climb and you get your reward when you have reached the top and can tumble down the sandy hillside. 

In Deadvlei, or the dead marsh, clay has stopped the tree roots from reaching the underground water. It is a spooky landscape that feels dead, until you see the birds and the vegetation that his almost hidden in the sand. We are out all day in the desert. Sand everywhere. Thankfully it is cloudy, otherwise it becomes incredibly hot. The second evening we manage to see the sunset from a small hill without getting caught by the strong winds. And the sun sets, while I hold infinity in the palm of my hand.