Think of the desert.

For me, I usually imagine masses of dry, barren, dead land with maybe a few stray camels. Basically, I envisioned a lifeless landscape – far from what I would consider a travel destination.

Naturally, I assumed this was what I would do while camping in the Namib Desert, but when I got to Sossusvlei after a five hour drive from Walvis Bay, my assumptions about the desert were completely shattered.

After sleeping one night under a seemingly endless starry sky, I woke up to hike Dune 45 for sunrise. While climbing the giant dune, I learned that A) sand dunes are extremely difficult to climb and B) desert is anything but empty.

I had soft red sand under my feet, the moon setting to my right, the sun rising to my left, and a deep blue sky above me. The most breathtaking scenery I have ever experienced dispelled any preconceptions I had made about the desert.

The following days I spent hiking the massive dunes and watching the sun rise and set over the desert sands.

I also explored Deadvlei, which is a clay basin that once contained shallow puddles that allowed acacia trees to grow. Drought eventually hit the area, causing the trees to die.

However, the trees did not decay due to the dry climate and desert sun, which burned the trees estimated to be 900 years old to black.

I thought the best way to relay the desert I saw, while traveling with Semester at Sea, would be through pictures. Believe me, it looks better in real life!

All photos were taken by your humble servant.