So V and I are back. We’ve traveled over 7000km across three deserts, on roads that would make Hunter S. rethink Nevada. Deserts and long distance driving, two of my favorite things. Unkinking the knots in my brain, serenity unwinding at 120 km/h.

I remember watching a 59 day old giraffe try to sneak his head into our room for a stroke, elephants fighting for a spot at the watering hole. We saw three of the big five (American tourists), and drove across the entirety of the Trans Kalahari Highway (one of my fav roads that I’ve been wanting to do forever) right up until where the edge of Africa meets the Atlantic, not seeing any other cars for hours at a time. We froze and then boiled as the temperature went from -2C to 38C in a single day, and the sun baked us a light brown. We saw the entire Namib turn into a blizzard of sand, until you couldn’t see further than a meter in front of your face.

We also got to see the edge of the world where the fog rolls over the desert. One night we blew over a fifth of our accommodation budget on the honeymoon suite at Halali and spent the evening soaking in a jacuzzi in the middle of one of the biggest nature reserves in Africa. One of my fondest memories is racing across the Erongo mountains on a salt road listening to the Crystal Frontier at full volume. Not seeing a single soul for about four hours. We didn’t see any baobabs, but somewhere near the Angolan border we saw a whole forest of haunted trees (Moringa ovalifolia).

Its been a rock ‘n roll roller coaster ride of a trip. We’re now back in Joburg, a million cars going nowhere slowly, sirens and alarms going off every couple of seconds, and the slight suspicion that you may have to a little crazy to want to live here.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to post hundreds of images of wildlife, I’m much more likely to post hundreds of images of empty roads. Anyway, a couple of random pics.

Black and white pics have always seemed so silent to me. Stills from a half remembered late night film.

Trip update: We’re staying at the Alternative Space today, an art gallery on the fringe of the desert just outside Swakopmund.

I was standing outside the massive tent Erika and Morne had set up in the middle of the desert, it was close to midnight, I was staring at the millions of stars, forgetting to make a wish when I saw the brightest shooting star I have ever seen blast across the sky, when Reinhardt came out and stood next to me. We watched the stars for a bit, in manly kind of way, when he said something that has been rattling in my head ever since. It was something along the lines of “I have no way of actually hanging on to this.”

So now we’re back in Joburg, with a lot of memories of Erika and Morne’s incredible desert wedding, their fantastic families, friends, the whole amazing once in a lifetime event, a large number of photos and a moment standing in the desert staring at the vastness of the Namibian sky, the reception tent behind me, the remnants of an incredible wedding burnt into my brain. I’m at a loss for words, comforted by the fact that I’m a photographer not a writer.

If you came here via a link from Your Dream Day – Inspiration for the Modern South African Bride or Urbani Photography, welcome.

I’ve been pretty sick for the last while, and am catching up on emails and blog posts – sorry for the delay. Pics from Sandra and Stephen’s Forum Homini wedding soon.

“I could live here” she said, breaking the silence, or maybe she said I’m alive here. I can’t really remember, that part of the day is a bit hazy, I was still reeling from a triple dose of tranquilizers. Yes, I’m still terrified of flying. We were about 200 very odd kilometers east of Windhoek, barreling past Windvlei in a bakkie with a camo canopy. I was getting slowly hypnotized by the same stretch of desert being repeated every five meters like a bad spaghetti western, being softly battered by the Namibian sun sucking the last bit of liquid through my pores. V was chatting to Morne, tomorrow he would be marrying Erika – possibly one of the coolest brides I’ve ever met – in a ceremony in the middle of the desert.

Three days later, about four kilograms heavier, I would be back at the airport, having eaten all the pies and most of the wildlife in the area … cooked to perfection of course. I could name all the amazing people we met and who treated us like family, but there were so many, I’m going to send you something personal instead. I think V still wants us to move to Namibia, I’ll be on a diet for the next three months.

Back on the plane, caffeine desperately trying to outwit and outlast the tranquilizers … it doesn’t stand a chance .. consumer grade Columbian export vs pharmaceutical grade tranqs. The sign in front of me says Fasten Seat Belt While Seated, Life Vest Under Your Seat, someone passes their child to their sister over the chairs, the tranqs are winning, my eyes are starting to feel sandy and we’re almost back home. I just have to get through the landing.

I’ll post a couple of images from our Namibia wedding later this week.