I'm an addict. Unashamedly hooked and unrepentant. I twist my wrist and inject 250 CC's. Forget about staging any intervention, you would have to catch me first. Colours blur, I lose my perception of depth. Walls of sand scream past me. I am at one with the universe. For moments I have this world to myself, not a single human being in sight.
On this sea of sand I escape. We are initiated into this new world by Steve; who in my mind I nickname Steve-O of MTV's Wildboyz fame. Individually we are three Australians, one South African and all under the Quadman's spell. We have broken away from the pack, from the mundane, those travellers content with postcards.
We follow Steve-O in trance-like fashion. This isn't our domain but he leads us fearlessly. The fix courses through our veins and we crave more. How do you surf a crest of sand and not want more? He leads us through troughs and peaks which cast a spell on us. We fly, swoop and skid. It's like being on a roller coaster, one seat and you're in control. Addicts always say they're in control. We whoop manically, body parts clench involuntarily.
Steve-O disappears over a dune – did he just drop off that edge? No mirage, before I know it, I'm also plunging. Life pumps through my entire being, vivid, tangible. I sneak a glance back at the trailing Australians, eat my dust boys. I feed them a bit more, just in case.
The five of us stop atop a dune, ocean views on one side and endless inviting sand on the other. We discuss an important issue; women. Did you see that tour truck filled with Danish women? I ask that if no women hear us talking on this dune, are we still wrong?
We're alone. Can't see anyone for 360 degrees. Silence envelopes us. Steve-O shares how a certain celebrity couple have also discovered this nirvana. Namibia has deep respect for privacy and all paparazzi are banned. I hear how this truly great actor and actress were visibly moved, among the great unwatched for a change.
If there is one experience you have to discover in Namibia, it is this. When you return knowing, glaze-eyed, do not blame me. The initiation will burn a memory map in your mind. Don't be surprised to find this being the highlight of your tour, or of Namibia at the very least. This is the A grade, premium stuff.
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