Rock Paintings and Petrified Forests – by Ellen

Near Twyfelfontein (‘Doubtful Fountain’) are some fantastic KhoiSan rock engravings and paintings, which are about 6,000 and 2,000 years old respectively. There were carvings of concentric circles representing water, dancing kudus and a lion man, and paintings of hunters with bows and arrows. It was not unusual to find paintings of seals hundreds of miles in-land; the nomadic KhoiSan would travel vast distances depending on season and food supply. These rocks were used to educate the younger generations, and pass down hunting knowledge and stories, as well as depicting their spiritual beliefs.

Once we’d had a good wonder around the rocks we set off for the Petrified Forest. An authentic hand-drawn sign directed us along a very bumpy track to a deserted car park. We went to the precariously balanced wooden hut that served as on office (luckily there was a sign above it saying ‘office’ otherwise I’m not sure we’d have guessed it was an office) paid our entrance fee to the slightly bigger child, then followed the slightly smaller child up the rocky hillside. Our ‘guide’ did a fantastic job of pointing things out – his favorite things were the kudu and warthog skulls that were placed at strategic points along the path. Things of interest, such as the very dead-looking Welwitschia plants, had been highlighted by neat circles of stones.
The petrified trees were fascinating. The rings of the tree could be seen quite clearly, each one a slightly different colour, and each one turned to stone. It was very surreal to touch what you assumed was a tree, but feel rock, and see crystal deposits between the rings. According to our book, the trees are estimated to be around 260 million years old, and as there are no roots attached to the trunks, it is thought they were deposited by a huge flood.

Thanking and tipping our guide (and telling him to study hard at school) we waved good bye. We’d not gone more than 25 meters down the road when we saw another, authentic-looking hand painted sign, but this one was for the ‘Best Petrified Forest’. The next authentic-looking hand-painted sign boasted not one, not two, but ‘THREE Petrified Forests’! We stared to wonder if, perhaps, we had just visited one of the ‘unofficial’ petrified forests of Namibia.

We turned a corner to be greeted by a very official and not at all authentic-looking non-hand painted sign, which pointed to the actual entrance of the actual, official petrified forest. Oh well. One dead tree looks very much like another, I guess. And also, good on them for showing a bit of initiative and setting up their own! And at least this way the money would be going straight to the people: we’d given more than enough of our money to the Namibian Wildlife Resorts and their crazy pricing system – and were about to be stung for a lot more…