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Continuing with the big catch-up, it’s now mid-January and Pure Joy has arrived in Walvis Bay, Namibia. And let me tell you, we were not prepared for the beauty we would find in this country.

Namibia

With only five days to spend there, we quickly organised an inland adventure so we could experience the sand dunes and a bit of desert life. Our rented truck came fully equipped, with two tents on the roof, one on the ground, and just about every piece of camping gear you could imagine, packed perfectly into the back.

We set off on the five-hour drive inland, stopping in Solitaire, which immediately reminded us of the town from Cars. Radiator Springs, I think? A tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere, complete with old cars, dusty charm, and, most importantly, very famous apple pie. Naturally, we stopped.

Then on we went, deeper into the desert.

The absolute highlight of our Namibian adventure was waking at 4:30am to climb Big Daddy, one of the tallest sand dunes in the world at around 325 metres high.

The climb was… humbling. Every step up the dune slid back beneath our feet, making it feel like two steps forward, one step back the entire way up. It was slow and relentless, and it required a surprising number of breaks and deep breaths.

But then. The first rays of sunlight began to creep over the ridge. And suddenly, everything changed. The colours shifted in front of us. Deep shadows, glowing orange sand, endless curves of dunes stretching into the distance. It was one of those moments that stops you completely. Absolute magic.

After a good amount of time at the top, taking photos, catching our breath and rehydrating, we began the descent. Or more accurately, we ran, rolled and tumbled down the other side. Still in complete shade, we made our way down into Deadvlei, the famous white clay salt pan dotted with ancient, skeletal camel thorn trees, some estimated to be over 600 years old. It felt otherworldly. Like walking through a painting.

Beyond Big Daddy, Namibia will be remembered for so many moments:

Camping under vast, star-filled skies
Sharing s’mores with friends
Driving quad bikes across endless dunes
A dune-top date night David and I will never forget
And road-tripping through landscapes that didn’t quite feel real

We packed a lot into those five days. And then, you guessed it…it was time to move on.

The calm, weeklong crossing from Namibia to St Helena was filled with David’s birthday celebrations, swims in the deep blue, sundowners, games of Happy Salmon and karaoke.

St. Helena

How to explain St Helena? It’s like a small coastal English town… in the 1970s… on a remote island in the middle of the South Atlantic.

We loved making this stop. Partly because it broke up the long passage from Africa to South America. But mostly because the quirkiness of this island is unlike anything we’ve experienced anywhere else.

What do I mean? It’s hard to explain, so a few examples might help.

Credit cards aren’t really accepted. But there also aren’t any ATMs.

There is an app you can download and pre-load with money. But you never quite know how much is on it, because WiFi is only available in certain locations, and only if you’ve paid for access.

Speaking of money, the bank, when it’s open, still runs on handwritten records. Most shops do the same. Every purchase carefully noted down by hand.

And then there’s the shopping. Provisioning turned into a full-blown scavenger hunt. You find yourself collecting tips and whispers about where supplies might be hiding.

“I know a guy who might sell you some eggs.”

“Psssst… that hardware shop over there has four heads of lettuce. If you hurry, you might get one.”

Anne’s, the restaurant and bar that seemed to be open most reliably, became our home for those few days. We gathered there with the rest of the fleet, swapping stories, laughing about the quirks of the island, and talking about the next leg of the journey.

It was on St Helena that we met the world’s oldest known land animal, Jonathan the tortoise, who is thought to be around 190 years old and still happily roaming the grounds. Slightly surreal to stand next to a creature that predates the invention of the telephone… and most countries. We also visited Napoleon’s tomb, where he was originally buried during his exile on the island.

But the main attraction in St Helena is Jacob’s Ladder, a steep staircase of 699 steps climbing up the hillside from Jamestown, originally built in the 1800s as part of a cable railway system. Elliot and I climbed it with friends, Elliot steaming ahead as usual.

From the top, we looked down over this strange and lovely place, the narrow valley, the colourful buildings, and the bay with Pure Joy waiting for us.

Where in the world are we… and how did we get here? I’m just about getting used to that feeling now. It’s a strange thing, when the extraordinary starts to feel normal.

There wasn’t much time to sit with it. Because Carnaval waits for no one.

Time to cross one last ocean… and make our way to Brazil.