Rocky's Ride Detailed Travel Log Day 2: 04/08/24 Utuseb to Gobabeb Research Station (48 km) We encountered almost no traffic today, except for a donkey cart carrying two passengers who live in the desert and tend to their goats. The gravel was nearly white, and after hours of pedalling, it burned my eyes. It was slow going, with thick sand and a constant headwind making it tough. I had to push my bike and trailer through several sections, while Rocky happily ran alongside me. My lack of conditioning caught up with me, and I ended up with some serious leg cramps. Thankfully, I reached the Gobabeb Research Station, which offered a much-needed break with cozy accommodation, good food, and ice-cold drinks. While there, I met a father and son team who travel the world recording the sounds of nature. They were visiting the Namib to capture the winds blowing across the dunes. Gobabeb’s mission is to gather, understand, and share knowledge about arid environments, especially the hyperarid Namib Desert. Sitting at the heart of the Namib, it offers access to three unique ecosystems: the Sand Sea to the south, the Gravel Plains to the north, and the Kuiseb River’s riparian woodlands. The station is also part of the cultural landscape of the Aonin (Topnaar) Nama people, who have lived in the Kuiseb River basin for centuries.