Because of the mist in the morning and because of too many unscheduled toilet breaks we arrive in Twyfelfontein not until 4.40. On the spot another group is already discussing with the local guides. Obviously they don’t want to bring any groups to the rocks anymore, because they finish work at 17.00 and because it soon gets dark.

Finally one of the guides admits defeat and leads us on a long path to a lion with a bent tail, the most famous engravings of rocks of Twyfelfontein. What we aren’t able to understand: During the whole way he’s wailing over the fact that he’d normally finish at 17.00. Even though he doesn’t get salary, indeed he only lives on the donations of the visitors. So in our opinion he’s an independent worker and does have, if he sells himself well, no working-time limit.

Beside the “lion path” which leads us to the “lion plates“, there are even more paths, which lead to more than 2.000 engravings. For example one path leads to the “dancing kudu”, which we unfortunately aren’t able to see.
In general, our guide has the opinion, that we should only take a quick glance at the petroglyphs and then hurry back to the exit. Even though it’s enough time till it gets dark.

Annette remarks: “He really rushes!” For me, this is reason enough to take position. Looking at a second couple of our group and at some other engravings, one can see some distance away from us, I remark: “If we follow him know, we won’t see anything else. But if we walk down this path together, he won’t say a thing” Said and done! All right, that’s not very polite, but it’s the only possibility to see more engravings than the local guide wanted to show to us. Thus, for us the trip has somehow been worthwhile.

Since a second employee showed us a shortcut on our way, we even return to the bus before most of the others. That is why we don’t see the tourist guide who has been meant for us, again. So he loses his tip. But he has gambled it away in any case. He could have solved it in a better way for both sides. Well, the large amount of gravures was definitely impressing.

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