There is absolutely no scientific basis for what I am about to state.
I don’t like Atlantic beaches. I think that they are the hot-blooded extended relative of the ocean: too warm to be refreshing, too rough to be relaxing, too murky to be interesting. They’re still the ocean, and we love the ocean, but I’d much rather be spending time in the Pacific. If you catch my drift.
This, of course, is nostalgia for the California beaches I grew up around, aided and abetted by my first ever solo trip abroad to Singapore, and my more recent fling with Australia.
But I'll admit that it's not an entirely accurate characterization of the Atlantic, because where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean, below the tip of South Africa, the Atlantic is the cooler waters. And it's not just relative; the water is so cold that if you go to the beaches of Cape Town to watch people surf, they’ll come out in full wetsuits.
Nevermind facts, because today is about feelings.
I’m taking you to the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, so-called for its inhospitable living conditions and deathly coastline, where many-a-ship wrecked, once upon a time. Hot desert winds, thick fog, shifting underwater sandbanks, and a coastline of rocks make for dangerous navigating conditions. Today the beaches are littered with wreckage – included as a photo stop in Namibia’s tourist circuit. 😂
Wandering the desolate coastline conjured up my feelings about the ocean, and this week I recorded a 6-minute meditation about it.
🔊 I've left the audio in for this video off the coast of Luderitz, Namibia, so you can hear the wicked wind, but you may want to adjust the volume in the player or on your computer.
Namibia is a mineral rich country. The pink hue along the skeleton coast comes from garnet, crushed by the waves into sand.
