Where Easter eggs can be found year round

The celebration of Easter has different meanings to each and everyone of us. We are a nation of diverse cultures, and our religions and beliefs are very different. Around the world Easter is celebrated in different ways. If you are visiting the south of France, you can indulge in a humongous omelette, a tradition dating back to the time of Napoleon. It is cooked up in the town square using a total of 4 500 eggs and feeds about 1 000 people. On the Greek island of Corfu, on the morning of Holy Saturday, be sure to wear a hard hat. People throw pots, pans and earthenware from their windows, causing it to smash on the street. A very popular tradition in some parts of the world is the Easter egg hunt. The whole family takes part in the big search for these colourful, chocolate-filled delights. Once one of these carefully hidden treasures has been found, a thunderous hooray fills the garden. I wonder if this is how pirates searching for that big pot o’ gold felt when they eventually found it. I have decided to go on my own Easter egg hunt around Namibia. At first I thought it was going to be a very tiring and not so interesting hunt, but I was wrong. They are scattered all over the country. The first ‘Easter egg’ I found was just outside my office. Not just one, but a whole bunch of them together, carefully painted a purple-pinkish red. They are not exactly filled with chocolate, but with an orangey fruit. This is the Cyphostemma juttae, better known as the Namibian grape. My journey started and I chose the beautiful Spitzkoppe as my first hunting ground. I’ve heard there are magnificent treasures hidden beneath the peaks. On my way, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs I might see indicating the possibility of the next treasure. Just outside Okahandja, I couldn’t resist the temptation to have some coffee and had to pull over for a short break. Just as I took the first sip another Easter egg appeared - a yellow weaver bird’s nest. It’s fascinating to sit and watch the birds’ soap opera. The female, I assume because of her continuous chatter, seemed a bit unhappy with her newly built home. Flying wildly up and down, back and forth and then into the nest. For just a moment, just long enough for her to take a peek, it became quiet, before the third degree started all over again. The poor bloke really tried his best to build a mansion, but she was not too happy with his building skills. Upon my arrival at Spitzkoppe, I didn’t have to look very far for my fortune. Before I go on, let me just give you some facts on my location. The Spitzkoppe, which is German for pointed dome, consists of granite peaks and boulders located between Usakos and Swakopmund. The Easter eggs I found here are 700 million years old. This was indeed a pot-of-gold day for me and I felt lucky about my findings. I had been lurking around bushes all day and driving at a snail’s pace. I quickly realised I had to set up camp right there at the campsite, as the sun was already setting. I let my gaze sweep over the escarpment to take in its beauty and then found my next treasure: the sky was set ablaze in a rhapsody of colours as the sun sang a lullaby to end the day.