In the late 1970s, when my travels first took me to Solitaire, I was expecting a fairly large settlement – judging by the size of the dot that indicated Solitaire on the road map. Much to my surprise, what I found was not even a one-horse town, but a farm house and a petrol pump.

The farmer, Mr Maritz, lamented about the prolonged drought which was even starting to take a toll on the hardy karakul sheep. Instinctively, I thought that the pioneer farmer who gave his farm the evocative name of Solitaire, probably thought that he was taking a gamble and that he might never manage to sort the cards in the right order.

Mr Maritz eventually gave up the battle against the elements and over the years there were various attempts to turn Solitaire into a stopover. Then, Moose McGregor arrived at Solitaire to take charge of the general dealer’s store – in 1992. In those years, there was not much traffic, so to keep himself occupied, Moose directed his passion to perfecting the art of baking the best apple pies and his Moose Bread.

Even when the fuel tanks at Solitaire ran dry on occasion, you could indulge in Moose’s apple pie. And as the years when by, the fame of Moose and his apple pie spread far beyond the boundaries of Solitaire.

Situated at the junction of several popular tourist routes, Solitaire is a welcome stopover after a 230 km drive from Walvis Bay or the 225 km journey from Windhoek (via Spreetshoogte) to Sesriem – 83 km further south.

The wayside stop received a boost when Namibia Country Lodges acquired Solitaire in September 2001. The facilities were reorganised to provide a regular supply of fuel, basic foodstuffs and tyres. Other development included the building of 25 en-suite rooms around a central swimming pool, a restaurant where breakfast and dinner is served and a café where light lunches can be enjoyed. Campsites with hot-water ablutions are available for those who prefer roughing it. There is also a small mechanical workshop.

Solitaire’s has, however, retained its distinctive atmosphere and its emblem, the bleached skeleton of an ancient camel-thorn tree, and the quaint little church which was taken into use in 1951 are still there. As collection of old trucks and vehicles add to its essential cgharacter - solitude.

Since May last year, when a modern bakery was opened, Moose McGregor has been busier than ever to supply the never-ending demand. In addition to his famous apple pie, visitors have a choice of over a dozen different mouth-watering pastries. These tempts range from honey buns, a pastry that hails from New Zealand, and marble cake (a German delicacy) to blueberry and raspberry muffins, fruit sponge cake, choc chip biscuits and coconut squares – all freshly baked. There’s also the famous Moose Bread which contains poppy, sunflower, caraway and sesame seeds. Another ingredient is linseed.
 

CAMEL RIDES
Camel rides provide another diversion for visitors. Short 15 and 30 minute rides are conducted (N$50.00 and N$100.00 per person) daily, while Picnic Lunch Rides, departing at 11h00 (N$370) and Sundowner Rides (departing at 16h30) (N$350) are also available. Advanced booking is advisable through Solitaire Country Lodge.

FACILITIES
General Dealer: 07h00 to 22h00
Filling Station: 06h00 to 22h00
Café Van Der Lee: 12h00 to 15h00 (Light lunches)
Bakery: 07h00 to 17h00

CONTACT DETAILS
Solitaire Country Lodge (Direct): +264 63 69 3021
Namibia Country Lodges Central Reservations: +264 61 374-750
Email: solitaire@ncl.com.na
Web: www.namibialodges.com

CAMEL FACTS

• The one-humped camel is also know as the dromedary camel.
• Camels were firs domesticated between 3 000 and 4 000 years ago in the region of present-day Yemen and Oman.
• A pack camel with a load of nearly one third of its body weight can cover a distance of 80 to 100 km a day for up to a week.
• Riding camels can cover a distance of 160 km in 24 hours.
• Camels can lose up to nearly a third of their body water over a period of nine days.
• Water intake of a camel in the Sahara Desert has been measured at 186 litres in two sessions a few hours apart.
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Visitors to Solitaire can enjoy camel rides ranging from 15 minutes to longer trips. Photo: Willie Olivier	Moose McGregor has gained fame for his apple pie. Photo: Willie Olivier
The rooms at Solitaire Country Lodge with the central swimming pool. Photo: Willie Olivier	A collection of old cars enhances the wayside atmosphere of Solitaire. Photo: Willie Olivier