The Journal
03 November - The Moroccan House, Pretoria
We both started off this trip with awful colds so the long flight was not very comfortable. On arrival in Jo’burg we were missing a piece of luggage. It was still in Paris and would not arrive until the following day. The good news was that when we picked up the hire vehicle it was a Toyota Hi-Lux stretch cab with a bolted on top box on the back. That is excellent and exactly what we had hoped for, we have the joy of a high clearance 4 X 4 and the convenience of a large truck where we can safely and securely store most of or stuff.
The Moroccan House is as good as ever. Last night we had the Fez suite, a very nice room. On arrival we were greeted as old friends and made so very welcome. Richard prepared a lovely Mukabalatt which we ate on the patio. We didn’t sleep amazingly well even though we were very tired, still troubled by coughing and spluttering. A hot shower and some good coffee this morning improved matters a lot. We spent the day shopping and then sorting out and customising the Hi-Lux while we waited for the missing luggage to arrive. We had to stay for an extra night because of the delay for the missing bag, but we have moved to another room as Fez was already booked. It is smaller, but cosy and has an outside shower which makes up for everything. The missing bag arrived and we have unpacked and repacked and customised the Hi-Lux. We are ready to go in the morning.
We have only driven around a small part of the more affluent suburbs of Pretoria, and on mostly main roads. Although it is a ‘white’ area most people are not white, as in all South Africa, and black people appear to be in the majority. The U.K. media has been reporting the political and financial situation here as being under stress, but we have seen no evidence of that. There were signs of affluence everywhere, new cars, smartly dressed people shopping. The streets are tidy and clean, less litter on the motorways and beside main roads than we regularly see in the U.K. We saw several complexes which looked as if they were probably the subsidised housing for the displaced black people. They were very nice, open and well constructed. We know that in the Western Cape many such places are being developed in order to offer residents of the slums of The Cape Flats an opportunity to move into their own housing, so I assume it is a similar initiative here. It will be interesting to see what the situation is when we move out into rural areas.
06
November - Grunau, Namibia
It's hot here. Very hot, must be upper C30s, and windy. The Grunau Country Hotel is maybe not as grand as it may sound, we need to adjust to African Africa again. However we do have the only decent campsite pitch here, probably because we are the only people camping here. We have pitched the tent beneath the only two trees, and found another shady spot beneath a lapa belonging to another pitch to sit and drink a couple of beers. It’s 17.30 now and the bite is going out of the sun, when the wind drops we will braai, then shower and bed.
We left Pretoria and the lovely Moroccan House on Saturday, with all our luggage. We took the N14 out of Pretoria, and after about four hours of driving we stopped at Kameelboom Lodge, close to Vryburg. The campsite was sparse but good enough. Another tent was already there, a Finnish guy who had arrived late the previous evening having driven all the way from the airport. We chatted to him and shared a glass of wine after we had all eaten, us with our braai and him at the Lodge Restaurant, which he said was very good. He is also an ‘African’ independent traveller, this time here for seven weeks, off to Kgalagadi and then Kruger. He takes photographs. As we sitting with our wine, lightening flashed around us and the occasional clap of thunder. We decided to fasten down our tents and prepare for a storm. In fact it passed without damage. The campsite was noisy, very close to the main road and I didn’t sleep well, still battling with my bad cold and congested sinuses.
Our next stop, last night, was at the Orangejuis Holiday Resort, close to Upington, the exact opposite of the previous night, a very upmarket holiday camp. There was lush green grass and lots of trees, although it was not easy to find shade for the tent. It was a good stop, but maybe best to be avoided at weekends as until early evening it was very busy with members from the local communities. I slept very well, it was quiet and cool by the time we went to bed. Today has been another long four hour day, which has included about an hour getting through the formalities of the border crossing from South Africa into Namibia. The South African side was good, but the lack of organisation meant the Namibian entry was tedious and unnecessarily complicated.
Tomorrow
we move onto to Hardap Dam, a Namibian Nature Reserve.
The new tent. Oz trail Tasman 4V +
The vehicle. Toyota Hi-Lux
10
November - Shamvura Lodge, Caprivi
I really am not spending so much time writing on this trip, but actually up until now it has been just a long journey, days spent driving and overnight stops. We knew that would be the case if we rented the vehicle in South Africa, rather than in Namibia itself. Buying the correct tent and finding a place where we could collect it was the issue, maybe we could have done a bit more research to see if it could have been delivered to a location in Windhoek. In truth we have spent so much time in South Africa now, that we know our way around, so probably our decision to stick with what we were sure about was the best one. We have reached northern Namibia now and we can see Angola on the other side of the Okavango river. We are stopping for two nights at a luxurious campsite. We are pitched in a boma with our own kitchen and bathroom. I have time and opportunity to think about catching up with the trip so far.
Leaving Granau and arriving at Hardap Dam was a bit like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. We swopped the hot, sandy shadeless campsite of The Grunau Country Hotel for the hot, sandy shadeless campsite of the Hardap Dam Park. We put up the tent in a blazing, burning, unforgiving heat. I left my flipflops outside the tent while I loaded our stuff in and when I put them back on I shrieked with pain as the soles of my feet caught fire. I fell back into the shelter of the tent while John got me another pair from inside the truck. We took our chairs and took refuge under the carport of a nearby unoccupied chalet.
Later we were joined by another couple, South Africans from Durban who had flown into Windhoek and picked up a hire car. It was their last night of camping and they offered us any of the gear they had bought and were leaving. We acquired a washing up bowl, the bucket we brought was a bit small, some good cord for extra guy ropes, and extra pegs and cutlery. We bring the bare necessities with us so a few extra of this and that is good. The bulk of the higher value stuff they left for staff to pick up, just as we do. In the late afternoon the wind got up and there was thunder and lightening. We expected a storm and rain, but there was just the wind. It lashed at the tent and we held it together, with some assistance from Ivan, the South African, hammering in pegs and tightening guys. We discovered that we hadn’t fastened the velcro straps holding the fly down to the poles of the bedroom unit, not realising what they were for. So although an uncomfortable experience it was a good learning opportunity.
Our next stop was at Otjiwa Lodge, a very posh establishment just south of Otjiworango and close to the B1, the main south-north road. It was the last of the bookings John had made in advance as he worked out travel times and distances for the trip to Caprivi. At the central area there were a lot of pretentious people swanning about in safari gear, with their afternoon tea or G & Ts. There were loads of bungalows and chalets, beyond which was the campsite. It was good. We took a pitch with electricity, but sort of regretted it. It was an enormous pitch and it had shade, we had a braai and a wash-up area, but the ablutions were a bit dodgy. They were used by 3 pitches and one of them had a tour group of about 12 young people staying on it. There were lots of small one-person tents, all the same. Then there was a larger communal tent. The pitches were that big. A German couple occupied the third pitch. There were only 4 unisex toilets for all of us and two of them had problems flushing. Incongruously, there were six female only showers. However on exploration I discovered that a short walk through the undergrowth from our pitch took us to the totally unoccupied non-electric site with four lovely bathrooms with toilet, wash basin and shower in each. We had a quiet night, apart from the guinea fowl. If we ever find ourselves there again we will definitely take the non-electric choice, it's a bit silly really as on these overnight stops we only use the electricity to boil a kettle for coffee in the mornings, rather than heat the water on the small gas stove. We just get packed up and away a bit quicker.
So to yesterday, and we continued to Roys Rest Camp, where we had stayed seven years ago. On the way we shopped at the Super Spar at Otjiwarongo, larger and more comprehensive than many supermarkets, including PicknPay in South Africa. Roys has changed. There are no longer pitches where we camped last time. Paths have been put in and an extended larger area designated for camping. At first sight it was all looked a bit grim, very stark and bare, but we found a nice grassy, irrigated area to put the tent up, and some shade. We were the first people to arrive, but four other trucks trundled in, all of them safari-type, fully equipped vehicles with roof top tents. We are very lucky that the expected Overlander ‘cattle truck’ didn’t arrive. Although the campsite has been extended and special provision made for Overland Trucks, the ablutions are exactly the same as they were in 2010, two female showers and two female toilets, only one of which flushed. It was too hot to braai before dark so we ate late and were early to bed. In the night there was thunder and lightening and light rain this morning. We packed up a slightly wet tent and arrived here by midday. Even though we are so much further north it is much, much cooler. I suppose to start with the skies are overcast so no burning sun. There is a light breeze and as I am writing this there is light rain.
14 November - Namushasha Lodge
This place has been quite a find, we have decided to stay here for two nights. According to our, 10 year old, Rough Guide camping wasn’t available here, just very expensive chalets. We have an individual pitch with our own bathroom and washing up area, and a very nice lapa on a concrete pad, all for N$360. That is the same price we paid on Sunday night at Island View Lodge.
Our second day at Shamvura Lodge was very good. We went on a 2 hour river trip with Mark, and 3 of the dogs. Surprisingly the presence of the dogs didn’t seem to affect the number of birds we saw. Mark was certainly an excellent guide, knowing exactly where to find the more unusual birds. I wish I had been able to make a list of all those we saw. We also saw lots of crocodiles, basking on the banks and in the river, mostly small but one rather large one. There were a lot of Hippos and I was quite nervous about how close to them we went. There was a large herd, which Mark said would stay together, when in fact one or two broke away and came close to the boat. Mark said they were unusually skittish and he cut the engine and we drifted past. I thought about how easily one of them could tip our boat over and about all the crocodiles swimming up and down the river.
Close to a crocodile, basking on a sandbank in the Okavango River, Angola on the other side.
We came across 3 men standing on a sandbank trawling with nets. Mark took the boat very close and asked them what they were doing, it is illegal to fish the river with nets. They kept their heads down and wouldn’t reply. Mark shouted at them very angrily, I heard the word ‘polisi’ several times. He was very angry and we moved a short distance away where he called the local police. It was Saturday and he couldn’t get hold of the senior officer he wanted. He said that if we had not been with him he would have steered the boat into their nets and destroyed them. I asked if that wasn’t a bit risky, he said that’s why he had a loaded firearm on the boat.
After another quiet night we left on Sunday morning, a slight problem arising because John hadn’t costed in paying for the boat trip, and hadn’t known that we wouldn’t be able to pay by card. Paying in cash would take all the N$ we had and we couldn’t get any more cash until we reached Katima Mulilo, where there is an ATM. John and Charlie attempted to pay using some on-line transaction, but it was very difficult as the connection was slow and the electricity was off. So we left without our payment being definite and today, on Tuesday morning, we still don’t know if it has gone through. We thought some more cash would be useful so we stopped at Divundu, but as there was still no electricity the ATM there wasn’t working so we decided to go on to Katima Mulilo and then stop at the places along the way we had planned to on our return journey.
Katima Mulilo is a large town, bustling with busy people on a Sunday lunchtime. We shopped at a very comprehensive PicknPay, even managed to buy some very expensive avocados. I was surprised to see that the avocados were much more expensive here than in South Africa as I would have thought this climate would be ideal for growing them. Maybe they are out of season at the moment and imports are more expensive. Charlie had given us a map of the area which included several accommodation options. It seems that our intention of staying at some of the Community run campsites might not happen as many of them are no longer functioning. Unfortunately it sounds as if a good project idea hasn’t been sustainable. We consulted all our information and decided that Island View Lodge, from the Bradt Guide, looked a good choice, out of town, on the banks of the Zambezi, nice facilities including the all important shade. We followed the directions on the road out of town, leading to the border crossing with Botswana. We missed the side turning off the main road as the road looked like a construction site and an information board didn’t mention either of the Lodges our book said should have been down there. We continued down the main Ngoma Road until it was obvious we had gone too far. Time was pressing on, we had not intended to come this far in one day, so we decided to go back to where the road should have turned off and see if we could find either of the Lodges mentioned on the sign.
We had not been mistaken in thinking that the turning looked like a construction site. It is. The Bradt said that the road was bad and like many in Caprivi best attempted in a 4 X 4, one of the reasons we had chosen to rent one this time. In fact a brand new road was being driven through, in many places the old single file track still apparent. The area bulldozed would eventually be enough for many lanes, but at the moment is definitely ‘work in progress’. The direction in our Guidebook didn’t apply as smaller side roads and turnings had been obliterated. There was no sign posting at all. When we had covered the distance the Bradt suggested that the Lodge was situated, often through gullies and small lakes of water, we turned back thinking we would have no choice but to return to Katima Mulilo and see what accommodation we could pick up there. We hadn’t gone very far when we met a safari vehicle coming towards us. The Swedish couple driving it were also looking for Island View Lodge. He was using a navigation system called Tracks4Africa, which we thought we also had. He said he knew exactly where the Lodge was, despite the mess of the new road, so we said he could lead and we would follow.
As we turned off at the place where Island View Lodge should have been, a man in another truck turned in also. Mike, the Swedish guy asked him where the Lodge was and he pointed down a leafy lane a bit further on. There was no sign posting off the road, but at the entrance we saw a sign with Mbalaya Lodge on it. We drove in to Reception and there we were. It used to be called Island View Lodge but was recently taken over by Gondwana, a chain of Namibian Parks. We checked in and went to the camping area. It was shaded and some pitches were grassy, although very small. We picked a grassy one and put our tent up. The Swedes had a rooftop tent on their safari vehicle and so went to a sheltered dirt site. The only other pitch taken was a double safari Hi-Lux with 4 men who seemed to be on a fishing trip. There were lots of pitch sites, fortunately not taken as the toilet facilities weren’t the best and would get very busy if the camp was full. The campsite has great potential, it is beside the Zambezi river, looking out across the wetlands. If Gondwana can smarten it up a bit and improve the facilities it will be a nice place to stay. That is, when the road is finished, finding our way through the construction sites involved quite a bit of guesswork and good luck, and after heavy rain it is going to become impassable.
Sunrise over the Zambezi River, Zambia is just off to the left.
We had thought about staying 2 nights in the Katima Mulilo area but we decided to pack up next day. We briefly thought about cutting our losses and continuing to the border crossing, driving through Botswana back into South Africa. It would have meant long boring days of driving and anyway the purpose of this trip has been to come to Namibia. So yesterday we returned down the incredible highway of sand and water, back to Katima Mulilo, took money from the ATM and topped up our shopping, before heading back to pick up the C49 road taking us into the Susuwe Triangle.
Stable sand dunes at the Namibian edge of the Kalahari Desert.
The C49 is a wide tarmac road in very good condition. The first half of the journey took us in a southerly direction down into the Susuwe Triangle. It is an odd piece of land, hanging down from the Caprivi Strip into Botswana. It seems quite green and fertile, although from the road there was little evidence of cultivation around the villages and smaller settlements we passed. There lots of goats and a few cows, some herded along, but others grazing by the roadside and frequently crossing it. The settlements all had clearly defined bomas, with several huts in each and we passed a lot of schools. Everywhere was very clean and tidy. At the bottom, the point, of the Triangle we stopped and considered going further down into the Mamili National Park, but our only option of accommodation according to the BG would have been a very expensive Lodge without camping facilities or a Community Campsite which we weren’t sure was operating. Camp Kwando had a nice write-up so we thought we might take a look there. Camp Kwando obviously just caters for the very rich and demanding tourists. We enquired about camping and were told we could have a non-electric pitch with shared ablutions at N$ 100pp or a private pitch with facilities at N$ 350pp. We took a look at both and were not impressed with either. There was nobody there and it all looked a bit shabby. We didn’t like the pretentious feel of the place so we decided to move on.
Charlie had recommended a small operation run by an ex-pat Brit as being a good option, just 3 pitched tents and 2 pitches for your own tent. We saw a sign for it leading off the road, so turned off on that track. We needed the 4 X 4 engaged to deal with the deep sand of the winding track through the bush. When we reached the end of the track we could see very little there and not a lot of shade. Rains are imminent, any time now, and that track would become very difficult to negotiate, even with our vehicle. So we turned round and went back to the main road. We continued all the way to the C49/B8 junction, looking for a Community site mentioned in the book, but yet again were unable to find it. What to do? Not so far back along the road we had passed the sign to Namushasha Lodge and I was sure I had seen a tent sign on it, so we turned back and here we are.
The donkey boiler which heated all our hot water. A man came and lit a fire underneath it early every morning.
Looking out over the Kwando River to Botswana
The pitch is excellent, high above the river where hippos are coughing and snorting. There are only 6 pitches, we have No 1, which we were told was the only vacant one, a group was coming in last night. We put the tent up and thought it would be the ideal place fora double night stop. We went back to Reception to see if it was vacant, when the Swedish couple we had met the previous night arrived. They were told they could have No 6, and we took a look at it with them. Work was being done there, which was why I assume it was not offered to us, but they took it for one night. Even though a small group arrived they certainly didn’t occupy the remaining 4 pitches, just a couple at the most. The pitches are all entirely separate and screened from each other, but I am sure that No 2 next to us wasn’t occupied. Public ownership bureaucracy?
16 November - Kaisosi River Lodge
This is indeed an idyllic place to while away the day. We arrived at about 10.30 this morning after the short journey from Popa Falls, via Shamvura where we stopped to pay for the two nights we had spent there. We saw Charlie who didn’t seem at all concerned that her internet payment programme hadn’t worked, or that she had heard nothing from us for 4 days. We explained that we hadn’t had an internet connection.
Our
second day at Namushasha was spent sitting in the shade and relaxing,
doing nothing in fact, a rare luxury in our lives, not just here but
at home in the U.K. as well. The weather was odd, it was quite windy
and overcast for much of the day. We ventured to the Lodge with it’s
plush sofas and chairs, but the internet wasn’t working so we
returned to our quiet camp pitch. We managed to braai and shower
before the rain started. The thunder and lightening rolled around us
before the rain started. We were just finishing our meal and we threw
the plates and cutlery into the sink and dashed into the bathroom,
where we were trapped for nearly an hour. Fortunately we had shut
down the tent and the truck before we started eating, sensing that
something ominous was about to happen. There was a lull in the
ferocity of the rain which allowed us to rescue our chairs from
beneath the lapa, only slightly damp from splashed and wind-blown
rain. We put them in the bathroom hoping they would dry overnight,
and got into the tent. It hadn’t leaked at all and we were able to
get into the bedroom unit with a cask of wine and play a couple of
hands of Crib before settling down for the night.
The storm continued to circle during the night, occasional flashes of lightening and bursts of thunder and rain on the tent roof, but we both slept well and woke at 05.00 after our early night. The shy was still overcast, but the rain had stopped. We packed up in the dry, although the tent fly was very wet. It is a joy to have the Hi-Lux ‘bakkie’ with the stretch cab, we can put our bedding along the back seat and throw everything else into the back of the truck. We headed west and stopped at Divundu for fuel. We were low on provisions so we went to the local supermarket, which sold mainly soap, sugar, sweets and fizzy drinks, but did manage to buy a few ‘English’ potatoes. We went on to the Popa Falls Reserve. The campsite wasn’t bad, apart from the fact that it had no shade. The ablution blocks were excellent, 8 toilets for 7 pitches, compared to Roys Rest Camp and Island View where there had been 2 for potentially 40 people.
Back to the Okavango. The rapids at Popa Falls. There is a baby crocodile on the sandbank at the bottom of the photo.
We took a walk through the Reserve, the Falls aren’t really falls at all if you have just come from Victoria Falls, just a few rapids. The walk was nice though, and the Reserve is well managed. We had a long conversation with the guy at the Reception Office about Brexit, the implications and the outcomes. The day had been long and hot, and we chased the shade at the campsite until the bite went out of the sun. Then we showered and braai-ed, enjoying a couple of games of Crib before bed. The Bradt warned about all the mosquitoes at Popa Falls, but there weren’t any. We had geared up all our mosquito-proof clothes, ready to hand, but we didn’t need them. Possibly it was too hot and there hadn’t been any rain there. We expected a somewhat noisy night, as throughout the afternoon and evening we could hear what sounded like an African wedding very close, the sound system wound up until there was some feedback. In fact it all went very quiet after dusk and we slept well. I woke up in the early hours and was cold, so pulled a kitenge shift on into my sleeping bag.
Once again we were on the road early, by 07.00. During the stop at Shamvura we learnt about the situation in Zimbabwe. We discussed it on the way to Rundu. We are so glad we decided not to go to Zimbabwe this year, but our hearts and thoughts are with all the lovely people we know there, black and white. We passed a convoy of military vehicles going in the opposite direction, towards the Botswana/Zimbabwean border and realised that it must be to do with the situation there. It wasn’t until we got here and picked up Internet that we realised the involvement of Namibia, if indeed Grace Mugabe has left the country and might try to take refuge here. I am sure this story will continue and there will be much more to come.
We
could easily have stayed for two nights at Kaisosi River Lodge. It
was a lovely place. Chalets bordered the river, and the campsite was
set back. It meant that we were in the shade of large spreading
trees. Each pitch had its own bathroom, tiny but adequate, and the
elephant grass was thick and lush. We both woke in the night, cold,
and pulled our sleeping bags closer. Peacocks roamed freely but we
didn’t hear them in the night. We were awake early in the morning
and back on the road by 07.30.
We headed south from Rundu, leaving behind Caprivi, or as it is called now, the Zambezi Basin. Spending time here was a deciding factor in our choice to come to Namibia this year. It has not disappointed. We talked again about our decision to source the trip from Joburg rather than Windhoek, we would have avoided the long and tedious journey across South Africa and could have spent more time here in Caprivi. As well as getting hold of the tent, the flight to Joburg suited us, and we will end the trip in South Africa, which we now consider to be our starting and finishing point of preference. We love the tent so much already. We are nostalgic about our 2 previous tents, Natural Instincts Highveld, but we have to admit that for ease of putting up and ventilation the Aussies have it. Our only reservation is that it is very flimsy, it seems more flimsy and vulnerable to wind than the Highveld did. Let's home we don't get too much more strong wind.
On Friday night we stopped at Khorab Safari Lodge, close to Otavi. It suited our travel time and seemed like a good stopover en route. The campsite wasn’t bad, individual facilities, but all a bit grubby. It was right next to the B1, the reason we chose it. We hadn’t realised how busy it would be, trucks roared up and down the road all night so neither of us slept very well. We were away early next morning and our first stop was at the Dunlop Garage in Otjiwarongo. John had been suspicious about a rear tyre for a couple of days, getting more air put in it at fuel stations. It turned out that we had a nasty gash in the tyre, amazing that it hadn’t collapsed completely. The Dunlop centre was very efficient, replacing it with the spare and giving us a new spare. We went on into Otjiwarongo to shop at the excellent Super Spar and stock up with provisions for the onward journey.
Where to pitch the tent? Is there any shade?
OK. Some shade here by dusk.
The roughly constructed lapa gave us some shade in the afternoon heat.
A flush toilet (it did actually flush) tucked away between the rocks.
And a shower, that's our washbag hanging on the wall.
Sunrise over the Namib Desert.
It was fantastic, one of the most memorable places we have ever stayed. All the camping sites were separate and away from each other, hidden amongst the rocks. We would have been better with a proper camping site as the Meru tent was pitched exactly were we would have chosen to put ours, but we found a place in front of it and used the Meru awning for shade. The only problem was the tormenting flies. Our private toilet and bathroom were between cracks in the rocks. Pipes had been put in to give a flushing toilet and a shower. We had a lovely evening, no light pollution, and the flies disappeared at dusk. We both slept soundly, after the disturbed sleep of the previous night. We would happily have spent a second night there if it were not for the flies.
The endless Namib Desert
This clever Mokane tree couldn't get it's roots down through the rocks to obtain moisture, so they have grown up over the rocks behind it to capture early morning condensation.
We
left Hoada on Sunday morning and continued on the C40, then picked up
the C43 at Palmveg. At the Junction with the C39 we turned left and
continued until we met the D2612 and went to look at the geological
feature called the Organ Pipes. These are vertical columns of
Dolorite, caused 120M years ago when the Dolorite shrank as it
cooled. We decided not to go on to see the Burnt Mountain, it relies
upon early morning and evening sun for the resemblance to fire as the
rays hit it. We went back to the main C39 and continued to Uis to
where we are now, at the Brandberg White Lady B &B and Camping.
We stayed here seven years ago, but it seems much nicer than I
remember although the owner told us nothing has changed. We are the
only people here, a couple of Safari trucks drove in, took a look
then turned round and drove out again. It's a bit stark but not that
bad, we are lucky to have got the best pitch, underneath the shade of
a large tree, not surprising though as again we are the only people
here.
The Organ Pipes
It's
too windy to play cards tonight, we've had to tighten up all the
guys. The last couple of days on some seriously rutted roads has been
quite hard going. The worst bit was probably on the D2612. John got
out to make sure there wasn't a problem with the truck. We have
needed the 4WD for most of the way. It is good to have the ‘bakkie’,
as the Hi-Lux type trucks are called here. The storage space is
excellent, all the soft stuff goes into the back of the stretch cab
and the hardware goes into the back of the truck. It's a more
confident drive over the sand and the corrugated roads where the
grader has been.
22
November - Anib Kalahari Lodge
Pitched in the Kalahari Desert. Red sand,blue sky. A Thorn Tree. Silence.
Sunrise in the Kalahari Desert.
It’s very windy, it’s been windy everywhere this trip, except for Caprivi. This is another Gondwana campsite. Once again we have our own private bathroom and facilities and there isn’t another tent in sight. We are surrounded by the Kalahari Desert with very little shelter from the wind. It is a beautiful spot, even though we are on a campsite the desert appears to go on for ever. We arrived here early yesterday morning, at 11.30, after a 4 hour drive from Dusternbrook Farm, just north of Windhoek. There are only 3 campsite pitches here and we tried to book one on Monday evening from Dustenbrook but the internet was slow, the website clumsy and when we tried telephoning we kept getting cut off. We came on chance arriving early in the day so that we would have time to move on and look for somewhere else. Luckily one pitch was vacant and we took it for 2 nights. It is such a peaceful and starkly beautiful place that we went back to the Reception this morning to see if we could stay for a third night, on Thursday, but they are fully booked.
Monday morning we were away from Uis by 07.00, and heading cross country to pick up the B1. We went southward until about 30 km north of Windhoek, then picked up a minor road leading to Dusternbrook Farm. In order to get there we had to pass through a security gate leading to a poultry processing unit. Then it was a further 14 kms along a bumpy dirt road to reach the farm. There seemed to be lot of people staying there, all of whom were German, or at least German speaking, in a number of small chalet bungalows. We had the choice between a pitch in an enclosure with electricity or an open pitch by the dry river. We decided to take a pitch in the enclosure, not for the benefit of the electricity, but because it offered both wind protection and shade. The wind protection is more important for us than the shade. The joy of the Tasman is that it is lightweight and well ventilated, but it is also very flimsy. Two trucks with roof top tents which came later both pitched down by the river bed.
There was an internet connection at the Reception and we sat there in the afternoon and enjoyed a couple of cold beers. Once again it was too windy to play cards so we were fairly early to bed, hence the good start yesterday morning. Once back on the main road, through the road works and clear of Windhoek, we stopped at the Spar in Rehoboth to restock. We were surprised to find a fresh meat counter and we bought an excellent slice of rump steak, enough for both of us for just over £1. We were struck by the fact that most of the people we saw in the shop and driving through the town were unlike any we had seen elsewhere. I made a guess at Asian as they were mostly light skinned. When I checked the Guide Book Rehoboth got a special mention as the centre for the community of Baster people who are a separate ethnic group populating the area. They are the descendants of the very first Dutch settlers in the Cape and the local Hottentot people. The mixed race off-spring were called bastards, and that name has stuck with a slightly different spelling. They became a tight-knit community and slowly made their way north, escaping other settlers moving in and prejudice, finally into what is now Namibia. They speak Afrikaans and are very protective of their identity. They founded Rehoboth and work as farmers in the surrounding area. In the 1970s the area became an independent state which they control with their own cultural system of government. I remember Nelson Mandela's speech about a Rainbow Nation, and even though these people now live in Namibia they originated from South Africa and maybe some remain there.
We spent a long time here yesterday afternoon considering our options for the rest of the trip. We need to plan backwards from our departure on Monday week, deciding where to spend the last night within easy reach of Jo’burg, but also with sufficient accommodation options that we can take a chalet if it is raining, so that we can pack up in the dry. An option we considered from here was to continue eastwards into The Kgalagadi Cross-Border Park, exiting in South Africa. Checking the Guide Book we saw that in the summer, i.e. now, ground temperatures there can reach 70C. We decided it would not be a good option. We have decided to go south west from here, making a stop somewhere around The Quiver Tree area, where we stayed on our last visit to Namibia, then head across to The Fish River Canyon before crossing into South Africa in the very south, across the Orange River. At the moment The Pilansberg area, just north of Jo’burg is looking like a good final stop, and we should have about a week left to make our way across.
Early morning in the cool desert. See how long the shadows are. Soon the sun will be almost overhead.
The
second day at The Kalahari Camp was magic. We are really sad about
not being able to spend another night there. We couldn't believe that
we were camping in the Kalahari Desert, it was like a pleasant
English summer day. There was a cool breeze which meant that although
it was too hot to sit in full sun we needed a jumper on if we were in
the shade. We spent the morning reading, relaxing, watching birds and
a meerkat. We drove into the Lodge in the early afternoon and sat in
the shaded bar area, drinking a couple of cold beers and playing
around with the fast internet. We caught up with news of the British
budget and the goings-on in Zimbabwe. Then back to our lovely
isolated pad in the desert with a sundowner and the braai. I thought
of all those people we saw arriving in their tour buses, checking
into their rooms, then sitting round the pool with cocktails before
going to the restaurant. I felt so sorry for them as we looked out
over the dusk of the desert, ate our sweet potatoes and boerswors
with a salad of tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic, peppers, avocado
and olives, then a few glasses of warm red wine. The light went, the
orange sun drifted below the horizon, the desert glowed. The stars
and planets appeared, the sky was full of brilliant dots of light. In
the distance we could see the Lodge, shining like a beacon, a mass of
light. The people there couldn't possibly see what we could see. Then
into our tent together, our own space, quiet and comfortable.
We woke at 05.00 and were on the road by 06.30. We stopped at the OK supermarket in Stampriet, an amazingly comprehensive store. We bought water and ice, our essentials, and also a cucumber, to my surprise. At Stampriet we turned off the tarred road onto the C15. We had decided to take this, the scenic route, rather than going back to Mariental and taking the B1 to Keetmanshoop. We were so pleased to have made that choice, it was a long 5 hour drive but so much more interesting. We followed the course of the Auob River, the Bradt says it is a dry river. If this is the case then there is plentiful water supply quite close to the surface. The river course was marked by large, green trees. We saw arable farming with copious irrigation. Hidden amongst copses of trees we caught glimpses of nice, well constructed farmhouses. The dirt road, good, and well graded, runs along the river valley and either side there were flat dunes with sparse vegetation. To the east was the border with Botswana and the extended Kalahari.
The C15 continues to the Mata- Mata gate and the entry into Khalagadi, but we took the right hand fork to the C17. This was once again an amazing route. The road is a switch-back over endless dunes stretching far into the distance, row after row. We finally reached the Mesosauras Fossil Camp which we visited seven years ago to see the fossils but we stayed at the much larger Quiver Tree Camp Site on that occasion. It is hot, dry and dusty. We have shade beneath a large tree with an enormous, overhanging weaver Bird nest. The facilities are very simple, a toilet and a shower. We are glad we came here, rather than the larger Quiver Tree site.
The amazing nest of the Social Weaver Bird
A closer look at the nest. Each breeding bird has it's own nest
Sunrise and the Quiver trees are silhouetted on the sky line.
25 November - Amanzi Trails Campsite
Once
again we were away early yesterday morning, on the road by 06.45.
Breakfast at Mesosaurus was interesting. As the sun came up hundreds
of weaver birds appeared from the enormous nest in the tree which we
had camped under. They were all around us on the ground, and we had
to cover our muesli before they got into it. We stopped at the Spar
in Keetmanshoop and stocked up with provisions, thinking it would
probably be our last major shop in Namibia.
I have to confess that my preference would have been to take the Ais-Ais road after leaving Keetmanswoop and driving west to east along the Orange River. John had identified what looked like a nice campsite much closer to the Noordoewer border post, so we took the B1 instead. Just before the border post we turned left, driving through a sizeable shanty town, then further on along the Orange River road. I was not convinced that we had made a good choice as the road wound through a continuation of the arid desert landscape, not the green river valley I had been hoping for. We followed the signs to Amanzi Trails Camp and as we turned in it all changed.
Looking out across the Orange River. South Africa is on the other side.
It has turned out to be an excellent campsite. Large emplacements, screened from each other by reed fences, are strung out along the river bank. We have been lucky enough to get one next to and overlooking the river. Each pitch has a stone built braai, a lapa with a sink and an electricity point. The ablutions block is excellent, spotlessly clean with plenty of toilets and showers, and a separate scullery area with sinks for dish washing and laundry, with lines to hang your washing on. The only initial downside for us was that they don’t accept credit cards, cash only. We have only kept enough cash in N$ to pay for sundry expenses, assuming that accommodation costs would be by card.
We looked at our forward plans yesterday evening, and decided that the location and the campsite are so good we would definitely stay for another night, and if we could find an ATM and get some more cash, we would stay for two. Yesterday in the afternoon the wind got up, a South African guy camping opposite had warned us that it would. It blew straight off the river, where we had placed our tent heading directly into it’s path. There were some anxious moments but hammering of pegs and adjustment of guys meant that the tent survived. Having decided to stay for longer we have moved the tent this morning. We have placed it well back away from the river, and running along the perimeter fence of our emplacement. If the wind is strong ahead this afternoon, we should be able to place the truck between it and the river and provide shelter.
We went into Noordoewer and got some money from the bank to cover our costs for another night. On the way back down the track to the main road we passed another riverside campsite, Felix Unite, the one which the Bradt mentions. We saw a couple of Overland trucks parked close to the entrance, so it obviously caters for large groups. We are pleased to be at Amanzi Trails where the rules are, ‘no music, no noise after 22.30, no dogs, no quadbikes, no motorised boats on the river’. We are now hoping to enjoy a couple more days peacefully by the river, reading, writing and bird watching. There is a pair of Goliath Herons with a nest in the reeds. I have also seen Grey Herons, Purple-backed Herons, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, Cormorants, a Fish Eagle, and many many more birds.
28
November - Orangeruis Campsite
We’ve
been here before, it was our last stop in S.A. before we crossed the
border into Namibia three weeks ago. It was on a Sunday then and the
place was heaving with day visitors as well as lots of campers, I
suspect they were from nearby Uppington. It is a resort type complex
on the Orange River, with a swimming pool and picnic facilities. So
far today we are the only people camping here. Last time we had to
make the best of what shade was available, today we drove round the
deserted campsite trying to work out where we would get the most
shade.
We
have ended up pitching in the almost identical spot to last time.
We have crossed the Orange River. Namibia is on the other bank.
Our two extra days at Amanzi were excellent. We did move the tent twice though. When we arrived on the Friday afternoon we pitched the tent right next to the river, wonderful place to be. Nico, camping next to us, but he had a caravan, told us that it could get windy in the late afternoons. It got very windy. Saturday morning we moved it to the back of the pitch, close to the fence. Saturday afternoon it was very, very windy, worse than on the previous day. We moved the bakkie between the tent and the river to try and give it some protection, but it was still buffeted by the wind, poles bending and guy ropes stretching. Nico brought his car across and parked at another angle to give us more protection. We survived, and the wind dropped at dusk sufficiently for us to play cards.
So on Sunday morning we moved again, this time the other side of the fence into the pitch behind us, a row away from the river and placed the tent into a corner where it would get some protection from the lapas of the neighbouring pitches. A French couple arrived on Sunday and also choose a pitch close to the river so I told them about the wind. We agreed they should be OK as they had a rooftop safari tent. They must have thought I was crazy because Sunday afternoon there was hardly any wind at all.
We invited Nico to come and eat with us on Sunday, our last night at Amanzi. He is there long term at the moment, all on his own. His wife and children live close to Cape Town and he is a tax exile. His job is supervising teams of divers working on rigs and oil installations so usually he is working outside South Africa. He hasn’t had so much work this year so he has to stay out a bit longer to qualify for tax exemption. He does need to work again though, so he has applied for jobs in Nigeria, somewhere he doesn’t really want to go. He was a really nice man and we enjoyed the evening with him, we got some frozen sirloin from the campsite shop and used all the remainder of our vegetables. He brought a very nice bottle of COLD white wine, he has a fridge.
Hearing about living conditions close to Cape Town, I just could not live like that. He obviously has an extremely nice house in a complex with it’s own bore hole. The complex is surrounded by high, electric security fencing, and has 24 hour armed guards. Someone still managed to get in during the night a short time ago, and the Armed Response Unit were called as back-up. He insists that his wife always has an armed weapon with her and has taught her how to use it. His children can play outside within the compound, but always under supervision of the woman/ nanny who is responsible for them. His eldest child is at a school 200 metres away, but is taken by car into the schools security fencing. I understand what he said, he is South African, his ancestors and those of his wife have lived there for many generations. He doesn’t want to live anywhere else in the world, and they will stay there as long as they possibly can, they have not known any other way of life.
I think of our grandchildren, especially the ones which live in our city, the eight year old is the same age as Nico’s son. He goes to and from school, not only walking or cycling, but on his own. He plays in the street with his friends, he goes to the park, he goes to shops on errands. I wonder what messages children living in these gated complexes must carry with them, of suspicion and fear. It is unfortunate that here the perpetrators of the offences, the causes of the suspicion and fear are of a different racial group. Nico, like so many other South Africans we have met, are not racist. They condemn the apartheid system and want to move forward to a united country where they belong. A rock and a hard place is a cliche phrase, but it is where they are and my heart goes out to them. I have no idea how the situation can be resolved, now that the pendulum seems to have swung so far the other way, and white people as the minority face so many obstacles and challenges.
We left Amanzi Trails on Monday morning, we could have stayed longer but we needed to move on. The border crossing at Voilsdrift was easy, a bit tedious with all the forms to fill in, but it wasn’t busy and didn’t take too long. We had a long drive before we reached Augrabies, where we had intended to go back to the Augrabies National Park site where we stayed in 2010. The main attraction there would be the Augrabies Falls, where the Orange River crashes down over rocks. We have heard from so many sources during the trip that the prolonged drought means that the water in the Orange River is so reduced there is really nothing to see. We also remember the trouble that we had there with Vervet Monkeys seven years ago, and we understand it is now worse and baboons have also moved into the area as the drought has forced them closer to water and food sources. We weren’t able to leave anything unattended, not just food but anything they could snatch and run off with.
We decided to stay at the Augrabies Falls Lodge and Campsite instead, three kms from the Park. It was a very nice campsite. I think there just eight pitches, all underneath shady trees and with their own ablutions and bathroom. Only one other pitch was taken. The people staying there were a very nice couple, about our age and from The Free State, they were both native speakers of English, originating from Zambia. We spent an enjoyable evening with them and were both sad that it couldn’t have been longer. There was so much more they could have told us about their history, about being South African in these times. They were extremely generous, and I enjoyed the best white wine of our trip, AND it had ice in it, real, actual ice. They were such nice people, sadly ships that pass…..
I had no idea that the Northern Cape was so prolific in its wine production. On the Namibian side of the Orange River there was just a narrow strip which was cultivated. On the South African side it is wide, it seems to be far away from just the river bed, but presumably the water can be accessed for irrigation. Although it is mostly vines we also saw evidence of citrus and soft fruit cultivation. We have always thought of South African wines as produced in the Western Cape. If last night’s wine is anything to go by we need to look out for Northern Cape. So tomorrow we move on, 37C here at the moment and rising, 41C forecast. As we move east it should get higher so maybe a bit cooler. We can hope.
01 December - Pilansberg Nature Reserve
Our only visit to a Game Park, we did get to see a few animals.
A lone Wildebeest
A stately giraffe
The closest we have ever been to a rhinoceros
The inevitable zebra
We
regretfully said goodbye to the Orange River on Wednesday, although
the road eastwards followed it’s course for the first part of our
journey. We drove through one vineyard after another, and a few soft
fruit orchards. In Namibia it seemed like only a narrow ribbon of
land has been used for grape production, but in South Africa wide
expanses have been cultivated. We spent Wednesday night back at
Kameelboom Lodge, where we camped on the first night of this trip. It
was not a campsite we would choose to go back to, but there was no
other camping choice on that road.
I’ve checked back to see what I had written about Kameelboom, and I see that I mentioned how sparse it was and the traffic noise. Last Wednesday the wind was in a different direction and the noise was even louder, and seemed more ferocious. The Lodge itself is quite nice with rows of room around a central lawn, with nice plants and some interesting artefacts. The campsite is definitely an after thought. It is just a strip of land between a dirt track and a perimeter fence. There are a few straggly Thorn Trees and a couple of ablution blocks, each one consisting of two toilet/shower rooms, with an outside sink for dishes and clothes washing. We went further down the strip this time and found a spot with some shade. We were still very exposed, the other side of the perimeter fence is a field stretching into the distance. When we camped there at the beginning of the trip we had some trouble when the wind got up in the late afternoon. It was the first time we had put the tent up and we hadn’t realised the importance of fastening the fly to the bedroom unit poles with the velcro tabs. It stabilised the whole thing so was a learning experience as wind has been a big issue on this trip.
The sky became darker and darker, and the clouds heavier and heavier. John got the braai going and I made the salad. Suddenly, without any real warning the wind became ferocious. It tore at the tent fabric, ripping the fly loose from the poles. The poles bent over, looking dangerously as if they would snap. A few drops of rain started to fall. John battled to hold the tent upright while I dragged out the contents and threw them into the truck, together with all the sand that was blowing everywhere. We put the fly on the ground while we got the poles out and collapsed them. We rolled everything up and tossed it into the back of the truck. We got inside just as the rain started to get a bit heavier, but most of it was horizontal.
We drove to the Lodge complex, explained that we had aborted camping and asked if we could take a room instead. The very pleasant young woman who had been in the office when we arrived was very sympathetic but deferred to an older woman sitting at a computer, presumably her mother. The same woman had also been there when we checked in but had totally ignored us. She was memorable because she had badly dyed, jet black hair, short but in a spiky style, and heavy make-up. It all made her look very severe and hard, which we were to learn was quite accurate. She wanted to charge us the full price for the room on top of the camping fee which we had already paid. When we said we didn’t think that was fair, she said as a special favour she would give us a R100 discount, just over £5.
The room was actually quite nice, with a little bathroom annexe. The rain eased, there really hadn’t been much at all, but the wind was still howling. We got the contents of the tent into the room, shook out all the sand and packed them up. We sat out on the verandah of the room, the rain had stopped and ate our half-cooked potatoes, with a can of baked beans, emergency food, and the salad which I had already made. We spoke briefly with a Dutch couple who had arrived in a roof top safari vehicle, but decided to take a room. They had come from Kgalagadi and said it was very hot, 40C and no shade. It had been 40C at the Orange River, but we always had shade. 40C with no shade sounds unbearable.
Close to the campsite on our first visit I had seen a boma with some cover and wondered what it was for. Earlier in the day, before the wind came there had been loud bursts of country and western music, as if someone was getting a P.A. system up and running. Then it was obvious that a braai had been lit. I wandered over to see what it was all about. Inside the boma was a covered area with a bar and a pool table and lots of tables and chairs. A large pig-oven type braai was smoking gently. Two quite large men where sitting, or rather, overflowing, stools at the bar. I went over and said hello, wished them a good day, and asked what was going on. They both spoke reasonable English, with heavy Afrikaans accents. They were very friendly, wanted to know about me, where I was from, how come I was in Vryburg. They explained that they were local farmers, I had rather guessed that, ‘good ol’ boys’ springs to mind. They met at Kameelboom for their ‘get-togethers’, a few beers, a braai, some music, all men together. I don’t know about the beers, but the two I spoke to seemed to be knocking back shots of whisky mixed with brandy, and the party hadn’t started yet. They said it was bad luck that we had decided to camp there on the night of one of their ‘get-togethers’, and said if we wanted to get some meat to come over about 8.30. I’m not sure they meant me, maybe just John. In the lodge room, with the wind blowing in the other direction, we didn’t really hear them at all, a few whoops, and some not at all bad country and western music. In the morning I saw that all the farmers vehicles had gone. They must have driven to their various homes sometime late in the night. I can't think that any of them would have been sober enough to drive safely. I wonder what the implications are for Drink-Drive Law in South Africa. I know that we have had cautions about driving after dark, the main danger being drunk drivers.
Even though we slept in a room on Wednesday night, we were still awake and ready to get up at 05.30, so with no tent to pack up we were soon away. As we drove further into the North West Province the landscape became greener, a few more trees and signs of arable farming. We were headed for the small town of Koster. We stayed at Klub Kranskil there in our big trip of 2010. I wrote extensively in the journal for that trip our reasons for going to Koster, well off our planned route, and the reason for staying there much longer than planned. We are well on schedule and decided that we could easily make a detour back to Koster and Klub Kranskil to say hello, and hopefully find some of the people who had been very kind and helped us so much in 2010. As we turned off down the dirt track to the road we passed an enormous construction site, we thought maybe it was drilling for water.
As we drew into the Camp a young woman came from the office to speak to us. We asked about a pitch for our tent and she said she was sorry but they weren’t open for the general public, they had groups staying for the next two weeks. We could see that the place was swarming with children and realised that it is two weeks before the schools break up and it is customary for the schools to take the children, particularly from townships and urban areas on country holidays. We told her about 2010 and how we wanted to thank everyone. She said that she hadn’t been working there then, but an older woman came over and said she remembered us, she was working there then and her daughter was one of the people who had helped us. She explained that the Camp was a very different place now. A very big sewage treatment works was being built there, right next to the Camp, there was constant noise and disruption from all the heavy machinery, creating dust and churning up the surrounding land. They had lost all their white clientele, who used to come for weekends and school holiday, and used the large site with it’s facilities for weddings and other functions and events. As a result the staff had been cut, most people had been sacked or left. She was still holding the fort and the young woman we had spoken to was helping her out just for the schools events. We were sad, sad that we couldn’t stay there, but also for the situation the kind people who had helped us are now in.
We knew from our 2010 trip that it was very hard to find any sort of accommodation in the rural, farming area. Fortunately it was still quite early in the day so we decided to head back to the N4 and continue to Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, in the Magaliesberg Mountains, only an hour or further on. However we got a bit lost in Rustenberg. John programmed the SatNav to take us to the Kgaswane Campsite, which it did, well the other side of a high fence with a locked gate and a No Entry sign. We had no idea how to find the entry gate so we decided to cut our losses and head straight for the Pilansberg Nature Reserve, which had been planned for our final stop, and that’s where we are now.
03
December - Kgaswane Nature Reserve, Magielsberg
We
arrived here early yesterday morning after two nights at the Bakgatla
Campsite in the Pilansberg Nature reserve. There could not be a
greater contrast. The only campsites in the Pilansberg are at Resorts
run by the Golden Leopard chain, and the resorts are just outside the
Park gates. This means that you have to enter the Park each day, and
the day we went, last Friday the 1st of December a new pricing tariff
had been introduced. Entrants now have to pay the full amount for
entry fees every day, previously it had been possible to pay a
one-off fee for a period. As non-South Africans we also have to pay a
higher rate than the nationals. We took it all in our stride, we
always pay more for SANParks. South Africans staying there were very
unhappy about the daily charge. Many said it would put them off
coming for longer periods of time.
The campsite was OK, probably the non-electrified pitches were nicer than those with electricity, they had not been used so much so tended to have more grass. Although we arrived after midday we still managed to get a nice pitch in a central area with some shade. The disappointment with Koster and then the frustration over not finding Kgaswane turned out to be a lucky chain of events as we arrived on a Thursday before it filled up for the weekend. We went into the Park on Friday morning and spent over four hours there. It is very scenic and was nowhere near as dry and arid as the parks we went to were last year. We could see from the gulleys through the sand at the campsite that there had recently been substantial rain, and a group of women pitched nearby told us that it had rained all the previous evening. One of the roads we tried to take in the Park was closed off, a sign said ‘Closed due to Storm Damage’, and in many of the other tracks we needed the high clearance and the 4X4 of the HiLux. We were disappointed in the quantity of game we saw, just one elephant for example. We were delighted at an encounter with a large male rhinoceros, the closest we have ever been to one.
After lunch on Friday there was a continuous stream of tents and caravans arriving, many with school age children. We camp with children for two weeks in the U.K. during school holidays, maybe we have been lucky with the sites we go to. We have observed before that South African children we have encountered camping are a pretty undisciplined bunch, running through peoples’ pitches and making a lot of noise, with little regard for property, their own and the campsite facilities. I don’t think we are old grumps, in fact we are child friendly and tolerant, but there is a difference between children playing and enjoying themselves and loud, loutish behaviour. Usually the behaviour is totally ignored by their adults, when it is it usually results in a lot of shouting and screaming from both parties. Friday night was very busy and we expected Saturday night to become busier. We had contemplated staying in the Pilansberg for all of the last four nights, but we decided to have another try at finding the Kgaswane Reserve for the last two. It was spitting with rain and overcast as we packed up on Saturday morning.
We arrived here early yesterday morning and the difference couldn’t have been more striking. The park is pretty and quite green. When we arrived the skies were leaden, and it was quite cool. The campsite is enormous, the pitches all separated from each other by trees and shrubs, and ample ablution blocks. We were tempted to pitch in one of the central clearings, amongst the trees, we are still worried about how flimsy the tent is and it’s inability to survive strong winds. However there wasn’t a lot of wind so we picked a perimeter pitch and tucked the tent into some bushes. There is a large tree to sit under for shade and we have a wonderful view out over the rolling parkland.
The pitch turned out to be a very good choice, as just before lunch the parties started. Although there is a designated Day Visitor Picnic Area, the groups took over the campsite clearings. I think there were three distinct parties going on. Braais were lit, bottles and cans opened and soon the music started. As the afternoon wore on it got louder and louder, typical Black African heavy beat. Unless it was turned up very high it wasn’t too bad and we weren’t disturbed by it. In our experience it is unusual for black South Africans to sleep in tents and the Park Gates close at 19.30. The last people left about 19.15. Once again I wondered about South African Drink-Drive legislation as I am sure that most of the drivers would have been over the U.K. Legal limit for driving.
After the braai we sat and watched the sunset. As the sun sank lower black clouds formed around it, until all the western sky looked threatening. It started with flashes of lightening which lit up the park, then claps of thunder began to follow and the black clouds got closer and lower. We were able to sit outside in the peaceful post-party silence and play a couple of games of crib before the first heavy spots drove us into the tent. We rushed to clean our teeth and then enjoyed a final glass of wine before bedding down for the night. There was initial heavy rain, then sporadic showers which lasted all night. Thunder and lightening rumbled round and round all night, some claps alarmingly close.
I didn’t sleep too well, woken frequently by the claps of thunder. Then, around 02.00, I heard the noise of a truck arriving close to our tent, then turning it’s engine off. I shook a drowsy John and told him, he just said he thought it was probably security and went back to sleep again. Awake, I need to go to the toilet and sure enough there was a truck parked on the track leading down to our tent. The headlights flashed as I went past, but I ignored them and took a longer route back to the tent. John was fast asleep and I lay awake fearing the worst, stories of how dangerous South Africa is these days, white people raped and murdered in their beds. I thought about what the woman in the Biltong shop had said, cautioning us about watching our backs in this area, and being careful about where we camped. We thought a gated Nature Reserve would be safe, had we been wrong. I tossed and turned and probably dozed a little. By 03.00 I reassured myself by thinking that if we were in danger then something would have happened by then. Then at about 04.30 the truck engine started and it drove off.
We talked about it when we were both awake and agreed that it must have been the night security man patrolling, he decided to pull off and have a couple of hours sleep. We are the only people camping here and he probably thought he was doing us a kindness by pulling up close so that we knew we were being guarded and help was at hand if we had problems with the storm. Some men in a Park car came to empty the bins this morning and clear up after the party goers, so we asked them and they confirmed that the night watchmen drives round at night, checking everything out. We learnt that here have been some problems with crime and criminal damage at the campsite, the reason not many people camped there these days. We had wondered why we were the only people staying in such a beautiful spot. I will be prepared to have him around tonight, our personal guard, and be comforted by his presence rather than disturbed.
We also asked the bin men about the weather patterns and they said we can expect it to rain every night, usually with a storm of thunder and lightening, then next day it will be warm and sunny again. Earlier we had discussed the need to try and get a room, in case it rains again tonight, but were reticent to do so. As our flight isn’t until 23.59 tomorrow we won’t be in a rush to pack up. In fact it is the reason we wanted to camp on the last night. In rooms you usually have to clear them by 10.00, but camping is much more flexible. So we have decided to weather the storms again tonight, then take the dry tent down and pack up tomorrow afternoon, leaving here about 17.00.
So, that is another trip over. I have thoughts about it and our future plans, but I want to get home and give it some serious thought before making any other comments. I’ll just jot some headings down.
Where?
If
in Southern Africa where?
When?
We
have always been in November/December. Before the rains – dry &
arid. How about March?
Which
Vehicle? Depends on where we go.
Which
Tent? The Tasman is lovely, but no good in the wind.
Drought?
As
above, when and where to go.
Comments
Post a Comment