No, you never really finish with Africa. You think that's it, but before you know it, you have planned a new trip. Here we are soon to be arriving in Windhoek to begin a new adventure. We bought a new new simm card at the airport. It's easier than doing it in Windhoek
As usual, we picked up our vehicle at Asco and spent a couple of nights at Arebbusch Lodge in Windhoek. Here we can get the vehicle organised after shopping, and relax a bit before we hit the road. This is important so we are both prepared and so is the vehicle.
Unfortunately Karen found out she had Shingles the day before we left. She was in real pain. Should we drop the trip or what??? We didn't, but she is starting to pay the price now. The campsite is great, but all she wanted to do was sleep to try and keep the pain at bay. I can underatand her, and the thing that hurts most is not being able to do something to ease her pain.
We both really enjoyed the campsite, being able to relax, and sleep when required. The vehicle is really well equiped, so we could easily prepare food on the double gas hotplate you just pull out. We went down to the farm to chat with them and enjoy the pool. We spent hours enjoying the view and the fantastic sunsets.
On our way again the next day. Did a bit of shopping in Karibib, Karen drew some money out. You cannot always be sure you can use Visa. Had lunch in Omaruru at a restaurant we have used before. Good food and friendly service. We got talking to a couple there and we decided we would meet at Klein Eden Camp, which wasn't far away.
We got into the camp after being shown the way by a guy driving a tractor. No water in the taps, dirty bathrooms. The guy said he would organise it at once, but 90 minutes later, not much had happened. They eventually came and we got the toilet and shower cleaned, and the water arrived after they filled the tank up. This ia a one nighter!!!
We are moving on up north, our destination this time Weavers Rock Guest Farm. Raining a bit today, not much, but it's there. Pulled in for a cup of coffee. We could just sit in the cab while drink it. We could see a local guy with his backie parked a bit in front of us, with he bonnet up. He came slowly up to us and asked us if we could help him. Og course we could. His battery was dead. He had two home made leads we could use. We managed with his. I had jumper leads we could have used, but not necessary. He told us he had been there all night, because he had nøt been able to get someone to help him. Well now he was on the road again.
1-2/3/24 Arrived at Weavers Rock for two days, and we found it was just as it had always been. We had heard it was run down, but a new owner is working hard to get it up to scratch again. It was just as it was when we first visited it. We were on camp 1 and a couple from Germany were on camp 2. They had been here earlier and had left for Botswana, but came back because of bad conditions. They had rented a 4x4 vehicle from Avis, and this was their third vehicle they had had during their trip. There had been so many problems and they were really fed up.
We ate at the restaurant. Here Karen got to try tripe, which was part of a local dish with meat. She ate it. I don't think we will say more about it. The new owners wife, who worked in a travel agency advised us against driving up to Rukana falls up north, because of bad road conditions. We found out later we could have done it, but with Karen's situation, it was just as well we didn't do it. It's a long drive.
On the road again, and as always there is always time for a cup of coffee on the way. We are not driving as far each day as we used to. I think the fact that we are getting older is catching up with us. 200 - 300 kms between camping is the average.
Drove into Outjo and into Toyota, because we had a little problem starting the engine this morning, but they couldn't find anything. I got the foremans number if it happened again while we were local. It never did!
Etosha Safari Camp was our next site. The guy at the gate told us the way, but after 20 minutes we hadn'r found the caamping site. After chatting to someone we found out that we had to more or less drive 3 kms back to the gate again. We should have turned right just after the gate - well we found the campsite.
We made :spagetti boiogaise for tea, but it started to rain, so we ate in the vehicle. We have a table an chairs inside, so no problem. We went down to the Bar/restaraunt later. Fantastic music from a local band. we chatted to a couple of girls from England. One worked down here and the other was on holiday. A really nice evening.
We got talking to a couple who were next to us on the site, and we decided to grill together later on. We went on a game drive, but didn't see too much until we were nearly back at the site. Two rhinos were walking on the road just in front of us, so we just stopped and enjoyed being able to see them. We could still see them when we parked at our campsite. Weather changed for the worst, so down to the restaurant to eat. Before eating though I had to take a quick shower after a hot sweaty day.
When I got to the shower block none of the showers was usable at all, so off to one further away. These seemed okay, but when I was finished showering I couldn't get out!!! The door was jammed shut. There was nothing on the insude to pull, everything had been broken off. Here I was - now a nice clean guy, ready to eat and I am stuck in the toilet. Karen won't know where I have gone.
Luckily some one came into the shower next to me. I asked him for help, and after three hefty kicks the door swung open, and there stood my saviour a muscular black completely naked. We both started laughing at the situation, and after thanking him for his performance I got back to our camp.
On our way out of the park they wanted to check the fridge, and of course our steaks and beef mince were in danger of confiscation. Red meat is a none starter, so out with frying pan and a little fry job so we could take them with us,
We are more or less on our way to Botswana now, so Roys Camp was the next stop. The rain had stopped, but we kept to the tar road because the gravel road could be a problem with the rain Here we met a couple from Belgium at the pool. We ended up dining together in the evening. Next day, two dik diks and a couple of guinea fowl were running around our camp. We drove through Rundu. This brought memories back of five years ago. No let's not go there. The town has increaseed in size, but till dirty and unkept. Arrived at Kaisosi, also where we have been before. The bar is over looking the river, so it was a good place to relax. The couple we met at Roys Camp suddenly appeared, so another enjoyable evening with them.
We met a couple of Irish girls the next day, Laura and Marianne, camping just like us, but they had a roof tent. We actually saw a lot to them during the rest of our trip. We didn't know it then, but they were travelling in the same direction as us. We gave them some adresses they could use if they wanted.
music and dancing.
The border crossing proved to be quick with more or less no control. So hello to Botswana again. Drove through Kasane on our way to The elephant man (Senyati). Did some shopping in a town that hasn't changed much during the last few years. Still dirty and not a town I would ever want to live in.
Again we saw lots and lots of elephants. What we didn't see in Etosha, we are making up for now.
We saw a female lion lying at the side of a giraffe kill and lots of buffalow, hippos, a couple of jackals and a single hyena. There are also many baboons mingling with impala. The guide told us that the impala feel safe with baboons around because they are very alert to danger, and can also warn the inpala of anything iminent happening. I also saw a secretary bird, which I haven't seen the last couple of times I have been in Africa. We also learned that the corrie bustard is the new national bird of Botswana. It's because only village chiefs are allowed to eat it - so it has to be special. We have never tried eating it, so no idea of how it tastes.
We would just sleep in the cab if nobody turned up. Our saviour arrived 10 minutes later. After guiding him through the diversion, he backed up to us. Out came his tow rope. I connected it to our vehicle, but two attempts failed to move our vehicle. The tow rope broke twice. Meanwhile another vehicle had arived with four young guys in it. This was entertainment indeed. We devised a new plan where he would jerk and I would gas up at the same time, and slowly we succeeded in getting the vehicle on dry ground again. Wow we were glad. Our saviour wouldn't accept any payment for the broken rope.
A large beer was the order of the day when we got to Maun. We camped for a couple of days at the Island River lodge. Here we met the Marianne and Laura and the Begien couple again. We enjoyed each others company over dinner that evening. What a day. It just shows how unpredictable Africa kan be.
We had thought about flying into the Okavango Delta and staying at one of the lodges, together with Marianne and Laura, but there is not much water at the moment, and this would make the trip a waste of time. We couldn't sail anywhere in there, and the wildlife we could see really would be restricted.
The president had recently died and his funeral would take place in Winhoek, so it's one place we have to avoid at the moment.
We are moving on now slowly in the direction of Windhoek to Gobabis. The girls have gone on ahead, we will see them later. Xain Quash Camp is where we are heading.
On the way found a good place to pull in and drink a cup of coffee. As I john jumped out of the vehicle I landed in what ressembled soot. My feet were just black and I couldn't brush it off as you can with sand. Well Mr Blackfeet and his wife enjoyed their coffee.
We arrived in due course at Xain Quash camp and camped at the next camp after the girls. A really nice camp, well looked after. Two friendly Golden Retrievers ran around the camp. Two tortoise ambled slowly here and there, four peacocks made sure we heard them. A really nice atmosphere to relax in, both at the campsite and the pool. It was really necessary with a pool now because the temperature is getting up towards 40 C. Shandys at the pool helped a lot. The girls invited us over for dinner. Really great if I can get my feet clean. The next evening we ate in the reataurant. One of the best steaks I have ever had.
Both mornings they brought coffee and rusks to our site. Service with a big smile.
The temperature during the day is really hot now. We are going to find a place where we can get a bit of air conditioning to cool us down. The girls had found a place. Jansen Kalahari Guest farm, also in the direction of Windhoek.The chalet was great. A little kitchen, a big double bed, bathroom and most important of all air conditioning!!! Ostrich, Elland, Impala, Giraffe and Impala were roming around. We ate with the girls to use all our leftovers
Said goodbye to the girls and hit the road to Windhoek. Handed the vehicle over after we had eaten lunch at our little restaraunt at Namibia Craft Centre.
This will probably be our last visit to Namibia. It takes a lot out of you driving around when the teperature is hovering around 38 degrees C. We take a lot of fantastic memories home with us, and they will never leave us.
