Early up after an evening of rain, but we remained dry!!!The hippos and been up up to the camp during the night and made off with one of my sandals or was it a hyena. I found it later though. Kobus and Hester and Christa were planning a boat trip out in the delta. The Okavango Delta is a beautiful place so we decided to join them, but not until Kobus had prepared brunch over the fire. We all sat round the fire chatting and eating a fabulous brunch. The boat trip through some of the delta was well worth the effort. I think I can say we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The thunder clouds were rolling in just as we got back to camp. Luckily the storm passed over.

We joined forces to cook the evening meal. Kobus had a firelighter ball that could start any fire. The motto was "one ball one fire". I have never seen anything so effective. A great pile of large pieces of wood and one little ball - and bobs your uncle, a blazing fire in no time. Kobus gave me a box of them - I am going to have some fun.

 There is a sausage tree nearby to keep vehicle level

A pack of wild dogs with a kill

The next day we were on the road towards Kasane. I can say that this is the worst off road driving I have ever done. We had to drive through a marshy area on the way and it was completely flooded. For about seven kms we were driving through water which at times was a meter in depth. Karen was out all the time checking the depth and condition of the bottom. We saw another vehicle behind us and we waited a bit, because two are better than one. Three young guys who immeadiately expressed their gratitude at being able to follow our tracks through the water. (tyre marks in and out) We got through, but I don't think I want to do that again - ever! If you get stuck, you are really on your own.

We drove out to Senyati camp (elephant man) where we have stayed many times before, but there was no room. A big party for a wedding was going to take place in the evening. The guy who normally runs it seems to have retired and his daughter and wife have taken over. No doubt she will improve the place a lot, but she was a bit abrupt with us and we couldn't find out if there was room tomorrow. We ended up at Toro Lodge campsite just outside Kasane.

One way to wash the vehicle - no hands!!!

There wasn't much of a vuew from the site, but the facilities were good. Got onto the net at the bar and updated our homepage and read a few mails and got into reading a bit. A nice relaxing day. We have got used to temperatures in the mid 30s all the time. The problems will start I think when we have to return to Europe and get used to temperatures under 10 degrees. Kobus and Hester arrived while we were up in the bar/lounge area. It was great to see them again - it was just like seeing old friends. We all went for a three hour cruise on the Chobe river. We were the only people on the boat. We saw lots of game, elephant, hippo, croccodile, buffalow, waterbuck, fish eagle etc. We were really close to everything we saw. One of the best river cruises I have been on. John our guide, was good with lots of information along the way. We joined forces with Kobus and Hester for the evening meal. We feel we have known them forever!!!

Is he smiling?

We are going to go back to Senyati Camp today to see if we can stay there one night, just for old times sake, then we are going to camp in Chobe Game Reserve along the Chobe river.

We got to stay at camp one (our favourite) at Senyati. We recieved a friendlier welcome today. We even got an appology from the owner Louse and his wife Lulu for the treatment we had recieved the other day when we were turned away. They had sites available. It appears that the person we thought was his daughter is just an employee and had judged the situation incorrectly - never mind we are here now. We were offered an extra night without charge.

The elephants arrived at the waterhole and kept us entertained all evening along with a gin and tonic from the bar. Kobus and Hester came to see the campsite for future reference. The next day we just lazed about keeping an eye out for elephants. Very hot again today, so no physical activities at all. Elephants arrived again in the early evening. Well okay a gin and tonic also arrived.

It's thirsty work

8-9/02

Off to Ihaha in Chobe. Here you drive along the Chobe River more or less all the way to the camp. As we were driving along on the track an elephant came charging out and made directly for us. Karen shouted drive, drive , drive, so I obliged as quickly as I could and we quickly made distance between us. Wow, why did it do that. After that we saw lots of elephants, but luckily they were in no way aggressive. We saw a herd of about 150 buffalow - we kept our distance. We also saw lots of giraffe and antilope. We also did an evening drive before making camp and getting on with the evening meal.

During the night some of our neighbours on campsite 1 were robbed by gunpoint. A young couple with a baby - they took their money, credit cards, cameras, computers and passports. We were shaken - robbery is one thing, but at gun point is another thing. We left and drove back to Senyati camp in Kasane. Kobus and Hester are staying here as well. They had booked at Ihaha, but didn't like being there because of close attention of elephants, so they didn't even camp there. We also met an English couple Andrew and Fiona who were actually on their way to Ihaha after staying at Senyati. We told them what we had experienced, so they decided to not camp there and return to Senyati after a game drive.

My favourite "birds"

We left Senyati and made for the border with Namibia. No trouble getting tthrough tthe two border posts. Very hot today again, 37 C. The engine acting up a bit. Starting to overheat a bit, so we kept our speed down to 80kms an hour. It helped. We will have to get the thermostat changed at the next big town. Camped at Muduma Game Park campingsite. After driving along a winding track through thick undergrowth for 15 kms, we came to the patch which was our campingsite. Only facility was a long drop toilet with a view, and of course a fantastic view along the river, with Botswana on the other side.The hippos will keep us company tonight. Fantastic sunset - as always down here.

Campsite 3 at Muduma

Up early next day for a game drive. As we were driving through thick sand the engine more or less boiled over. We stopped though before any damage occured to the engine. After letting it cool down for a while we filled up with water again and decided to abort our game drive and see if we could ring to Zebra and let them know that we were in trouble again. We needed a new thermostat, starter motor and the handbrake needs fixing. They decided after several chats over the phone that they would swap the vehicle, but only with one with a roof tent. Okay we could accept this if the vehicle was without problems. We were then told that the vehicle would be coming from Capetown, which would mean waiting two days. We weren' very confident of gettin a vehicle that was better than the one we have - so better the devil you know!!!

We are booked into a garage on Thursday (tomorrow) to see if they can help us. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We are spending the night at N'kwasi Lodge Campingsite. First thing we did was to jump in the pool to get cooled off - then over to the bar for a gin and tonic. The next exciting installment follows tomorrow.

We reached boiling point here

Up early and into Rundu where we found Kavango Mechanical Services run by Chris and his wife. Zebra had made an appointment for us. They didn't want us to go into Toyota because it has a bad reputation around here. Chris was very helpful and efficient. After carrying out various test on the vehicle, he concluded that the Viscus Fan was defect, the starter motor was worn out and needed an overhaul and lastly the back brakes were down to the rivets (worn out). He wasn't sure about the head gasget and advised Zebra that we had to have another vehicle. While all this was going on we were over installed in there house to relax. Karen wrote e mails and we updated our home page. Zebra told us there ws a vehicle on its way from Capetown - and that's some distance. We emptied the vehicle, which was still stripped down in the workshop and we were driven to Nkawzi Lodge where we would spend the night. We had no vehicle now, so that also meant no "home". They will deliver the new vehicle to the lodge.

We spent a good night here and ate in the restaurant. Breakfast was also included in the rate. The swimming pool was also very welcome. The staff here are also very friendly. An elderly couple and their son and his wife run the place. They are very much affected by the river flowing past the Lodge. Sometimes the level rises so much that they have to boat people over to the lodge and if it gets worse they have to close. It's a hard existance, because they get no compensation from the goverment.

We were lucky it all transpired while at the Lodge. They have really been kind and helpful. Karen even got them to do Kudu steaks for us tonight - I have never tasted better mmm.

Karen getting the new vehicle ready

"our" 3 vehicles: Aha, roof-top-tent, Trax

The tyres on the replacement vehicle!!

It took a long time to get all our things into the new replacement vehicle, but at last we are ready for the road. We drove to Grootfontein to shop a bit.and fill up with diesel. We drove 370 kms to Uris Safari Camp and we will get to Etosha tomorrow.

Then it happened. On arrival at the camp we found out that the fridge wasn't working at all. This we didn't really need at all. The front roof tent was unusable and filthy and the ladder was broken (couldn't extend it) The rear roof tent we opened and it was in better condition. The rain cover didn't fit though and I had to climb all over the tent to get it ready to sleep in. They should come from the lodge and light our boiler so we could have a warm bath, but even after Karen went up to remind them to do it - it didn't happen.

Now this was the last straw - we couldn't take anymore. Karen got a refund from the lodge because we had no hot water, but now we were on our way back to Windhoek to insist on them hiring a vehicle in tip top condition. When we got to Windhoek, Udo was sympathectic to our plight. On the way down Karen had rung to a firm who Anette and Ole our Danish use, and they had a vehicle. Udo had also tried to hire a vehicle without luck, so I think he was pleased that Karen had found one.

I won't write too much about what happened next, because it was frustrating with communication with Guy the boss in Joburg and his general refusal to cancel our agreement and allow us to rent this vehicle ourselves. He gave us two options 1- a six month old vehicle with a ground tent.that he could send from Joburg. 2 - rent the vehicle that Karen had found for a week and then come with the original when it was repaired. We said no on both counts. He told us that he had spent too much money on the six and a half year old vehicle and was more or less using this argument for not hiring another vehicle for the remainder of our holiday.

We have now left Winhoek and are on our way to Etosha again. We are relaxing at Weavers Rock campsite now for a couple of days and getting used to the vehicle which has a "AHA" unit on the back. We want to keep this vehicle for the remainder of our time. We have offered to pay the difference it costs to rent this one, but as yet no answer from Joburg.

We have now decided that we won't hand the vehicle back before we travel home. If Joburg are still refusing to honour their obligations to us, we will contact an attorney in Joburg and take him to court. This was supposed to be a holiday - well we have five weeks left - it could happen yet.

Now we are driving in a vehicle which is 5 months old and driven 24,000 kms. It's a pleasure to drive. Drove to Grootfontein and shopped a bit, then onto Namatoni in Etosha Game Reserve. We spent two nights here and two in Okaukueio. The prices have gone up to be in the Reserve and camp, but the camps are not really being well maintained. On the animal side we have seen lots of elephants, kudu, springbuck, impalla, giraffe, hyena, bat eared fox, rhino, oryx, eland, jackal, wildebeast, and some lion. While in Namatoni we experienced a female lion in the camp. A giraffe had been killed by lions close to the fence, which meant that a lion had got into the campsite side of the fence. They dragged the carcase of the giraffe away from the fence to get the lions away

Next morning we drove out to have a look at the carcase of the giraffe and suddenly we caught sight of a female lion inside the fence, deperately trying to find a way out. We informed reception of the situation. That night we were told that again the lion had penetrated the camp and not to wonder about. Later we heard a shot, but the next day we were told that it had been a warning shot. Nice with a bit of African excitement!!!

We have spent fours good days in the reserve. Tomorrow we will drive further west through the reserve, a place we haven't been before. Probably going south from now on, even though we wanted to go to Puros, but 40 degrees is too much!!

From Okaukueio we drove further west through Etosha towards the newly opened west gate. There were quite a few water pools to drive through and the wild life quickly disapeared at the sight of our vehicle. Not so used to humans and their 4x4s yet at this end of the park. Hope it gets cooler as we move south!!!

We drove for a couple of hours and hardly saw another vehicle. We checked in at Porcupine Camp just outside Kamanjab. It came recommended by two campers we met in Etosha. The camp was okay and we went up to her house and enjoyed one and a half hours of Porcupines coming into her front garden to eat raw vegetable cuttings she had laid out for them. I didn't know porcupines were so big. Our hostess also told us a lot about their behavour and habits, which was quite interesting.

On the road again next day. Here Namibian's natural beauty was at her best. Majestic mountains, deep valleys between them and we just kept stopping to take it all in. We camped at Madisa Lodge campsite. The campsite stretched along a dried out river bed, The swimming pool had been visited by elephants the evening before we arrived. They were emptying it when we arrived to clean it. We could just have used a dip. A young girl is running the show, but I don't think they should call it a lodge, because you can only camp.

Erongo Plateau Camp

The next three night we spent at Spitzkoppe and Erongo Plateau. The whole area is a pearl. We love going back to these campsites. You are really out there on your own. The temperature in the evening has fallen and Karen has started freezing in her bed - not good at all. Tonight the last day of Feruary we have driven over 400 kms to Solitaire, where we have camped  at Ababis Guest Farm. They have only three campsites, with fantastic views of the mountains and of course the sunset. Again driving down here today, we saw more or less no one at all.