The End (almost)

Well, all good things must come to an end.. and so it (almost) has.

As is always the case with these adventures.. certainly for me anyway.. the last few days pass in a bit of a blur.

After our (very enjoyable) solo adventure in the wonderful Fish River Canyon we join the rest of the group in a red hot campsite where the only thing to do is loaf in a hot spa, swimming pool or bar ... all of which we do. Even the cold shower is hot for goodness sake. SO glad we didn't spend two days here...

...The (very) sad thing about the next day is that we leave Namibia. As Mr Fix-it ( ...No, let's give this wonderful guy his real name) ... As Rian says about us, we have the Namibian dust in our blood now... and we will be back. Will we? I don't know, but it's certainly left its mark on us...

After the border crossing, we head for Springbok in South Africa. The stark scenery is magnificent.. and it's relaxing to travel on tarmac roads again... although it's really, really annoying having to move over everytime someone want's to overtake, as is the code in South Africa... Then we all clean the Namibian dust out of our vans as far as we can... but Charles does spruce up quite well actually...

Then we travel to Citrus Creek, do some wine tasting on route and start packing... Ugh! Starting to get grumpy, I know, I know. It's just that, inevitably, the old brain starts to cycle into 'what we have to do when we get back' mode. It's also going to be really good to see family again. It's Christmas, for goodness sake!

Finally, after a couple of interesting detours with our trusty travelling companions we reach the campsite where all this started for us in October at Melkbossstrand, just outside Cape Town and not far ftom the Bobo depot where we return Charles the day after tomorrow. Feels wierd to be here again. After almost finishing cleaning and packing, we have a final Braai with friends before bed.

We enlist the help of Mr Mongoose to check out the tyres (really important job out here)

M

A day in Cape Town tomorrow, a farewell meal, then we return Charles and it's off to the airport the next day.

One more post and that's it folks...

Wild horses and more

Before I start, apologies for the lack of images; it's the lack of WiFi as we travel, you see.. Check again later as I'll stick a few more on when poss.

So, it's a dusty rough drive to Aus, and on the drive, friend Malcomb's turbo pipe falls off. All's well though as Mr Fix-it escorts them to  garage and fixes it himself with clips and stuff. That man again...

On the way, we visit Duwisib Castle, a surreal European mini castle, built in 1909 by Baron Hans Heinrich von Wolf. Wierd. One rumour has it that it was his horses that went feral to start the desert wild horses. Worth the visit though.

Meanwhile, we drive on past the campsite as the road suddenly improves...tarmac! We want to see the famous desert feral horses... and we see over a hundred. Amazing how they have adapted to these very harsh desert conditions. Don't seem very feral but apparantly they are uncatchable.

We tour the mini town of Aus, not missing the great information centre, showing how German occupation affected the residents. Really good, this. We have a drink with Mr Fix-it who suggests a visit to one of his home towns, Luderitz. We vow to get up a 5am and do the 4.5 hour trip before we head off to the fish river canyon tomorrow. Looks good in Lonely Planet.

Another Braai with friends...ah...sigh... this is the life...

.......

So today it's up a 5.00, walking to the shower, hoping we don't tread on a dodgy spider, which can cause a bit of a painful problem around here...ask friend Richard.

...Then we're off at high speed in a convoy of three vans (usual suspects) with Sue driving... it's a long, long day. Really worthwhile visit to the old German colonial style ex-diamond mining town, though. Although we can't get inside the Lutheran Church, we certainly get a flavour of the town ...and the Diaz Coffee Shop is simply... well ... out of this world. 

But it's the drive here that takes our breath away as we motor through the constantly changing desert as the Atlantic winds rapidly shift the sand. Really, really top class drive.

We push hard on the way back, as there's a long way to go. We calculate fuel stops to avoid lengthy waits at the start. I get it right...quite tight though. Our day-book suggests a fuel stop at Seeheim.. but when we get there, running on the low fuel light, all we can find is a hotel selling super-high price fuel from a big overhead tank. Hobson's choice .. but the vans run on it OK. Grinding of teeth all round.

We plough on ...and on, on dusty gravel roads

 ... we're doing around 500km after our morning jaunt... We finally get to a fantastic look-out point above the deep, wide Fish River Canyon. Impressive stuff indeed. It's our turn for a puncture though.. but with friend Malcomb's help, it's changed in a jiffy... and they escort us to the nearby, amazingly odd roadside cafe 4km away. (It's full of old lorries and cars amongst the tables..) After the repair we decide not to go on another hour to the destination at Ai Ais but camp in the canyon  campsite ... and it's part of the same state concern as Ai Ais so it's free!

So here we are, by ourselves for a change, which, I have to say, is quite nice - as much as we love travelling with friends, we've been in a group since October, for all but one week. Chilling time.

Back to the canyon in the early morning sun tomorrow ...a nice long walk around it.

Into the Desert

No idea when we will get WiFi...but writing this in the unconnected desert ...so here goes....

...We leave the luxury of the Swakopmund campsite for a 300km drive to Solitaire, but before we get under way, there's the matter of a visit to the local garage for remedial work on Charles' air-con. With Mr Fix-it's assistance, it's done in a jif (well 1 1/2 hours) and we join our patient travelling companions for a coffee before we set off, travelling through the Namib desert area. 

As it happens, the mist has cleared by the time we arrive at the challenging Dune 7 (such an evocative name..) so, of course, we have to climb it. Hellish satisfaction, I recon...and a fantastic view, too. Dune 7 - tick.

We drive (with blissful air-con) through the wonderful Kuiseb and Gaub passes and some quite magic, stark scenery before arriving at the wierd, v. small town if Solitaire, population 97 and rising. Another braai then to bed.
.......

Next day, we're off to Sesriem  and, for a change, we're first there to get info on the Sossusvlei Dunes before dropping off our tables to mark our pitch.. as we're not last for a change...

..then we're off into the amazing park with hge highest dunes in the world. We climb Dune 45 (Hell but satisfying..Dune 45 tick), take a 4x4 trip to the ring of Sossusvlei dunes, do a 2 km walk and generally go Wow! Goodness! before returning, quite late, to camp.

......

Next morning, we get up at 4.15 (really!) to set off at 5.00am to see the sunrise in the dunes. Brilliant!.... but we didn't expect to see around 50 youngish fit-types climbing Dunes 45. Been there done that!
We get some dune-in-the-morning-light pics before returning, at some speed, to meet friends for breakfast in the campsite restaurant.

Then we walk for a couple of hours in the nearby hot, hot gorge before fuelling and getting under way ... or so we thought... Puncture! ... not ours but a travelling partner's. So we change it, repair it at the garage. Then we're off .... until we stop to help another Bobo group with a PUNCTURE!

The rest of the day is a long drive through D Roads as the original route  has deteriorated too far. We arrive just in time for a communal braai, cooked by ... you guessed .. Mr fix-it. Great stuff.

More desert tomorrow.

Dune 7 - Tick

Dune 45 - Looks like a Challenge

Dune 45 - Tick

 Looks dodgy, Sue

Goodbye Dune 45

Swakopmund Holiday

But before we get to our holiday camp, we have to get there, if you see what I mean...

...So, with our trusty travelling companions, we're up at 5.30 and on the road by 6.30 because we want to see the famous 'White Lady' rock painting (which, we are told, is not a white lady as first thought but a white-painted participant in a tribal ritual). It's a 50 km trek and a two hour guided walk to get there but the whole mini adventure more than worth it. Great guide.

Trouble is, after another 200km or so on rough, dry, unsurfaced desert roads we end up being last in, which is a bit unfair on Mr Fix-It who needs to take Charles apart to get a bit of welding done for the air con. Don't blame him for being a bit hacked off..and a hacked off Mr Fix-It is not a pretty site (ex cop, ex mounted armed poacher hunter amongst many other things). All OK now though..he's a great guy. Outcome is that  we have to get it done Monday morning.

In search of the White Lady

On the way we spy a lizard type thingy (Sorry, I'm really really poor at this)

Back on the road? to the coast

Charles has lost his cool

Wierd here though. The cold Atlantic and hot desert airs meet and form mist so the temperature drops from 39 to 15 degrees over 20km as we motor in. Pleasant change in some ways though.

The site is truly truly wonderful. This is a holiday town and we have our own numbered pitch with private  bathroom, braai, washing sink. Oh bliss! We're here for three nights, too.

The next day we have a seal and dolphin spotting cruise from the next town, Walvisbaai. Didn't know what to expect but we certainly didn't expect this!.. so I'm going a little overboard (ouch!) on the description...

We hop on a big catamaran and motor out....as soon as we're moving, four flipping great pelicans land on the front and stick their beaks in to say hello. We've just got over that when there is a scream from starboard (right side..impressed eh!) as a seal leaps aboard and sits with us. Turns out the captain raises orphan birds  and things in her spare time. She's a real character and the whole thing is like a movie set...you wouldn't believe. These animals know her and call in the say hi, and take the odd fish or two. Then we have 'Namibian coffee', which turns out to be a sherry-like drink, followed by a real coffee, followed by beer, followed by oysters and sparkling wine....

.....then we chase bottle-nose dolphins and the Captain is clearly madly overjoyed at seeing them ..first time in three weeks apparantly. Then we are taken to see thousands of breeding seals. The Cap'n asks the name of our intrepid leader..and when he repies Nelson, she says 'well, I have a seagull called Nelson'. Unlikely we think, then 5  minutes later  the real Nelson (as in white feathery bird) turns up and perches next to the Cap'n. What the hell is in that Namibian coffee! This is surreal in the extreme...

....so, heading back, when we think things can't get much wierder, Cap'n leaps onto the bow and hollers in a strange very loud manner..... and three pelicans fly alongside in perfect formation, touching the water before peeling away. Then she does it again..same result. 'Reared 'em' says she....

Did that really happen? Africa!

Lots of seals...

Anyway, back at our luxury camp we are treated to a Namibian pot meal by Mr Fix-It..and damn good it is too.

...and so to today...Sunday

Lie-in (wonderful), washing (ugh!), walk into town to buy some stuff at the craft market (great), walk in again to have Sunday lunch with friends (really great). Sort out route and arrangements for tomorrow then update blog.....

Forget luxury for the next few days...it's into the desert proper, hopefully with air-con. Fingers crossed.

Heading South

Beginning to head south again now...

From Etosha, we head towards Khorixas to stay at the iGowati Lodge in the centre of the (very) small town...

On the way we take a detour to see an amazing rock that stands alone in a wide valley, once a great river, long since gone. Presumably harder than the surrounding rock so it didn't erode..but it looks like sandatone to me... After getting the motorhomes there we climb to the rock in 37 degree heat....but what a view. Brilliant. Intrepid travellers we are indeed.

We visit a museum and see a piece of farm equipment made in Earls Colne (near to our UK home)...  out here in Africa for goodness sake. Wierd.

We finish the day with another braai with friends...and a bottle.
.........

Moving further south to Uis, our journey becomes a little more taxing as the roads change into sandy, unsurfaced tracks that are periodically scraped to remove the mysterious ridges that always appear. These washboard roads can be traversed at around 60 km/hr unless the ridges suddenly get deeper or change width as so often happens.... then the vibration changes to violent shaking and slowing down rapidly is the only sensible  course of action...it's maximum concentration though.

We travel as a four-van mini convoy for safety today.. and also because we want to see the same things.... like minded and all that.

...So we carefully drive the washboards to see the petrified forest, 6000 year old scrapings on sandstone, basalt columns known as the 'organ pipes'  and  anomolous volcanic remains (Burned Mountain) before we head for fuel and camp, hot and tired, ready for our communal meal. Which was good by the way.

African proverb to explain the restaurant service...

Let's climb that famous landmark..

Magic... mad English people

Very frightened wood..How does that happen?

Spot the 6000 year old drawings

Bobo adventuring...that's Charles in front (without air-con)

I think we got the maximum out of that day...

Etosha National Park

So, it's back to animal spotting again folks...

....but before we get to that, we take a detour to see the largest known meteorite....50 tons of Iron-Nickel alloy. Dated to be around 80,000 years old....that's, er, quite a long time ago. Given my physics background, I get quite a buzz from touching this alien lump of metal. Probably because there's thunder about.

...back to the Park..and animals... This time we're in the Etosha National Park which encompasses a huge salt-pan....(Etosha = 'large white place')....the remains of a lake long evaporated. We stay in two different lodges, each with its own Namibian (slightly off-hand)  character as we animal spot, motoring around the unsufaced corrugated roads, shaking our motorhomes to bits. The wildlife is great though, although we seem to have missed the opportunity to see a leopard in the wild. On the last day we see the awful but fascinating sight of jackals, hyenas and vultures devouring a rotting elephant carcass. We also see two of the rare black rhino at our lodge campsite waterhole. Impressive stuff indeed.

The salt pan is just amazingly odd... a massive totally flat area, baking in the hot, hot sun...

..... talking of hotness, it's got up to 39 degrees C on Charles' dashboard readout, which makes the fact that a cable rubs its way through an air conditioning pipe with a puff of escaping gas more than slightly annoying. This has a drastic effect on the ability of Charles to keep us cool of course. It's kaput, broken... damn. I couldn't even get out to see what happened without being eaten, either. Design fault, Iveco!

....That's not all either; we discover that our amazing Mr Fix-it' s camper burst into flames in the night, slightly burning him, but not too seriously, thank goodness... and he's off sorting a replacement.

........

Anyway, here we are now, camped just outside the park. Mr Fix'-it is back but can't do much for another three days as we need aluminium arc-welding gear. Hey oh.

80,000 years old...

 Rain BoBo

Design fault Mr Iveco!

 Black Rhino!

Hippo luuurve

 Waste nothing....

Interesting terrain and things to see ahead, it seems, and we are to be allowed to travel on a 'D' road, which means rough, I think. This is Good News because we can see some 'not-to-be-missed' sights. Hot stuff.

Into Namibia

Catching up as WiFi permits....
....pics may have to wait for a little while though....

Anyway, here we go:

From Zimbabwe, we drive across the Botswana border into Namibia, not far south of Angola at Ngoma. It's the Zambezi region of Caprivi, which has been (is?)  a narrow corridor of disputed territory. After filling in more forms, more customs and police checks (quite understandably) we visit Katima, the buzzy local  town and pay the vehicle tax before settling down for our stay at the Zambezi river lodge, which is a really nice site, and gaze over the river at Angola.

The next morning at 6.30am, we're off again on a 350km drive, arrow straight again, past well tended settlements of reed-covered circular huts. It's election day and, everywhere, people are walking or being ferried, mostly in trucks, to their local (temporary) polling station. Great to see all this happening and listen on the radio.

Following advice, we're travelling with friends now and, as we travel, we see warning signs for elephants and a strange creature that I recon is a giant mouse but it turns out that it's supposed to be a kind of dog. Forever more this creature will be known as the Mouse-Dog. 

We're staying this time on the river Okavango at Mahangu safari lodge. We take another!! evening river cruise (sounds grander than it is) on the river (wonderful) and eat with friends at the lodge restaurant. We're warned not to walk into a hippo on the way back the the 'van....

And so to today.....

.....Off at 6.30 for a longish drive of some 420km to ( believe it or not) Roys Rest Camp near the town of Grootfontein. Sue and I rotate as we stop with friends for tea/coffee so arrive fresher. A few people are beginning to feel the strain of driving these distances in 30+ degrees though. After a 100km drive into Grootfontein and back We finish the day with a great braai with friends.

Great times...

Cruising....spot the wildlife

That's Charles that is..

Copper mining....the remains...

...onward to see interesting things tomorrow. Stay in touch....

Zimbabwe

We take a coach to the nearby border feeling quite smug that we already have our visa from the Zimbabwe embassy in London...but, of course, it saves no time really as we have to wait for everyone else. At least we don't have to fill in that form....

...after which we have one hour on another straight road to Victorial Falls (the town) in the hands of a competent guide..she gives us a list of possible activities for the following day...which are pretty expensive and all in US dollars, which Zimbabwe needs pretty badly. In two minds about this really. Don't really fancy bungee jumping and the like but spot a cultural tour.

The hotel turns out to be a really nice Moorish styled place and the falls themselves are a fantastic sight, even though this is the dry season.

We take the cultural tour the next morning...to a local village and school. Just six of us, including two ex school Heads and a Principal.....!

The chief of the village gives us an utterly fascinating talk on his village, beliefs, customs and the problematic aid situation; he has lectured in the UK. His village is essentially self sufficient..no electricity ....cooking on wood gathered from the land and generating food from crops, selling surpluses in town.

Our visit to a local school is, as usual for us in these situations, very moving. The children are great and Sue is in her element, of course. When we talk to groups, Sue asks meaningful questions and ends up writing on the blackboard while I play 'lets make a silly movie' games on my phone. Great fun though. The school is badly in need of money and, although we stopped off to buy pencils and paper on the way, we are dragooned onto making a contribution..although we keep it small. Feel slightly odd about this, given it's where it is.

Then it's back to the hotel ...lunch ....coach ...border...and here we are back at our super luxury lodge (!) sweltering in the Botswanian heat.

Great mini holiday experience with memories to carry with us.

Namibia tomorrow....another day, another border crossing....

Botswana: Heading North

After a drive of some 350km or so on arrow straight roads with odd slight kink we arrive at our final lodge in Botswana, close to the Zimbabwe border (and the Zambia and Namibia borders come to that). It's a different kettle of fish to the last one, though, as we inspect the dodgy electrical connections in our (personal) washroom and view the opaque looking pool. At least our intrepid leaders won't be hogging sunbeds around that one, although they tell Sue that it's fine to go in. We beg to differ.

We all take the inclusive safari around the nearby game reserve which is good..with a great guide.. but the journey along the road to get there is an adventure in itself; being driven in the open safari Toyota at reasonably high speed, sitting in the front, is akin to driving a car with no windscreen. Not surprised when our fellow traveller gets a high speed flying beetle about 3cm across in her face...she still bears the scar of that  encounter!

The following day we are told is a rest day with suggested activities of shopping at a local Spar and filling up with diesel. But its bloody hot, so we (and a number of others) sort out an afternoon and twilight cruise on the Chobe river which turns out to be one of those unexpectedly magic moments, especially as Foster, our  jovial guide/ captain edges to within metres of a very, very big croc sitting on her eggs. So, as ever, we make the most of what could have been a disappointing stop.

After a shockingly early shower the next day (literally....luckily it's only enough to give Sue a slight jolt)  we're off to Zimbabwe for a couple of days. Could do with a nice hotel after this stop.

Botswana

Catching up....

We have no 3G card here so an update will arrive if there's WiFi at the campsite. Today there is so here it is...

The border crossing, always approached with a little aprehension , proved to be a piece of cake (gluten free). Interesting that we we charged a range of fees for the crossing. When questioned, from the manner of the reply, it was clear that the prudent approach was to pay up. Actually, our bill was quite low compared to some...and it's peanuts anyway (190 Rand).

So we drove and drove and stopped at Camp Itumela in Palapye, behind a scrapyard...but it turned out to be a wierdly wonderful place with open air toilets....pity the electricity was more off than on, but that couldn't spoil our enjoyment of a great buffet meal.

.............

Next day, with fellow adventurers,  we visit a rhino breeding park (brilliant) but the consequence is that we arrive too late to visit the museum at the next site (Mupungubwe Hill) where artifacts from a far-developed African civilisation are shown, including a replica of the famous gold rhino....oh well...

On Friday, we head further north to Francistown, Botswana's second largest, bustling city, although time doesn't permit anything but a brief look.

Today, a short drive, at last, to here, the Nata Lodge (near the village/town of Nata, surprisingly). Nata has three fuel stations, a Wimpy and a Barclays....but not as we know them, Jim. Interesting chats...including one with a Zimbabwean who chooses to live here in Botswana. 

Finish the day with a safari into Sowa Pan, one of Botswana's vast flat areas of ancient sea which are drying to form salt pans and sustain varied bird and animal life. It's an strangely silent, etherial place...all the more so as we watch the sun go down...the horizon flat in every direction. Magic place. 

Sowa Pan Flamingos at Sunset

Sowa Pan Magic

Flamingos Again

Onward  towards Zimbabwe tomorrow...

Goodbye Kruger

Sad to leave the Kruger for the last time as we head off to the most northern gate. We almost certainly will never return so we feel compelled keep stopping for our farewells to the various Kruger animals, including a heard of elephants. It's been a tremendous privilege to be here with them.

The journey to Parfun gate and our exit takes longer than expected for the above reasons. We collect other Bobo friends en route as we head west towards the Mapungubwe National Park and our last campsite in South Africa for some time. Like many others we try an abortive trip to  Nwanedi National Park en route, as suggested in the day book...but we all give up on the rough washboard road..simply running out of time on the 350km journey. A visit to the Spar shop in Musina and a fuel top-up  set us up for a braai tonight and the journey tomorrow.

Finding the campsite is a challenge for us all, most getting lost on route. The directions are poor but our trusty Garmin gets us there with friends in tow over the unsurfaced road. Some of the group a little frustrated but there's nothing like a beer/glass of plonk and a flaming braai with fellow adventurers to sort things out; a good end to a long day.

Botswana and the border tomorrow.

Goodbye Kruger.....

Kruger Again

Back here again in the Kruger National Park for three nights in seperate rest camps as we work our way North towards Botswana, leaving the three days overlap with the first leg after Satara Rest Camp.

Won't bore you with loads more animal pics, as wonderful as they are...so how about our sunset safari? ... We arrive Satara just in time to throw on warm, waterproof clothing (looks like rain) and dash for the Safari truck. The driver/guide is brilliant; he drives us off into the bush to stop about 3m from a group of young male lions, who don't seem too bothered by us but do look us in the eye in a disdainful kind of way. Very few of us have been this close to a wild lion and it's a very special moment.

...Then it starts to rain steadily as darkness falls...and it's an open truck with a canvas roof that takes to periodically dumping the water collected on the roof onto my (non-waterproof) trousers...at least my top half is dry and warm under the waterproof and fleece. Sue sits on the inside and gets slightly less damp...

...But all is forgotten as a 'coalition' of four male lions on the hunt appear in the headlights as they plod very purposefully down the road, seemingly not at all bothered as our spot-lamps are trained on them. We track them for a while and even see them walking right alongside the truck. Magic. Pity the poor Impala we've seen earlier.

Soon, its time to thank our guide and plod back to our motorhomes for a hot drink and dry clothes....Charles has never looked so good.

OK...can't resist a couple of LION pics...

This one is looking at ME...luckily the camera's got anti-shake...

Adopt a pose

Apparantly, lions respect man and won't attack unless they have cubs or are mating...but these two look hungry to me

Whoops!

For the first two or three days we're more-or-less retracing the last three days of the first leg, so there's no point in repeating info about these places...

....so, apart from managing to see wonderful views from the 'God's Window' viewpoint, which was deep in cloud last time, we were actually having quite a laid back time...

....until, descending from this heady mountain, doing about 75km/h there was a bloody great bang as Charles' water tank half drops off, scrapes along the road and releases 80 litres of water behind us. Quite dramatic stuff when you're not expecting it...which we weren't...obviously. Stop near a quite dodgy bend (fast right hander...bit like Copse for F1 enthusiasts)

So, to cut a long story short...we call up our intrepit leader, Nelson who contacts our riding Bobo mechanic/Mr fix-it who is with us in 30min....and, after numerous offers of help from fellow campers and locals, we're on our way again. We do without the tank (and water) for a day while it's patched up and properly secured this time with great big bolts through the floor while we cook on a flaming braai. All sorted.

Charles's nameplate...Google him

The warning triangle slows the cars exiting fast right-hander...a bit.

Something wrong there Mutley..

The Mac Mac Falls

 The Pinnacle

Off to the Kruger tomorrow. More great big animals (and little dung beatles)...and we can flush the loo again...which is more important than it might seen when you can't get out of the van without being eaten.

The Second Leg...

So it's up early for a trip to Bobo Campers in Joberg to get the paperwork all sorted  before our (new) fellow adventurers arrive, bleary-eyed off the Virgin flight from London Heathrow.

All processed and sorted...but wait....our motorhome-with-no-name is no more...he's now called Charles. Clearly this is a bit of a crisis in our life...but one we have to come to terms with. Just one of life's little challenges....

...Anyway, it's really good to meet up with friends as the rest arrive. Also good to meet new people, as ever. We all stock up at the local Pick and Pay supermarket before heading off to the first campsite where we start up our braai with our neighbours (from the last tour). 

Our new tour leaders hold their first meeting, which seems to go down quite well, while our braai readies itself for action, as friends old and new load it up with various cuts of meat. We set up our tables and eat and drink together, while the insects eat us.

Not a bad start. Not bad at all.

That's Charles, 3rd from left..