Day 132: Namibia, at last!
Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Wed 16 Mar 2011 18:48
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Day 132: Wednesday 16 March 2011. Namutomi camp,
Etosha National Park. S18 48.371 E016 56.485
Just look at that latitude - I have been driving
almost due south for the last 9 days and covered nearly 3,000 km and 14 degrees
of latitude. It has become much cooler and much less humid, in fact I was cold
in bed last night - a first since Morocco!
By getting up at first light and away by 0630, I was
having my Wimpy breakfast in Oshikango. Namibia, by 1015. The
road 100 km to Onjdiva was fast tar and then the final 40 km run
to the border was pretty rough, but nothing like as bad as yesterday. It was
pretty straightforward going through both borders, but very busy. All the
way this morning on the Angolan side I was travelling through low-lying marsh
land, all badly flooded with cattle up to their noses in water. Outside,
on the Namibian side in Oshikango it was an amazing scene, like a flooded strip
mall. It was like a shopping city with all the SA banks, supermarkets,
discount stores and fashion stores with the main street a sea of light grey mud
and cars driving through it splashing all the shoppers!
I had hoped to leave Angola with a tank full of cheap
diesel but there was none available from Humbe to the border, so I had to fill
up in Namibia and was shocked to have to pay N$9 a litre, about
85p.
It was a great relief to be able to speak English and
relax over a huge breakfast, although I realise that I was very stressed and
when the waitress got my order wrong for the third time I lost it and reduced
her to tears. Next job was a haircut at the London Barber Saloon, a hut in
a pool of water where the sole equipment was electric clippers and two paint
brushes. One was to dust off all the hairs and the other was to apply
methylated spirits to the face after the job was done! I declined this step, but
in spite of the lack of facilities I got a good cut, the first since Accra,
8,000 km away!
Leaving the border, I realised that I had no plan.
I had been so focussed on getting out of Angola that I had given no thought to
Namibia. I should say, at this stage that I am temporarily on my own since
Sunday when i dropped Jenny off in Luanda to fly to Johannesburg. She had
to return to deal with a planning application problem and is attending a meeting
tonight. The applicants had refused to delay the meting until we got back
in early April and I think this was done deliberately to exclude Jenny. I
didn't put anything in the last few blogs about this as we wanted to maintain an
element of surprise.
From the border I drove SE to Etosha and entered the
park from the east, driving through to Namutoni. The park roads are in a
bad state with many sections flooded, but the water has brought out the animals
and it was a stunning run. With a storm brewing over the pan, the colours
and the marsh landscapes were stunning. Without really stopping to
look I saw, elephant, giraffe, a male lion, buffalo,wildebeeste, lots of eland
and gemsbok all looking wonderful and birds galore. I am installed in a
luxurious room and am now heading out to the hide to watch the animals
collecting for their evening drink. Then for a beer, a steak and 12 hours
sleep!
Since leaving Pointe Noire in Congo, we (or I) have
driven nearly 3,000 km in 9 days without a day off and the strain is
showing. I intend to stay put for a day before moving
on.
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