Wekking the wetlands of Makarele

Impala - aipicerous melampus

The next morning they took their time: having breakfast, making sandwiches for the field workers and then starting off. It was a hot and sunny day. They met the ranger and park researcher at the main gate and took off to the wet land.

plant sample

Sampling

Rest and relax

Organised in two groups, they started in the field. Choose the spot, take plant samples, record the information and move on to the next  plot. It was not easy going, these were wetlands and it was hot. But they managed a few grids and then walked up to the camp for lunch, rest and relax. Then they started off into the bush again.

Warthog family

Mieke enjoying the wild

Finally they called it quits some time around 15h00 that day; packed the car and decided to get into town  for some further supplies: bread, beer etc. The one car went off to camp and they went off to town, purchased their necessary supplies and then went back to the lodge. Some of them were already in the pool cooling off when they got there.

They jumped into the shower, had a drink and drifted into a nap. Later she went on to the kitchen and started  the evening meal. Dinner was a hearty but sombre affair - they were all rather mellow and tired by then.

It was agreed that the  next morning the one group will start earlier and Group A will join later. So, off they went while the others were only getting up and getting their breakfast and preparing the picnic lunch for the rest of the group. The lodge manager came with a message from 'Leon' who phoned to say that there were lions in the vicinity! They could not figure out who 'Leon' was but noted that extra caution had to be taken when in the field that day

When they got there, they promptly got the instructions of where they should go in the field. The others were getting going. Another hot and sunny day awaited them, they had hats and boots to tackle the place. Of the lion, they barely saw anything, if only some quite skittish reed buck and Wildebeest. Once Coen fell into some rather deep mud but otherwise the work carried on up to lunch time.

zebra in the bush

Klipspringers in the wild

It was decided to call it a day from then. The one group went back to the lodge while they went on to the view point to see vultures. The wind was in the other direction, so the vultures, they only saw from far but what they did see were quite a few klipsringers, about 9 of them on this one sight seeing trip. Fascinating animals. And they also saw quite a few 'habituated' birds up there with the cell phone antennae networks.

After a good rest at camp, the men prepared the coals for a braai. It was pap and sauce and grilled meat that evening - compliments of Rudi, Antoinette's field assistant. The boma provided by the lodge was great, it had the wood and the necessary braai equipment and supplies. Food was served under the porch and the people had a great time before retiring for the night.

In the field

The day started like the other days except earlier as it was agreed that the earlier they start, the less hot they get in the field. By the time the park researcher arrived they were ready to leave. The researcher had dug out his rifle from the closet since he was the only one assuring our security that day - he was not taking any chances.

But the horizon was clear and they got on with their work in the field. The morning drive to the field having given them a good view of the wildlife...: wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, reed buck, antelopes etc
Then she got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out. By then the boots were soaked along with the one leg and sock.

Bird company

Back at camp, they spread out the lunch box, drinks etc and talked about hot to proceed. She was not feeling exactly the thing and opted not to go into the field, Rean went instead. While they were away, they went for a ride with the baby and talked and rested.

Bush internet banking

Kudus

Later, the whole group got back tired and hot and bothered. She had to do some internet banking and was hard pressed to find a place where there was both internet and cell phone reception. They promptly got back to camp for a shower and rest. The Casablanca dinner was greatly appreciated by all. With satisfied tummies they retired for the night. The nights were hot but with a ceiling fan, it was very nice to just drift off to sleep.

Klipspringer

Again they were starting early that last day in the field but as they were approaching the work site, she was feeling strange. It felt like belated sunstroke complete with cold sweats, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Coen said she went pale and she was cold too. There was not much sun then either but she opted to stay at the base, with the cars while the others went off into the field.

With Antoinette and the baby they drove up and then down to where the others had to be fetched. There came a couple of really tired and dehydrated guys back, soon the other group followed before the park researcher and Rean who were doing the last rounds of the sites visited in these 5 days. By then she was feeling better except for the headache that persisted for 24 more hours.

Capturing the field work

By then, the fatigue and dehydration was rather intense, so they called it a day. With a bit of sight seeing, they went back to the lodge for some well deserved R&R. Antoinette was hard at work putting together all the  findings of the groups while the baby was sleeping. Later they emerged for sundowners and braai. Steven, the park researcher joined them for the evening meal and had a good time.

Walking the wet lands of MNP

Makarele revisited

Before they left for the middle east, Antoinette said she would be back in February to do some field work on the Makarele National Park wet lands. She asked if they would be ready to help with the field work that consisted mainly of taking plant samples from the wet lands. In their adventurous minds and because Makarele was such a surprise before, they agreed that they will be there to participate in this research project.

Rhino family 

There were quite a few preparations to be done prior to their arrival: making 2 grids, 1m x 1m, sorting the car out and planning meals for 8 adults + rangers. When they got back to SA, Antoinette had to get her paperwork going and assemble the necessary equipment for this plant sampling exercise as well as coordinate with the Park and their researcher about access to the wet lands for all of us.

After a hectic week end of birthday parties, they packed the car. After the great Africa trek, admitedly, it was easier to see what would be needed, necessary and good to have, in that order. Choice of clothes to wear and food to buy were no problems at all, she just had to get the quantities right.

This time, however, I was not going with. She was taking mocassins and gumboots as well as cheapo Pick n Pay savates. They told me the story which I am relating now.

Waterberg from within the park

Antoinette and Co were leaving at 4 in the morning, but the second car had to wait for her in-laws to get to Pretoria by train and then leave. It was great timing. They had time to pack efficiently, sort out the house and then leave. The wait at the 'drop off' of the Gautrain was not long and when the Bootsmas were in the car, they started off. City traffic had subsided and they made it on the road toward the Limpopo in good time.

In the car they had juice and home made biltong which kept them going. As they approched Tabazimbi, they phoned to ask if the guys in the field were provided for in terms of food since it was past lunch time. Antoinette had made sandwiches and there were enough for all concerned. So, after a brief registration formality at the gates, they drove up to the wet lands. On the way they saw numerous wildlife with no effort.

Instructions in the field

Once at the site, they had a working picnic where they got to meet the ranger assigned to them, Jerry, and the park researcher who goes by the name of Steven. After the lunch, they went into the field with Antoinette where they got instructions how this plant sampling was to be done. It was very hot.

After that, they arranged with the ranger and the researcher what time work should start the next day and they drove off to the gates. They had to drop the ranger off to his quarters and made a detour where they encountered a huge rhino eating just by the road. They stayed a long time appreciating the sight of this huge animal - the species of which the Chinese, Vietnamese and the like are trying to exterminate only for their horns.

The lodge where Antoinette booked the group was Rra Ditau (Mr. Lion or father of the lion in Tswana). It was 8 km from the park gates, in a very peaceful and quiet environment. They had 2 chalets for them. Soon, the cars were unpacked, they were settled and started preparing for the evening. She inspected the kitchen to see how she would go about preparing the evening meals for the next 5 days while the men rested, washed or had drinks.

Scene from inside the park

 It was still very hot after sundown. The place had ceiling fans that were working full time. The baby was playing and exploring the place while her mother was sorting out the necessary books and documentation that would be needed for the field work.

Carin was helping her in the kitchen. She discovered that the microwave oven had a mielie-pap option which she used to make the pap that went with the sausages. It went all quiet after dinner. No one thought of turning on the tv that was there. Everyone was appreciating the peace and quiet. They showered and slowly settled for the night.

The Trails of Thabazimbi

They were barely home a month that they got invited to visit the Marakele National Park with Antoinette. This was an invitation with an agenda - to babysit while she was in the field!

Marakele is a game reserve near the town of Thabizimbi (mountain of iron) in the Limpopo province, they have both never been there before and were keen to get a glimpse of the place.

It was only an overnight trip. They planned to leave at 4 in the morning so that Antoinette has time to get into the field and do her thing. However, on the eve of the departure, things were pretty hectic at home: yoga class to give, visit to the doctor, dinner invitation and the whole trip to pack for. So, instead of sleeping at Antoinette's place that evening, they opted to sleep at home and wake up at 3+ that morning and go to her house and depart from there.

Sleep was little. She was going to take me along but found out that my laces were missing, so Redoute went with. They left Pretoria in good time. The baby was still a bit sleepy and slept for much of the road. She started fretting a bit before they stopped for coffee and rusks at a picnic spot on the road. Soon after they stopped Antoinette's prof and supervisor arrived.

Researchers in the field with ranger

The road was all right for many kilometres out of Pretoria but steadily worsened with small potholes and rather big and deep ones later. By then there was one of these 'abnormal' vehicles in front of them and it was rather difficult to overtake. But finally they were at the gates of the park sorting out accommodation. There was a mess up (as it often happens these days) and they could not find the booking Antoinette had made for us.

This park, we were told, is very nice but the management has demotivated the people who work there. Things are pretty much down hill in that area.

When the prof arrived he dealt with the people and they made an alternative arrangement. The agreement is that they go to the field first, when they finish working they will picnic there and then go in search of that accommodation the park people told them about.

On the way to the field - wetlands that they are studying - they saw numerous wildlife: white rhinos, giraffes, wildebeest, springbok, bushbuck and quite a few types of birds. At the field, they waited until the researchers were down in the wetlands and went off on a further drive up to the view point. By then the baby was wide awake and playing/tasting with whatever she could get her hands on.

At the view point

Klipspringer at view point

Up at the view point the view was stunning, complete with vultures flying and other birds. There were already a few cars there when they arrived. They stayed a while watching the great big birds in the sky and the small ones landing close by. When they started back down they saw a rather big dassie on a rock and two klip springers also nicely sitting on rocks, fascinating animals.

Picnic after field work

Back in the field they settled the picnic things under a tree and tucked into whatever there was being joined very soon by the rest of the research team complete with armed ranger. It was a jolly affair in the middle of the bush with the baby playing with anything she could get her hands on.
There was a definite rumble in the air and they opted to pack as soon as everyone had finished eating. Soon enough, it started to rain. They drove on to the tented camp where they were told there was a tent for them. Under the rain there was not much to see but at the camp, but once the rain had stopped for a bit they saw some bird life on the pond there and vervet monkeys came to see what they were up to.

Deck at the tented camp

They made tea there and were sitting enjoying the quiet for a bit before they were informed that the original accommodation booked for them was ready, they had to fetch the keys from reception. Off they went and on the way had nice, close encounters with more wildlife. The baby was thrilled.

At the look-out point

It took a bit of asking around to find the cabin where they were to sleep. It was in a nice gated space with electric fences. The apartment was adequate enough but the kitchen had not working space and no dining table either.


Since it was a braai that evening, they were not too bothered. Coen lit the fire and she sorted out the food things while Rean got the salad things.

By the time the bread was off the fire, there was lightning in the sky and it started raining steadily soon after. Luckily the meat was ready and they could enjoy a cooked warm meal because it was getting rather cool. By then, the baby was fretting again: too tired, too many new elements in her world and she was a bit fractious.

After clearing up, they showered and settled in bed early. It was hot in the room but it later cooled down and they could enjoy a good night's sleep.

Wild duck over the pond

The next morning, they packed the car under the rain and started out. The key they gave us for the gate was not for the one we came in. So, we could not go out though that one but had to go around the park, on a rather tricky dirt road.

They stopped by reception to see if they could settle the bill because no one was answering the phones since the day before and they did not know how things should be done. At reception they said that the phone lines were not working properly because of the rain and the gate they used to get to their rooms was not supposed to have been used but the elephants had pulled that sign off. As in nothing is their fault and they will not do anything about it either!

In spite of this, they accessed this park with no hassles, they were not hassled while inside the park either, no one imposed a 'guide' on them nor did they have to pay a fortune for this. And they saw lots of wildlife without much effort. Which is a big plus on visiting parks in other parts of Africa where the hassles are endless, the park fees are rather steep and you do not see much by way of wildlife unless you are lucky.

On the way back, they stopped a few times to stretch their legs and have coffee and walk the baby out of her car seat for a bit. The poor baby was confined to her car seat and got pretty cross about it but finally after screaming for a while, she settled into sleep. They got home early afternoon under more rain.

Reflections on travelling

In these parts and in the months when they were travelling, the best clothing material is cotton, woven rather than knitted. But there are no ironing facilities, so wash, dry and fold neatly to pack away, so it gets more or less flat.

Cotton underwear also work better in these climates, but might take a bit longer to dry. While the cotton panties of Edgar’s have large and comfortable elastic bands, they are not well made and do not last many hand washings. The Woolworth ones are stronger but the thin elastic can dig into your sides after many hours sitting in the car.

If you can bear them, wear long sleeves; it is much better protection against sun than the creams. And they add to the demeanour especially in predominantly Muslims countries. Sleeveless attire, bra straps showing and too much of the legs appearing are not appreciated in these countries: you’ll hear men sucking their teeth at you, or vendors only pay attention to you because you will spend but will not be forthcoming. Or they might just ignore you. You might not notice it yourself though.


Avoid anything blue. Blue jeans, no matter how hardwearing, are not a good idea. Blue is the colour they use to make TseTse fly traps. So think about it. If you wear blue, you are actually attracting them. When travelling through West Africa, you are travelling through woods, forests and jungles where these insects abound, so ..... no matter how much you like the colour blue, just don't wear anything of that colour. 

Depending on the seasons, lots of food is available on the roads of Africa. One just has to have time to prepare them. Meat is better bought in reliable supermarkets or in cans. In some seasons not much might be available and cans do come in handy. It is also good to sample local food at the local eateries or if the campsite has a restaurant. It is a good way of finding out how the locals eat and what they do with their products. It is amazing to see what varieties of food are available even in the driest parts of this continent.

Visas and border crossings have been discussed in the previous texts. It is better to find out when there are elections in the countries to be visited because there could be trouble or massive campaigning that would make for traffic congestion and less than comfortable travelling experiences.

Unless the officials mention it themselves, it is better not to take pictures at border posts. Coen thinks that at some bridges also police can have objections regarding photo taking. It might not be written anywhere but one should be careful.

Then there is the issue of GPS and maps. Machines are good but not that reliable because batteries do run out and satellite signals can disappear when you most need them. Then it depends what you have programmed them with because they are just machines, yes? Ah, as for maps, any trip needs a good map. Don’t count on Map Studio, they are not reliable and their info is often out-dated. If need be, import a good map from Michelin or Reichs or some such.

Now, for making yourself understood…. Knowledge of languages helps. Many get by with only speaking French or only English but it is a definite plus if you have both and a smattering of Arabic if you are travelling north and parts of West Africa. However, speaking clearly, and often loudly is required, and slowly with simple words. Either it is a cultural thing about speaking softly being impolite or they downright don’t hear. This is quite understandable if you consider at what volume they listen to music in general – enough to make your car vibrate; makes you wonder if they can hear themselves think! Someone once said that ‘ça rend abruti’ and when you speak to some people you tend to believe it is true – they look at you and then ask ‘Eein?’ rather loudly, meaning ‘what’ not even ‘beg your pardon’.

It would be useful if you understand that a sign showing ‘Péage’ means ‘toll gate’ but ‘Pesage’ means ‘weigh bridge’. That ‘douane’ means ‘customs’ and that ‘route barrée’means ‘road closed’ and so on. If you have some latin from school days, you’d manage to read much of the stuff in Protuguese speaking countries but to speak to them or to understand them is another matter….

Money is the necessary evil everywhere and on such trips it is vital not to run out. Credit/debit cards cost but they are more secure to have than cash. All this said, it is essential to have a good source of Euros and USD. In West Africa Euros will go down better with a better rate. If you can get a supply of Euros on the way it is safer than to carry the lot from the start of the trip.

As for cards, it is better to have both Visa and Master Card even though Visa are more likely to work in most of these countries than Master Card. And then, if you have cards from a few banks, it is better than travelling on only one card. It is strange but try to change your pin code to a four digit code before you leave, try it for measure, warn your bank where you are and keep it safely – some ATM’s will not even take the 5 digits.

Many ATM’s across west/central Africa ‘speak’ both English and French. Do not be intimidated if they do not ‘speak’ the language you want, just try your best to follow the usual procedures. It is best to do two trials only because cards can ‘lock’ after the third unsuccessful trial. Then it is a bit of a procedure to access them again.

It is easy to compromise on health on a long trip overland. Hence the importance of packing a medicine box which should contain a bit of everything you think might be necessary  - plaster of all sizes, bandage, cotton wool, disinfectant, pills in case of acute diarrhoea, headaches, any aches and pains, mosquito and insect repellents for clothes and skin, sun block and after sun cream. Try to get a prescription for malaria pills (Coartem), a general antibiotic and any other medication – when asked about the medication at some border crossings, showing the prescription would make things easier.

If going far into the back country think of taking a bit more than the ‘usual’: syringes, drips and such because many times these places do not have adequate health centres or they have run out of these products. You might not need them but if you do at least you have them and they are clean.

Especially if you are planning the trip with small children, it is very important to consider the seasons in which you are travelling. Rainy seasons in these parts do not generally mean cooler climates but it makes tent camping more trying. And it is quite hard to travel the mud roads when it has been raining. Hot to very hot as in northern hemisphere summer is not fun, very burning and exhausting in general. And consider that it is holiday season for them too and places might be busy, fully booked or packed and noisy.

If travelling in cooler climes (with small children) it is best to budget for good accommodation when good camping is not available, especially because of the hot water availability. Consider that you are in Timbuktu in December when temperatures drop to 2-4C in the evenings and there are only cold water showers in the various auberges.

In West Africa, especially around Cameroon the harmatan should be taken into consideration too because when it blows it does obstruct these wonderful views of the place.

It is a definite plus if you have a vehicle that you know well and can do much of the work on it yourself. When you have it fitted for a trip of such importance do your best to be there in person when any work is done, and look into the works yourself. Try to keep electrics as simple as possible, in fact keep all things as simple as possible and as basic as possible.

There are great mechanics in Africa but you have to know what they are doing for you to know that they are great!?! It is always good to make a price with them before you start the work because you can be in for surprises when the work is done. Make sure you understand who is paying for the parts you might need, if that is included in the price or not. It might be wise to carry some spare parts in the car if the trip is long enough to need servicing on the way: filters etc.

It is essential to do some homework on the places you want to visit before starting off. The internet has information a-plenty and you have to know what to take and what to leave. Do not forget some of the travel/4x4 magazines, there could be the odd article that comes in handy too. Keep an open mind at all times and things will just come your way. 

Casablanca to Casa Nostra

The last evening together they only had tea and sweet bread. Next morning the packing was rather extensive with each car going in its different direction. They had to look for oil for the car and this was more difficult than they anticipated. The bigger towns in Namibia do not seem to be well geared to this type of activity and the people rather unhelpful.

Dinner at Joe's

Eventually they reached Windhoek where they booked for the night at the Chameleon. A small place not far from the German schule that caters for a rather ecological backpackers type. She checked in while Coen went on a search for his oil. He came back in a rather bad mood since he again met with this ‘different’ way of doing things here.

That evening they asked their way to Joe’s – a place they had wanted to patronise already 4 years ago. At Joe’s they made a good meal of sharing smoked butterfish for a starter and Oryx fillet for main course. It was a Monday evening and the place was packed with people, tourists and regulars.

They made their way back to the Chameleon via yet another Shell garage to ask about the oil. It was early, they read, wrote and discussed the road back home and then went to bed.

After breakfast, Coen went off to do the oil change and she sat at the Chameleon to write, read and rest further. The person recommended by the Chameleon did a good job but at a price – motor oil is rather expensive in Namibia.

Road to park

Then they took the road out of town. Jacky of the Chameleon said they will not make the gate of the park that day and suggested that they might want to stay around Stampriet. It was a long road through the desert of Namibia where they saw warthogs, mongoose and meercats on the roads. It was the beginning of community bird country and they saw their big nests.

dinner at Auob

Cooling down

It was still early when they passed Stampriet so they pushed on to see what they could find further. And they fell on the Auob Country Lodge. A nice place with nice managers who were willing to put them up at a special price that day. They booked in, discussed the evening meal with the girl there and went for a swim to cool down – they have a nice pool. After the pool it was a wash/bath and a nap. Later they sat in the lounge and caught up with the news, and then went to the dining room for calamari in filo pastry and eland steak. The desert was chocolate mousse, all very well presented.

Ground squirrels at border post

The lodge offered a very copious breakfast. Then they moved on to the park. At Mata Mata, they signed out of Namibia and moved into SA, the park girl there was helpful. She booked them into 2 nights camping at Twee Rivieren and renewed their Wild Card. She also gave them pointers about the park: speed limits, the hours to be spent on the road etc.

Eagle in the park

Springboks

The speed was 50km/h and they saw quite a bit of wildlife with no effort: Wildebeest, Oryx, eagles, springbok etc, and of course some rather huge community birds’ nests. Cheetas were mentioned but they did not see them. They got to camp just after 16h00 and the SA border post was closed. They set up camp when Coen noticed that the rear left tire was flat. He changed that and then went for a shower.

Community birds nest

Wildebeest

Meanwhile she was getting ready to prepare the evening meal. When Coen had sorted out all the cooking needs, he settled to put the pictures on the computer to see what they are worth. It was getting rather cool when dinner was ready, they had a relaxed dinner and looked at their pictures while trying to plan the next trip her mother wants to make to SA.

Old house in the Park

This is what they saw...

Steenbok and ostrich

The next morning they had coffee and rusks early and drove off to see what there was to see on a morning game drive. It was, at first very much the same as the day before and eventually Coen asked her to drive. 




On the detour back to camp she took the road to a view point, Coen was not keen on it, but since it was her 
driving he just shrugged and guess what?! This is what they saw …..

Driving back to camp they also saw some interesting game. Once at camp they filled the car and had lunch, Coen had a nap and she investigated the surroundings after updating her blog.

Sunset in the Kgadigadi

That afternoon they went for a game drive. There was not much activityat the waterholes but the sunset was quite spectacular. There were some rather noisy newcomers to the camp when they started preparing food: couscous with pink salmon with shiitake mushroom and olive tapenade sauce. The evening was cooling down when they settled inside the tent.

Camp at Twee Rivier

It was shortly after 6 when they woke up and started getting ready to move. Water was boiled for coffee and then packing started in earnest. Some people had already packed and driven off. They checked out of the gate and made for Upington on a tarred but somewhat uneven road.

They chose to stop and fill at Askham to be sure they do not have problems. This is a small town off the main road where there are only 2 petrol stations and the ATM is only a counter inside the shop – the cashier gives out the money. After that it was a pretty uneventful trip to Upington except for the radiator playing up and down again.

In Upington Coen went in search of radiator repair and she went to the butcher to see if she can find some fillet for Alexander. They filled the car again and moved on towards Kuruman where they intended to sleep at Red Sands. The road was now getting busier and it was Friday afternoon too.

Dinner at Red Sands

And they met with the unending roadworks and ‘virgo’ situation which made them take longer on an otherwise good road. At Red Sands, they had space for them and soon they had unpacked and seen to the car etc, had a shower and were having a short rest before going down to dinner. They chose chicken wings for a starter and Coen had the lamb shank for dinner. It was well prepared and generous. The chef came up to see if everything was ok with the food.

It was a very quiet and peaceful place in a nature reserve. They had a good night’s sleep. Breakfast was included in the bill, so they sat down and made a good meal of it before hitting the last 500+km home.

Enfin home

There again, the radiator had to be watched and there were quite a few waiting times at the road works. They made it to the house at around 16h25 and the dogs came to meet them at the gate. Then they started the unpacking of the cars – tedious affair but had to be done. Later Keith, the housesitter dropped in for a chat and to give back the keys while they were relaxing a bit. They had a light dinner of soup and bread and retired to their own bed. 

Giving thanks

On trips like these, you come to realise that you cross/meet with people who come in and out of your life for a reason – these angels who help you even in the smallest manner to get through with your journey.

We have come across a number of these such angels who have directly or indirectly affected our lives and to them we give sincere thanks. To name but a few …

Keith who has accepted to house sit for us and keep our dogs company so we could go off without constantly wondering what is going on back home.

Hayyat in Rabat who made some bookings for us and gave us sound advice. The people who helped clear the cars and the girl who piled all 6 of us in her car to take us to where the cars were stored. Fatima in Fez who housed us for a long time, Mwe Beitul who cooked for us at her place and Ahmed who was there.

All the people who helped look after the cars, repairs and maintenance on the way and those who advised what can and should be done on the cars for them to tackle the roads ahead of whom Godfried in Ghana is one of them.

The people at the camp sites and inns on the way who housed us and talked to us about their country. Those who housed us even though they had never met us such as Willem and Marjolaine, Jimmy in Libreville and Albert in Dakar, of course Rico and Liz in Barra do Dande. And Koen and Vero who opened their apartment to us and also found shelter for our friends. The shelter given unreservedly by the fathers in the various missions we stopped at: Father Immanuel in Nigeria, Father Manfred in Mamfe, Father Arnold in Bamenda and the good father in Tombocco.

The good tips given by people of the SA embassies such as Vivianne, Aisha and Derrik, Thabo and Freddy at the SA embassy in DRC who helped us at a most opportune moment on this trip – help given willingly. Oliver in Benin who went out of his way to make our journey through Nigeria a safe one. Just saying thank you may not be enough but for now that is all we can do.

And of course, those who have called us, e-mailed us and sent numerous sms’ helped to keep us in touch with the real life out there. Those who were there to talk to and to listen like Sabina and Sara in Ghana, Vero in Luanda.

Not forgetting the doctor at the mission hospital in Mamfe who help deal with the skin problem.

To these people as well as the others such as petrol pump attendants, the receptionists at the lodgings, the people we stopped to ask directions, the vendors at the markets, the kinder officials at the borders – even the nasty ones – all helped to teach us something and to help us on this journey, we give thanks.

There may be others we could have forgotten momentarily while writing this. Thank you.

South, out of Angola and into Namibia

Monoliths 

Waterfall

The next day they went on to Cachoeiras on a fair road. On the road they saw some monoliths. At Cachoeiras is a waterfall in  some appreciable scenery. The welcome one gets there is less than tepid, sour faced individual who is into child labour – kids look after the toilets there! 






The place also caters for camping. It should be quite pleasant near the water, if not a bit noisy because of the waterfall.

Slums of Lobito

New bridge of Lobito

Many of the towns they passed were in full development – buildings mainly. It seems that in all these places the basic infrastructure of water and electricity does not follow – there are regular power cuts and the water is not very sure for drinking. 

New Benguela stadium

Old chuch in Benguela

Finally they reached Lobito and admired the change and the management of the slums that were there 4 years aog. Onto Benguela where there were also many changes for the better. The first address they had for lodgings did not really meet their requirements and they moved to Pensao Contente. 










This is a right little hotel just off the main road – quiet and well kept. The cars however, had to stay under the eyes of the watchman in the road.

It is there too, that when Coen was looking at his radiator, he was approached by a mechanic from next door. He assured us that he could repair the radiator and gave an estimate of what it would cost. Coen said he’d think about it. That evening they had a meal at an outdoor eatery on the ‘place’.

Ruins of the past

The next day, before breakfast, Coen went to see the mechanic who said he starts work at 6h30 – he was not there. When he did arrive, they dismantled the radiator and he started saying that the job is bigger than he expected and the job will now cost twice as much. He was asked to start on the job and see exactly what is wrong.

And they waited and waited. Finally they started assembling the car with Coen supervising. The mechanic too great exception to this but Coen insisted that to get an honest job, he needed to be there. Well, that mechanic tried to cut corners but Coen told him to take a hike that he was going to finish the job. At which the assistants of the garage had great fun.

Sunset on the Lubango road

After assembly, Stephanus came by when they were filling the radiator with water and spotted a leak much to the annoyance of the mechanic. It happened twice again before the work was satisfactory and the bill was not twice the estimated value and they were ready to leave. 

state of the roads

Out of Benguela the road was new and they were doing good speed. They passed some ruins of some beautiful old farmhouses on the way. But later, the road that they were building 4 years ago was being rebuilt, yet again and there were diversions into sand and rough surface. They did not make Lubango at the time they thought they would; they got there in the dark.

Camping at Casper lodge

Luckily the GPS was showing the camping place they chose for that day: Casper lodge. It is on one of the main roads into town – a very nicely set up lodge with a small campsite that is complete with toilet/shower and kitchen area. A bit on the pricey side but it would have been lovely if there were a similar set up in many of these Angolan towns we visited.

They decided to stay there two nights. The first night, when they arrived, it was too late to get dinner going so they supped at the fine restaurant there. They did not have an extensive menu but it was adequate and by Angolan standards, not very expensive.

View on the way to Tundavala

The next  day they first drove to Tundavala view point. This is a place above some gorges at about 7600ft. They are making a paved road to get up there. The view is quite stunning, it is a pity that people go there and leave their garbage lying about: plastics, broken bottles and cans.

Up on Tundavala

Back at camp they had an open sandwich type of lunch and a rest and then started off to the Leba viewpoint for sunset. The road there also leads to the Rio de Janeiro type of ‘Christ on the mountain’ place; they went on to the Leba. There they had a sundowner and took some ‘daytime’ pictures and waited. They were also looking at the traffic on this rather fascinating road.

Cliffs of Leba

Winding road of Leva

When the sun was setting, more people arrived. The cliffs where glowing more green than red at that time – seem to be the different types of lichen growing on the rocks. They took their pictures and proceeded back to camp for a braai and sleep.

New bridge with better road

Baobab on alternative road

Activity on better roads

The target the next day was Onjiva, about 400km away and there again they got their timing wrong by underestimating the state of the road. Outside Lubango the road was good, getting bad to really bad up to Xangongo. 4 years ago, there were the occasional potholes, but now most of it was non-existent. They ploughed on and managed to get there around mid afternoon. Hans was not far on the same road – 


they had been doing hard driving for the last 3 days in order to catch up.

Reunion and cookout

They opted for …. Hotel and sat at the bar with 
some drinks to wait for the other two. It was a reunion of the 6 of them at that bar where stories were being exchanged. As they were still talking in the parking of the hotel they were greeted by other South Africans who work and live in the south of Angola. They managed to get some information about the place, the road further and where to eat.

Finally they opted to do a cookout with all the meat they had since at the red line in Namibia they will get controlled about bringing meat into Namibia. And they sat outside just eating meat with meat. Apart from the peacocks moaning, the night was quiet, they managed a good rest.

The next day they had breakfast at the hotel, took some of their bread to make sandwiches on the road and left. The road to the border was another of those broken roads, maybe just a bit better but since it was only for 40km it was not too nerve shattering. At the border, it was quite civilized and straightforward before they were driving into Namibia, all papers in order and stamped.

They stopped at the shopping area that has grown next o the border to get some supplies and draw money and they moved on to look for camping places. Many of them were fully booked or only had space in the sun, and they made it to the resort of Kuluquelle in the town of Tsumeb.

She drove the first part into Namibia but the road was so good and straight that she was falling asleep. Coen took over and got them to Tsumeb. There was a beer fest going on when they arrived. They set up camp under some grand old trees and sat for a long while exchanging stories and talking about the road further.

Hans and Elisme were staying on in Namibia until their children join them in December. Stephanus and Mariana wanted to get home and Coen was looking for the best road to get to Pretoria as well.

With music going on from the next plot, they took out all left overs and prepared an excellent mish mash which went down very nicely with everyone. The camp site of this place is nicely set up with electricity, running water and shade but it is a tad far from the ablutions.

Bush grooming

Camp at Tsumeb

They chose to stay two nights there. And on Sunday they woke up later than usual, had the coffee and sat there blogging, doing some hair cutting and dyeing. Hans found a mechanic who did not mind coming on a Sunday to look at what work had to be done on the cars. He said he could also do the radiator.

Elismé did her hair and then she went to have a dip in the swimming pool. It was cool but nice. Later, when the car work was done, Stephanus treated them to a sumptuous lunch at the Dros.