Namibia & Botswana 2004
The Trip Begins
After the car was taken to the docks there was a time of reasonable calm before we packed the weekend bags and set off. The only important thing we had to do in this time was to start our course of malaria tablets which had to be taken on a daily basis the whole time we were away and for 4 weeks afterwards.
The morning of September 2 dawned bright and early not without some last minute panic. The documents for the car which we needed at the other end to gain possession of it had been late in being sent from Antwerp and we had to collect them that morning from the local sorting office. At least Royal Mail had done their job so with documents in hand off we went to Thornaby Station to catch the 9.27 Trans Pennine Express to Manchester Airport. When we arrived we went straight to the check in and luckily we were able to check in the bags straight away and - so that was the last of them till Windhoek. Now this was our first flight from Manchester so in our innocence we decided as it was lunch time to go and find some lunch BIG MISTAKE Plenty of fast food stuff but not a proper meal oh well it would have to be a Costa Coffee and Panini !!!! £17 for 2 of us.
We wandered around the terminal for a couple of hours until it was time for the flight to Frankfurt which left at 16.00 and was very comfortable. When we arrived in Frankfurt we had to go right across the airport to the other terminal and were we pleased we didn't have any luggage as it was miles to the Sky train then nearly as far when you got off. Eventually we checked in at the transit desk then found a proper restaurant where we enjoyed our dinner, for about the same price we had paid for a snack at Manchester .At about 20.30 we checked in for our Air Namibia flight and eventually at 23.30 we took off. Only 8 hours till we touched down.! After a reasonable in- flight meal everyone tried to settle down .I must have dozed off cos I came to about 5.00 to see a beautiful red sunrise. We had crossed the Equator and the Sahara desert by this time. About 7.30 breakfast was served and not long after we touched down in Windhoek. It was HOT. The next job was to find a taxi to take us across the town to the little airport where we would catch the internal flight to Walvis Bay.. Now this was an experience ----- first of all as we were passing through boarding control we were each handed a packet which turned out to contain our in-flight snack then the ladies were asked to stand to one side to allow the men to board first. Once they were on board we were allowed to walk across the tarmac and go on board. The plane was tiny, a single row of seats down each side and 1 extra in the middle at the back -19 in all. There were no cabin staff simply the pilot and his pal. The flight was quite bumpy but still enjoyable and it was fantastic to look out and see the countryside not that far below us. When coming in to land it looked as though we were still in the middle of the desert with sand all around us, however the pilot hit the strip and we were there. Once the luggage was off loaded we were soon through the formalities and eventually picked up our bags. Now to find the complete stranger who was coming to meet us - we didn't even know his/her name as our hosts were away for the weekend and had arranged for a friend of theirs to do the honours. Eventually a guy turned up and apologised for being late but the airport had given him the wrong time for the flight. A few weeks later we would just have said T A B (that's Africa babe !! ) and thought nothing of it. By this time it was around 14. 00 and we had been travelling for 30 hours so the 10 minute drive to the house and the sight of a bed were absolutely wonderful.
Some time later the son of the family came across and said that if Mike would drive his dad's Bakkie then he would take us to the local shop to get what we needed. Skalk was 15 - can you imagine many 15 year olds here doing that especially for complete strangers AND when their parents were away.? So off we went and did the shopping, then back to the flat, something to eat then guess what a shower and bed for a well deserved sleep.
We woke on Saturday morning to a damp grey drizzle - hey I thought we were in Africa where it was hot and sunny???? No we were right on the Atlantic coast and at that time of the year we got fog ! mind it was warm fog. Soon Ana - Mari came over and introduced herself and arranged to take us into the town later in the day. We went for a walk to get our bearings and soon found ourselves down by the Lagoon which is apparently world famous for the Flamingos and Pelicans which live there. After the shopping expedition Mike was given a lesson in cooking over a wood fire - no charcoal here you make your own and about 2 hours later we were sitting down to some lovely sausages etc. The fog soon came down again so it was back indoors. Sunday dawned bright and sunny - this was more like it so a lazy day spent on the patio reading, talking and drinking coffee and tomorrow we were going to see about collecting the Land Rover.
Monday morning and we were keen to find out about the car as we wanted to be off on our travels but it was disappointing news at the shipping office. The ship was delayed and wouldn't be in port till late on the Friday but the good news was it would only take about 1 hour to clear as it was on a Carnet well I suppose that was something but what were we going to do till then Walvis Bay is not exactly Monte Carlo and we had no transport. André and Ana-Mari thought we were doolally cos we were prepared to walk to the town. But it all turned out well.
While we were preparing for our trip we had joined a couple of travel forums on the internet and we knew one of the members lived in Walvis Bay. As we were walking back from the lagoon on the Tuesday morning a car pulled up alongside us and this person wound down the window and said 'It must be Mike & Margaret ' Were we that obvious? It was Andre from the forum. We chatted for a while then we were invited to visit them that evening. I couldn't get over the houses. They were huge and the land around them even bigger and these were just the normal working class whites. Over here we would be paying £200,000 plus over there they were going for around £50,000. Each family also had a 'girl' and a 'boy' working for them at the house. At first I couldn't come to terms with this but it was explained that they were not considered menial in any way but it was a means for the coloureds to have employment which was otherwise unavailable.
On the Thursday we became tourists and went out with a driver around the lagoon and then into the dunes along the coast. That day we had our first glimpses of what was to come. On the salt pans we saw seals and jackals as well as the ever present flamingos, pelicans, egret and other water birds. The highlight of the day though was driving through the dunes and over the top but more of that later.
Friday brought the news that the ship was docking that night and we could have the car on Saturday providing we went to the office that day to pay the port dues. Easy we thought - we had chosen this shipping agent as they said they took Visa -no that was not possible was the reply when we got there so it was off to the bank to get the cash (T A B ) however it was sorted and we arranged to be at the port next morning at 9 to meet the customs officer. Well we were there, the shipping agent was there but Mr Customs man was not. Eventually after a phone call he turned up most apologetic but he had slept in after a night out. Imagine a UK customs man turning out on his day off for 2 foreign tourists. He checked the numbers on the car glanced at the manifest then stamped the documents at last we had the Land Rover and now could really start our adventure but not before another invitation. We went into the town to stock up and collect some cooking equipment we had ordered. When I came out of the shop it was to see Mike in conversation with a couple. It turned out that they had been interested in what tyres we had on the car and came over to have a look and as happens between enthusiasts the conversation continued. As a result we were invited to dinner that evening. People were so friendly and went out of their way to make us welcome and feel at home. So we had a peek at another house, met some more lovely people and thoroughly enjoyed Namibian hospitality. Cam even went so far as to log on to the LRO website and tell the folks at home how we were doing.
We woke up on Sunday morning full of anticipation as today the real adventure was to start we were off travelling. We packed the car and around 19 we said good bye to our new family and set off northwards. At first we were travelling through dry dusty desert but this eventually gave way to dry scrubland. Although at this point we were driving on the main tarred road it was still difficult due to the dust, the straightness of the road and the livestock and birds that were everywhere. We arrived at our destination for the day about 16.30 after driving 295 kms. We set up camp and enjoyed our first night in the tent after cooking dinner successfully on the fire.
We were up at 7. 30 on Monday morning and made the first big mistake. Following our normal habits we got dressed, then set about having breakfast before clearing everything away and then dropping the tent and packing the car. By this time it was hot and probably took us twice as long as it should. In future we will pack up before having breakfast After this we went into the town to fill up with fuel and other odds and ends (We made a practice of always filling the tank when we had the opportunity as we had been warned that sometimes fuel can be difficult to come by outside the main town) then we set off towards Etosha the main wildlife reserve in Namibia. At the 'gate' we had to sign in and the travelled through the park to our first camp seeing zebra and lots of different kinds of deer .When we arrived at the camp site it was a surprise to find it was like a little village with its shop, restaurant, swimming pool and fuel station. On finding our pitch we realised how difficult it was going to be to peg the tent out - the ground was stony and hard baked sand so we put up the awning and had lunch instead!! The GB registered Land Rover was quite a talking point on the site and numerous people came up to chat to us and look at the car. Eventually we put up the tent using 4 pegs and a number of stones to hold it down more securely. That evening we really saw African wildlife with Zebra, Giraffe, Lion and Rhino all visiting the waterhole. Next morning we were up at 6. 15 and walked over to the waterhole but there were only a few Gazelle and some Jackals so it was back for breakfast then out into the park for the first of many drives to the different areas. It was while we were in Etosha that we experienced a sand storm and it was quite frightening. The sky grew very dark and we could hear thunder rolling in the distance then all of a sudden the wind started blowing - sand was flying in all directions and so were some little tents that were not pegged down as well as tables and chairs. Our tent survived but I wouldn't like to be in many more of these. As quickly as it had blown up the wind died down and there was an uncanny stillness in the air. After 3 days in the western part of the Reserve we moved camp to Halali in the centre about 2 hours drive away. Again this was like a village with all its amenities. It was easier to pitch the tent here and it actually became one of our favourite places. The striking thing about camp sites out there is the amount of space each unit has. Each pitch is totally self contained with its power supply, water tap, braai (cooking) area and usually a stone table and seats. There is also room for 3 tents on each pitch - never mind the 6 metre rule over here. The first thing we did after staking our claim on a pitch was to walk up to the waterhole - the area was full of elephant of all ages it was absolutely wonderful. At one point I counted in excess of 40 ! There were also lions waiting in the grass and later that night the Rhino appeared and soon dispersed the Lion they were not king here.
Again we spent 3 days here watching the animals then travelled further eastwards to the third Etosha camp. It was while travelling between the camps that we had the first mishap with the car. We were travelling on one of the gravel rods when we suddenly realised we had a puncture. Now you are not allowed to get out of your vehicle in any part of the park except the camp sites so we expected to have to sit it out and hope one of the rangers came passed. I suddenly realised I had reception on the mobile ( the first time for a few days) so scrabbled around to find a number for one of the camps. Within an hour a merry band of workers turned up and the wheel changed mind not before in their eagerness to help they had dropped it off the jack !!!! I honestly don't think we would have had a faster response from the RAC/AA etc. We eventually arrived at the next camp somewhat later than planned and were surprised to find we were actually pitching the tent on grass instead of hard sand. That night we were in the company of many different nationalities ranging from South African through to Israeli, Norwegian Polish and even some Brits. Of course there were the inevitable Overland Trucks with the travellers who were well known for taking over the showers wherever they went and then appearing like something out of Vogue How they managed to have immaculately clean and pressed clothes in the conditions we were all in beats us. Our 3 days here soon passed and it was again time to move on. Having looked at some of the tents used by the overlanders and seeing how ours was rapidly deteriorating in the heat we decided that we would make the town of Rundu our next stop as we knew there was a branch of Cymot there who are the big outdoor specialists in this part of the world and see if we could buy something which would suit the conditions better.
We were up at 6.15 and took down the tent and were ready to leave Namautoni by 8.30. The road we were taking eastwards was tarred and we were travelling along quite happily at 70mph when we came across the inevitable roadworks and we were diverted off the tar onto the old gravel road which still ran alongside consequently our speed dropped rapidly. Gradually we became aware of many little settlements at the sides of the road. These were like the typical African villages you see in pictures little round huts made out of grasses and tree branches set around what appeared to be a communal meeting and eating area. By the sides of the road wandering quite freely were cattle, goats, donkeys and people often carrying a red flag to warn the traffic of the animals. It was while we were travelling along this road that Mike became aware that the alternator was not functioning correctly but we carried on till we got to Rundu which is an old run down township on the Kavango river which forms the border with Angola.. We went into the town to buy food and also the new tent then we went to find the camp site which has been recommended to us. It was easily found on the banks of the river and formed part of a Lodge. We were made very welcome and soon found a nice grassy spot with all the usual facilities and nicely shaded under some big thorny trees. Yes you've guessed - as we were sitting having a cuppa we watched the front tyre go down courtesy of one of the thorns well it can wait till morning like the alternator when it's cooler!!!!
The next morning we woke with the sun streaming through the rooftop mesh window of the new tent (christened the cathedral by Mike because of its dome like shape) and the sound of birds singing. After breakfast the first job was to change the wheel and then the alternator for which we had a replacement spare. Unfortunately this had the wrong fitting but after the judicious use of a wood drill supplied by the lodge manager it was duly fitted and we were running smoothly again much to the surprise of some fellow campers who were amazed that the work had been done so early and quickly. The next job was to go into the town to get the puncture repaired (the easy part) and see if we could get the alternator mended. That proved rather more difficult as it was burnt out but we managed to buy a second hand re-furbished one which would keep us going if we had any more problems. These important jobs done we could now relax and paid a visit to a craft shop where there was some wonderful woodwork on display from wooden carved animals through to magnificently carved chests and other furniture 'No' said Mike 'there's no room in the Land Rover' as I looked longingly at a carved Blanket chest. Back at the camp we spent the rest of the day being lazy and talking to fellow travellers and being given many compliments on the Land Rover. It was while we were sitting that we became aware of the women and children on the Angolan side of the river who were actually in the water washing themselves and their clothing before filling large plastic containers with the river water and carrying it away. This we found out was their sole source of water including for drinking. How lucky we are and yet we still complain.
Friday morning saw us up early once again to demolish the camp in readiness for moving on. Today we were leaving Namibia for a while and going into Botswana but before we left Rundu we found that the stories about fuel were quite true. We made our way to the big Shell station on the main road but found that they did not have any diesel so had to go back into the town to get some so after this little hiccup we were on our way further eastwards then south into Botswana. About 9.00 we finally left Rundu and headed for the border. Here we hit a problem. In Namibia you need to buy 3rd party insurance commonly referred to as cross border insurance every time you come into the country (as a tourist that is ) this costs 110 ND (£10 ) a time. When the car first arrived in Walvis Bay we found that although this is the main port of entry there is no office to deal with cross border insurance. To help us André got the required document faxed down from Windhoek and had it certified as a true document by the commissioner for oaths at the local authority where he works. Well when we were asked for this document at the border the little official wouldn't accept it. 'I can't take photocopy' said he. We explained the whole affair but he would not be moved trying to tell us that someone had stolen our money. Eventually I pulled out the original application form which had been faxed and on it was written the name of the person at Windhoek who had dealt with it. 'Oh' he said 'I will make a copy of these and that will be alright' and then promptly returned our copy to us. Hmmm he wouldn't accept our copy but was happy with his own !!!!!! After that we set off again and over the 200yds to the Botswana post.
Next: Into Botswana