I have something to tell you

A year later ...

Mr Jones and Me on Etosha Pan

It's a year ago that I packed my LSP and Mr Jones and Me hit the road for the start of my Baked Beans Jubilee adventure.  Even though I have not finished what I set out to do, I thrive on the memories of my adventure so far.  I continue to scheme and dream how I can finish the initial planned trip (seeing the rest of Namibia) and adding more adventures to my Travel Bucket List.  I have been fortunate to do some travel since I got back from my BBJ adventure, but not any solo stuff.  Read about my subsequent travels to Port Elizabeth, RockNess Monster, Signs of my Time, Thornybush,  rural SA, Sani Pass, KZN Battlefields and most recently, rural Zimbabwe and the kids in Mpindo. 

This weekend sees me finally turn 50 and I plan to finish the Namibia adventure before I turn 51.

I hope you've been well and having adventures of your own (I know some of you have had even bigger adventures than I've dreamed and I have found your tales inspiring ...)  

Till next time

xxxx

Looking back and lots of thanks

I've been back in Joburg for 10 days and I'm blown away by how many people actually followed my trip and how many subscribed and forwarded the email updates on the their families, friends and colleagues.  Thank you.  I also appreciate the emails saying how much you enjoyed the posts.

Two days after I got back I took my LSP for a well deserved Full Valet - dust gets into places that simply cannot be imagined or reached.  I think I'll be reminded of Etosha every time I turn on the  car's air conditioning.  The following day my LSP was dead.  Of course I was cursing the valet guys for probably having the doors open and the radio blaring the whole day and running the battery down.  I managed to revive it and drove to the guys at Supaquick in Paulshof and they told me the battery was dying.  Fortunately it was still under warranty so they replaced it for me.  The security system needed to be reset and I managed to find a Car Audio place who knew how to do it.

Two days later I went to get groceries and after shopping my LSP was dead!  I phoned the Automobile Association (AA) and the mechanic found me and went through the diagnostics.  Alternator.  He told me there was no way I'd make it to the nearest Mitsubishi Dealer (10kms away).  Fortunately there was an e-Car franchise 100m away and he jump started my car.  My LSP couldn't even get that far before it died.  Eventually we got it into the workshop and the following day the guys at e-Car had to scout around and eventually found the replacement part.  That evening I collected my car and depleted my bank account!  The dual battery system was also affected and that battery also needs to be replaced now (never seems to end)

I have to thank my Guardian Angel that this happened in Joburg - it would have not been as easy (relatively!) in the remote parts of Southern Africa I travelled through.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

While I couldn't download the tracks I travelled, I've managed to put in waypoints on Google Maps and hopefully the links to the relevant blogposts can be accessed via the waypoints.

View Baked Beans Jubilee in a larger map

BTW - I added 20 (twenty) new bird species to my Life List and am now well over the 500-species mark - whoop whoop whoop (or should that be tweet, chirp, hoot?!)

Till I get it together to finish my adventure. . . .

It's the end, but it's not

"All God's children need travelling shoes" (Tanita Tikaram).  There is still sand in mine, but they have been banished to the back of the cupboard for the time being.  Reality is a bitch and she has her claws on me.

I decided to end Part One of my Baked Beans Jubilee adventure on a high note - Etosha Pan. Namibia.  The reality is I need to find a job to pay for the daily grind of living in Joburg (or anywhere for that matter).  So it was with some remorse that I let my sense of responsibility get the better of me and I decided to head back to Joburg - a 24 hour trip.  I left Etosha at sunrise and headed for the Trans-Kalahari Highway.  13 hours later I got into bed at the Kalahari Arms chalet in Ghanzi, Botswana.  (Judy Garmin took me on an interesting route north of the Waterberg Plateau, bypassing Windhoek and had a long unexpected gravel section - aaargh) The next morning I slept 'late' -- I left Ghanzi an hour after sunrise and 11 hours later I arrived back into peak hour traffic in Joburg asking myself (and Life and The Universe) WHY I need to be back here.

While I go about the awful process of finding another job, I will have the memories and pics of my awesome adventure to keep me sane. 

I met some awesome new people and reconnected with old ones.  My best camping experience was at Bum Hill waking to the sounds of swimming elephants.  My worst camping experience was at Bum Hill waking to toothache and having a snacking elephant keep me from my painkillers.  My most awesome sight, spectacular was Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side and the sunrise cruise on the Zambezi River, sublime.

My biggest thrill, the apparent barren, desolation, space and peace being the only person out on Etosha Pan. My funniest experience was shaving my legs in a fold-up camping basin.  I learnt to appreciate thick aqueous cream which my skin slurped up continuously in the dry air.  I took too many clothes. I didn't find as much solitude and or as many peaceful places as I expected - you just can't escape from people.  I saw many new birds (lifers) and once I've updated my Life List, I'm hoping to break 500 species.

Unfortunately I am not able to transfer my Garmin tracks to Google Maps - something to do with Mac and Google :-( 

I travelled through four Southern African countries, was away for 34 days, travelled almost 8,500 kms, used over 1,000 litres of fuel and listened to countless songs on my iPod.  I am extremely pleased I had an auxiliary fuel tank and a dual battery system fitted to my LSP.

I experienced various National Parks and am of the opinion Kruger National Park, South Africa is by far the best - South Africans be proud of our national treasure.

MTC Namibia has coverage almost everywhere and I could stay in touch and blog all the time.  Some places in northern Namibia only have ATM's that accept VISA - anything else doesn't help. (despite their adverts).  You can pay for fuel in many places in Namibia with your SA Petro Card.

I will not travel without:
(1) my polar fleece blanket,
(2) a fridge - I sent love to my friends Claire and Howard every time I opened my car door and heard the Engel purring in the back,
(3) painted toenails to avoid seeing how dirty my feet get in all the sand and dust everywhere, and
(4) the most important of all - the support of my fantastic family and friends.

Will I do it all again?  Yes, but I will take someone with - to share the driving so I don't have a one-sided suntanned driving arm. 

I haven't nearly finished exploring the Namibia I set my heart on seeing.  I am already planning how  Mr Jones and Me and my LSP are going to finish the BBJ adventure.

I have even more adventures lurking in my head - Central Kalahari, Zambia parks, . . .

I am really glad you came along so far, albeit virtual xxx

Till next time . . . . .

(You can see more pics of my adventure here)

Etosha (3)

Namutoni is a the 'capital' of Etosha and not only is there shade in the campground, but grass too!  Don't get me wrong - it's not lush and foresty.  It's still hot and dry and they have to water the grass A LOT.  Black backed jackals run around the camp at night, scavenging for scraps, but they aren't as feisty or noisy as the honeybadgers from Halali.

Once again things have been quiet in camp and with fellow campers and my days have been spent driving around enjoying sights and taking it all in.  I have to confess to deciding to "nip out for a short game drive" before getting ready for the day -- and I stayed out and in my PJ's until after lunchtime. I loved it.

So here are more pics from around Namutoni area

I fell in love instantly.

I'd not seen a Damara Dik-dik before.  It's the smallest antelope in Etosha, a mere 38cm at shoulder height.  It has a flexible nose.  So cute!

Not ants.  Wildebeest making their way across the edge of the Pan to a waterhole

Always lovely to see zebra foals

Flying Bananas (aka Yellowbilled Hornbills)

Lions doing what they do best.  Notice the Katoo Express with trailer in the background

Must be colleagues of the Zambezi Express I mentioned previously

Altogether - spread legs, necks down, drink

And then the wind came up bringing the dust

Ellies do get quite close

Two elephant bulls having a drink and a chat at a waterhole

Dust blowing on the Pan in the distance

At first I thought this giraffe was choking on its tongue and as I watched (thinking how would one try to help a choking giraffe . . ), I realised it was sucking and chewing on a bone for calcium.

This is called osteophagy

Youngsters having fun at bathtime

Shade is found 'inside' the tree

Sunset on my last day in Etosha

Etosha is absolutley awesome gamewise.  The facilities are shabby and people drive way too fast, even though the speed limit is a very generous 60km/h.  You can't see much at that speed!  I followed a speeding NWR (Namibia Wildlife Resorts) vehicle in the Park. My speedometer hit 90km/h and I could not keep up. If their own staff can't stick to the rules and set examples . . . .Very sad

Till next time . . .

Etosha (2)

Halali Camp has shade - yippeee. There are some large mopane trees and the campsites are not allocated and you get to choose which you want.  Naturally the best shady ones are taken, but I found a very nice little spot.  The camp also has a pool (as did Okaukeujo) but I didn't bring a swimming costume.  Although my tent is not in the shade, the site has a concrete picnic table and stools and a braai place and all of these are in the shade. Happy Janny (and Mr Jones)

It is still damn hot during the day and my LSP is one of the coolest places to be so I've been travelling around quite a lot.

I found a place where I could drive onto the Pan.  I was so excited.

I've seen some sights and managed to get some photos so this post is to visually share some of the sights with you. Self-portraits thanks to my Canon remote.

 Blackshouldered Kite with breakfast

 Blackfaced Impalas continuing the Winter theme of Mopane Gold being worn by the trees

 Acacia baubles

 Elephant and Springbok

 I've heard of this, but never seen melanism in Zebras

 These two pics speak for themselves

 Black Rhino sniffing the air for pheromones

 Yellow Mongoose in the sunset light

I'm moving on to Namutoni Camp.  Till next time . . . .

Etosha (1)

I overnighted at Toshari Lodge outside Etosha National Park's Andersson Gate.  Super accommodation, good dinner and breakfast - ready to take on camping again.

I arrived at Okaukeujo Camp and checked in for two nights (they allocate your campsite).  I arrived at the campsite - not a tree in sight.  No shade.  I pitched my tent in my allocated "bay" - some are set up like car bays - and immediately decided it was going to be cooler in my LSP so I headed for the great Etosha.

What can I say.

It is miles and miles and miles of seemingly nothing, but there are tracks everywhere

I wonder where these tracks go?

I felt almost insignificant when got to a waterhole on the edge of Etosha Pan.  There is something about the harsh bright bare landscape that got to me.  I can't explain it.  It is something I wish every one of you who reads this could experience.

As it got cooler I headed back to my campsite and now the place was humming with people all setting up for the night.   I wandered over to the waterhole at the camp.

Hunger struck and I went back to make dinner.  Well I thought I'd landed in the twilight zone!  On the one side were a group of tourists (Spanish I think) and their guides and attendants had a lovely setup until they brought out the music.  Music in places like campsites is a no-no in my books and Kaapse Klopse music nearly sent me over the top.

At this point no-one was setting up camp on the other side and the camp gates were closed for the night.  Okay I'll survive.  I was so wrong.  Ten minutes later a small bus with a loaded trailer arrives - Zambezi Express blazoned all over the front and about twenty teenagers and five adults spill out of the vehicle. Apparently a group of locals from Katima Mulilo.

I hastily finished cooking my Chicken Madras and Rice (yes the ever easy cook-in-sauce stuff) and beat a path to the now floodlit waterhole, plenty wine in hand.

It's the first time I've experienced a fully fledged floolit waterhole (three massive lights - orangey yellowy colour which clearly does not upset the animals) and I was treated to black rhinos (don't know when last I saw one of these more secretive species), giraffes, gemsbok and elephants all coming to quench thirsts.  It was sheer pleasure for me.

Eventually I was tired enough for sleep and when my head hit the pillow, the kids were making a racket.  There were endless threats from the adults about noise and eventually I fell asleep.  I woke very early the next morning and got out on the roads gameviewing before the kids got up.  When I got back at 11 everyone was gone, the campsites almost deserted and the staff getting ready for the next round of campers.

The second night brought "normal' campers and it was pleasant in the camp.  I went to the waterhole and WOW WOW WOW - six black rhinos were there and three males were having an all-night session of parry-and-thrust.  When I left four hours later, they were still at it.  I was also treated to a breeding herd of around 70 ellies coming to drink.  It was spectacular and I'm very sorry I don't have any pictures that will do this justice.  I'll keep reliving it in my mind.

I loved the way the ellie arrives at the waterhole in 'Elephant Grey'

and leaves with a whitewash 'White Elephant' covering

I've updated my FaceBook album so there are more pics there.

I'm moving on to Halali Camp, till next time. . . .