Things got better

Close to the Nakambele Community Camp is a pre-primary school.  I had brought along some crayons, pencils, books, etc. and a large flask to give to a school somewhere along the way.  Now was as good a time as any.  They weren’t expecting me and were quite bewildered.  The young teacher did get them to pose on their little jungle gym.

I left Ondangwa area for Ruacana and the landscape changed quite a bit.  Whilst I had travelled along the Caprivi close to the Angolan border, going west towards towns and places I’d heard my male friends speak about when they did their military service during the border wars (South Africa, South West Africa, Angola), felt strange and a bit scary, although I don't understand why we were fighting this war.  I’d only ever heard things like what a hell-hole Oshakati was.  Only the Recce Battalion (which had seriously hot-wired strangers in its Company) ever spoke of Ruacana.

I arrived at Hippo Pools – literally the end of the tarred road and the caretaker (a Himba woman) said no-one was there and I could stay wherever I want.  I drove around and selected a campsite which overlooked a small channel of the Kunene River.  It was hot and for the first time, I did not pitch my tent immediately.  Instead I unpacked my chair, found a shady spot and started reading.  Half an hour later two guys arrived and asked if they could fish in front of my campsite.  “Sure” I said.  A while later they asked if they could use my campsite area braai .  I think they were very curious about a lone female in this remote area.  Anyway we got chatting, turns out the one works in Ruacana for NamPower and is involved in the hydro scheme.  The other owns Sunset Lodge in nearby Ruacana.  After much persuasion, they talked me into staying at Sunset Lodge – swayed by a proper bed, flush toilet and hot shower and the promise of the lodge living up to its name.  It has great sunsets being west facing and overlooking the wild Ruacana Valley.  They are currently building a huge bar/restaurant/deck overlooking this stunning view and it will be well-worth staying there before taking on the rather untamed roads of the Valley.

I saw my first real, traditional male and female Himbas on my way back to Ruacana and Sunset Lodge.  It took me by surprise as I didn’t think they really left their settlements.

The next day I filled up** in Ruacana and decided to head for Sesfontein and camp at the Community Campsite there.  The further south I drove on the gravel road, the more interesting the landscape got.   

Photos cannot do justice to the wide open spaces, the craggy rocky mountains, the steep passes and the corrugated, sandy, gravely roads.  I love it.

I passed a number of Himbas (a very nomadic tribe) all traditionally dressed, or should that be covered in ochre with loin cloths, beads and strange headdress.  I’m still loath to ask people to pose for pictures.  As I got to Opuwo, I saw the first traditionally dressed Herero woman in her almost Victorian style dress and also strange headdress. (No pic yet)

Then the drive became interesting and I went through my first gravel pass - Joubert Pass or Otjomatemba Pass. Magnificent.  My trusty steed (LSP) did a grand job.  The scenery just kept getting better.

I reached Sesfontein and located the Community Camp, sitatuted in the centre of town and very open to passersby.  I really did not feel up to being gawked at by all and sundry.  The campsite is under beautiful fig trees but I wasn’t okay being there on my own.  I phoned Palmwag Lodge 90kms down the road. Their campsites were full, but they could help with a room in the lodge.  After I choked at the budget-breaking price (which included dinner and breakfast) I agreed.  I really did not know what else I could do.  I didn’t know any of the other places Judy Garmin located (my GPS fitted with an awesome mapset called Tracks 4 Africa).  I drove past one of them and would happily stay there with a group of people, but not on my own.

Okay.  Decision made.  Head South for Palmwag.  90kms – at most this will take me two and half hours.  Set destination in GPS and off I go.  I must mention I am headed straight out of town in the opposite side I came in from.  For once I don’t consult my paper map (Rule No. 1 always have paper maps, books, etc. to back the GPS) and followed Judy Garmin’s pink track.

 

OMG, the scenery got better, the vistas more awesome and the road windy, more gravel and eventually turned into a very sandy track. I was about 60km away from  Sesfontein.  Now Judy Garmin was showing a triangle and back tracking.  Damn technology!  Stop. Reset it.  Same thing.  Okay I’ll just ignore it.  The track goes somewhere as I had passed an oncoming vehicle last about 40 minutes ago.

I looked left and in the distance I saw what I first thought were clouds.  I haven’t seen a single cloud since leaving Kruger National Park.  It was in fact a huge mist developing.  “Hell, you can see the Skeleton Coast mist from very far inland,” I thought, impressed.  “Hang on a sec.  Mist on the lefthand side of LSP means that’s West which means I’m heading north-west in the wrong direction. Fuck, what’s wrong?!  Oh shit, it’s not really a good place to stop in thick sand.”  Slowly I start to panic.

I find a suitable place to stop.  I re-programme Judy Garmin and now I’ll get to Palmwag Lodge at 9pm.  “No ways!!! There is a serious problem.  Fuck, I’m turning back to Sesfontein.”  I manage to find a place in the sand where its stable enough to do a three-point turn without getting stuck and start heading back.  “Oh well, the scenery and plains are so awesome, I could sleep here overnight if I have a problem.”  Suddenly it dawns on me – I have programmed the GPS settings to ignore all u-turns.  I stop.  Reset all the Avoidances.  It’s going to take me two and half hours to get to Palmwag.  I’ll make it there before sunset.  Phew, relief.

I was passing through some of the most spectacular area I’ve yet seen in Namibia.  Turns out I was 50 kms from Purros – a remote area friends had said I should not travel to on my own in case I had vehicle problems.  My next trip to Namibia with friends will be seeing me back on that track – it was everything I thought parts of Namibia would be!  Had I checked the paper map, I would have realised I needed to go back out of Sesfontein the way I came in to get to Palmwag.  Anyhow I drove back through Sesfontein and along the gravel road to Palmwag – Judy Garmin seemed pleased.  The scenery changed and became this amazing rocky barren wide open spaces.  Simply breathtaking.

Finally I arrived at Palmwag Lodge and after a shower even had time to enjoy the sunset over a glass of red wine before a super dinner (which I almost fell asleep at)

I loved it all and am so glad I got lost.  I have to go back there.

Till next time . . .

** Distances can be long and fuel supply is not guaranteed in many of the more far-away places so you fill up whenever you pass a fuel station which has fuel --- not Sesfontein.