Baked Beans Jubilee

I have something to tell you

2012-01-09T17:53:00.002+02:00

A year later ...

2011-07-28T14:01:00.001+02:00

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

2010-09-12T15:34:00.010+02:00

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

2010-09-01T17:18:00.012+02:00

"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)

2010-09-01T08:53:00.001+02:00

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)

2010-08-28T19:28:00.002+02:00

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)

2010-08-26T20:30:00.002+02:00

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. . . .

Towards Etosha

2010-08-24T09:11:00.001+02:00

I’ve been making my way right around the outside of the greater area of Etosha National Park as I had been unable to change my booking to get into the Park early and then head south into Namibia. The whole of the western side of Etosha is for private concessions so there is no access for mere mortals like me, hence the long way round. One of the places I’d read about on the SA Birding website is called Hobatere Lodge. It also has a campsite. This time I phoned the day before to book (hee-hee) and decided it would be for two nights although I had three before I can take up my Etosha bookings.

I filled up with fuel at the Palmwag depot (three pumps in the open air – no shelter – not a garage building – nothing), declined giving a lift to one of the local children at yet another vetinerary fence ("What happens if I have accident?" I asked the father who beseeched me to give the child a lift to the next town, to which he backed off). We both knew Grootberg Pass and its gravel road waited.

Rock fig looks like it is growing out of the rock

Herero Sesame Bush looking like a miniature Baobab

Hartmann's Zebras adapted to life on the harsh rocky mountainsides

I drove slowly, admiring the scenery, taking pics of the flora and fauna and spotted yet another ‘lifer’ (an Augur Buzzard – whoop whoop whoop) and next thing I was over the top of the pass – nothing as exciting or spectacular as my previous day’s trip.

There’s a lodge on top of the pass that looks like a possible place to stay in the future. (This is the entrance not the lodge!)

Fabulous rock formations

A pretty uneventful drive to Kamanjab (sounds a bit like ‘come on up(b)’) and I stopped to buy water – another thing you buy whenever you can. I always have a quick squizz around these stores when I’m buying water and am amazed at what they stock. This store’s offerings even included tents and perfume. I chatted to the young guy tallying up my purchase and asked who he thought would win the rugby Test between South Africa and New Zealand in the afternoon.

I arrived at Hobatere Campsite and was thrilled. It is set in Mopane veld between hills covered in boulders and rockfigs. As with the rest of the country, it is extremely dry and has such a beauty about the harshness of winter. I passed some black-faced impalas on the way in. No road noise, only 6 campsites. The ablutions were very basic, shade scarce but there were some scrawny Mopane tress, shrubs and little bird baths so there was plenty of activity. The camp attendant then pointed along the path to the hide which overlooks a waterhole. I was in heaven.

Black-faced impala

(bet you look at impala twice next time when you see them!)

My campsite with very basic ablutions on the left

View from hide down to waterhole

What's at the waterhole -- Hartmann's zebras

I set up camp and did not get into my car until it was time to leave two days later. I went to the hide and found it set on a side of the hill and the waterhole is down in a little valley. Water is pumped into it daily courtesy of the owners so impala, kudu, giraffe, gemsbok (a.k.a oryx), baboons, etc. come and go all day long to quench dry winter thirsts.

I pitched my tent so I could watch the sunrise. The moon is nearly full so I didn’t bother to try and take star trail pics. It was awesome just watching and savouring the night sky and night sounds as I fell asleep. I was woken by crunching gravel noises. Footsteps outside my tent. A spotted hyena was on patrol of the area.

Laundry has to be done sometime!

I decided to play with remote equipment for my camera and set it around the birdbath. I tell you I filled the birdbath with 6 litres of water. 1000’s of queleas and other little birds and evaporation – the bath was empty in half and hour!

Redbilled Queleas

Redeyed Bulbul and Cape Glossy Starling

Great Sparrows watching each other across the water

That night I set up my camera and remote onto my tent frame with a Gorilla Pod – worked great, but the hyena went passed the otherside of my tent (Murphy’s Law).

A Herero woman in traditional garb in Kamanjab

The next morning I slowly packed up as Hobatere is 4 hours drive from the entrance gate I have to use to Etosha and headed for a place closer to the entrance gate. I had to backtrack to Kamanjab and then head to Outjo. Thank heavens I did! When I stopped at the same Sentra (attached to a service garage) to get a Coke I saw one of the tyres had a slow puncture. Aaaaaargghhhhh!!!! The garage staff told me to go into the shop and ask for help. Guess what – the same guy I’d chatted to on Saturday bounced up to help and sorted the whole thing for me. There was a nail or something in the tyre. We chatted about the rugby (SA lost narrowly) and he is a born and bred Namibian and attended school 500kms from his town and speaks Afrikaans. He referred to the the SA rugby team as “we played…” and “the ref penalised us…” – Namibians feel like they are South Africans sometimes.

I refuelled in Outjo and wanted to buy extra oil. I had to use some of my supply after getting lost and I’m still wary after my 710 story, but after SMS communications with my friend in SA about what was on offer, I decided to rather see what oil they have in Etosha’s restcamp garages.

Seven days in Etosha for me now

Till next time . . . . .

Things got better

2010-08-23T17:39:00.008+02:00

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.

People think signs don't apply to them

2010-08-21T15:52:00.003+02:00

There are reasons for signs like this.

I was travelling through a small village on the national road between Tsumeb and Ondangwa, a man in a large black SUV with a trailer overtook me (doing about 120km/hour) and as he went passed he saw the big cow starting to cross the road from the lefthandside, which I was slowing down for. A huge oncoming truck was getting closer. Fast. I wanted to close my eyes. I started braking harder. The SUV and trailer was aiming for the righthandside gravel of the road. As it clipped the gravel edge the SUV started spinning out of control. I looked from left (the cow) to right (the SUV) and saw the SUV going back across the tar, hit the gravel on the left. The trailer broke from the SUV and spun around in the gravel losing all its contents, the SUV rolled five times and came to a stop – on its roof.

I braked hard, slowed down enough to safely go onto the gravel and headed for the grass/shrubs the SUV lay in. I saw the villagers almost not believing what they’d seen . I leapt out of my car (remembering to take key out of ignition and press central locking as I ran towards the SUV). By now I think the villagers were even more stunned – a white woman leaping out of the Pajero and running towards the SUV.

As I got to the SUV, I could hear the radiator pressure releasing and I couldn’t smell any fuel so I dropped onto my stomach and started shouting into the vehicle “How many of you were in the car?” By this time the first villagers were arriving. I shouted to one of them to ask again. “One” was the answer. I could see someone strapped into the driver seat but almost into the back of the car. The first villager who arrived was dressed in a navy “paramedic”-type overall with fading reflective stripes sewn on and kitted with welder’s gloves and a huge panga. Very prepared, I thought. Very strange, I thought too. The men couldn’t get any of the doors open (squashed!) It appeared the man was able to move and talk so the men got round to oneside and I started counting to three and on the third attempt they got the flattened SUV on its wheels. The “paramedic” cleared the shattered door window, cut the seatbelt and they got the man out.

There was debris and contents of the vehicle and trailer everywhere. By now there were 100’s of villagers standing around. The driver of the oncoming truck had also stopped and was watching proceedings.

The villagers were insisting I take the injured driver to hospital (whaaaaaat??? I thought to myself! They are mad!) I went up to the man and he was pointing at his chest and his voice was weak. No blood or bubbles from his mouth, I thought. No punctured lung. Sad as it may seem, there is no ways I’m transporting an injured man to a hospital. What happens if he goes into shock and dies?! Then I’m responsible. I told the villagers I’m heading for Ondongwa, so I’ll go and report it to the police station. Everyone was now shouting take him to hospital “… and we’ll look after all his stuff.” Ja, very likely I thought! I asked the truck driver to please explain this to the injured man. I ran to my car and a little old lady stopped me to say thank you.

As I drove off, I remembered seeing a sign say call 10111 in case of emergency. I did this and tried to explain to the operator what happened. He told me to phone Ondangwa Police Station and gave me the number. Turns out he should have given me the dialling code too. After trying a useless number, I decided to keep to the plan of going to Ondangwa Police Station (50kms away). Checked Judy Garmin and it was the nearest police station. Set as destination. Done.

Once I arrived in Ondangwa and got to the Police Station, on the furtherest side of town, I parked my LSP and hoped it was safe as the tent is only tied onto the roof rack, not locked. I walked to the gate and found 5 men sitting in the shade. “Where do I report an accident?”. Once again a white woman on her own is a strange sight. One of the guys barked at me in Afrikaans, to which I fluently replied what I wanted to do. He ungraciously pointed me to another gate a vehicle was exiting. Back in my car, and into the next gate. It looked like a rundown workshop. A woman in Police uniform was standing chatting to a child. She told me where I should park (in a more secure looking area) and where I should go. In the office (which was totally ‘manned’ by women) I said I want to report an accident. Silence. “On the B1,” I said. The woman wrote down B1 and looked blankly at me. WTF????? Then another woman came around the counter and pointed at a door to the workshop. “Go in there and walk down the passage. If you find a door open, report it there.” Fuck, now I was getting irritated. I wandered down the passage and right at the end a door was open and a senior looking woman was seated behind a desk with five people sitting around the room. They all looked at me as though I’d landed from outer space. I said I want to report an accident and her phone started ringing and she answered it. I could hear by the tone of her voice that the call was not of a serious nature. I stood in the passage waiting. Thinking “why am I bothering?” “Just get back in your car and go.” I waited. After four minutes she called me into the office and eventually with the aid of some of the others in the office, she understood what I was doing. She spoke perfect English. As with everything, it turns out this was the wrong police station to report the accident to. (Did she think I was getting in my car and driving back 100-odd kms to go to another police station report this??) Sanity prevailed and she agreed to phone the other police and “hand the matter over to colleagues there.” She, labouriously, took my name and telephone number and I could go. Turns out she was the Unit Commander.

I could only hope someone was going to the accident scene. By now it was late afternoon and I checked lodgings available and drove 6kms back out of town to the Nakambele Musuem and Community Campsite which is situated on an old mission station. When I got there I explained what had happened to the woman running the campsite and the following morning she told me she’d seen “the black flat car” on the towtruck. I felt a bit better.

Till later. . . .

This and That

2010-08-17T18:30:00.006+02:00

Thanks for all the concern. Mercifully my toothache seems to have disappeared and I have three more antibiotic tablets to take.

Not much been happening. I stayed at Drotsky's camping site (Botswana) for two nights and relaxed and then a night at Ngepi Camp (Namibia). These two are 50kms apart on the same side of the river in the panhandle of the Okavango Delta. The river is called Okavango in Botswana and Kavango in Nambia - don't think the fish, crocodiles, birds and like have got passports nor do they care about the name. As long as the food is good . . . Oh ja, I did get to see a PurpleBanded Sunbird which was great!

The Lav-A-Tree at Ngepi, a bit disconcerting in the dark wee hours of the morning!

The campers next to me arrived at dusk last night and I didn't really see them all. Just before I left Ngepi, one of the women came over to ask me about travelling alone and we got chatting. I wish we hadn't. Turns out they were a group of 8 travelling in 4 vehicles and in Moremi (North Bridge or Khwai Bridge) last week. Six of them went on a game drive and the other 2 stayed to prepare dinner. There was a freak accident and the donkey boiler (basically a wood fire underneath a geyser which pipes hot water to the ablutions) exploded and the geyser killed the woman cooking dinner 100m away. Her husband suffered severe injuries. I won't go into more details, but you can read it here. The group have had a tough time and finally decided to carry on with the trip as part of a healing process. They have been slated by some, but have plenty issues to deal with. I do support their decision to carry on with the trip.

On a more pleasant note, one of my foodie friends has asked if I'm eating properly. She often invites me around for home cooked balanced meals (until you factor in the wine). Well LindiLoo I don't think I eat properly in Joburg but I'm doing okay on my trip. I start each morning with a cup or two of coffee and a rusk. If I'm not travelling that day, I'll have bacon and eggs or an omlette or something mid morning. If I am travelling I'll have a yoghurt and some muesli on the way. Lunch - whatever I can find that's quick. Often a leftover. When the veterinary officials stop confiscating food because of foot-and-mouth outbreaks, I'll get back into a routine. They confiscate any raw meats, all forms of pork and any opened cartons of milk. They've ignored the yoghurts so far. Go figure.

I usually braai wors (sausage) and eat it as lunch somewhere. Yesterday was the first time I bought rolls and cooked sliced ham so that was lunch today. I have enjoyed some fine meals - the home cooked one Tauria cooked for me in Vic Falls, the kudu at Elephant Valley Lodge, pizza with Val at the Old House and a reasonable dinner of Crumbed Beef Fillet with fresh veggies including potato bake at Drotsky's. Dinners I make are pretty much the Cook-In-Sauce and I use the Tastic Rice ready made things. Anything that's quick. I occasionally make popcorn - which I love!

Dinners at the camp sites are very expensive - it's how they make their money so they're to be avoided from now on. I haven't eaten baked beans yet - I do have one small can in my grocery box. Sadly no great recipes concocted yet LindiLoo . . .

I've been away from home for over 20 days so far and travelled over 3,700kms.

Things I've found out:

1. Baked potatoes in foil on the coals take MUCH LONGER than you think

2. Gem Squash in foil on the coals cook MUCH QUICKER than you think

3. LOTS of firelighters is the answer to getting a good fire going

4. It IS coldest seconds before the sun makes an appearance on the horizon in the mornings

5. I do get bored, but not lonely

6. Multi, according to the Customs Officials at a Botswana Border Post, means two. "Single is one, multi is two because it's more than one." When I said "so is three more than one" I had my head bitten off! I am not to use the word WRONG in his or any other Customs Office I was curtly told.

I continually update my photo album in Facebook which anyone can access by clicking HERE. Please visit there too.

So far, my friends, so good.

Till next time . . . .

Agony and Ecstasy

2010-08-16T14:26:00.004+02:00

Toothache at 1a.m. is awful. Toothache at 1a.m. when an elephant is snacking on the trees between you and your painkillers is agony.

Bum Hill campsite platform

View from my campsite loo

I spent a night at Bum Hill campsite, one of the Namibia Community Based Tourism sites (you might have read my blog about Nacobta in The Question). Bum Hill is situated on the Kwando River and each campsite has an east-facing lookout platform with individual site ablutions underneath. I had a particularly lovely view (not as obscured by as many trees as the others) so decided to sleep on my stretcher under the stars. I set my camera up to take a star-trails pic, but kept falling asleep waiting for the moon to set behind me as there was so much light and then, of course, there weren’t many bright stars in the focus area when I needed them and my picture wasn’t successful. I had to keep setting my phone alarm to wake me up for each stage of the picture.

Excruciating toothache woke me at 1a.m. I was about to leap off the stretcher and dash down to my toiletry bag in my LSP when I heard the ominous sounds of branches being ripped off a tree, very close by. An elephant. I waited for it to move on and then I’d make my dash. Lo and behold as the sound seemed to get a little further away, another elephant made itself heard. Shit! My pain was becoming unbearable. I waited. Now one of them was drinking from the water next to my platform. I waited. And I waited. Now I was on the verge of tears. I waited. I could now only hear one elephant browsing on the trees. I was desperate.

Fuck, it’s now or never.

I leapt off the stretcher and the floorboards creaked so damn loudly, it could have woken the dead. I waited an eternity (probably half a second), I heard a branch and almost vaulted down the wooden ladder, reached the car rear door, opened it, grabbed the toiletry bag and closed the door. Shit, shit, shit, it wasn’t closed properly and the inside light stayed on. I heard nothing. I raced around and opened the driver’s door and hopped in, without closing the door fully. I switched off the interior light and then remembered I had emergency antibiotics in my medical kit. Best I start them now in case this toothache is going somewhere serious as I’m almost at the furtherest point away from Joburg on my adventure. I jumped out the car, trying to close the door as quietly as possible and raced up the ladder back onto my stretcher. I popped the pills and lay down, heart racing. I didn’t give a damn about warnings of ulcers by not taking antibiotics on a full stomach. I’d try to make up for it before the next tablets.

The elephant was still browsing away nearby, seemingly unperturbed.

My racing heart slowed down and slowly, very slowly, the painkillers began working. Finally I fell asleep.

I woke as day was breaking, my toothache now down to a very dull ache. I heard water being splashed around. Very noisy hippos. No, the noise lasted too long.

I got up and was treated to elephants swimming across the Kwando River as the sun was trying to make its way up to the horizon. I attempted some pics (light too low) and then got back into bed to rather savour it all. In ecstasy and back to sleep.

When I woke from dozing - sunrise

I dozed off and was finally woken by raining fruit seeds, which birds were scoffing in the tree above me.

Val, thanks for recommending I try Bum Hill. Well worth it all.

Sable and Zebra on my way through Bwabwata Game Reserve, Caprivi

on my way to Drotsky's and Ngepi

Till next time . . .

The boat, the chopper and the very Vic Falls

2010-08-12T11:33:00.004+02:00

I must admit to being a bit wary of the road to Victoria Falls. I’d heard stories of road-blocks and spot fines for the most ridiculous reasons, including ‘your car is too dirty’. The officials at the Zimbabwe border post were friendly and surprised to find a South African woman travelling on her own to Zim. “Not many South Africans travel on their own to Zimbabwe anymore, especially woman”, the official commented. “Will I not be safe then?” I asked. “No it is fine now.” was the reply.

Still smarting from my Botswana speeding fine, I crawled along the road to Vic Falls and 2km outside the town, I passed a speed trap manned by three traffic officers and no vehicle. I suppose they would catch up with disappearing speedsters somewhere, sometime.

I checked into the Victoria Falls Rest Camp and decided to stay in a chalet rather than camp (must be getting soft after Elephant Valley Lodge!). The camp has an old section and a newer section. I use the term loosely. The camp and the town itself is understandably rundown but the people are friendly and the hawkers badger you with some humour (in my case they were Monkey and Clever wanting to trade carved animals for clothing).

I met up with Munya who’d come down to SA to work with us on Soccer World Cup and we went off to catch up on the lawns of The Victoria Falls Hotel, an awfully British colonial hotel which must get up Robert Mugabe’s nose.

I had a 05h30 start the following day and Munya collected me to go on a sunrise cruise. I must say Victoria Falls Anytime (the company he works for) is the only Tour Operator to offer a sunrise cruise on the Zambezi and I’m sure these pictures speak for themselves.

Mackson, the Captain

A sunrise cruise knocks spots off a sunset cruise in my book. I was especially moved by the fact we were the only boat at that time of day on the might Zambezi and I was the only guest – pure heaven! There is something soul-nourishing in drifting down a magnificent river listening to nature with background noise from Nature’s wonder, Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders) or Victoria Falls.

I was very excited to find some of ‘lifers’ for my birdlist and to once again see an elusive African Finfoot, this time running along the riverbank.

After the cruise, I took myself off to visit the Falls. WOW, WOW, WOW. Awesome. Stunned. Blew my mind. I don’t think I have ever been close to something so powerful. The energy was phenomenal. So much water drops down the cliff with such force it catapults the rain/spray twice the distance back into the air.

Pictures speak a thousand words – in this case pictures are also speechless.

I walked around for a couple of hours trying to take it all in. I could visit the Falls again and again and look forward to making it sooner rather than later.

Then I was off to the Lion Encounter, kindly arranged for me by Victoria Falls Anytime. I'm not a great believer in things like elephant-back rides or lion walks, but I decided to go and experience it.

Whilst it was fabulous to touch 16-month old lions and walk in the bush with them, there is something that jars me about it all. I got irritated with the handlers shaking branches and kicking stones to make them open their eyes or sit up for everyone's "Kodak moments". Let the animals sleep if you've just fed them - it's what lions do best.

Later that evening, Munya collected me to take me to his home to meet his delightful wife Taurai and to enjoy a great home-cooked meal with much needed fresh veggies. (Thanks again Taurai)

Sadly I was only spending two nights in Vic Falls and my time was ending, but not before I took the “Flight of Angels” in a helicopter over the magnificent Falls.

Munya and the staff of Victoria Falls Anytime were great. Munya I appreciate all the efforts you went to, to show me the town you live in and to enjoy the activities – thanks. Next time I’ll make enough time to do the bungee jump and the white water rafting.

It’s back off to Kasane for a night or two and then Namibia beckons.

Till next time . . .

Once again this blogpost comes courtesy of the generous Karen and Tiennie of Kasane Computers

Social Kasane

2010-08-11T12:17:00.006+02:00

After trying to get into a couple of less frequented camping places (they were all full one or other night and I wasn’t into pitching my tent every day) I ended up at Chobe Safari Lodge Camping. My site was on the banks of the Chobe and everyone kept telling me to watch out for crocodiles. No ways I’d be sleeping with my feet outside the tent!

Sign next to my campsite

I joined up with Val on the roadside – she and friends were wading in a vlei area collecting water lilies for the friend’s riverside home. The swimming pool had been flooded by the high Chobe River and is now home to frogs and fish and the water lilies were to provide shade for the pool guests.

View of Chobe River from my campsite

They took me to the local restaurant, the Old House, to meet some of their local friends. Wine is as good on the Chobe as anywhere else :-)

The Old House, Kasane

After my previous blogpost from the coffee chop, I was having lunch with Karen and Tiennie when I stopped mid-sentence, wordlessly staring at someone I thought I recognised. After doing a double-take, it was Richard Ayres, the last person I ever expected to see in Kasane. Turns out he is managing the upmarket Elephant Valley Lodge on the outskirts of Kazungula. We went there for drinks and dinner (yes the wine is good there too!). What a fabulous deck overlooking a floodlight waterhole, which was visited by a herd of ellies – too dark for me to take decent photos.

Driving back to Kasane late at night can be perilous, but I slowly followed Tiennie and Karen back to town, passing an ellie on the side of the road in town. Sunday morning was a slow day. I packed up camp at Safari and went to unpack my LSP on Karen and Tiennie’s lawn so I could re-organise all my stuff. It was hot and I was feeling the effects of the previous night’s dining so I tried to clean and tidy and re-arrange as quickly as possible. One of the side effects of camping is sand inside the tent. My groundsheet is not as effective as I’d like it to be and Tiennie kindly gave me a length of shadecloth to use as well in future. He also supplied me with a proper piece of wood I will hopefully never have to use. It is to put under the jack if you need to change a wheel in the sand. It stops the jack sinking into the sand from the pressure of a heavy vehicle.

Richard very kindly invited me to stay at Elephant Valley Lodge for the night so I got to sleep in a REAL bed again and have a proper bath, which was heavenly. Once again the food and wine were great. A handsome Sable bull visited the floodlit waterhole and I don’t think many of the guests really appreciate what a treat it is to see this antelope.

my campsite at Chobe Safari Lodge

Monday morning – I watched a beautiful sunrise, then packed up as my Baked Beans Jubilee adventure was moving to Zimbabwe and the ‘smoke that thunders’

Till next time . . .

(once again this blogpost is made possible by the generous Karen and Tiennie of Kasane Computers)

Across the border to rhinos and elephants

2010-08-07T09:59:00.007+02:00

The border-crossing administration was relatively painless both in SA and in Botswana although there was a long queue to pay the road fees which came through at the extortion rate of R1.43 to the Botswana Pula!

Crossing the Limpopo River at Martin's Drift into Botswana

Rudyard Kipling wrote: 'Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out.'

A Zimbabwean couple were going through the process of importing a Beagle puppy from SA to Zim, but cutting across Botswana as the shorter route to Bulawayo. According to the Bots official, the couple also needed a SADC certificate to allow “inter-zonal” transfer through the country., which they didn't have. Both the official and the husband were very courteous to each other and, without any bribes, the matter was resolved, officials accepted the SA and Zim documentation and puppy “passport” and the puppy allowed to travel on to its new home through Botswana.

I stopped off at a petrol station in Palapye to draw some Pula from a First National Bank ATM and instantly my cellphone buzzed. The FNB South Africa “In-Contact” service notified me of my transaction (felt like being back in SA) and what the Rands deducted from my account were (Rate of exchange R1.11 to a Pula).

A not-too-small woman sitting next to the ATM waiting for a lift to somewhere asked if she could buy my jeans. I’m not the smallest girl around. . . Did she think I was going to step out of them and sell them on the station forecourt??

Finally I got to Khama Rhino Sanctuary and my huge campsite to pitch my tent, opting not to put up the flysheet as it was only for one night. Fortunately the roof vents can be opened and closed from the inside and there was not a cloud in the sky so I took the chance. I doubt the roof vents will be waterproof in the rain though without the flysheet.

My huge campsite!

KRS is a lovely little reserve, situated on Kalahari Sandveld, a low-slung BMW is not going to be fun to drive here. I read Sandveld and when I got there, I was surprised at the sand - what a blonde moment!!

The rhino are protected by the Botswana Defence Force there is a huge radio/cellphone mast situtated in the camp but it is not too detracting. I remember how poor the ablutions were in Moremi and Chobe on another camping trip I did with friends and sadly the ablutions here weren’t great either.

Different vegetation at Khama Rhino Sanctuary

So true!!!

I went for a short game drive which turned into a couple of hours as I was having such a good time birding and I saw so much. After getting tips from the guys I met in Kruger, I made a proper fire – courtesy lots of firelighters – and enjoyed my wine and dinner. There were some young people from Gaborone who were loudly playing Trivial Pursuit and listening to the iPod which was quite annoying, but maybe I’m just becoming an “old fart”.

The next day I packed up and headed for Elephant Sands which is about 50kms north of the Pans. I took a short cut across some gravel road to join the A1 closer to Francistown.

Traffic enroute to Francistown, Botswana

It still was quite a long day and I was hot and tired after pitching my tent (with flysheet). A group of SA off-road bikers and their crew (all guys) arrived shortly before sunset and they were having a whale of a time. I was falling asleep on my feet and didn’t bother to go to the bar or for dinner. Hitting the pillow, I didn’t hear a thing until a hyena started calling in the darkest hours. Shortly thereafter I heard the screaming angry trumpeting of an elephant which silenced the hyena. I never heard another thing until the bikers and crew left at sunrise.

I then took a day off from driving and have lazed around Elephant Sands and doing a bit of housekeeping and reading and bird-watching. I didn't see any ellies.

Camping at Elephant Sands

Open air ablutions at Elephant Sands

The drive up to Kasane was marred by a speeding fine!!! Damn I never get them for exceeding 120km and this time I got a P300 fine for doing 70km/h in an extremely long 60km/h zone outside a village called Pandamatenga. I tried to pay it at the Kasane Police Station this morning (Saturday) but was told to come back "next week Monday". When I said I wouldn't be here, but could I get someone local to do so on my behalf, I got a very disbelieving "Is it someone you can trust?"

When I arrived in Kasane I met up with Val and KJ Monkeys On the Roof and I finally got to meet Karen Border Town Notes and Tiennie Under The Botswana Sky. This blogpost is coming to you courtesy of WiFi from their business - Kasane Computers.

PS I trust Karen to pay over my fine money to the Police (heeheehee)

Till next time . . .

710* and the puzzles

2010-08-02T17:42:00.003+02:00

Being a responsible gal, I had the obligatory LSP service (little silver Pajero) before taking to the roads. I took it to a different workshop and had the oil changed. My LSP was going like a dream. I reached Kruger and noticed a pale blueish white smoke coming from the exhaust every now and then. It got progressively worse and by Saturday morning I was leaving game sightings in a cloud of quite blue/white smoke! I always checked the rearview mirror to see no animal had fallen over from the fumes while I was still close by. It was now my little smoking Pajero!

Cough, splutter, choke!!

I began to get nervous, recalling horror stories of seized engines, burning cars on the roadside -- eeeeek!

The OIL light came on and I made my way to the Mopani Camp Petrol Station and put in two pints of High Mileage oil which I keep in my car. (For you guys that don't drive older cars which have travelled extensively, there is such an oil).

By now I had sms'd the guy who sold me the Paj a few years back, the mechanic who serviced it and sent out a general sms asking any of my 4x4 owner friends if they knew a reputable mechanic in Phalaborwa, the closest town. Within seconds the guy who sold me the car was on the phone (he is an ex-Paris/Dakar driver who raced Pajero's like mine) and I explained the syptoms and he gave me a couple of options. The simplest was the replacement oil was probably not thick enough for my vehicle. The mechanic sms'd minutes later and said he would call shortly. My friend had come up with an excellent contact in Phalaborwa, a fellow 4x4 driver. Panic started to ease - there was some hope I would stop increasing my literal and figurative carbon footprint in Kruger!

The mechanic phoned and had the same simple diagnosis of replacement oil and the Phalaborwa guy was going to help me find the right person to do the job. When I got to the weathered, wily, experienced real mechanic this morning, it turns out, my top-oil in Mopani was the answer - it was the right oil for the right job and already the smoke was lessening. Naturally I've bought more pints for the rest of the adventure. (Tip from the real mechanic: only use Shell Helix)

The puzzling question I asked Mr Jones, "What does he think the toilet paper is doing in the tree, miles away from anywhere". My next question is, does everyone who travels to Kruger have only white toilet paper and tissues with them. People having a pee-break on the edge of a clearing or viewing point without ablution facilities, ALWAYS litter with white toilet, tissue paper. Is decorated and coloured paper for home use only? Actually I find it absolutely disgusting people leave the litter behind (most probably fooling themselves it's bio-degradable -- well yea! not by the time the next visitors come along!!)

I'm going into Botswana and probably won't do another blogpost until I reach Kasane in the north.

Till then . . . .

*

A blonde came into the garage and asked for a seven-hundred-ten.

A puzzled customer asked, "What is a seven-hundred-ten?"

She replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine. I lost it and need a new one. It had always been there."

The mechanic gave the blonde a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710.

He then took her over to another car which had the hood up and asked, "Is there a 710 on this car?"

She pointed and said, "Of course, it's right there." (OIL upside down)

It's not always easy being ...

2010-08-01T18:28:00.002+02:00

It's not always easy being an elephant

So when you can't push it over, then what?

Then you waste as much of the precious commodity as you can get in your trunk.

It isn't easy being a young tsessebe

Not sure who won this round

It's not easy being a yellowbilled hornbill and wanting to get into the mountain chestnut pod at the end of the branch

Success at last!

A few of some of the sights of Kruger -- yes there are some of the more classic ones, but I get bored of those. Maybe I'll post some of them another time.

My next blogpost will be 710

So far, so good

2010-07-30T13:57:00.004+02:00

I left Joburg well before sunrise yesterday and had a reasonably easy, but long journey to Kruger. The weather was bright and sunny with a couple of clouds when I arrived.

I stopped off at Sable Hide which is situated on a dam and one can sleep there overnight when the Park closes, but you need to pre-book. Surprisingly, the first mammal I saw was NOT an impala!

There were three lions surveying the territory on the dam wall (too far for a decent pic) and nervous impalas drinking water, but the lions were doing what they do best . . . "lion" around!!!

I chatted to two elderly couples in the hide and turns out they're also staying at Tsendze for three nights - so I'd made my first new friends.

There were quite a few fires around, but I suppose it is typical of the winter and they don't seem to raze the trees but only the moribund (bet that word has some of you reaching for the dictionary!). The lilac-breasted rollers and forktailed drongos were having a feast on all sorts of insects escaping the fires.

I finally arrived at my campsite at Tsendze and faced the daunting task of erecting my tent. OMG, I was petrified of making a hash of it all as I had a number of neighbours who look like seasoned caravaners and campers. To my great relief it took me about 40 minutes to put it up, arrange all the guy-ropes and hammer in all the tent pegs and set up my stretcher bed, took a photograph and then took out my chair and had a well-deserved beer!!!

My new friends came past and were suitably impressed. By now the sky was overcast and looking ominous.

Sometimes it must be better to be a tortoise with your home on your back.

(Notice the cigarette butt!! People can be such pigs)

Well it DID rain last night and as I heard the wind pick up and the first drops land on my tent, I wondered if I'd done a good enough job with the guy ropes and pegs or if I'd end up sleeping in my LSP. Why did I doubt myself?!

All was well this morning and I had a decent night's sleep.

It's still grey, very overcast and windy and not much game to be seen so I came back to my tent to do this blogpost. The wind is picking up again.

Till next time . . .

Ke Nako - it's time

2010-07-28T08:06:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow morning, early, before it's even bright, I'm finally hitting the road on my adventure. After much thought, debate in my head, and trying to find accommodation in Kruger National Park, the first four days of my trip have been finalised.

Monday I drove to Durban to spend a lovely night with my longtime friends Tinky and Bill, who were storing my roofrack. Over a couple of glasses of wine, we reminisced, laughed and discussed my adventure and the myriad of places we all still want to visit in Africa. Yesterday I had the roofrack installed on my LSP. Suffice to say the job was NOT completed in the promised two to three hours and six hours later I hit the road back to Joburg.

What's happened to Namibia and Botswana? Why Kruger I hear you ask? To be honest, I need to ease myself into this whole solo travelling adventure. I've decided to test my mettle in a park that I love and in a rustic camp in Kruger I've not yet visited. This also gives me the opportunity to test my new 'toys' and to assure myself I'm self sufficient enough to adventure solo into Botswana and Namibia.

I've booked into Tsendze in the northern part of Kruger and interestingly the name Tsendze is the Tsonga word for 'tsendzeleka' or 'to ramble around like someone lost in the bush'. It promises a rustic experience within the natural environment. I will be rambling around southern Africa, but hopefully not "lost".

I will be blogging through my adventure and sharing some of my experiences with you all.

Till then . . .

In Focus

2010-07-16T18:34:00.001+02:00

After a hectic 32 days of 2010 FIFA World Cup, my attention is back on my adventure. You can read some of my soccer stuff on my other blog, Under The Blood Red Sky under Halftime and Game Over.

When I was in Cape Town for one of the games, I took time out to visit the Namibia Wildlife Resorts office to fully pay my six nights camping in Etosha National Park. NWR shares the office with Namibia Tourism and, WOW, there is so much information on Namibia I had to curb my pamphlet-grabbing or I would have had baggage excess on my next flight.

This map is intended for some of my new readers who don't know

what or where Namibia or Botswana are

The Namibia Tourism lady told me she has travelled extensively around Namibia on her own, in a normal sedan (no 4x4 or SUV or similar) and driven 1000's of kilometres on the gravel roads with no problems. I hope that makes those of you concerned for my safety and solo endeavour feel a little better. She has given me a 23-page document of camping places from the south to the north of the country --- and to think I had doubts about finding a camping spot in some places.

I won't be spending too much time in Botswana, but Elephant Sands is definitely on my itinerary (thanks Karen of Border Town Notes)

I am plotting and planning and firming up a route and the next update should be way more informative.

Mr Jones is looking over my computer, keeping an eye on what I've got in store for the two of us.

Till next time xx

Mr Jones and Me

2010-05-30T14:20:00.006+02:00

After much deliberation, I've decided I need a companion for my BBJ adventure.

I conducted random interviews at airports enroute to soccer stadiums and shopping malls around the country.
I wasn't having much success.
I just didn't 'click' with anyone.

Finally I saw him and immediately fell in love.

I'd like to introduce you to "Mr Jones", my companion for the adventure.

He even has a song which ends "... Mr. Jones and me, we're gonna be big stars..."

Mr Jones by Counting Crows

Out of focus

2010-05-23T14:49:00.000+02:00

Baked Beans Jubilee is going off the radar for a while. My focus has to shift to 2010 FIFA World Cup till around 12 July. I'm posting some of my soccer experiences on my other blog Under The Blood Red Sky.

Dreams of taking pics like this will be in the back of my mind keeping me semi-sane until I recover from the forthcoming soccer fever.

www.photography-match.com

Secret Post Club

2010-05-19T17:56:00.004+02:00

It's taken well over a month to reach me . . . . but, surprise, surprise . . . SA Post Office finally delivered. Sarah of Mummy Outnumbered in Guernsey sent me a lovely lilac Castelli Travel Journal with Pencil in the April Secret Post Club. Thank you so much Sarah. I will have plenty to write in it on my adventure!

Regular readers of this blog of mine will remember how pissed off I was with SA Post Office for "redistributing" some of my other parcels.

The Non-Cook cooks

2010-05-15T14:05:00.003+02:00

I cook to eat to survive (contrary to Mr Prahlad Jani who claims not to have eaten for 70 years). I have burnt a boiled egg. I am not a chef. Much time is spent preparing and cooking food and generally eaten too quickly – so much energy spent for so little reward. Go figure.

I know many of you are chefs and enjoy preparing and cooking meals (like Eleanora from Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino). I love eating the meals my friends, the other hyenas, invite me to enjoy in their homes, but cooking is rather a chore and waste of time to me. It almost goes without saying then I don’t cook terribly healthy meals when I do cook.

What am I going to be eating on my trip then? Nothing fancy, that’s for sure!

I thought I’d share some of the interesting simple things I’ve learnt.

THERMOS COOKING

Put some of the boiling water you heated for morning coffee into a Thermos flask. When you’ve been sitting at a waterhole for hours waiting, poised for that ‘award-winning” wildlife photograph, you add Maggi noodles or pasta to the flask of water and leave it for while to “cook” the pasta. Add whatever ingredient you brought to put in with the pasta. Eat out the flask or empty it into a bowl. Enjoy.

ENGINE SNACKS

I learnt this from K on a visit to Val of Monkeys On The Roof. He did this with chipolatas (mini sausages) on a sundowner game drive. All you need is aluminum foil, a car and some food. Wrap the food well. Place parcel on warmest part of the engine (the manifold in my LSP*) and when you’ve been driving for a while the engine is hot enough to heat the sausages through. Note that they are greyish, not brown like you’ve braaied (braised) them. If you’re driving around a game reserve and the lions, hyenas, wild dogs, etc. are running behind the vehicle, don’t stop to check your food --- clearly it’s cooked!!

For the panic mechanics, you’ve ensured your food is wrapped well and no exhaust fumes etc. will get into your food. If there are exhaust fumes, or engine fluid leaks – get your vehicle serviced!

THE ZIPLOC OMLETTE

For all the worrywarts, I am aware of the toxic warnings circulating about this method of cooking, but there are a gazillion other things that are slowly killing me daily, so what the hell…

The minimum fuss meal and you can prepare it the night before. Crack two eggs into the bag, add your favourite ingredients (ham, bacon, cheese, ‘shrooms, etc) and shake to combine the ingredients. Boil a pot of water – big enough to put the bag(s) into. Make sure you let air out of the bag before you put them into the boiling water for 13 minutes. Steve cooked them for us on our Kgalagadi adventure (pic above) and he agrees – 13 minutes exactly. Open the bag and roll omelette onto your plate. Enjoy.

* my little silver Pajero

Tense Tents Dilemma

2010-05-09T13:41:00.011+02:00

OK, so I'd set my heart on an OzTent RV2 after scouting around the camping and 4x4 stores. I sent a letter to the agents in SA, with a link to my post on their tent, and they kindly offered to sell me one at dealer price (which is still expensive).

OzTent RV2 (ripstop canvas)

OzTents just aren't on offer secondhand - clearly everyone is satisfied with their purchases. Slowly I've accepted The Tent, my shelter, my protection, is going to be an a bigger outlay than I budgeted for.

A long-lost schoolfriend I've reconnected with through Facebook is also into The Bush, wildlife, etc. and has been following my blog. She recommended another tent called a Turbo Tent which is also easily erected by one person. I carted myself back off to the camping stores to investigate. They are available at Outdoor Warehouse outlets - a big camping retail store. I wonder why no ODW salesman tried to sell me one before???? I'm impressed with the Turbo Tent which is slightly cheaper than the Oztent dealer price.

Turbo Tent 240 (ripstop canvas)

I've spent a lot of this weekend weighing up the pros and cons of the two (yes I was comparing apples with apples). I won't bore you with all the specs, but I will say my decision will be made by the stretcher my friend Kobus is loaning me. If it is 1.9m or longer, then I'll be buying the Turbo Tent, if it is shorter, I'll be buying the OzTent.

For those of you wondering why I'm not buying a RoofTop Tent, I did look at them and thought it's quite a long way to fall out of bed in the morning.

Rooftop Tent

Seriously though, I've read too many times where people set up their RTT in camp and then couldn't rush off to see any exciting animal sightings as it's too much time and effort to take it down, pack it away and only then be able to drive out. I can't have that happen, can I? No.

Will let you know what the stretcher decided . . .

Yippee yippeee yay yay - a prezzy

2010-04-30T19:02:00.004+02:00

The lovely Angela (Letters From Usedom - her blog) sent me a marvellous clever multi-tool from Germany. Given my previous experiences when some of the parcels Angela and others have sent me have been "redistributed" by the SA Post Office staff, we decided to send this prezzy to another post box address and it worked!!!

Marvellous Multi-Tool

What made me laugh is the postcard she put in the parcel, I simply had to share this with you!!

Angela darling, thank you so much for the super present which will be so useful on my adventure and for making me laugh when I read the message to the "redistributing staff" xx

Postcard with pictures from Angela's hometown

Slowly, slowly

2010-04-21T13:44:00.004+02:00

Sometimes this whole planning thing just goes waaaaaaaaaaay too slowly for me! Most of it because of the lack of budget. Things are coming together and a lot of it is thanks to my friends and the fact I still have time before my intended BBJAdventure departure date (100 days time YIPPPPEEEEEE)

Two of my big concerns: a roofrack and an Oztent. Thanks to the 4x4 Community Forum, I've bought a roofrack from someone in Durban and my dear friends Tinky and Bill are storing it until I make a plan to get it up to Joburg. The Oztent is proving a much more difficult acquisition. They just don't seem to go on offer on any of the 2nd hand forums or newspapers. I'm not surprised - I know how much I want one so I understand people not wanting to part with theirs. I wrote to the South African Oztent distributors about my adventure and they have offered a discounted price on a new one - but it's still at the wrong end of my budget. Will continue scratching away at costs and see if I can afford it later. Meanwhile I keep surfing and searching.

Many people have recommended a 2nd spare wheel because of all the gravel roads I'll be travelling on in Namibia. I also found a spare rim on the 4X4 Community Forum; a member in Musina, near the Zimbabwe border and he was able to bring it to Joburg when he came to a meeting. My kind friend Adi at Supaquick is looking for a useable 2nd hand tyre for it now. He reckons I don't need to replace my LSP's tyres before I go so that's a saving which now means I can install an auxillary (long-range) fuel tank. Awesome, because I won't have to fiddle with jerry cans and carry fuel on the roof of the vehicle. (I was secretly quite nervous of this).

Claire and Howard have offered me the use of their Engel Fridge and Kobus has offered me a sleeping stretcher. Steve has offered the use of his compressor and puncture repair kit. He's going to have to teach me how to use it --- and how to change a wheel.

I have super friends!!!

LSP - little silver Pajero

Of first aid

2010-04-11T14:48:00.008+02:00

I had to renew my First Aid Certificate as part of my FGASA* qualification. After four or five long evening sessions of classes I had to take the exam. I had studied for the exam and tried to be conscientious in classes so I thought I'd pass it - just!
(I can't get my head around many of those terms "myocardial infarction"-- simply say 'heart attack' - I know that one!!)

The examiner set the scene: "You're walking in the bush and come across two people, one is screaming in pain claiming to have been bitten by a snake and the other is dead. What do you do?" I went through the motions of attending to the screaming patient, explaining what I was doing to the examiner (and the whinging patient). Afterwards the examiner asked me "What about the other person?". "You told me he/she was dead," I answered. "Now it's over to Jesus." I failed the exam. The examiner told me I should have performed CPR on the other person. "But YOU told me he/she was dead! I'm not doing CPR on a corpse!" I'm miffed as I have to fork out another fortune to do another course.

This morning I went birding in a nearby Nature Reserve which is also busy with cyclists on the quiet roads. Rounding a sharp downhill turn, I found two cyclists on the side of the road. One had come off his bike. OOOOOOOOOO Roasties!!! He had used up all the bandages, plasters, etc. on his thigh that had been in their mini 1st aid kits and I saw he had no skin left on his shin and part of his calf. He was waiting for other cyclists who'd returned to the carpark to collect the car so he didn't need my help, not that I had anything in the first aid line in my car.

His cycling friend told him to show me his butt. The lycra shorts on one side of his gluteus maximus no longer existed and there was very little skin too. EEEINA!!!! I think he is going to be in a lot of pain for a long time and I don't think he is going to be able to sit at his office desk for a while either! The guys told me they'd been pushed off the road by passing trucks yesterday as well, so theirs has not been a great cycling weekend. The injured cyclist seemed in good spirits though and, after offering more help again, I left them, suggesting the injured guy try adding "training wheels" to his bike :-)

Both of these incidents made me think about a First Aid kit and what I should have in a kit for my adventure in some more remote parts of Namibia. I've looked at some online lists and if I took the recommended stuff, I won't have place for my sleeping bag, clothes or food in my LSP (little silver Pajero).

Suggestions welcome.

* Field Guides Association of Southern Africa

Sweet dreams

2010-04-04T15:33:00.007+02:00

For those of you who have not yet met me, I am not a small girl! As a friend from the Eastern Cape once humourously described it "heavy-hipped honky". (In SA we generally don't consider the use of the word 'honky' to be a racial slur like it is in some other countries)

I don't enjoy sleeping bags as they don't give me enough room to move in. I feel mummified, wrapped in a tight cocoon of puff and polyester. I always end up opening the zip and simply using the sleeping bag as a blanket or comforter. Of course the cold night air always manages to sneak up on me and I end up lying awake, ice-cold! Somewhere along the way of numerous house moves, my sleeping bag disappeared. Subsequently any trips away requiring me to bring my own sleeping stuff has me dragging along a big double bed comforter which was not very warm or snug. I'm certainly not going to manage with it on the cold misty often windy areas of Namibia in winter. A new sleeping bag is required.

So it's off to the camping shops, sports shops, discounters and anyone else who sells sleeping bags. Holy smoke!!!! I was bombarded with options - did I want goose-down with a cowl top, bag tapering down to the feet (eeeek - mummy again!) and would keep an eskimo warm in a blizzard, or did I want I want an 'entry level' rectangular bag for summer camping, or did I want something in between.

I looked at all of them - some were really cuddly and snug and exorbitantly expensive but I didn't think I needed something that would be useful in a sub-zero ice blizzard. I also didn't think I need something too thin and I'd end up being cold all night. More important I needed something that I'd be able to turn around in and not sweat like I was in one of those sweat-tubs where all that sticks out is your head. There is an option to zip two bags together, but that also means paying 2x the price.

Eventually I found an affordable double-sized sleeping bag at Outdoor Warehouse and it meets all my requirements - big enough for me to get lost in and warm enough for cold windy nights.

I think I'm going to be snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug!!

I am so pissed off!!!!

2010-03-31T13:57:00.003+02:00

South African Post Office has ONCE AGAIN stolen my mail!!!! I am so sick of reading and hearing their fraudulent, lying tagline "We deliver, whatever it takes". I think "We take whatever we're supposed to deliver" is far more accurate and truthful.

In February Tales from the Dales sent me a fabulous gift in the blogging Secret Post Club. I've taken this from her blog:

Oh dear, it looks as though my first Secret Post Club parcel didn’t make it to its destination in South Africa :( Really quite naffed off about that as the postage alone cost me in the region of £8. Hey ho.

So in a kind of *look at what you could have won* style here is what it contained.

I bought a notebook with silver (can like) edging and covered it with baked bean labels for my recipient to take notes in on her adventure.

I also included a photo book about the Yorkshire Dales as a contrast to the landscapes of South Africa, along with some scrapbooking stickers and a piece of English Pewter celtic jewellery.

What a fantastic, thoughtful, useful, gorgeous gift!

This is not the first time something an overseas friend has sent me has not arrived!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I hope the scabs of 50,000 lepers fall into their tax-funded cups of coffee on their way-too-often coffee breaks!!!

UPDATE: I did get a lovely March prezzy :-)

Driving music

2010-03-28T14:34:00.005+02:00

I have a Harman Kardon Drive and Play for playing my iPod through the stereo in my trusty steed, my LSP (little silver Pajero). On long distances I'm inclined to play my music VERY LOUD! I can't see my Baked Beans Jubilee being any different.

Here are some of the albums I always play at one stage or another on any long journey

I rate Fleetwood Mac Rumours as the Best Album ever!

I sing the all the words to all the songs on this album -- I wonder what happened to him??

Painted Desert Serenade will be appropriate for Namibia

I love songs like "Cherry Bomb", "Paper In Fire" and "Pink Houses".

More Than a Feeling . . . . does a girl need to say more?

No trip is complete without U2, the world's greatest band!!!

Beautiful Day

What are your favourite or usual driving tunes?

On my soapbox

2010-03-19T11:36:00.007+02:00

THE KILLING FIELDS

I have heard of the culling of countless seals by horrific methods like clubbing (obviously not to be confused with late-night happenings in the big cities and townships!), but the reality was brought home to me by an email one of my friends sent to me and when I see attitudes from people like this man on YouTube, my blood boils and I side with the fanatical bunny-huggers: (don't worry there are no sensitive scenes in this video, rather insensitive scenes)

This is a man who is, according to the Namibian Government, the sole purchaser of seal skins. He has a 5-year exclusivity agreement with the government to harvest the skins. He thinks it is funny to kill baby seals. This is a man who tried to con good, compassionate people out of millions, only to deny it (despite hard evidence to the contrary).

One of the visits I've really been looking forward to is that to the seal colony at Cape Cross on the Skeleton Coast. Now I realise I'm actually going to be visiting Killing Fields. Not so sure I feel like going there anymore.

Yes, this post is a bit knee-jerk and I need to do more research, but my initial reaction is "don't go to Cape Cross".

The Question

2010-03-14T13:10:00.015+02:00

Planning continues and the budget still needs to be shaved some more. . . . .

I've found some really stunning affordable campsites and they are all members of the Namibia Community Based Tourism Assistance Trust (NACOBTA). It is a not for gain, non governmental organization, established in 1995 by local Namibians who had started tourism businesses and who wanted to be represented in the Tourism industry. The role of the organization is to provide assistance to its members through access to funding, enterprise development, training, marketing and lobbying on issues relevant to the community based tourism sector.

Some of the campsites are located in the more remote areas of Namibia I want to visit and, by all reports, the campsites are neat and clean and the attendants friendly. I surfed the website and found all the rates advertised are still for 2008 so I sent off an email requesting 2010 rates.

No response.

A week or two later I tried again.

Still no response.

I tried again. Sending to all the email addresses on the website. Still no response. Okay, this is Africa Janet, phone them in Windhoek!

Back to the website to get the number, double checking the rates haven't been updated and I've missed it. No, still out of date.

Dial the number.

"Hello . . . something something something" (I presumed the gentleman said something along the lines of NACOBTA). Not to be deterred, I asked to speak to someone who could give me rates for the campsites. "You speak to me" was the reply. No problem. I told him what I wanted and there was silence. Okay - he's thinking, a good sign.

"No, I can't give them to you".

A bit perplexed, I asked why not. English is clearly not the man's home language and didn't sound like Afrikaans either (Afrikaans is the only other language I speak). Apparently there wasn't anyone else in the office and certainly no way I could get the rates from their office. What transpired was that I should tell him which camps I wanted to stay in, he would give me their telephone numbers and I should phone each camp and find out what their rates are and if there is availability, then I should phone him back so he could make the reservations for me (... go figure).

Amazed, I shot back, "Why would I do that?"

Silence . . . long silence

"Aaaayyyyyyy. Your question is too difficult for me!"

Tears rolling down my cheeks, I put the phone down

laughing loudly.

Etosha Pan

2010-03-07T10:50:00.005+02:00

Today’s post is courtesy of NASA’s Earth Observatory. The pictures are one’s none of us will get to take unless we worked for NASA of course.

Etosha National Park, in northern Namibia, is dominated by a massive mineral pan, Etosha Pan. It is a large, dry lakebed in the Kalahari Desert. The 120 kilometre long (75 mile long) lake and its surroundings are protected as one of Namibia’s largest wildlife parks - Etosha National Park.

About 16,000 years ago, when ice sheets were melting across Northern Hemisphere land masses, a wet climate phase in southern Africa filled Etosha Lake. Today, Etosha Pan is seldom seen with even a thin sheet of water covering the salt pan.

The Etosha area was used as a backdrop during the filming of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Two images taken about nine months apart document an unusually wet summer in southern Africa. The upper view (March 2006) shows the point where the Oshigambo River flows into the salt lake; the lower regional image (June 2005) shows the same inlet—but dry—on the north shore of Etosha Pan.

The Oshigambo River is almost never seen with water, but in early 2006, rainfall twice the average amount in the river’s catchment generated flow. Greens and browns show vegetation and algae growing in different depths of water where the river enters the dry lake (upper image, center). Typically, little river water or sediment reaches the dry lake because water seeps into the riverbed along its 250 kilometre (55 mile) course, reducing discharge along the way. In this image, there was enough surface flow to reach the Etosha Pan, but too little water reached the mouth of the river to flow beyond the inlet bay. The unusual levels of precipitation also filled several small, usually dry lakes to the north (upper image, right).

The salt desert supports very little plant life except for the blue-green algae that gives the Etosha its characteristic colouring and grasses which quickly grow in the wet mud following a rain. Away from the lake there is grassland that supports the grazing animals.

This harsh dry land with little vegetation and salty water if any at all supports little wildlife all year round but is used by a large number of migratory birds. In particularly rainy years the Etosha pan becomes a lake approximately 10 cm in depth and becomes a breeding ground for flamingos, which arrive in their thousands.

The surrounding savanna is home to a number of mammals that will visit the pan and surrounding waterholes when there is water, these include large numbers of zebra, Blue wildebeest, and springbok as well as white rhinoceros, elephants, wild dogs, lions, leopards and others.

The Etosha pan is completely within the national park and is designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance and a World Wildlife Fund ecoregion.

I'll be spending 6 nights camping in the three camps in Etosha National Park. I'm really looking forward to it and bringing you my photographs taken at Etosha Pan.

My Confession

2010-02-19T11:34:00.009+02:00

Here it comes. . . . .

I don’t know how to change a tyre!

I have been driving, illegally since the age of 14, and legally since the age of 18. I have never changed a tyre, let alone on my own.

Coming back from a fabulous Thelma & Louise kind of holiday, my friend Claire and I had been on an amazing trip canoeing down the Orange River, overnighting on the West Coast in the quaint town of Lamberts Bay and a week of wine, food, sights, sound, sea and sand in Cape Town, we got a flat tyre somewhere in the middle of the barren Karoo's nowhere.

On the road in the barren Karoo

“Oh shit! What now?”

It seemed like forever, the two of us standing looking at the flat. Not another car in sight. Not a tractor in sight. Not even a farmhouse in sight. Just a very long straight road of nothing.

"WTF are we going to do?" (Cellphones had not yet made their debut into the world). The bolt of realisation. “OMG we’re going to have to change it ourselves!” Aghast, we looked at each other. The boot of Claire’s white BMW was jam packed with cases of wine (as you would expect from any self-respecting young ladies who’ve been sampling much of the Cape’s fine offerings). It had taken us ages to load all the wine and our luggage and now we have to unload it.

Groan. Grump.

Listen. Look! A car! On the horizon we could see an evergrowing speck coming towards us.

Two helpless-looking girls standing on the roadside next to a BMW, miles away from anywhere, didn’t need much explanation. A very kind elderly gentleman pulled up and rescued us! With very little help from us (we did offer!), he unpacked the boot, found the spare, changed it (with tools from his vehicle I vaguely remember), and repacked everything back into the boot. Our hero!

I have still NOT buckled down and even tried to learn how to change a tyre yet. I have a lovely LSP* with huge (in my opinion) 4x4 tyres and a funny little orange thing in the back of the vehicle which my friends assure me is the jack. I’ve looked at it in its compartment and a shiver went down my spine so I’ve left it there.

Now I plan to take on this BIG adventure into the more remote, sparsely populated areas of Nambia and Botswana. I think the time has come to tackle this very ignored “Everest”. I’m researching the pros and cons of an Air Jack versus a Hi-lift Jack (I bet most of you girls reading this didn’t know you have choices in these things!), costs, vehicle modifications required, etc. I’ve been reading up about it all on the male-dominated 4x4ing websites. Geewhizz, who would of known it could all be so complicated, and opinionated!!

I suppose a good place to start will be to tackle the little orange thing in my vehicle which should work for normal suburban roads and highways, and THEN, after I find some helpful offroad expert to actually show me the airjack and hi-lift jack in action, I can make a more informed choice on the off-roady jack-things which I hope I will never, ever have to use!

I hope this post will not be tempting fate!

* - little silver Pajero

Today's Lesson : Namibia

2010-02-14T11:16:00.009+02:00

It’s okay if you yawn at this blog post.

Courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency’s The World Factbook, today’s lesson brings some Namibia facts.

GEOGRAPHY

Namibia covers an area of 824,292 sq km making it the 34th largest land mass in the world, slightly more than half the size of Alaska. It has 1,572 km of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s described as a hot, dry desert with sparse erratic rainfall. The Namib Desert runs along the coast in the west and the eastern boundary is in the Kalahari Desert and the country suffers from prolonged periods of drought.

The country is rich in minerals; diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc and salt. There are suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore. Hydropower and fish are abundant natural resources contributing to the country’s economy. Less than 1% of the land is arable.

Nambia is the first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip. (Yay for Namibia!!)

PEOPLE

It is the 143th most populated country in the world with a population estimated just over 2.1 million people. In 2009 the age structure of the country is estimated at 0-14 years: 35.9% (male 381,904/female 375,059), 15-64 years: 60.2% (male 641,995/female 627,146), 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 36,894/female 45,667) and the population’s growth is estimated at under 1% p.a. The AIDS prevalence is 15.3%, the fifth highest in the world. Approximately 200,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS with an estimated 5,100 deaths per annum.

87.5% of the population is black and English is the official language. 85% of the population over the age of 15 are reasonably literate being able to read and write. 37% of the population lives in urban areas.

GOVERNMENT

The country is a republic and gained its independence from South Africa on 21 March 1990 and is now governed by the President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)

ECONOMY

The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of minerals for export. Mining accounts for 8% of GDP, but provides more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. Rich alluvial diamond deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50% of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a major problem in rural areas.

A high per capita GDP, relative to the region, hides one of the world's most unequal income distributions. The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand and SA rands accepted in most stores around the country.

Namibia is 129 on the world list for GDP earnings per person at $6,400 pa and an estimated 716,000 of the population is employed giving it an official unemployment rate of 5% which I suspect is grossly understated. The UNDP's 2005 Human Development Report indicated that 34.9% of the population live on $1 per day and 55.8% live on $2 per day.

Inflation runs at an estimated 8.8% p.a. Prime interest rate is 13.7% pa Namibia exports diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium, cattle, processed fish and karakul skins

Over half the population has cellphones and 113,500 people are Internet users. Namibia has two television stations.

There are a total of 129 airports/paved runways in the country, 42,237 km of roads of which 5,406 km are tarred, 2,637km of railways and 2 ports Luderitz and Walvis Bay.

Namibia hosts 4,700 Angolan refugees.

The National Flag is a symbol of the struggle for national unity. It symbolises peace, unity and a common loyalty to Namibia. The national Flag represents the nation in every aspect.

• The SUN symbolises life and energy.

• The colour GOLD represents warmth and the colour of the plains and the Namib Desert.

• BLUE symbolises the Namibia sky, the Atlantic Ocean, their marine resources and the importance of rain and water.

• RED represents the Namibian people, their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all.

• WHITE refers to peace and unity.

• GREEN symbolises Namibia’s vegetation and agricultural

Here endth the lesson ...

Living Skeleton

2010-02-07T18:54:00.008+02:00

pic - wikimedia.org

Shipwrecks strewn on beaches

Sea of dunes
Seals at Cape Cross

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast.

Life-saving coastal fog

Desert beetles fog-basking while condensation on its back provides its much needed water

Lichens that ‘come alive’ as they unfold their thalli to absorb moisture the moment fog rolls in

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast

Desert elephants plodding their way over dunes

Gemsbok with the most remarkable cooling system which allows their body temps to rise to as much as 44degC but maintain their brain temperature below the brain-cooking deathly 40degC

Jackals scavenging around the fringes of seal colonies

All part of Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast

Ancient endemic Welwitschia plants surviving for 100s if not 1000s of years, harvesting moisture from the still-night build up of dew through their leaves

Ground dwelling dune larks

Dune cartwheeling spiders

All part of the Namib Desert’s Skeleton Coast

No prizes for guessing the Skeleton Coast takes number 1 spot on my must-see BIG adventure shopping list.

The Budget

2010-01-31T19:49:00.008+02:00

The end of my pencil resembles chewed raw sugar cane, my finger is worn to the bone from punching numbers into the calculator where the numerals are no longer visible on the buttons. I just can't seem to get the Rands required for my adventure to match the budget I have. Story of our lives. I've set best-case and worst-case scenarios and am still not balancing this damn budget!

Instead of abandoning the idea and sitting here saying "Woe is me", I'm turning this into a 'working' adventure and am now going to look for various ways to raise finance or assistance to make my adventure happen.

I've decided to donate a percentage of any funds I raise to our blogland fundraising project, the Matsopane School in Morape Village. I am part of a group of international bloggers involved in assisting this local Mozambican community rebuild their little village school which was severely damaged in a tropical cyclone in 2007 on the San Sebastian Peninsula.

You can read more about the school on The United Blog Nations at Work written by Angela in Germany who so generously started sending parcels of stationery she collected in her village, to the San Sebastian community over seven years ago.

Happy children receiving books and pencils donated by Angela

(pic courtesy of Val's blog - Monkeys on the Roof)

Children attending class in the makeshift classroom since their other classroom was irreparably damaged in the cyclone

(pic from Val's blog - Monkeys on the Roof)

Any ideas, contacts, etc. you have for me to approach to make my adventure happen (and in turn assist this community) are appreciated.

The Tent

2010-01-24T13:08:00.010+02:00

Camping is not on my list of top activities, but I'm going to be camping every day on my adventure as I can't afford chalet or lodge accommodation.

A few years back friends and I went on 2-week camping safari through some of Botswana's national parks, Moremi, Savuti and Chobe. I had a very good, small yet strong canvas dome tent but I really hated putting it up every day and taking it down and folding and rolling and packing it up every morning freezing cold morning (it was June and a damn cold winter!). My canvas tent withstood marauding baboons in Savuti while a fellow traveller had his thin nylon tent shredded by the scratching, ripping nails of sugar-craving raiders and ended up sleeping in the cramped cab of his vehicle for the rest of the trip!

Although I still have the tent, I really don't relish the thought of 50 nights in it, sleeping on the ground on an air mattress which has to be inflated each time. I do have an airpump which plugs into the car battery but it takes quite a while to inflate the mattress and it's a cumbersome job. I can't stand upright in the tent and there is only enough space for the mattress and sleeping bag and my kit bag of clothes.

I duly took myself off to all the 4x4 camping and caravaning shops in Joburg and found exactly what I am looking at exactly the price I canNOT afford - Murphy's Law.

Here's a pic of the tent I'm looking for.

It's the multi award winning. Australian designed Oztent RV2. It's easily erected by one person in less than 30 SECONDS! No more hassles at the end of a long day's driving and an easy pack-up in the morning. The Oztent RV takes the stress out of camping. . . . .that's what the sales schpeel says.

Of course I didn't believe the saleman and asked for a demonstration! OMG! it was EXACTLY that! 30-seconds! I then tried it myself and I'm absolutely sold on it now. It's big enough for me to put a stretcher in and I can stand up in it and there's space to put a chair in too if for some reason (like rain) I have to be indoors. I can back my LSP* up to it and work out of the back of the vehicle - as shown in the pic.

CLICK HERE to see the Australian demo on YouTube.

I have Wanted Ads in the Classifieds and on all the camping and 4x4 forums now for an affordable 2nd hand one.

Hold thumbs I get one.

* little silver Pajero

1st draft itinerary

2010-01-17T12:43:00.008+02:00

Here's a picture of the 1st draft broad itinerary of my adventure

(you can click on the pic to see a bigger version)

I've made Sandton City Shopping Centre (in Johannesburg) as the start and end point. At the moment this trip is going to be 7,237 kms. It's made up of places I've read about and that I'd like to visit and I'm trying to find affordable camping sites in the areas. Any suggestions, ideas, comments are more than welcome.

I've plotted the points on the Mapsource software for 'Judy Garmin' (my GPS device) and it has a facility to see it in Google Earth and then I can make a jpeg file out of it and bring you this picture of the route. Very clever I think!!

I'm working on the daily itinerary and costs and now I'm terrified - where am I going to find the funds to do this trip like I want to?!?!?!

I'm eating this elephant one bite at a time.

Maps, books and sites

2010-01-09T19:26:00.009+02:00

Strewn on my lounge floor are some maps I’ve collected; Namibia Roads Authority Map 2008/2009, Mapstudio’s Namibia Road Atlas and AA Motoring in Namibia. All of them have snippets of tourist information on the country including places of interest, distances between cities and towns, people of Namibia, etc.

I’m reading numerous websites on visiting Namibia and am spending a lot of time reading people’s trip reports. A very useful, informative site is the 4x4 Community forum. Most of the posts and opinions are from males (some with big ego's!) I have found the occasional report or comment from other women. I’m beginning to realise how male-dominated this world of 4x4 travelling is! What are women doing? Just planning menus, buying groceries and doing the usual cooking, washing, ironing – trading the kitchen at the home for the kitchen at the campsite? I wonder. . .

Being a twitcher, I refer my favourite birding website SA Birding for advice on birding hotspots in Namibia and these will form the basis of my trip. My target is 50 ‘lifers’ over the year and I plan to get as close as possible to this on my BIG ADVENTURE.

To this foundation, I’m adding all the places of interest which sound interesting me or sound like an absolute “Must-See”. I’m going to start marking all of these on Mapsource, the software for my Garmin (a.k.a Judy). I'm also going to be including Tsumeb on my itinerary as I spent a year growing up there in my very very young days and I want to visit and see if I can recognise anything.

So far, so good . . .

So I Begin ...

2010-01-04T15:51:00.010+02:00

Some of my friends, the other Hyenas, have already reached the 50-years-old milestone and were recently complaining, again, that I just don't seem to be getting there soon enough. Well, it happens in 2011 - which is still way too long for their liking. I'm not sure what the issue is as age is just another number, is it not?! Some of my friends have embraced this number with gracious acceptance, some have tried to hide behind smaller numbers, and for others 50 is the number that follows 49.

After going to some of their 50th celebrations, listening to their remarks and thinking about milestones, I've decided to make my 50th year one of my most memorable, so far. This involves some planning and preparation if I want to do it my way. Life and the Universe does have a way of changing my plans so I'll have to work closely with L&tU.

Enthused from a recent trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, I'm including a 50-day BIG ADVENTURE in my year. This blog is about the plotting, planning, preparation, pain, pleasure and passion I'll be putting into it all.

F Y I: I'm currently involved in the 2010 FIFA World Cup here in South Africa and my contract finishes on 31 July, my 49th birthday, so I'll probably begin my 50th year unemployed which will be an influencing factor in my plans and preparations for the BIG ADVENTURE.