Herklaas...nie braaf met Ellie nie. Fraud I tell you I am.
Whilst settling my account at reception the afternoon I ask the lady if they regularly see the elephant that visited me this morning.
Me: "He has a small hole in his left ear"
She: "Ja hy is meeste dae hier, hy is soos ons huis kat."
Facepalm.
Me trying to hide my embarresment: "Het hy n naam?"
She: "Yes Jimbo, hy is nogal mense gewoond"
Double Facepalm.
Van Rooyen jou poephol.
Day 12: Where The Creator stores all the rocks left over after building the earth...and what hides among these rocks.I get up early and make a coffee on my stove. Some muesli and then enjoy my last ciggie. Yesterday I contemplated buying ciggies at the bar as they had my brand but decided to rather get from the next shop when I buy food rations for today's leg. My ration of ciggies brought in from ZA has now run dry. You know when you are on a decent trip when you are one carton in
It is cold but need to get going as I have a strange suspicion that today is going to be a very long day.
The planned leg runs down from Palmwag on the C43 then turn right after Bergsig on the C39 to Torra Bay. Then a few kays on one turns south on a 2 spoor that goes through the desert and ends up joining the D2303 at Brandberg West Mine. My planned overnight would be the Rhino Trust Camp in the Ugab river.
Distance about 180km if I recall correctly. Now as most members around here know 180km is not far...but by now Kaokoland has taught me a few things and I tell you a 100km up here is bleddie far.
The reason for my suspicion is twofold:
1. I did not do any particular detailed research on this leg...as in how hard and what type of terrain
2. Dave...aka Mr Beserker. He generated the GPX file for me.
Now Mr Beserker by his own admission have a tendency to get carried away with daily distance when it comes to trip planning. A result I believe of not getting the chance to go on trips enough...hence the "all you can eat" approach when he does. And also if you know Mr Beserker his youthful enthusiasm anything dirtbike and adventure related is hard to contain and can lead to Google Earthing himself (or in this case me) into a Google Epic.
Luckily I have gone tripping with Dave enough to be aware of this enhanced appetite for mileage. I set of as soon as it is light enough.
I pass the Palmwnary checkpoint after topping up the tank. They spray my tires halfheartedly with some type of disinfectant. I give the guy a look...
" As jy n tip soek gaan jy my wiele skooner moet was as daai boet"
I start looking for a spaza shop for smokes and some provisions. Nothing viable at Palmwag.
I make my way to Bergsig. General shop with a drankwinkel attached. Closed.
Rondfok
Asking around I eventually get pointed to a roundish lady in a pink bathrobe standing chatting to her neighbour.
She: "No shops only opens at 10am."
Me: Huh?
She: "Dis die polisie, hulle hou ons dop"
Me: "Double Huh"
Turns out its that alcohol can only be sold from 10am and since the shop is attached to the drankwinkel it needs to keep the same hours.
It was 8am. I was not going to stick around. The road here was shitty and I got stuck behind a truck kicking up huge dustclouds in the still morning air for most of the way to Bergsig. At Bergsig the truck was picking up workers so I decided "Fok dit" and got ahead of it.
At the turnoff to Torra Bay some shacks on the side of the road. One of them has 'shop' spraypainted on its side.
Ask around...no sorry no food available or smokes.
Rondfok
Ah well I have some muesli, coffee and enough fuel and water. I press on.
A few kilometers on the GPS direct me to a nondescript turn-off. I take some foties and notice a Gemsbok scampering off...the baby Ten was standing idling in the cool morning air.
Accross the road I notice a small sign "Wereld Einde" (Worlds End).
Huh...Dave why do you turn me so close to Armageddon?!
As I finish my happy snappy a thought crosses my mind...did Oom Tiempie not say this area contains the largest population of free roaming Black Rhino
in the world? Or did I read it somewhere?
What is the chances man!? You have been spoilt beyond all expectation...stop being greedy!!
Into the desert I go.
Now before the trip 2TDan told me..."Kaokoland...ja jy gaan klippe ry. Klippe of sand...niks tussen in nie"
Well today for this leg was true so so true!
Km on km of rocky track...then sandy...then bigger rocks...then different type of sand...then different colour rocks. On and on it went.
Topic: Kaokoland: I was tired of reading about it!!! (Read 26698 times)
