Day 11 - Palmwag to spitskoppe - +/- 400km day - via Twyfelfontein, burnt mountain etc.
Liam wakes us up, it is time to pack and get going, as we arranged we want to get going as soon as the sun comes out ...... like a well oiled machine we start packing our bags, it is extremely dark so it goes a bit slower than expected , we make coffee on the gas stove , have some bread with Pilchards (Liam refuses to eat pilchards)
We are getting suspicious as there is no sign of the sun even and no one in camp is waking up either ......
Everything is packed up and we are ready to ride .........
We ask Liam whats the time..................... need I say more............
He messed it up!! and it is just after 4 am or something like that , faaaarkk
We all know the rule - don't ride in the dark - that applies normally to evening rides but hey we can rewrite the rules now - morning darkness is dark as well!!!
We are now huddled in the cold with all our bags packed and kitted but there is no sun or any sign of the sun even, it is dark ..........He tries to avoid the situation by telling us how amazing those rok straps are ..........
Eventually the sun comes up and we are the first ones out, the gate of the camp site is not even open and we open it, but this is what we see on the way there.....
Gemsbokke all over
We continue for about 2km's and there is a gate in the road, our immediate thoughts are that it is so early that the town is not even open as yet
.... however the local enforcement opens it, it was for the game .....
The whole morning we spot game all over, all kinds but it is hard to capture it on camera, at a point in time we come across a extremely sad sight ..................
It seems like the kudu either got hit by a car or got startled and fell and got hurt, it is in good shape but it cannot walk, we are overcome by a feeling of helplessness, we realise we have to kill it but we have absolutely nothing to our disposal, the only thing we do have between the 3 of us is a swiss army knife ...... now we do know that we are idiots but hey this is taking it too far, the Kudu is still extremely strong and we will be the ones tat will require a mercy killing if we get to close to it.
We wait a while hoping for a passing car or something , but nothing .........
We make a decision to go look for help and as soon as we see some house or local on the side of the road we will inform them so they can go and utilise it ..........
Not a good moment .........
We continue on to twyfelfontein , we eventually get to burnt mountain and the "pipes" but truly it is not wort the effort,
On the way there , the road is lekker though
The burnt mountains
We drive up to the famous resort and WOW!!! It is amazing, in the middle of nowhere just this beautiful place........... we have a coffee
Bushman drawings
On my way in I noticed that they had fuel, so I ask around and they send me to the local workshop. Everybody knows the rule - when you see fuel fill up no matter what !!
We go looking for the local and he eventually helps us
Eswee decides not to fuel .... Liam takes on some fuel to make payment easier as we have R100 notes with us. We drive all the way back on the road and continue to Uis .......
We eventually arrive at Uis (This is a big town in Nam terms - about 6 shops and 2 garages) and we have lunch at a local coffee shop, walk across the road to buy water as we are heading off to Spitzkoppe, where we are intending to stay in the community camp which has no water or anything .......
Some of us needs fuel so we drive to the garage, and ofcourse they don't have any fuel ...........no worries ... we drive to the next garage ............................... and they dont have any fuel either ..........................AMAZING
Back to the coffee shop to find out when is the next delivery of fuel or what alternatives there are ...................
Again a friendly local helps us , but there are no options this time, all distances are too far and we are not driving back ........ no alternatives, no one to beg fuel from ..........
We make a informed decision to aim for Spitskoppe , maybe we can ask for fuel there .........
We should make Spitskoppe from there it is uncertain , but the KTM will continue on and bring back fuel ..........It is a awkward feeling when you plan to run out of fuel........................
The road to Spitskoppe is beautiful, the okes are nursing their bikes to keep wastage down , it doesn't bother me as my back tyre is now starting to disintegrate basically - keep in mind that I have traveled another 800km's by now since it was finished......
We arrive at Spitskoppe and boy o boy was it worth it .....
the local community welcomes us with open arms, we have a option, sleeping in a local "cabin" or camping, we check out the local "cabin" and it looks ok, so we take it. At R 150 per person or something like that, immediately we go to their tuck shop, they have 2 Cokes , 1 Sprite and 12 beers, I buy it all !!!
We go exploring and it is truly majestic !! Really really nice....
Some familiar faces pop in
Sandhond Jump
Hercules
Even Karools
We get back just before sunset and kill off the beers, now we are stuffed , the 2 staff member reckons they are done for the evening (its about 5 o'clock) and they do not think anyone will still come to camp, so they will lock us in the reserve basically , plus they have no catering to do as stock is sold out.
In true namibian style she ask if she can get us more beer .........
Of course we give her some money to bring us just a modest 6 beers and maybe some firewood, no on knows from where as there is nothing in the area, she disappears....
About an hour later and still nothing, so we shrug our shoulders and reckon it is fine, they got us , we are are used to it , it happens and maybe some South African taught her the hustle,
About another 30 minutes later a white bakkie comes driving into the resort ........ how is this possible it is locked, at the back is the lady , they drop off fire wood at our site and she hands us 3 of the coldest Quarts in the world ......... She tells us she could not find dumpies ....... immediately we regret not getting more .......... we give her the change and she does not comprehend , we say it is for the effort etc. , its a tip , but she keep on giving it back to us, eventually she says if we want to thank her we must just leave some meat behind or something to eat ............. How amazing are the Namibians... we still insist that she takes the money ............... and the next day we leave all our food that we had with us .
That night we have our beers, we have some whisky that Mad dog brought along and we sit around a fire surrounded by majestic rock under the African sky .................this is the life.......................
Topic: 3 Idiots take on NAM_KTM view (Read 6549 times)
