Karas

Still unable to get a conclusive answer from any of the RSA authorities (if the phone is ever answered), we took a chance to enter Namibia via the Alexander Bay/ Oranjamund Border Control.

As it was only a pipedream to visit Lüderitz in Namibia, we really didn't have all the doc's we needed. Quick as a flash whilst we sat on the quayside harbour bistro in Port Nolloth sipping some of the recent Cederberg harvest last evening, we arranged Nedbank to email all the doc's required to us, which they did. At the same time two 'DeBeers' diamond dredging ships were docked, bobbing out on the wharf.

The kind lady at the caravan park then printed them for us this morning and we departed at just after 09:00 for the border post. The drive from Port Nolloth all on tar, took just on an hour.

Knowing full well we had meat products stashed and no certificates, permits and papers for the caravan, we sailed through without any issue. By the time we left, we still had no answers from authorities regarding Covid testing or any other related immigration and customs protocols.

Fortunately Karen had produced and had printed by Selma back at the caravan park, copies of our Covid Test certificates. This turned out to be the only critical paperwork required. No checks on the car and caravan nor any banned product (or substance)😖

Initially all along the Orange River on the Namibian side, we drove on into the start of the Namib Desert. The odd patch of white sand between rocky outcrops quickly became vast tracts of dusty plains and less and less desert grass and weed. The wind had picked up again even before we had left and by now gusting heavily, the car registering 8° at 14h00. 🥶The high mountain ranges in the distance and all around us were beautiful, conflicting with the ever-encroaching dry ‘seabed’s’.

The tar road all along the 'Spergebied' which was a highly prohibited zone long ago (Diamonds), was quiet and perfectly maintained... not a single pothole for over 300km's. The rail-line ran alongside the full lenth of the road between Aus and Lüderitz also in perfect nick. The whole track was properly cleaned and not a single weed to be seen. The upper-surface of the actual rails, shone in the sun and no evidence of any sand dune build up, and we witnessed even two trains on the hoof! More than I have seen at any one time, since I was a little boy.

There were workers sweeping desert sand off the tarmac and even in the ‘blizzard’ every one of them working, here on a Friday afternoon. Via Rosh Pinah=> Aus=> we arrived about three hours later in Lüderitz.

While the diesel price in Vanryhnsdorp (RSA) was R23.40/l, two days ago, today in Rosh Pinah it was R20.54/l ? This whilst we take note of a Russian registered oil tanker spotted in an SA harbour.... FFS!!!😖

Only Karen could note the full display of 'Flying Fish', Windhoek Lager and several other German brands in the Engen Fuel Station shop in Rosh Pinah. Making up for the low gross profit on motor fuels no doubt?

The vegetation and landscape eventually became completely white desert sand dunes. We only had a brief glimpse of two lonely Gemsbok and a dozen ostrich, as the wind still gusted over the road with clouds obscuring our vision. Eventually we could see the Atlantic shimmering in the distance between sand dunes, as the sun started its descend in the west.

The Namib sand dunes are for real and 'The Lonely Planet', 'Discovery' and all other documentaries do not exaggerate, they are, awesome, massive, shifting and growing, with every blast!

Arriving into Lüderitz this afternoon was like a throwback into the previous century. Bravarian mansions in Kolmanskop mixed up with other Kaiser-era shops and 'pensioen' style flats. Situated well out of town, are all the locations and RDP- like houses. All along the full length of the road between there and here not a single bottle, tin or other piece of garbage. Probably all blown into Windhoek by now !

Where are all the people, the campers and the locals? Nobody here either!

Eventually we found the caravan park situated on the small peninsula jutting out into the Benguela Current and protecting the harbour, but certainly not the caravan's. Here on 'Shark Island' we were able to find a semi-shelterred spot partially hidden behind some massive exposed rocks, but the gale-force, still found us and had not lost its fury!

Having pitched another 'one-night-stand' camp given the wind, we surely could not have only come all this far for one night and to tick a box?🤔Let's see what the morrow brings?

Love, Peace and Light
M&K
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