Day 9 - The Olifants are Coming!

04:30
“Why so early?” I hear absolutely none of you cry. Do you remember a couple of days my waterproof top-sheet blew off? And I said I’d get around to reattaching it? Well, I haven’t. Mowani was my first night tenting for a few days. I reasoned that as I’d seen not a spit of rain, I didn’t really need it. There are still two layers of canvas between me and the elements, and one less layer would help aerate and cool the tent more effectively. Well, fuck me if it there isn’t a thunderstorm at 04:00. Pretty sure one of the thunderclaps is what woke me, but the pops of light are very noticeable - even inside the tent. I cross my fingers in the hope that it’s just light and sound, but no - the sound of fat rain drops is not far behind. I leap up (or whatever the middle aged, arthritic version is), and quickly fold the tent over. By the time I’ve done this, the thunderstorm has largely passed. There are a few forks of lightning to the North of me, but the cloud is drifting away. Of COURSE it is… I make a coffee, as quietly as I can. Every noise sounds very loud to me, but probably isn’t. When the kettle starts its whistling, I sprint to take it off the heat, and nearly trip over several things. Hmmmph. On the up side, today’s is my longest day of driving - perhaps as many as 7 hours on the road. Won’t be the worst thing in the world to get an early start…

15:15
7 hours was pretty much spot on - much of it fairly slow going. It’s a bumpy gravel road as far as Kamanjab, the last town of any size before Etosha. I can feel that I’m jaded. Not dangerously so, but enough that I slip into a cruise mode on several occasions. The scenery is beautiful. It feels like I’m chasing the lightning storm. It persists throughout the morning, but I never quite catch up to it. I top up with some fuel in Khorixas, which sounds more like qa Greek god than a Namibian town, and push on to Kamanjab. The promised supermarket there is not all that super. I’ve got plenty of groceries to keep me going for a few days, but would have liked to top up with some fresh veggies. I don’t *think* I’m gonna be able to get any fresh produce in Etosha, but I may be wrong….

From Kamanjab, it’s a paved road up to the Galton Gate of Etosha National Park. I settle into a fast cruise, and gaze out at the scenery as it whistles past. At Galton Gate, the truck is searched. This is the first for me on the way into an African national park. The dude is really quite thorough, and confiscates some rubbish sacks I bought a few days ago. He also warns me that whilst it’s ok to bring raw meat in, I must cook it before I leave the park, which is a bit odd.

It’s 60km to Olifantsrus, my overnight stop. I’m moving at a steady 30km/h, the better to spot wildlife along the way. Just minutes after entering the park, I come across a small herd of elephant - maybe 20 in total, including some adolescents. Majestic. A little further down the road, I meet some gorgeous giraffe. Then a beautiful ostrich, and then some wildebeest. A great return for what is usually a very poor time of day for game viewing. Sunrise and sunset are the preferred times, and I’m heading out later as it cools and starts to darken…

Olifantsrus is basic, but has everything I need. It’s slightly cooler today, and a stiffening breeze is coming in from the North East. I park up by a sun shade, and realise I’m starving. I can’t be arsed getting out the braai gear for a quick snack, but instead use my gas burner to cook up some bacon that’s been lurking in the fridge since Sunday. Couple of Brotchen, some bacon, some Mrs Ball’s Chutney. BOSH.

Once again I find myself wishing for a nap, but the tent would be far too hot at this time of day. I grab some WiFi at the reception area, and chill with my book for an hour…

20:30
I head back out at 15:30, heading towards the North West corner of the park. To the South, a huge electrical storm is kicking off. I definitely need to get the waterproof cover on before it poons down. This part of the park is more of an open savannah type deal. Ooh, maybe I should open a Savanna? Actually, can’t. Getting out of the vehicle is strictly verboten, and the only way to access the fridge is via the truck’s back door.

My drive spottings include elephant, wildebeest, oryx, Thompson’s gazelle and springbok. I run a 90km loop, and end up back at Olifantsrus just after 18:00. The sun is setting, and I *think* the electrical storm is going to pass to the West of us. Still, it’s time to tackle the waterproof top-sheet. It takes me around an hour of fairly challenging and sweaty work. I take several Savanna breaks along the way. Part of the challenge is that two small pieces of fabric tore when the wind blew the cover off, and they’re fairly critical to the overall structure. I’m pretty pleased with how it ends up, but will need to be super mindful of which way the wind is blowing for the rest of the trip.

I’m having a night off from the braai, and cook a simple tuna and pasta dish.The weight of it takes me down. It’s 20:30 and I’m gagging for sleep. Sweet dreams…. x xRead more