Thursday the 19th of September 2019 (continued)
Things finally start calming down, and we can see well enough to ride on to Sesfontein. We only sat waiting for the storm to clear up for several minutes, it felt like it could have been hours though.
The sandstorm has covered most of the 4x4 tracks and it wasn't always quite clear if we were staying on the right path or not. I tried to follow the gps as closely as possible here though. There was another batch or two of fesh fesh as well.
Finally we make it to the D3707, it feels weird being on a "normal dirtroad" again. The storm has completely settled now and we have a short uneventful ride to the "fuel station" at Sesfontein, which is just a lonely fuel pump near the Sesfontein Fort. We only put fuel in our bikes, leaving our fuel bladders empty, petrol wouldn't be a problem from here on wards.
Flashback -
We all wait in line to get fuel on our second last riding day on the Honda Quest in 2017.
I have been looking forward to this all day!!!
Look at the big smile on HSK's face! We both can't wait to grab some lekker nom noms and an ice cold drink
We enter through the old forts gates. I am pleasantly surprised, this place is really a gem considering it is kind off in the middle of nowhere. Since I can be a gigantic nerd at times... I just had to read up on the history:
"Fort Sesfontein Lodge is situated in the centre of Sesfontein in the old German fort that was abandoned in 1914. It is now restored as a lodge from where visitors can explore an ephemeral river bed, recently discovered rock engravings and the nomadic Himba people.
A gap in the mountains gives access to the valley basin of Sesfontein, (six fountains) where green gardens give the landscape its special character. In 1896 the government of what was then German South-West Africa, built the Fort of Sesfontein as a control point for keeping in check cattle disease, arms smuggling and illegal hunting.
Today, more than 100 years after the original establishment of the Sesfontein Station, the Fort has acquired a second lease of life after being tastefully restored as a tourist lodge. Use of building materials, characteristic for the region, such as clay walls, stone floors and reed linings, convey a very special and original atmosphere.
The former officers mess has been refurbished as a restaurant with integrated lounge and bar."
There are also some old German graves that you can go visit. Unfortunately we just didn't have time to explore this interesting place further today. Next time!
I ate my delicious goulash so quickly that there wasn't even time for a photograph of the food
We also had some ice cold rock shandies, mmmmm yummy! There is even wifi, yay!
We bump into the campers from the Purros Canyon as we were on our way out, wow it's a small world out here! They asked us which route we followed to get here, and couldn't believe how quickly we managed to navigate the tracks on our bikes. It takes them so much longer with the 4x4s. They almost didn't believe us when we told them all about our day :laughing4:
We get going, it's only 35km to Khowarib Lodge where we will be camping again, but we still want to stop at the little Sesfontein shop to get an extra snack or two for the evening, as we were now quite low on supplies.
At the little Sesfontein spaza shop we suffer the first unpleasant experience of our trip. Some local drunk kept harassing us for cash, slurring the same story about needing cash for a sick child or something over and over while he was so drunk he was literally falling over his own feet. The only thing that guy was going to use the money for was more beer, we had no doubt about that. He kept getting into HSK's face while we were trying to load stuff into our saddlebags. The more we say no, not today, the more the guy gets aggressive. When we do longer trips I always carry pepperspray in a separate little bag on my handlebars. I was already reaching for the pepperspray as a precaution, as HSK had to physically push past the guy so he could just climb onto his bike. I really thought this was going to get ugly, luckily some of the other locals also came out to see what the commotion was about, and his buddies seemed to hold him back. We got out of there as quickly as we could.
We stop a couple of km's out of town. "Can you believe it?" asks HSK. What a bad taste this leaves in our mouths. I say, let's just shrug it off. We've had such an amazing experience so far, today has been again an incredible day. Let's not let some drunk ruin it for us
We ride the last 35km to the Khowarib Lodge, where we put up our tent in the same campsite.
HSK says he'd like to change the airfilters, as we've been through quite a bit of fesh fesh and dusty conditions the last few days.
I sort out our things and put up our little tent.
HSK's pants looking a bit worse for wear already.
I am also not sure how much longer my kitty cat ears are going to hold out :imaposer:
It feels good being here, just kicking up our feet and having a good rest.
Not long after our camp is put up, a local guy comes along and hands me a multi plug. It is the one I forgot here when we first came through! I still had to buy another one when we were in Opuwo or we wouldn't have been able to charge our electronics there. I am so happy! What a good gesture to return it to us. On the one hand we have a bad experience with a local drunk, and on the other hand another local shows us just how honest and kind people around here still are. What a way to conclude another special day in Namibia.
