We met up with R & N
How long did it take Rob to get his memory back about his fall?
How long did it take Rob to get his memory back about his fall?
SA and Namibia in 2021. What was I thinking?
- Thread starter Three Dawg
- Start date
Etosha. You should go there while there are animals to see, the Chinese will have 'em all for their comedy 'medicine' soon.
Arriving at the Onguma Conservancy near Namutoni Gate.
Rob dropped his bike at Tamboti and got a lift in a safari vehicle to their lodge at Bush Camp. Don't blame hime, the animals roam freely in Onguma.
A few from Etosha. Elephants eh?
White rhino!
Black rhino. Look at those fat boys go!
[Media]
Victim
Culprit
[Media]
And so on. We saw plenty, including black rhino, jackals, buffalo, bat eared foxes, many antelope, and more lions, zebra, giraffes, ellies and so on. Etosha is a huge park, which you can enter from several directions and self drive through, but of course we had to take a guided tour. In many ways this is better as the guides are in radio contact with each other and share sightings.
Mrs 3D's camera seems to have issues focussing, but never mind. Cuuute!
The lion pics are actually mostly from, ahem, another sundowner. Well, they are great fun!
And to finish, a quick word about Onguma Tamboti. What a great place to stay. It's actually the cheapest place on the conservancy but it's very friendly and the view over the waterhole is a great place to watch animals coming and going with a beer in hand. If you fancy more upmarket, there is Bush Camp (safari tents) or The Fort (very swanky).
At Tamboti, each site has its own ablutions block, very civilised. You can just dump all your gear in there and there are no queues for the shower. It's expanded since we last visited, but because of covid it was still quiet.
Yolonim who remembered us from our last visit. Or at least he said he did. Great guy, whatever.
The others had a pretty nice place too...
...with plenty of action at the waterhole.
Next: Back to the road.
Arriving at the Onguma Conservancy near Namutoni Gate.
Rob dropped his bike at Tamboti and got a lift in a safari vehicle to their lodge at Bush Camp. Don't blame hime, the animals roam freely in Onguma.
A few from Etosha. Elephants eh?
White rhino!
Black rhino. Look at those fat boys go!
[Media]
Victim
Culprit
[Media]
And so on. We saw plenty, including black rhino, jackals, buffalo, bat eared foxes, many antelope, and more lions, zebra, giraffes, ellies and so on. Etosha is a huge park, which you can enter from several directions and self drive through, but of course we had to take a guided tour. In many ways this is better as the guides are in radio contact with each other and share sightings.
Mrs 3D's camera seems to have issues focussing, but never mind. Cuuute!
The lion pics are actually mostly from, ahem, another sundowner. Well, they are great fun!
And to finish, a quick word about Onguma Tamboti. What a great place to stay. It's actually the cheapest place on the conservancy but it's very friendly and the view over the waterhole is a great place to watch animals coming and going with a beer in hand. If you fancy more upmarket, there is Bush Camp (safari tents) or The Fort (very swanky).
At Tamboti, each site has its own ablutions block, very civilised. You can just dump all your gear in there and there are no queues for the shower. It's expanded since we last visited, but because of covid it was still quiet.
Yolonim who remembered us from our last visit. Or at least he said he did. Great guy, whatever.
The others had a pretty nice place too...
...with plenty of action at the waterhole.
Next: Back to the road.
Did you? Well TBH we put together a DVD slideshow (with music!) and sent it down to them and it turned out Rob is a bit hazy about what he saw for the next couple of days. I really regret not pushing him harder to get checked out at the clinic in Sesriem, but I don't think he suffered any long term effects apart from severe wallet damage...
severe wallet damage...
Bike insurance bill?!!!
Bike insurance bill?!!!
Nah, Rob had cover for bike damage. Just as well really. A brand new Shark carbon lid, bike rental for 40-odd days and some unused accommodation was bad news for him though. We already had to spend a load more money getting the bikes out to SA as well. If our bike had not arrived (Rob's was a good 2 weeks late, ours 3 days) me and Mrs 3D would have had to have gone home - we couldn't have afforded the extra for a rental bike.
A brand new Shark carbon lid, bike rental for 40-odd days and some unused accommodation was bad news for him though. We already had to spend a load more money getting the bikes out to SA as well. If our bike had not arrived (Rob's was a good 2 weeks late, ours 3 days) me and Mrs 3D would have had to have gone home - we couldn't have afforded the extra for a rental bike.
Castle on the hill. Who? Why?
The owner Renier Arangies, owner of a aviation company.
The owner Renier Arangies, owner of a aviation company.
It's preposterous!
I've looked at some aerial photos of it now and yes crazy place!!!
You wouldn't think a country like Namibia would have one castle, never mind two. I seem to recall seeing another somewhere near Kruger NP on an earlier trip as well. I think if I was wealthy enough to build a huge castle I'd put it somewhere with a view, not overlooking a main road and nondescript scrubland.
Duwiseb Castle in the south is quite impressive as well
Must be the German influence, althouh I haven't noticed the Scots diaspora filling America or Australia with fortifications.
The road. Long, straight and fairly boring it is, at least in the case of Etosha to Rundu. We had to go to Rundu because we needed PCR tests to get into Botswana a couple of days later. Otherwise we'd never have gone near the place, cos it's a dump. Funny thing is, along the road to the town at regular intervals there are small settlements with people living in very humble dwellings, but everything looks very neat and tidy. No rubbish, lots of kids going to and from school and so forth. Get to Rundu and there is rubbish everywhere because the council put skips out and then the local urchins empty them looking for treasure (or food) before they can be taken away. the whole town is a health hazard, and I never want to go there again. Especially as my GPS took us off the main road and down a very sandy side road completely unnecessarily.
Rundu...
Our camp was rubbish too, although it was right on the river with Angola on the far bank. And the road in was another sandy bugger. I was so hot when we got to the camp, I took off my lid, walked over to the swimming pool (which was raised out of the ground) and dunked my head in to cool off, much to the bemusement of the people swimming in it. Mrs 3D was in a bit of a state too having had to walk for some way due to the poor condition of the access road. Fortunately the bar was open and the beers were ice cold.
We got our tests done at a clinic in town the following morning - all very efficient and then gassed up ready to head down the road to Divundu at the start of the Caprivi Strip and our next stop, Nunda River Lodge. Unfortunately someone who had recently had a bang on the head (no names, no pack drill) decided that this would be a good opportunity to top up his phone's data allowance, which you have to buy at a kiosk. Forty five sweltering minutes later this utterly unnecessary task was completed and we were on our way, but I'd be lying if I said I was particularly gracious about the delay.
Right next to us is another road leading to the camp which was much easier. Yes, I know this bit is fine, but we don't stop for a breather in the deep stuff do we? And just about all sand feels deep two up with luggage on an 1100. For me, anyway.
Doing the laundry in Angola
Lots of fires at the cemetary in Rundu. They didn't seem to be burning bodies, at least none that we could see.
The road to Divundu is tarred and very straight, so it was just a matter of staying awake really. We've been to Nunda a couple of times before, and it was good to see several familiar faces among the staff, as well as owners Cameron, Eugeni and Toy (Toi?).
Good to see Cameron again.
We found a nice spot to pitch our tent (away from the river, there are plenty of hippos and crocs in there) while the others moved into their chalet. Once settled in, we headed off for a sundowner trip on the boat to Popa Falls - rapids really - led by Buzzy who took us out on our first visit in about 2009.
Oooh, what's in the chilli bin, Buzzy?
Plenty of hippos in the river - they sound like Tory politicians. Fwaa fwaa fwaa.
Yup, camping in Africa. Rough.
Anyway, the following morning Rob and Nicky wander into camp. Have you heard the news? Er, no, we haven't got any data (!) Yeah, there's a new Covid variant on the loose and they reckon it spreads really quickly. Oh goody, better have a think about our forward plans....
So we were supposed to be going to Botswana, down to Maun to see the Okavango Delta and then across the Kalahari back into Namibia. Mrs 3D was still in favour of continuing, but the rest of us weren't so sure. What if Bots closed the borders? Namibia has much more tourism infrastructure, and the border to South Africa from Nam would most likely remain open, as they are very closely aligned economically, to the point of the Nam dollar being pegged exactly to the value of the Rand. Unfortunately we only had 24 hours to decide as the validity of our PCR tests would lapse, so we decided to stay put at Nunda until the dust settled and then pick up the itinerary in Namibia. Cameron, one of the owners of the lodge, took pity on us and offered a killer deal on dinner B&B in one of the chalets, so we booked in for a further four nights on top of the original two.
The view from the chalet wasn't too shabby, but this was the last day we would be camping. Possibly forever as I can't see us wanting to carry all that extra weight next time, and I just can't be bothered with all the faff of packing and unpacking any more. Bit sad really, but we will keep all the gear just in case we change our minds, or fancy a night away at a rally or somewhere like Shieldaig.
The view. Those rocks in the middle of the river are mostly hippos.
Rundu...
Our camp was rubbish too, although it was right on the river with Angola on the far bank. And the road in was another sandy bugger. I was so hot when we got to the camp, I took off my lid, walked over to the swimming pool (which was raised out of the ground) and dunked my head in to cool off, much to the bemusement of the people swimming in it. Mrs 3D was in a bit of a state too having had to walk for some way due to the poor condition of the access road. Fortunately the bar was open and the beers were ice cold.
We got our tests done at a clinic in town the following morning - all very efficient and then gassed up ready to head down the road to Divundu at the start of the Caprivi Strip and our next stop, Nunda River Lodge. Unfortunately someone who had recently had a bang on the head (no names, no pack drill) decided that this would be a good opportunity to top up his phone's data allowance, which you have to buy at a kiosk. Forty five sweltering minutes later this utterly unnecessary task was completed and we were on our way, but I'd be lying if I said I was particularly gracious about the delay.
Right next to us is another road leading to the camp which was much easier. Yes, I know this bit is fine, but we don't stop for a breather in the deep stuff do we? And just about all sand feels deep two up with luggage on an 1100. For me, anyway.
Doing the laundry in Angola
Lots of fires at the cemetary in Rundu. They didn't seem to be burning bodies, at least none that we could see.
The road to Divundu is tarred and very straight, so it was just a matter of staying awake really. We've been to Nunda a couple of times before, and it was good to see several familiar faces among the staff, as well as owners Cameron, Eugeni and Toy (Toi?).
Good to see Cameron again.
We found a nice spot to pitch our tent (away from the river, there are plenty of hippos and crocs in there) while the others moved into their chalet. Once settled in, we headed off for a sundowner trip on the boat to Popa Falls - rapids really - led by Buzzy who took us out on our first visit in about 2009.
Oooh, what's in the chilli bin, Buzzy?
Plenty of hippos in the river - they sound like Tory politicians. Fwaa fwaa fwaa.
Yup, camping in Africa. Rough.
Anyway, the following morning Rob and Nicky wander into camp. Have you heard the news? Er, no, we haven't got any data (!) Yeah, there's a new Covid variant on the loose and they reckon it spreads really quickly. Oh goody, better have a think about our forward plans....
So we were supposed to be going to Botswana, down to Maun to see the Okavango Delta and then across the Kalahari back into Namibia. Mrs 3D was still in favour of continuing, but the rest of us weren't so sure. What if Bots closed the borders? Namibia has much more tourism infrastructure, and the border to South Africa from Nam would most likely remain open, as they are very closely aligned economically, to the point of the Nam dollar being pegged exactly to the value of the Rand. Unfortunately we only had 24 hours to decide as the validity of our PCR tests would lapse, so we decided to stay put at Nunda until the dust settled and then pick up the itinerary in Namibia. Cameron, one of the owners of the lodge, took pity on us and offered a killer deal on dinner B&B in one of the chalets, so we booked in for a further four nights on top of the original two.
The view from the chalet wasn't too shabby, but this was the last day we would be camping. Possibly forever as I can't see us wanting to carry all that extra weight next time, and I just can't be bothered with all the faff of packing and unpacking any more. Bit sad really, but we will keep all the gear just in case we change our minds, or fancy a night away at a rally or somewhere like Shieldaig.
The view. Those rocks in the middle of the river are mostly hippos.
As we suddenly had more time we fitted in another game drive, this time to Buffalo Park further into the Caprivi.
Magnificent animals.
Many ellies crossing the road a few seconds after us. I must remember to take my zoom lens next trip.
Ah, another chilli bin full of beer.
The South African army had bases along the Caprivi. These are the ruins of one.
It started raining heavily on the way back. The Caprivi is like that. Unfortunately our Landrover wasn't equipped with much in the way of windows, but we had brought our overjackets and it wasn't cold.
Rob and Nicky feeling a little blurry back at base. Covid? We ain't bothered by no stinkin' Covid. The say get some fresh air; this bar got no walls. Or doors!
Magnificent animals.
Many ellies crossing the road a few seconds after us. I must remember to take my zoom lens next trip.
Ah, another chilli bin full of beer.
The South African army had bases along the Caprivi. These are the ruins of one.
It started raining heavily on the way back. The Caprivi is like that. Unfortunately our Landrover wasn't equipped with much in the way of windows, but we had brought our overjackets and it wasn't cold.
Rob and Nicky feeling a little blurry back at base. Covid? We ain't bothered by no stinkin' Covid. The say get some fresh air; this bar got no walls. Or doors!
So after six nights loafing about, it was goodbye Nunda. Dunno if we will be back - Cameron and co. are all getting on - Eugenie celebrated her birthday while we were there, she's 79 if I got it right, which is well into retirement if you ask me, and without them I think the place will not be the same. It's a great place to stay.
We attracted some attention from the local kids leaving the lodge.
Having made the decision to bypass Botswana, we basically had to slab it back through Windhoek and pick up the itinerary again in Mariental, and we had a reservation at a lodge on Fish River Canyon which was paid for and not cancellable. There isn't actually that much to see on the eastern side of Namibia other than parts of the Kalahari so we just pointed the bikes south and gritted our teeth and droned down the B1 stopping overnight in Grootfontein and Mariental. Up bright and early in Mariental because we had to stop in Keetmanshoop for a PCR test before more D road fun getting to Fish River Lodge.
I don't think what we missed in Botswana was any great shakes riding wise, but I did want to see the rock paintings in the Tsodilo hills, and a trip in a mokoro canoe to explore the Okavango Delta is a bit special. Nicky would love the delta, she's really into plants and the lillies in flower are lovely.
Up horribly early in Mariental so we could get ourselves tested in Keetmanshoop and still make our overnight stop at the Fish River Canyon. We found the PCR testing lab after a bit of searching. It looked more like the waiting area at a tyre changing garage, but in fairness they were efficient and the results were through before the end of the day, with a date stamp that was conveniently four hours before we arrived for the test...
There's at least one interesting thing to see on the B1:
Most of the places to stay at Fish River Canyon are on the east side, most famously the Canyon Road House, but Fish River Lodge is on the much more inaccessable western side. Which meant quite a lot of struggling down the D463 from Seeheim, plus a 20km bash down the lodge's access road. This place is remote, so we filled up the fuel bags in Keetmanshoop before we left. Rob and Nicky were stressed. I was stressed. Mrs 3D was stressed. But we did it! The D463 was horrible in places, with long sand washes where it crossed dry rivers and streams, but once we hit the access road to the lodge it became stony and technical, and I started to properly enjoy myself.
Gassing up from my Desert Fox fuel bag. This has lasted remarkably well given I bought it in 2015.
Dishing out sage advice. "Give it loads!"
Bloody luggage on the move again. That is going to get a serious rethink before the next trip.
Don't worry, it'll get better soon (It won't) Mrs 3D and Nicky console each other.
Anyway, we made it to the lodge without mishap. Was it worth it? Well, I reckon. On arrival a massive door opens revealing a hint of the view from the main building. The receptionist offers you a cool drink as you get off your bike. Africa eh?
The view from our room over the world's second largest canyon was pretty good. Perched right on the edge, there are 20 chalets in all, each with a variation of this view. What a day - great riding then a spectacular place to sink a cold one while watching the sun go down. Anyone would think I'm loaded (I'm really not!)
I love 'Desert Modern' architecture, and this was modern and in a desert. Or was it business class lounge in the far east? I dunno, but I liked it.
"I believe there are people in a place called Scotland freezing their arses off right now. Never mind..."
Next up, more canyon pics, another sundowner and a bloody long day back to SA.
We attracted some attention from the local kids leaving the lodge.
Having made the decision to bypass Botswana, we basically had to slab it back through Windhoek and pick up the itinerary again in Mariental, and we had a reservation at a lodge on Fish River Canyon which was paid for and not cancellable. There isn't actually that much to see on the eastern side of Namibia other than parts of the Kalahari so we just pointed the bikes south and gritted our teeth and droned down the B1 stopping overnight in Grootfontein and Mariental. Up bright and early in Mariental because we had to stop in Keetmanshoop for a PCR test before more D road fun getting to Fish River Lodge.
I don't think what we missed in Botswana was any great shakes riding wise, but I did want to see the rock paintings in the Tsodilo hills, and a trip in a mokoro canoe to explore the Okavango Delta is a bit special. Nicky would love the delta, she's really into plants and the lillies in flower are lovely.
Up horribly early in Mariental so we could get ourselves tested in Keetmanshoop and still make our overnight stop at the Fish River Canyon. We found the PCR testing lab after a bit of searching. It looked more like the waiting area at a tyre changing garage, but in fairness they were efficient and the results were through before the end of the day, with a date stamp that was conveniently four hours before we arrived for the test...
There's at least one interesting thing to see on the B1:
Most of the places to stay at Fish River Canyon are on the east side, most famously the Canyon Road House, but Fish River Lodge is on the much more inaccessable western side. Which meant quite a lot of struggling down the D463 from Seeheim, plus a 20km bash down the lodge's access road. This place is remote, so we filled up the fuel bags in Keetmanshoop before we left. Rob and Nicky were stressed. I was stressed. Mrs 3D was stressed. But we did it! The D463 was horrible in places, with long sand washes where it crossed dry rivers and streams, but once we hit the access road to the lodge it became stony and technical, and I started to properly enjoy myself.
Gassing up from my Desert Fox fuel bag. This has lasted remarkably well given I bought it in 2015.
Dishing out sage advice. "Give it loads!"
Bloody luggage on the move again. That is going to get a serious rethink before the next trip.
Don't worry, it'll get better soon (It won't) Mrs 3D and Nicky console each other.
Anyway, we made it to the lodge without mishap. Was it worth it? Well, I reckon. On arrival a massive door opens revealing a hint of the view from the main building. The receptionist offers you a cool drink as you get off your bike. Africa eh?
The view from our room over the world's second largest canyon was pretty good. Perched right on the edge, there are 20 chalets in all, each with a variation of this view. What a day - great riding then a spectacular place to sink a cold one while watching the sun go down. Anyone would think I'm loaded (I'm really not!)
I love 'Desert Modern' architecture, and this was modern and in a desert. Or was it business class lounge in the far east? I dunno, but I liked it.
"I believe there are people in a place called Scotland freezing their arses off right now. Never mind..."
Next up, more canyon pics, another sundowner and a bloody long day back to SA.
It's difficult to capture the grandeur of something like the Fish River Canyon, especially from the rim. R & N went on a tour down into the canyon floor and a swin which sounded like great fun. We opted for a few hours walking along the trail along the rim past the old lodge to a viewpoint, and later in the day, another sundowner.
Alex, our excellent guide
And a few from R&N's trip down to the canyon floor
Meh, still no more than 20 pics allowed.
Alex, our excellent guide
And a few from R&N's trip down to the canyon floor
Meh, still no more than 20 pics allowed.
The following day we got an early start as we had a long way to get back on to the tar road to Rosh Pinah, then more gravel to the border before slabbing it for another couple of hours to Springbok.
While I was loading up the bike I noticed a misting of oil on the left hand side of the bike. Can't be a gasket - the only culprit I could think of was the new camchain tensioner, but it had been fine in the UK and indeed up until this point. Great timing, I guess the extreme heat had worked on the aluminium sealing washer - Rob doesn't like the things, preferring copper, and he may have a point as it started dribbling quite a lot on the way to Rosh Pinah, although fortunately only the last bit on tarmace when we picked the speed up cause any of the oil to go on my strides.
Why, after thousands of miles..?
Funny, but the 20km access road to the lodge seemed much easier on the way out; we were both surprised when we hit the D road much sooner than expected. Unfortunately the D463 proved to be a mare - lots more sand and gravel washes, some so deep we struggled to paddle through, and the heat was incredible. But we made it, even if the ladies did have to walk quite often.
The only vehicle we saw between the lodge and the tar just north of Rosh Pinah.
This may be the Orange River a bit later in the day, but we did pass flowing water earlier - unusual for this part of the world.
Eventually we made it to the mining town of Rosh Pinah. My bike was leaking quite a lot but I didn't have a 15mm ring spanner to tighten up the tensioner. Fortunately there was a friendly tyre changing place next to the gas station who had one, and better yet they let me work inside the workshop out of the heat and supplied rags and Swarfega for the clean up. The tensioner needed about a 1/16th turn and has been fine since, but I will change the washer when the bike returns.
The road along the Orange River to the border at Vioolsdrif is one of my favourites. It's in good shape but it still needs you to use the throttle and weight on the pegs to control the bike properly. Perfect for my feeble level of ability.
The border was simple enough, just the usual extra step of showing the PCR test results at the SA side and handing over a health questionnaire. Once through, we slabbed it back down the N7 to Springbok and our overnight accommodation. Our host was a very flamboyant person with a chiffon blouse and a Phil Oakey (in the 80s) haircut who I suspect prefers the gender neutral pronoun 'they' (them?) rather than he/she.
The nearest place to eat was a steak house, which suited me just fine, as after that ride (ten hours in all) what I really really needed was a big slab of beef and several ice cold Windhoek lagers to wash it down. Beautiful.
Next up, a London bus ride in the Karoo.
While I was loading up the bike I noticed a misting of oil on the left hand side of the bike. Can't be a gasket - the only culprit I could think of was the new camchain tensioner, but it had been fine in the UK and indeed up until this point. Great timing, I guess the extreme heat had worked on the aluminium sealing washer - Rob doesn't like the things, preferring copper, and he may have a point as it started dribbling quite a lot on the way to Rosh Pinah, although fortunately only the last bit on tarmace when we picked the speed up cause any of the oil to go on my strides.
Why, after thousands of miles..?
Funny, but the 20km access road to the lodge seemed much easier on the way out; we were both surprised when we hit the D road much sooner than expected. Unfortunately the D463 proved to be a mare - lots more sand and gravel washes, some so deep we struggled to paddle through, and the heat was incredible. But we made it, even if the ladies did have to walk quite often.
The only vehicle we saw between the lodge and the tar just north of Rosh Pinah.
This may be the Orange River a bit later in the day, but we did pass flowing water earlier - unusual for this part of the world.
Eventually we made it to the mining town of Rosh Pinah. My bike was leaking quite a lot but I didn't have a 15mm ring spanner to tighten up the tensioner. Fortunately there was a friendly tyre changing place next to the gas station who had one, and better yet they let me work inside the workshop out of the heat and supplied rags and Swarfega for the clean up. The tensioner needed about a 1/16th turn and has been fine since, but I will change the washer when the bike returns.
The road along the Orange River to the border at Vioolsdrif is one of my favourites. It's in good shape but it still needs you to use the throttle and weight on the pegs to control the bike properly. Perfect for my feeble level of ability.
The border was simple enough, just the usual extra step of showing the PCR test results at the SA side and handing over a health questionnaire. Once through, we slabbed it back down the N7 to Springbok and our overnight accommodation. Our host was a very flamboyant person with a chiffon blouse and a Phil Oakey (in the 80s) haircut who I suspect prefers the gender neutral pronoun 'they' (them?) rather than he/she.
The nearest place to eat was a steak house, which suited me just fine, as after that ride (ten hours in all) what I really really needed was a big slab of beef and several ice cold Windhoek lagers to wash it down. Beautiful.
Next up, a London bus ride in the Karoo.
Get to Rundu and there is rubbish everywhere
Rundu had the most beautiful army base that I had seen in my time there. Most stunning gardens. The town was neat and organized.
Rundu had the most beautiful army base that I had seen in my time there. Most stunning gardens. The town was neat and organized.
Centre is no better or worse than other similarly sized towns, but the outskirts are rough. Seem to remember guards at the Engen on the main road, and a definite feeling of border town edginess about the place. Clinic for PCRs at the private hospital was clean and efficient though, no complaints. Should have stayed at the lodge we used in 2015 though, Camp Hogo was not good
NoRush
Pack Dog
Lovely pictures and descriptions of the places you enjoyed and those not so much. Your sense of humor had me
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