The Wife, the Ex and the Kid

[Fire Cracker]

Absolutely awesome, can't wait for tomorrows chapter!  I read the whole report last night then could hardly sleep because I couldnt stop thinking about the trip.  Keep the inspiration flowing for us newbies!  Thank you 

 

[Metaljockey]

Day 9 – Brandberg to Palmwag

Sunrise the next morning and Brandberg shows where its name comes from. Check out the 4x4 with rooftop tent. This is the most common rental vehicle in Namibia. People hire them fully kitted and spend a week or weeks travelling the land camping where there are no other facilities.

This is our camp.

Our peace gets disturbed by the German woman at the next camp screeching in what sounds like a demon possessed falsetto bass voice. Apparently those are the sounds they make when their children are gored by wild animals, more specifically, this wild animal.

Like I said, springbuck are combative little bastards. Ten minutes after the sounds from hell next door subsided and the kid stopped crying this okie also took me on.

Let me give you some springbok fighting tips. They go in low and normally get you on the shins, the immediate reaction is to grab hold of the horns to get the pain away from your shins, but that is a mistake. That’s what they want, now you are fighting them the way they know how.

What you should do is lean right over and give him a mighty smack on the flank. Takes him completely by surprise and gives him sudden respect for his opponent.

Otherwise they are the cutest pets.

When I was here in 2004 there were elephant all over the camp. The camp is not fenced. I had hoped that we would get elephant here but all the tracks and dung I see are too old. Yesterday in the riverbed we came across fresh tracks a couple of times but we saw nought.

Not 5 km from camp, as we cross the Ugab on our way to our next destination, we run into very fresh tracks, fresh enough that they were probably made as the sound of the bikes drew nearer.

We proceed very slowly, I have no intention of crowding an elephant. Less than 200m on we catch sight of them.

We get out of the sand and onto a lekker track, but not long and I spot an ellie right next to the track.

We are not going to get past this one, unless he moves off.

So we get off the bikes (hurriedly) and onto a rocky outcrop where we get a nice view. 

Excuse me while I powder my nose.

About half an hour later he wanders off and we can get down and continue.

Brandberg in the background.

Very scenic and very entertaining riding.

Check out the rock growth.

Once on the gravel we almost get caught out by washaways. Tharina in fact stopped in the rocks, coming from the far side of this one.

We stop in at Aba Huab for a quick beer and pull in for fuel at Palmwag. Not what one would call a metropolis and cash only.

Our overnight stop is at Palmwag lodge where we get a nice secluded camp (there is only one, the others are all on top of one another).

We eat in the restaurant before we turn in for the night.
 

 

[mother]

nice one  :thumleft: was in this area in July brings back nice memories

 

[Lootch67]

Hel, laat jou vrou my nou sleg voel. Ons was ook in die Ugab met ons trip want ons wou met Divorce Pass uit gery het, maar het uit geklim omdat ons nie gemaklik was met die sand / olifante kombinasie nie. En hier gaan ry sy dit sonder probleme. Respek!! :headbang:

 

[Metaljockey]

Day 10 Palmwag to Ongongo

Today’s ride is a short one, less than a 100km. Our destination is Ongongo. It is a fresh water spring that comes out of the mountains and cascades into a pool. In this dry area it is quite a thing.

The kid wastes no time, she loves water.

She also likes dancing.

We spend the day swimming, lazing around, taking some pictures and we are the only people there. Also the ideal opportunity to get some laundry done.

As we sit under a tree by the hammock, we hear something behind us and see a very pretty snake of about 1 – 1.2 m coming past on its way to the pool. I fetch the camera but he is not keen on me following him around so this is the only picture I get. Not long after another similar but smaller one goes by the same way.

When I ask the staff about it, they say it is a Zebra and he spits venom. I do not know this kind of snake, but it turns out that it is a cobra variant that is very short tempered and spit for very little reason. They account for the most human/snake incidents in Namibia. Like all spitting cobras they are very accurate and if you do not treat your eyes quickly, it leads to permanent blindness. Some weeks later when at another lodge their assistant chef got hit in the eyes by one of these while we were there.

When you climb to the top of the pools there are many smaller hot tub type pools.

This is our camp.

And the kid’s camp, she wants her own space.

Fashion police alert.

This day of relaxation and swimming does us a world of good. After we go to bed, an overlander group arrives. If they intend departing in the morning again, I fear they have missed the whole point of coming here.

 

[Iron Shark]

Stunning pics MJ, it looks great up there!  :thumleft:

 

[Oppad]

In awe. As allways

 

[funacide]

Thanks MJ more than one fix today...

Looking forward to the rest O0 O0

 

[eikeboom]

An adventure of epidermic proportions, I tell you

 

[oo7]

I’ve been on the X for a week already and have done 3000km following this route.

MJ - the stretch between (from what appears to be) Alexander Bay and the Orange River/Vioolsdrif - was this the bit that you referred to in Michnus' Onseepkans RR that you never got to do?

Did you follow the road from Alex Bay next to (south) of the Orange towards Sendelings, and then turned southeast (via Koeboes?) to Eksteenfontein - from where it seems that you followed tracks (as per GE below?) to reach the Orange basically where it turns north?

Thanks - I'm interested in riding here next year.

 

[Metaljockey]

MJ - the stretch between (from what appears to be) Alexander Bay and the Orange River/Vioolsdrif - was this the bit that you referred to in Michnus' Onseepkans RR that you never got to do?


Did you follow the road from Alex Bay next to (south) of the Orange towards Sendelings, and then turned southeast (via Koeboes?) to Eksteenfontein - from where it seems that you followed tracks (as per GE below?) to reach the Orange basically where it turns north?

Thanks - I'm interested in riding here next year.

Yes, The only deviation was at Kuboes where we tried the track that runs through the mountains and joins up again on the Eksteenfontein road. Unless you like pain, avoid that part maybe.

The section between Eksteenfontein and the river that you refer to we did do though. That is the route we took when things looked too hairy on the one I wanted to take.

 

[KTM BIGGER]

Keep it coming

 

[Misty]

But at the end of that trip I saw that she saw. She saw what it was about, where I found the joy. For the first time she felt that elation of having been pushed far past her limits and finishing the job, sore and battered maybe, but the MAN. Because she did it, she started it, she finished it, and by herself.

:thumleft: :thumleft:

AWESOME RR!!!!

 

[kevin]

But at the end of that trip I saw that she saw. She saw what it was about, where I found the joy. For the first time she felt that elation of having been pushed far past her limits and finishing the job, sore and battered maybe, but the MAN. Because she did it, she started it, she finished it, and by herself.

Agree with Misty - thats what its about...

:thumleft: :thumleft:

AWESOME RR!!!!

 

[bradleys]

Awesome ,keep it comming eepwall:

 

[GundaGunda]

I feel a coffee-table book in this RR !

Amazing

 

[gswannabee]

Absolutely awesome!  :thumleft:  Your pictures are stunning too!

Thanks for sharing  8)

 

[GStry]

Great stuff  :biggrin:  :thumleft:

 

[Eggs]

Brilliant report thanks. My wife has no idea what she is in for.....mmmmmm

 

[Gee eS]

WOW!! Well done :thumleft: