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Updated Information
Witt & Jen
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Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
143km |
Meals
Chicken Curry |
Weather |
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Near Twefelfontein, Namibia |
21 May, 2004 |
Bush Camp |
20°21.340’S
14°11.143’E |
Odometer: 22253km |
Sunny, 88(F) degrees |
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We decided to drive a piste on a sort of
private game reserver today. The map they provided were not of much use
and although we saw some beautiful scenery, we missed some of the
highlights indicated. We saw springbok and zebra, but the animals here are
not as accustomed to vehicles as those in Etosha and are quite skittish.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a beautiful drive south toward the rock
paintings at Twefelfontein. We decided to bushcamp again rather than pay
for a campground and found a beautiful spot by driving down a dry riverbed
into a canyon. We made dinner and enjoyed another moonless night of
stargazing, and even saw a number of meteors. |
On the road to Twefelfontein
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Updated Information
Graham & Connie |
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
59km |
Meals
Bacon, eggs, Kudu burgers and chips |
Weather |
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Windhoek, Namibia |
21 May, 2004 |
The Cardboard Box |
22°33.764’S
17°04.521’E |
Odometer: km |
Cool in the Am, Hot by
mid-day, 85(F) degrees |
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In addition to their excellent dinner buffet,
the Roof of Africa serves a mean breakfast. Included with the room, and
you get bacon, eggs, cereal, toast, coffee, tea, etc. Very satisfying.
Straight after breakfast, Graham called
Roverland, the only Land Rover parts place listed in the phone book. He
talked to John who said he thought he could get the parts we needed, and
that we should come out to Roverland which is about 25km East of town.
After stopping at an ATM for cash we headed
for Roverland. The great thing is you need a Land Rover (or other 4x4) to
reach their facility! When we got there John made some phone calls, and
located the Discovery Series II shock towers that we need in Pretoria
South Africa. He ordered them by FedEx with a delivery for 8am tomorrow!
Really pleased with this progress, we
checked out Johns large collection of Land Rovers (mostly Series IIbs and
Series IIIs) and swapped stories.
About mid-morning we headed back into town
to sedate Connie’s shopping craving. We spent the rest of the day at
various shopping malls, curing Connie’s craving. We did buy a few
important items like a potjkie lid handle and more biltong.
Feeling that the Roof of Africa was a bit
expensive for continuous staying, we went to the Cardboard Box. It is a
backpacker place run (currently) by Simon and Jennifer, a couple from
Scotland who drove a 110 Land Rover down through Africa three years ago.
We spent the evening swapping overlanding stories with them, drinking
beers and gin and dry lomons and eating kudu burgers. All of this at the
bar at the Cardboard Box. It really is an interesting place! |
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Updated Information
Witt & Jen
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Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
185km |
Meals
Chili |
Weather |
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Near Tweflefontein, Namibia |
22 May, 2004 |
Bush Camp |
20°31.807’S
14°24.100’E |
Odometer: 22438km |
Sunny, 94(F) degrees |
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This morning we drove to the
petrified forest, where we went on a 20 minute walking tour. The forest is
similar to the one in Arizona. According to the signs, the trees are
260-280 million years old and were washed into Namibia when the glaciers
from an ice age receded. The tourist attractions here are set up similar
to those in the US or Europe. There are toilets and a little area with
information plaques. The intent is to involve the local community and to
allow them to benefit from the tourist trade. We paid N$40 (about $6 US)
for the five of us. This included a guide, a local Damara woman who had
been trained to show tourists around the site. She seemed rather dis-interested
in the whole thing. After the tour she took us to another shelter where
the guides have tables set up selling their crafts. Next we drove the 40km
to Twefelfontein, one of the largest rock art sites in Africa. The setup
was similar, although our guide was a little better. The plaques in the
information shelter here are very well done and informative. The rock art
is in a jumble of broken sandstone that forms the sides of a valley. We
saw at least two dozen decorated rock faces in our hour walk, and
according to our guide the whole valley is littered with specimens. By
this time it was late in the day, so we drove a few km and found a nice
bushcamp near a rock outcropping. The sandstone rocks glowed a brilliant
orange in the setting sun. |
Petrified tree with petrified bark. Vicky's hand is not petrified.
Petrified tree with petrified bark. Vicky's hand is not petrified.
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Updated Information
Graham & Connie |
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
50km |
Meals
Rusks, Kudu burgers and chips |
Weather |
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Windhoek, Namibia |
22 May, 2004 |
The Cardboard Box |
22°33.764’S
17°04.521’E |
Odometer: km |
Cool in the AM, Hot by
mid-day, 85(F) degrees |
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We got up fairly early and had coffee and
rusks at the Cardboard Box bar. There were four American girls staying at
the Box, all from Colorado. Three from Arvada and one from Grand Junction.
It is a small world.
At 9am we headed out of town to Roverland.
There we found that the parts had arrived, and Graham and John set about
repairing the front suspension. Connie organized the inside of the car
while this was being done. It took all day, but by the end Toki had a
fully (and hopefully correctly) functional front suspension, new oil and a
bath. John is pleased to be the Safari Gard suspension expert for Southern
Africa. John invited us to go with the local Land Rover club ‘into the
hills’ tomorrow, and we accepted.
Then it was back to the Box for beer, more
kudu burgers and bed. |
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Namibia, May 23 --->>> |
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