Clanwilliam to Orange River (Namibia) - June 14th

June 14th, 2008

Short: First camp breakfast at Clanwilliam, left Clanwilliam around noon and began heading north, stopped at Springbok for lunch, and then drove through Vioolsdrif and into Namibia, stopped at the River camp for the night

Long: Our first night using the tent was fairly uneventful; the only exception was the tremendous amount of moisture that built up over night, which made for a damp morning. Once up we had our first sunlit look at the area, nothing too spectacular, although the setting at the edge of the reservoir was nice. Despite wanting to get our early, we had slept in, and after re-organizing all the supplies in the car and a quick shower we drove of. It is Saturday and the town of Clanwilliam was surprisingly busy with people walking, or just sitting, everywhere. Over the next few hours we pumped a few good songs through Nikolai’s iPhone (iPod still broken…), but the trip was fairly boring. Northern South Africa slowly turns to an arid desert with never-ending low brush and rocks. The terrain is hilly with plateaus and mountains in the distance. Our first stop for the day was around 4pm at the town of Springbok. We first stopped for fuel and tried to have a conversation with the extremely shy attendant (Everyone thus far in SA have been fairly shy). After this we had a short lunch in town and then headed back to the road again. On three different occasions in town we asked what time the border closed and we received three different answers. While it was getting dark, both of us decided it would be best to try and get through the border and as luck would have it the border turned out to be open 24 hours. We were through both the SA and Namibia side in less than 30 minutes…we couldn’t believe it. Apparently SA, Namibia, and Botswana have an agreement that allows easier travel between each country.

While at the Namibian side of the border we saw brochures for a campground on the Orange river about 15 kms past the border. We both decided this was probably our best option for the night. The first few minutes driving across the border were very exciting. Most of the excitement stemmed from our confusion as to whether Namibian’s drove on the right or left side of the road. SA was left, but for some reason we were under the impression Namibia was right. After traveling down the road on the left we remembered this and quickly switched to the right, however after Niki saw the first headlights up ahead we reconsidered….luckily we turned off into a service station before passing our first car. Namibia uses the LEFT side of the road.

At the service station we filled up both the car and the Jerry cans (extra fuel tanks carried on top of the car). While trying to close the second Jerry can we realized the lid was defective and did not fit. The service attendant disappeared for a second or two and then reappeared with a rubber mallet. An above average tip later the Jerry can lid was realigned and the issue was solved. Ten minutes drive on a dirt track later we arrived at River camp. Reception was already closed however we found a security guard and setup the car/tent at a beautiful spot directly next to the Orange River. Namibia turns back the clock one hour upon entering the country and therefore we had plenty of time to cook our first dinner on the gas stove and just relax. It is worth noting that we bought a little bundle of wood and tried to get a fire going with petrol, but after accidently burning a small patch of lawn and a corner of a fence, decided it was best to stick with candles. The wood was wet!!!

Even at night we could tell the area was very beautiful. Although the drive was primarily in the desert, the campground is situated in a much greener area due to the river. We took the chairs and sat next to the river which reflected the mountains behind it almost perfectly in the moonlight. Lastly, we also made friends with a mother and its puppy. At one point the dog barked and we realized the small ravines in the area created an excellent echo…unfortunately it was too late in the night to take advantage. One last note: We might have to start a segment called, “WHAT DID NIKI LOSE TODAY”…because instead of his passport, this morning he left his LSE sweatshirt in the showers at the Clanwilliam campground.