Driving here yesterday from Swakopmund was a breeze. 320kms of excellent road and very light traffic made for an easy day’s driving compared to some of our more recent travels. Speed limits on the secondary roads that made up most of our journey are 120kms/hr dropping to 100km/hr in a few rougher patches. Even though the roads are good, in most other countries the limit would be 100km/hr to 110km/hr. In Europe the limits would probably be as low as 80km/hr because of the narrowness of the road. We kept our speed to just over 100 km/hr and vehicles whizzed past us at speeds well above the 120km/hr limit. With heavier traffic the chances of serious accidents would be quite high.
Outjo is a town of about 8000 souls and most of them seem to roam the streets and gather to chat on the footpaths most of the day. It is a bit of a scrappy-looking place, but it feels safe and people are friendly enough, although the hawkers selling crafts and begging become a bit irritating. We feel guilty when we refuse to buy some rock that has designs scratched on it or whatever else is being touted, but we can’t solve the problems of poverty that way. We absolve ourselves with the view that being here and spending money in hotels, shops and petrol stations provides employment. In a way the beggars and hawkers do damage to the economy by discouraging the tourists who are now coming to Namibia in increasing numbers and potentially creating a negative image for this great country.
Our hotel packed us a box breakfast last night that enabled us to set out before sunrise for the 100k trip to the entry gate of Etosha National Park. The park opened at 7:00 am and we were there just after sunrise at 7:30 am. Park entry permits are very reasonable at N$80 per person and N$10 for a car. That translated to AUD17 for us. Etosha is the number one attraction in Namibia, so we had expected some of the crawling traffic we have experienced in some parks in South Africa. Not an issue today. Plenty of room to move and even at the waterholes, where most wildlife concentrates, there were never more than three or four vehicles.
The park is teeming with life, which is a bit of a surprise given the arid nature of the environment. Springbok are everywhere, as are zebra. The list of animals we spotted is too long to record here, but suffice to say we had marked off dozens on our check sheet. Sadly, we didn’t manage to spot any big cats, but several elephants and a lone giraffe were highlights.
We left the park about 2:00 pm, having exhausted the viewing possibilities for the morning session. As we were heading out, truck after truck loaded with half-day trippers were heading out for the evening session. We had to head off, because to do the rounds again would have forced us to drive home in the dark. A big no-no for us.
Tonight we are culling our photos to reduce the several hundred shots we took, each, down to the best couple of dozen.
5 April, Niilo’s Guesthouse, Rundu, Namibia
A long haul of over 500km today through some rapidly changing countryside. Desert landscapes quickly disappeared as we headed north, replaced by some healthy looking grasslands supporting cattle, sheep and goats. A small area of irrigated farming bought even more green into view. For most of the way, the road was arrow straight and in fantastic condition. Cattle, donkeys and goats wandered into our path from time to time, but they posed little danger as they were easily spotted in this very open country.
Traditional villages and small farm compounds, constructed of saplings with grass roofing lined the road for the last 100 kms into Rundu. People were everywhere along the highway, going about their everyday lives: hundreds of kids were returning home from school, most in uniforms that looked surprisingly clean given the dusty conditions of the tracks they walked to and from school and the totally sand school grounds; women and younger kids toted water from village taps; men pushed wheel barrows loaded with water containers or full of small children hitching a ride; women carrying all sorts of things on their heads walked along the dusty track that paralleled the main highway. Under shady trees in front of family compounds, older folk sat on plastic chairs, chatting and keeping an eye on the younger children who played in small groups at the side of the highway. All the while, mining trucks, 4x4s loaded with wealthy trekkers, commercial vehicles and rich foreigners like us sped by on a pathway connecting worlds that many of these people will never see or experience.
Traffic through these villages was fairly heavy, giving us a chance to slow down and have a good look about. Roadside stalls selling carved timber animals and pottery of all sorts dominated the craft offerings. Some families set out stacks of firewood, probably in the hope of snagging a passing camping party. All in all this part of our journey matched a vision of Africa that we probably had before we visited South Africa a few years back. The reality, in places we have travelled through since, has been very different to this slice of traditional African life. Like the traffic on the highway passing through these villages, the modern western world is rapidly intruding. If these “intrusions” are a good thing or not is not for us to say.
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