There and back again

Well, we have arrived safely back from a wonderful week away in Kaokoland, one of the last ‘wilderness’ areas on the planet (apparently). We covered 830 kms on roads that were mainly sand or gravel (see photos); some so bad we had to drive in 1st or 2nd gear! Our destination was the far North of the country – the Kunene region. It is apparently one of the last Wilderness areas on the planet. You can see the route on the map I will attach. We drove to Ruacana, a small town and where the tar road ended. Then went to Swartbooidrift then, via Epembe, to Epupa falls. We came home via Opuwo.

Our first campsite was on the bank of the Kunene in a lovely, though isolated, spot. It had a pool, which the children loved. It was filled with river water which meant lots of bugs to collect. There were crocs to avoid, birds to admire, thieving monkeys to chase, squirrels to surprise, monitor lizards to avoid and mozzies to swat!

The first morning, when we woke up, we discovered we had a flat car battery. Providentially, we had not broken down on the road coming in as no one could have been able to tow us on THAT road. We were miles from shops, electricity (the place had a generator which ran in the evenings), mobile phone towers etc. But, using a satellite phone on the site, and the trip of the owners back into Ruacana for supplies, we were able to purchase a replacement battery. There was not a big choice as it is a very small town. The battery too big, designed for a diesel (we are petrol), and with the wrong poles – but David used the Brute Force method and got it in!
It was lovely just to sit and read by the river, or play with the children, or go white water rafting. I fell out on the last rapid – a rather dangerous one as the river was low – and was held under by the current for a while. A bit scary … but it adds to the story, hey! The children followed in the car, but were able to join us in the canoes for the last leg.

A sundowner cruise was a feast for the eyes. Lots of baby crocs - most of the big ones have been shot by the local people (Himba and Dhemba) because they are a danger to their goats and to themselves – though the crocs are not so much a threat as simply feared. They account for very few deaths, though the toll would probably be higher if people lived along the river.

We had 5 nights there, then headed further West to Epupa Falls for 1 night. You will see a dotted line on the map along the river between the Swartbooidrift and Epupa. That route takes about 3 days! The road we took had been recently graded in places and was ‘miles’ better. Along the way, we stopped at a Himba village to have a look round. They invited us to come so we went in. They speak a form of Otjiherero and it is very different from Oshiwambo so conversation was rather limited but I was rather proud of how well David did. Unless you have watched the documentaries on TV, you can have no idea how primitive it is there. They have NOTHING. They sleep on the ground. Men have a little wooden stand to put under their heads to stop bugs crawling into their ears at night or something but women and children just lie on the hard ground.

All along the route people wave cars down, begging for various things: a lift, sugar, salt, water and sweets. We gave one lady a lift and she left an ochre trail over the seat. I think the ochre is made from the red soil and goat fat. It is used by the women and protects their skin from the sun, as well as being a traditional adornment. Girls grow their hair in two plaits that are brought over the face. When she becomes a woman, they are unraveled and she then gets the hairstyle of the women, which is a number of thick plaits, half-bound with goat skin. Goats provide skins, milk and meat. (More about this in the next Ongaipi.)

At Epupa, we camped about 200m from the Falls. Sadly, a tourist ,swimming where he shouldn’t have, had been washed over the day before and the body not recovered. But we were safe where we were, though a big croc eyed us from a rock mid-river that evening! There were green ‘fever’ trees (in the olden days, pioneers thought the trees, which grew where mozzies abounded, was the cause of the diseases they got. You can see the children feigning fevers in one photo!). The shower was very basic but perfectly adequate. The wind from the river kept mozzies away. It was very pleasant there. That night we were not ‘quite’ so cold as we had been every other night. But the days were all in the high 30s.

The children paddled, and Caris delighted in tiny fish that tickled when they nibbled her feet (see pic on their blog). It really was a lovely place.

The next morning, we discovered a flat tyre. Providentially (again), we had not been stranded or had an accident on the road to Epupa. David was able to change it and get the tyre repaired in Opuwo on the way home.

Étienne is turning out to be a good little photographer … though I was unable to keep ALL his 72 pictures of a skink and 64 of a collared-dove etc!

We got home and I had time to do the mound of washing before the water stopped in the taps. The pressure is off while they fix a problem. It has been off now for 3 days. And now the electricity has just gone off for a while! I guess I would not be a very good Himba – I love my showers too much :-)

We knew we had come home as there appeared, the next day, 25 boys and 2 girls waiting at the gate to come in and play. And one person arrived for financial help. And the phone rang to arrange workshops and more registrations. Well, at least we know we have been missed!