Since our last post we have had great success. We left the remote campsite of Ondakaremba on Monday morning in a thunderstorm after a very wet night causing our roof to leak a little. We headed towards Windhoek a short drive away passing a colourful place on the road advertising taxidermy and souvenir shop. Our intention was to visit the Mercedes garage for parts for repairs.
We stopped for breakfast just before a railway bridge and the Klein Windhoek dry riverbed. We were treated to a display by a troope of baboons playing on the bridge as we ate. Chris phoned Manfred Gorn, one of the people offering vehicle storage before we set off. He turned out to be the taxidermist! He has a lovely place and his son Kai runs a quarry, haulage/road repair business and more importantly for us a good repair garage. Manfred also has a lot of land with wild animals and a private campsite in the Bush. Everything we could need.
Monday afternoon we visited Windhoek to buy parts for the Enterprise from a cheaper place than the main Mercedes dealer and returned to Manfred's for the night. He took Chris on a 'game drive' first. We shared the camp with Gabor, an east German who has been leaving his vehicles with Manfred for the past 16 years. He was leaving next day. His friends, another couple from Leipzig, had a major problem with their overland vehicle and needed to leave early Wednesday morning. Chris agreed to take them to the airport for 4am using Manfred's car.
Tuesday morning we spent at the garage having some essential repairs done then drove into Windhoek to do some shopping and explore on foot. It is a beautiful city, very open and modern with a strong German influence in its architecture. There was a large craft market with lots of Himba women selling handmade jewellery and artefacts. Their hair is covered in thick fat coloured with red ochre. It was hot in the sun and clear blue sky.
Yesterday, after Chris's early morning run to the airport and walk back to the camp in the dark, we said goodbye to Manfred for a few days. The Enterprise will be very happy staying at his place undercover.
We had heavy rain by the time we were in Klein Windhoek to meet out balloon pilot friend John at 11am for coffee. We had a great time flying with him in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a couple of years ago. He brought along his lovely wife and 13 month old cutie daughter. We sat in the Enterprise to make plans as there was a thunderstorm overhead. John is setting up his balloon flights business at Solitaire and we agreed to meet there on Friday. We set off immediately at 12.30 with a crack of thunder and flash of lightening directly above us which killed the city centre traffic lights. In spite of the rain it was a wonderful drive due south to Rehoboth through the mountains, then on gravel roads southwest towards Solitaire. We spent last night at Garies Rest Camp, run by a very interesting man. He is of the Baster people, originally 'half breeds' from South Africa who bought land off the Demara in Namibia and then had much of it confiscated by the Germans. He confided to us that he owns land with diamonds close to the surface. Maybe a tall story but a good one.
This morning we came through the Remhoogte Pass and will soon be at Solitaire for the Easter weekend.
We stopped for breakfast just before a railway bridge and the Klein Windhoek dry riverbed. We were treated to a display by a troope of baboons playing on the bridge as we ate. Chris phoned Manfred Gorn, one of the people offering vehicle storage before we set off. He turned out to be the taxidermist! He has a lovely place and his son Kai runs a quarry, haulage/road repair business and more importantly for us a good repair garage. Manfred also has a lot of land with wild animals and a private campsite in the Bush. Everything we could need.
Monday afternoon we visited Windhoek to buy parts for the Enterprise from a cheaper place than the main Mercedes dealer and returned to Manfred's for the night. He took Chris on a 'game drive' first. We shared the camp with Gabor, an east German who has been leaving his vehicles with Manfred for the past 16 years. He was leaving next day. His friends, another couple from Leipzig, had a major problem with their overland vehicle and needed to leave early Wednesday morning. Chris agreed to take them to the airport for 4am using Manfred's car.
Tuesday morning we spent at the garage having some essential repairs done then drove into Windhoek to do some shopping and explore on foot. It is a beautiful city, very open and modern with a strong German influence in its architecture. There was a large craft market with lots of Himba women selling handmade jewellery and artefacts. Their hair is covered in thick fat coloured with red ochre. It was hot in the sun and clear blue sky.
Yesterday, after Chris's early morning run to the airport and walk back to the camp in the dark, we said goodbye to Manfred for a few days. The Enterprise will be very happy staying at his place undercover.
We had heavy rain by the time we were in Klein Windhoek to meet out balloon pilot friend John at 11am for coffee. We had a great time flying with him in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a couple of years ago. He brought along his lovely wife and 13 month old cutie daughter. We sat in the Enterprise to make plans as there was a thunderstorm overhead. John is setting up his balloon flights business at Solitaire and we agreed to meet there on Friday. We set off immediately at 12.30 with a crack of thunder and flash of lightening directly above us which killed the city centre traffic lights. In spite of the rain it was a wonderful drive due south to Rehoboth through the mountains, then on gravel roads southwest towards Solitaire. We spent last night at Garies Rest Camp, run by a very interesting man. He is of the Baster people, originally 'half breeds' from South Africa who bought land off the Demara in Namibia and then had much of it confiscated by the Germans. He confided to us that he owns land with diamonds close to the surface. Maybe a tall story but a good one.
This morning we came through the Remhoogte Pass and will soon be at Solitaire for the Easter weekend.
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