Day 7, Sept 15 – Epupa Falls to dry river bush camp

Before leaving the luxuries provided by Epupa Falls campground, I took these pictures to show how campgrounds operate in remote areas with no electricity.  First, they use "donkey boilers", which are basically water tanks with a fire lit underneath...this is how hot water is generated.

Donkey boilers on left of shower block

Some electricity is always useful so these days upscale campgrounds (and lodges) use solar.

Solar panels at Epupa Falls campground

Today we were leaving luxuries behind.  We were headed for another campground along the Kunene but it would take us 2 nights of camping in the "bush" to get there.  The Baynes mountains separated us from the next campground in Otjinhungwe and we would head south and then turn back north to the Kunene river through the Marienfluss valley.  It would be remote and the terrain difficult.  There would be no campgrounds with solar or donkey boilers.

We started the day with a flat…just outside the gate of Epupa Falls Campground…we hadn’t gone 1 kilometer.  After fixing the flat we headed for Okongwati, the small town where we bought diesel before going to Epupa.  Just before reaching Okongwati, we stopped for a break and ran into these 3 characters.

Himba boys outside Okongwati

The boy on the left is chewing on a makalani palm nut.  The outside is sweet and tastes something like chocolate to me.  Inside there is a hard nut the Himba carve pictures on and sell (if they live close to civilization). These young gentlemen impressed me because I had dropped a cashew nut on the car floor so I picked it up and gave it to the biggest one.  He immediately bit it into pieces and shared it with his friends.  After that I gave them each a handful of nuts.

In Okongwati, once again, we went through the elaborate process of putting 25 liters of diesel into the landcrusier.  The other vehicles filled up as well. 

Refueling competency established...no petrol pump needed!!!

Once again, activity at the grain mill next to the petrol station was captivating.

Himba women waiting at grain mill

Help lifting grain

Wonder how far she is going with that bag of grain on her head?

Very stylish Himba.  Wearing "married" headgear and elaborate ornaments.

Just outside Okongwati we came across the hot springs, which is a himba bathing spot and cattle watering hole.  We turned back to the main track, D3703, towards Otjitanda and began what turned out to be the beginning of the most difficult road conditions encountered.  It started easy enough and we enjoyed a nice lunch under a large tree.  But just after lunch, the road turned very rough as we started approaching Mt. Otjitanda. 

Rocks start appearing in road

Leon and Martie's land rover crawling over rocks

After some difficult spots we came to an intersection of two sand roads and after 2 or 3 hundred meters I realized we were off the main track as shown on our Garmin, which was loaded with the “tracks for Africa”  road maps.  Not being from “around here” and not really understanding the road system.  I wasn’t sure if the road we were on was a shortcut or not.  It definitely wasn’t a road on “tracks for Africa” and in a short while we started heading south/south east, when we should be going west/south west.   We came to another intersection and turned west/ south west.  And I thought OK! At least we are headed in the right direction…unfortunately the road soon ended in a Himba coral.  Perhaps the census vehicles left the good tracks making the road look well traveled!!  We turned around and headed back the way we came and didn’t go very far before we had another flat tire.  It was the vehicle in front of us and we heard and saw it at the same time. A vertical rock punctured the sidewall. Tire ruined.

Changing tire in velt

Fortunately we found a lovely camping spot very close and decided to spend the night.  This camping spot turned out to be one of my favorites.  We were completely by ourselves and in the middle of nowhere.  Stars that night were fantastic.  Roelof joked that we were slowly going nowhere and that was fine with me!

Nico and Rita's luxury accomodations

Tom's bedroom

Salome and Dawn around the fire that night