Rest day No 2 at at Katima Mulilo with Dick Sharpe
Distance 8 + 9818 = 9826
Total from Amsterdam 15226
Unclipped bags and rode into town to buy a simcard … mtc 3 gig for N$410, expensive. The Rand and the N$ are pegged at the same rate. We’ve heard that Namibia is pricey so will camp or stay with people, if invited. Caught up with Dick at his workshop, Sharpe’s Engineering and checked his kitted out Landrover. He has two daughters … Caron who lives in Swakopmund with a baby daughter that Dick is building a jungle gym for and Jeanine, a vet who does game capture, relocations and lives for the job and the animals and is based in Windhoek. We spent the day not doing much and around 3 pm we carried, dragged heavy canoes down to the Zambezi River, Dick and Aaron in one, Peter and myself in another and Ryan in a Fluid canoe. We floated rather than paddled about 10 km down the river. Saw a few hippos and gave them a very wide berth and another one that surfaced about 50 metres away … way too close for comfort. Zambia on the left bank, Namibia on the right and most of both sides untouched by development. We finally reached our destination, Caprivi Houseboat Safaris, had a drink, loaded canoes and drove back to Dick’s small holding. He hadn’t taken the gate key so had to phone the couple staying in one of his cottages to get a worker to unlock. Only one dog greeted us at the gate and panic stations set in. The other two dogs must have got out and were waiting outside at the gate leading to the river where there are plenty of crocs and hippos. Both dogs were wet and Dick was relieved they were ok. He and his neighbours have lost dogs to croc attacks. Got supper on the go and I mixed a mealie bread but the fire wasn’t hot enough so now we’re hoping to have the bread for breakfast. A lovely day on the river with Ryan and Aaron guided by Dick. Dad, Simon was attending a business meeting just over the river in Zambia. Time to get peddling again so we’ll hit the road tomorrow. Night all xx
– Bumped into Madelene and friend (who camped next to us at Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane) at the mtc cell shop this morning
– A local bike repair shop
– Our ‘boats’ got us down the Zambezi River
– Dick and Aaron behind Ryan in the single canoe
– The Peddlers … paddling ??
– Caprivi Houseboat Safaris Lodge
