Camping at an abandoned farm 100 km from the Ariamsvlei Namibian/SA border
Distance 128 + 12472 = 12600
Average 17.2
Time 8 h 26 m
Total from Amsterdam 18000
Location S28.008405, E19.061696
Left Savanha at 06h25 and reached the B1 tar road at 06h50. A steady climb for 12 km then flat and downhill for 30 km to Grünau. This town doesn’t have a supermarket but the Shell garage stocks all the basics. From Grünau we took the B3 that will take us first to Karasburg and then to the Ariamsvlei border. After riding past Sunset Cottages in Karasburg, we decided to first do a bit of shopping at Spar, but as we arrived in Karasburg at 13h30 we decided to carry on and asked Irma Louw, if there was another lodge or possibly a farm 20 – 40 km further where we could camp. She suggested we go to Kleinbegin Lodge so with a favourable wind we made it in good time to the gate of the lodge.
The snag now was that it was another 5 km to the lodge, so we rode and pushed through 5 km of washboard gravel and soft sand and after 2 km, decided ‘to hell with it’ … turned around and carried on the B3 for another few km’s to another farm.
First gate was unlocked but the second one after the railway line was padlocked. Peter got permission from Stefanus who tends sheep and goats here who said it was ok for us to pitch our tent on the veranda of the abandoned house on the farm. Tent up, supper simmering, Peter drinking tea while I washed in a cut off plastic 25 litre container, water obtained from the cement tank outside and warmed by the sun.
We had three cats and one puppy demanding attention and food. Put the dog out while the cats drank the tuna juice and ate the sachet of Whiskas food I bought the other day. We ended up giving the pup half our supper which he scoffed in two twos, then gave all four slices of dry bread which they gobbled. Feel sorry for these hungry animals. We had to put him out of our enclosed veranda while we ate our tub of berry yogurt. One spoon for us, one spoon for the cat??
It’s 21h15 and Peter’s watching a series on his laptop while I do this. Summary … total of 18000 km since Amsterdam, my cheap N$14 panty from Pep Stores is making my ride more comfortable helped by lashings of Camphor Cream, it was cool for most of the day and the wind was also kind to us. I’m knackered so I’ll end off here.
Lala Salama.
