Tue 2 Oct 2018, Day 303
Camping at the Karibib police station
Distance 87 +11565 = 11652
Average 12.4
Time 6 h 59 m
Total from Amsterdam 17052
Location S21.940115, E15.84817
A day of highs and lows. Sad to leave Vergenoeg and crazy tail wagging Jock and Whisker, the tabby who thinks he’s a squirrel. He curls his tail over his back just as squirrels do to protect themselves from the sun. We were riding by 07h15 but there was a bit of drama beforehand. Jock ran with us to the gate and when Alfons opened up for us Jock decided he was coming with and he wasn’t happy to go back. We took off with Jock running inside the property along the fence. He found a hole and dashed through running across the road. He sat with me just as a car came speeding by. Peter carried him across the road and handed him to Alfons over the fence. He’s well looked after and is big mates with Whisker but the owners live in Port Elizabeth and the manageress appears to be running another lodge as well. The other dog is a brindle staffie called Hilux and Snowy is the pavement Siamese.
We had a 30 km steady and gentle climb but into an easterly headwind. We were warned about the traffic and danger of riding on the B2 road to Windhoek but a few incidents highlights the nature of people … a guy had to move over slightly as he rode past Peter and he then shook his finger at Peter, and … a local minibus taxi overtook us leaving precious little space between his taxi and our bikes. Twenty metres after passing us, he pulled off the road literally cutting us off all because four of his male passengers needed to pee. Did he really have to overtake us? The highs however far exceeded the lows … a few truck drivers and touring motor cyclists gave us a ?? and many cars flashed their lights or waved at us.
We were given cold water and Powerade from three separate vehicles. I didn’t get the name of the first couple, the next was from Juanita and Gerard from Walvis Bay and the third was from a French couple, Meyers Georges and Aline leone who have been touring with their Fiat motor-home for 43 months. I stood on the side of the road waving an empty plastic bottle, many vehicles ignoring my plea for water, just driving past but the three who stopped ‘made our day’.
At that stage Peter was repairing his second puncture of the day. First was the back tyre and not long afterwards two in the front wheel, about 2 cm apart, both caused by thin pieces of steel from shredded truck tyres. Throughout the day we rode into the wind and it was very HOT. Arrived in Usakos after 3 pm, bought some fruit from Petra who sells fruit and veg from the back of her car … a lovely lady who rode past us yesterday and didn’t charge us for one bag of oranges, bananas and what was so kind was that she filled two water bottles for us. She told us that todays temperature in Usakos was 38°C !
Peter was repairing his last puncture on the pavement in front of where Petra was selling her produce. She told us not to wild camp as there had been 4 incidents of tourists getting mugged in the area of Uis, Spitskoppe and Usakos over the past 4 weeks, one culprit had been caught. Left Usakos at 4 pm and arrived in Karibib 18h50, a 30 km ride, mostly uphill and still into the wind. Shopped at OK Food and rode to the Police Station where we’re camping on lovely soft grass. We had a cold shower and there’s a loo for that other business. It’s very warm at night and haven’t bothered unpacking our sleeping bags. It’s also been overcast for a few hours today and a few huge drops of rain fell while riding and again at the Cops Camping ground. Peter’s in dreamland while I finish off here. Night all xx
