We woke up early in the Sachsenheim campsite because our neighbor decided at 5am to chop firewood! By the way I asked the owner whether they were from Sachsen (Saxony, Germany). The explanation however is simpler. The Sachsenheim is the home of the Family Sachse who came from Germany 3 generations ago.
The campsite had good facilities which we used to the maximum with nice warm showers. For Breakfast we put together bacon and eggs and by 9:00 am we were on our way again, destination Caprivi.
We went shopping in Grootfontein to pick up supplies: steak, sausage, beer and a 9V battery. But that is a whole different story…
When you look at the map, Namibia’s border in the north east stretches out along a strip towards the East and that is the Caprivi strip.
As we left Etosha it was very noticeable that we went farther away from the major tourist routes. While we had seen many tourists in rented 4×4 vehicles, including many from Germany, the environment started to change. This area is a very rural area and many times we would have to stop because farmers herded their sheep or cows across the street. Also, we saw many locals walking along the street carrying water or food apparently over really long distances. Their huts have no electricity or running water. Women were carrying 25l barrels on their heads (hands free!). We met some young kids who pushed a water barrel to their homes. Noticeably, one of the kids did have his iphone headphones in. We also bought some wood and vetkoek (for Germans: Krapfen or Berliner) and firewood from the side of the road. These entrepreneurs also sold sweets and fruits on a make shift table in the middle of nowhere, so we stopped and supported them. (raisins are always good)
As we moved into the Caprivi strip there were several police checks that were uneventful. Phew…
The vegetation changed significantly, having just been in the desert we are now on the banks of the Okavango river. It is more like a forest.
On approaching the Ngepi campsite, we saw a sign that offered two alternative routes, one for Landrovers and one for Toyotas. Mark was slightly offended, to say the least… And of course took the 4×4 route!
We arrived at the Ngepi camp site, and set up camp quickly at a really nice spot. As we enjoyed the view of the Okavango river over a beer (our routine…), we met a German family who is traveling in a monster offroad truck with a house on the back. They joined us at our campfire and the kids shared their marshmallows with us.
We then moved quickly to the bar to have another drink and have access to WiFi. Unfortunately, we were told the network is down. Apparently, the electricity in the village is down.
So right now we are stuck in the bar, it is raining cats and dogs, we will have another drink and post the blog tomorrow. Tomorrow we will cross the border to Zambia. This should be interesting… Good night to you all.