OUR LAST DAY IN NAMIBIA

WEATHER: Hot and 30C

HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting a whole afternoon as free time

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Our last day in the Intrepid truck

BUYS OF THE DAY: A new day bag for 30AUD – it is pretty cool

WORD OF THE DAY: Boo Hoo

CAMP SITE RANKING: AWESOME!! Hot showers, flushing toilets, internet / Wi-Fi and a beautiful view from the bar 5 out of 5 stars

Today is just a travel day.  A bit of a sleep in till 7am, breakfast at 8 and then we were on the road at 8.30am.  With 275km to cover we got into Noordoewer and camp at 1.30pm.  It was also the last day we got to travel in Kitonga, our beloved 4 wheel home for the last 45 days.  Even though it is not the last day of the trip, as Kitonga is not a South African registered truck, she is not permitted to enter into South Africa at all.  So we had to get all our stuff off the truck, re pack it all and then a new truck was going to come in the morning and we swap onto that.  Yes yes I hear you say, what happens to Ben?  Well he has to stay with the Intrepid truck and wait for 5 days for GG and Si to come back with the new group, which sucks as well.  Firstly we have to say goodbye early and secondly that he will be on his own for 5 days. Oh and we have to pack our crap up 2 days earlier as well, but I guess that would have to happen eventually anyway, so that could have been a small blessing in disguise.  I had 2 lockers and the overhead storage space was just chocked with some souvenirs, schnacks, blankets and clothes.  I then also had 2 seat pockets full of stuff from broken headphones, lollie wrappers, rocks, paper, books, bobby pins, jewellery bought and forgotten about.  It was a little like Christmas, after 45 days, I forgot what was actually in the pockets – ahhh that’s where that pair of earrings were – amazing what happens when you have a clean out. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent down by the bar, that had an amazing pool (that we couldn’t use as it was getting resurfaced) but it also had a great view of the Orange River.  The sun was out; the sky was a perfect blue with not a cloud in the sky.  The only downfall was that the bar didn’t open till 4pm, so we sat and talked and now starting to talk about the end of the trip, I got my 3 closest pals to write in my Globetrotters book so if I ever feel down or lonely I will be able to re-read their entries that were just awesome and I am so glad to have met them and now have them all in my life.  I am really going to miss you guys.  Really.

We were all in a queue for the washing machine, which is the only one we have had access to at camp.  It was less than a dollar for a wash, so Manu and I made sure we made use of that and then we did what all Africans do once it was washed, hung it on the bushes beside our tents for it all to dry.  It was quite windy though, so I made sure I anchored my undies with a peg, don’t need those suckers blowing all over the camp site that’s for sure.  With the sun so hot, it reminded me of Darwin where things dry in 3 seconds flat which is awesome. 

So once that chore was done, back to the bar, as it was now open and we hit the cold beers till it was time for dinner.  Which was being prepared by David tonight to give Simon a night off.  It was a spicy beef dish with vegetables and it was delicious, if not a little too spicy for me, but I ate it all the same.  The rest of the night was spent back at the bar till 11pm and then retiring to bed for our second last day of the tour.  Tonight would be the last time that we sleep in tent number 11.  It has done us good over the trip, but she did start to fall apart, after the boys shaking the crap out of it at a few sites and the ties coming undone, it was a good tent to us and home for the last 45 days. 

Goodnight Namibia, goodnight tent 11, goodnight Kitonga and goodnight Ben.  We are going to miss it all.