29th April. Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

17^th April, Zulu Restaurant, Lobito

S12 19'02.9 E013 34'47.6

They allow camping on the beach alongside the restaurant, so once more, crashing waves to put us to sleep. They also have Wi Fi which means I was able to post the last blog after quite a time.

A day driving on gravel but nothing like we experienced earlier. The Chinese are connecting the whole of the coast with a sealed road. Today's drive was on formed wide road but not finished or sealed. Unlike yesterday when, even if the land was seemingly barren, we often encountered tribes people with their herds of cattle and goats, today we seemed to be the only people on the planet.

Or intention was to stop at Benguela and had been told that Nancy's English School allowed parking of the vehicle in the front driveway. Unfortunately we discovered a large generator running a metre or so from where our heads would be, The fumes were also a nuisance and when they said it would cost us US$40 we rebelled, drove a further 40kms and here we are, at the beach.

There is a young Swiss couple camping nearby heading south. We will swap info tomorrow before heading off. They are renowned as the couple who spent 6 months in Cameroon waiting for parts for their Italian vehicle.

18thApril. Cabo Ledo South of Luanda

S09 39'54.0 E013 13'24.4

Roland and Caroline, the Swiss couple, hadn't met other Overlanders for some 2months.The de-briefing lasted a couple of hours in which time considerable information was passed between us. They are heading up the East Coast once they hit Sth Africa, we were able to help them on that part of their journey.

After a late start we ended up just over 100kms from Luanda. It's a good chance to pickup our Gabon visas in the capital so had to get within striking distance tomorrow morning. The vegetation along the 400kms covered changed from a barren scene to one lush, green and with some strange plant life appearing. Namely forests of cacti growing slimly for up to 5 metres then branching out into a series of extensions. Quite unusual.

Not long after leaving Lobito we came upon a horrific accident, I think it was either a bus or truck going over the edge of a low embankment. Police and a fire truck were in attendance but as we drove past noticed there were 5 or 6 bodies lying uncovered on the road. One minute people thinking the usual everyday thoughts, the next, all life extinguished. It was very sobering. Wreckage of past accidents are left on the side of the road here in Angola. In under an hour we counted over 30 such wrecks, admittedly some were quite old. But this goes on for every kilometre you travel. The roads are pretty good here, sometimes narrower than usual, speed must be the cause of so much carnage.

19^th April. Yacht Club of Luanda. Luanda

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A bad day today. Started off well at Cabo Lado where Desiree had bought us some fresh bread the night before and we were getting the gen from her husband Queros. It was expected to get to the Gabon Embassy by 10.30 but with losing the coordinates and the chaotic traffic in the city we finally made it by 12 noon only to find it would take 4 days to get the visa. Also on the way in the A/C stopped working. Where we are going a/c will be essential. Finally found the Nissan crowd then learnt it would be almost 3 weeks before they could check the a/c. A compromise was reached and one of the mechanics is going to have a look tomorrow during his lunch break.

But the main problem today was the diabolical traffic in the city. A taste of things to come but we travelled over 50kms trying to find the embassy and Nissan. Almost as bad as India and Cairo. No road rules, at intersections, forcing your way across is the norm. Road works don't help as a short stretch of dual lane becomes a bottle neck as everyone tries to force their way in.

But where we are staying is a quiet haven. We are parked on the harbour next to expensive yachts with a 180 degree view of the lights of the city . At no cost. The bloke in charge is only too happy putting overlanders up, something we are all grateful for.

It has been a very tiring day.

21^st April.In a Quarry 30 kms south of N'Zeto.

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Missed out yesterday. Had the A/C checked by this mechanic who proceeded to try and rip us off. A solenoid I think it was had blown, I was able to go back to the Nissan place, buy one and fit it myself. Angola is an expensive country but not the price he asked.

Headed north after that was all settled and ended up down what you may call a country lane as there was nowhere else to spend the night. Some local came past in the morning asking for some water then one asked for whisky, we all had a good laugh.

The road today started off well, then it was roadworks with good detours, after that it was bad. Washouts, corrugations, potholed old tar, took us 8 hours to go 154kms. However the vegetation was interesting with those beautiful baobabs as well as those strange 5 metre plus cacti. We are really in tropical country here. One thing abut the baobabs, to many Africans they are a sacred tree, when the new road is being dozed through, we notice many older trees are left standing although they may be a metre or so from the formed road. That is nice to see. Native animals are rear, so far we have seen a couple of baboons, monkeys and a chameleon as he made his hesitant way across the road.

Luanda is a bit of a shit of a city as mentioned earlier. But one aspect of the capital amused us. In many arterial roads the surface is being upgraded to dual lane. Often a dual lane suddenly becomes a chaotic single each way. Here's where the enterprising locals have seen an opportunity: as the traffic slows the sellers appear hocking off any and everything you can imagine to the slowed drivers. Cold drinks are big but as well you get toilet seats, canteen of cutlery, full size mirrors, large paintings of semi nude women, cds, fluffy toys, anything you can imagine. The most optimistic I thought were some blokes selling shoes, how can a person possibly pick out the right size and try them on while driving along?

The weather has warmed up as we head north. Being on the coast the humidity as well has become tiring. Heading inland the land rises, that may bring some relief. The rains still haven't started which would cool the country down.

22^nd April. Between Aranza-Congo & Lucossa, Northern Angola

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Camp sites in Angola are few and far between. In fact we have only paid for one overnight camping spot the 9 nights we have been in the country. It is mainly a case of finding a place that is off the road a bit and you feel safe at. Even getting off the road can be a challenge as any off roads usually lead to villages. Tonight we are on a stretch of old road that has been bypassed by a new asphalt one.

There was a further 30kms of bad road this morning before reaching N'Zeto. After filling up with diesel from 20 litre containers we headed east on what turned out to be good asphalt. Meaning we could sit back and listen to an audio book as we went along. The road climbed considerably, that and a tropical storm that has just passed means the air is cooler at last. Tsetse flies last night were a problem resulting in both of us coming up in big welts all over. They bite through clothing easily and take a couple of days for their soreness to wear off. Good to hear from Luke while we were in N'Zeto.

A fellow overlander had given us coordinates to a nice spot on the coast near N'Zeto, we decided to have a look and see if it was worth having a day off. Unfortunately it was very hot, the site had little shade and not very conducive to a days rest. However we did see a couple of palm nut vultures on the cliff nearby. A beautiful large bird found in Central and West Africa.

23^rd April. Sister of St Mary's Mission, Kisantu, Democratic Republic of Congo

S05 07'25.4 E015 05'01.5”

Learnt a lesson this morning: don't free camp between a village and the local school. At least they didn't come too early but before we packed up there were over 20 kids surrounding the back of the van wrapt with what they could see. And good posers for photographs. They were a delight. Last night we were visited by three older boys who asked for books, their English was non existent, we had none suitable but did have an old tourism newspaper from Zimbabwe. They were so pleased and divided the pages up evenly. I told them to give it to the teacher who may help them understand the words. It makes one realize just how little these people have.

Water is a problem esp in Angola. It is non potable for the whole of the country and even in Luanda the water I saved for washing had unpleasant goobies in it. And that's the capital. This morning I went down to the stream near where we had parked to see what that water was like. It looked better than what was already in the container so made a swap. The local women washing at the stream were amused. I have just filled the tank with water from the mission which looks ok, we have also started putting the tablets in the tank to kill any bugs. We boil when we use tank water while everyday drinking water is in the purchased PET bottles. So far so good

We crossed into the DRC today but not at the expected crossing. Once more the Garmin ended us up at Luvo, another crossing inhabited more by animals than people. However apart from a 40 minute wait for the customs bloke on the Angolan side, all went smoothly and we were soon on a muddy but better road compared to Angola for some 20kms to the main sealed road. The heavy rain last night made us realize that the alternative crossing of the Congo River was out of the question as both Overlanders who had travelled that route both said not to do it in the wet. That route involved a fair bit of 4wd work even when it wasn't wet, hopeless after rain.

This mission where we are spending the night is a massive undertaking. The cathedral is immense and the hostel in the grounds of which we are camping would house 40 or so people. There are schools, seminaries and such. Sister Chantelle and Sister Anne Marie came round as were finishing our meal and indulged in a glass of wine with us. Both round and black with limited English they enjoyed the South African red, almost our last. Eric, an American we met in Nairobi 4 yrs ago had the mission as one of his waypoints, on his blog. The info on his website has been invaluable.

There is a famous botanical garden here in Kisantu which we will visit before heading west to Kinshasa, would also like to visit Chutes de Lukira on the Congo River if we can find the turnoff.

24^th March. Centre of accueili Protestant (CAP) Kinshasa, DRC

The botanical gardens were very impressive and a credit to the country. Over 100yrs old they house a large range of mature trees mainly from Tropical West Africa. And then it was back on the road again. Kinshasa was only 100kms further on on a well maintained sealed road. Missed the Chutes turnoff but were in the capital by 12 noon. We had been told it was necessary to buy the ticket for the ferry the day before therefore our first stop was the port. Lonely Planet described the scene at the ports either side of the river as scenes out of Dante's Inferno. A very apt description. It was bedlam. People pushing carts, money changers, police, unsavoury characters, it was all there. This is when things started to go pear shaped as we learnt the ferry wasn't able to take vehicles as the level of the river was too low. The alternative was to have it hoisted on to a barge which would take it across while we caught the ferry. The price? $500-600. Three times the normal fee. It then became an afternoon going round the different wharves accompanied by shifty characters and not getting very far. The last office we visited was of a company that gave the impression of a well run operation. We have to go back in the morning to find out a price etc.

But tonight we had a bit of luck in meeting Mary at this protestant hostel where we are camping. It seemed she helped the two Australians, Ray & Avril, when they stayed here a few months back. Admittedly the water level was higher then. I had been emailing Ray regularly in the planning of this trip as we will be following in their footsteps for a fair bit of our journey.

Apart from the ports, Kinshasa doesn't seem too bad a place with better traffic than Luanda. We still hope to cross over to Brazzaville tomorrow.

25^th April. CAP, Kinshasa, DRC

Kafka would have smiled if we were to retail our experiences today. The only saving grace was that Mary came with us meaning we at least had a translator to help us through the frustrations of trying to load a vehicle on a barge and get it 2kms across a fast flowing but lower than usual river. It was a day of waiting in receptions, waiting at The Beach, the local name for the ferry terminal, waiting at various offices of the harbour dept while our carnet was filled out by hand by at least 4 different officers, negotiating prices, getting an idea how much we should bribe each officer for him to sign off on his part of the work. Finally, at 4.pm we were at the port, the barge was already loaded with 4 containers and our car was to sit on top. Then Oscar, Mary's port contact, was called away. 30 minutes later he came back to say we hadn't paid one old codger his 'transport money' (bribe) and as it was after knock off time he wouldn't be able to sign off until he got his $2 tomorrow morning. He was the one who had held us up more than any other, copied incorrect details of the carnet and as Mary said, should have retired years ago. Today we have seen the ugly side of the Congo where every so called officer of any standing down to the gate keepers at the port, wants to be the chief, get his bribe, and make it difficult for the public who are unfortunate enough to have to deal with him. The fat necks as Len would say. As the late afternoon storm blew gusts of dusts around the gantries we had to give up and come back to CAP. One good thing out of it, if the bakkie had've gone over this afternoon we would have had to stay on this side until tomorrow, leaving the vehicle exposed on the other side. Some of the characters hanging around this part of the wharf looked fairly unsavoury.

So another day with little to eat, just didn't get a chance. Travelling up West Africa is a perfect place for those who want to lose weight. Crossing the Congo River was always going to be a challenge, one of the big ones of the trip, but none of us, including lovely Mary, quite expected this experience. At least we should have all the papers in order now, get our passports and carnet stamped tomorrow, and be on the water.

Joan has stood up to all this wonderfully. Hasn't lost her cool with any authority though a tear now and then may have helped. It is so steamy here, there are only cold showers and an hour after getting out your body is just as sticky. Once we leave Brazzaville we hope to get into a cooller area. We have been travelling non stop since leaving Windhoek with few problems. Our health has been good so far. Malaria is bad in this area and we are taking out Doxycycline religiously as well as covering up at night. The van has many openings with mosquito netting meaning we at least catch any breeze that blows.

Sorry about the lack of photos, the driving and heat takes it out of you, that and a computer that has a weakening battery, means my enthusiasm for loading, cropping and sorting photos is lacking.

29^th April. Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

Out of DRC and in to ROC. Took 4 days to get the bakkie across the river with some frustration at times but we are here. I will expand on what happened in later post, just want to get this on the blog if I can before leaving Brazzaville.

We are both well and looking forward to a more relaxed drive (??) from now on

17th March Lobito Angola

13^th March, Johann's Market Garden near Angolan Border

For those following on Google Earth S17 29.590 E014 40.112

The GPS stuffed us up this time. Clearly showed the Olusjhanda Resort/Camping but when we reached the coordinates all there was were market gardens. Johann, the owner came to the rescue taking us to a pleasant corner for us to camp for the night, no charge. He had served in the SADC fighting the Cuban and Angolans some years back in this very area. Sitting here writing this we are serenaded by some cow struck bulls as well as a herd of goats being driven down to the lake to drink. The clunking of a cow bell adds to the pastoral scene. The floods in Australia last year affected people further afield than I imagined: Johann was saying he wasn't able to get his cabbage cultivars from Australia last year because supply was affected by the disastrous floods over There.

Another fairly long drive through very interesting country. Goats and donkeys has replaced game farms and waterways has replaced the dry country we experienced yesterday. There is water everywhere with water lilies covering much of it and donkeys wading out to the middle to feed on the lusher grasses. One frustration driving was the overuse of different speed zones where going along at 120kph (not us) suddenly an 80kph one appears, then a 60, no derestricted signs a short distance on a further set of signs. This continued for every intersection or couple of straw huts on dead straight roads all afternoon. A Sth African had warned us of these, said we would be very fortunate to get through without a fine

We are a short distance to the border and cross over early tomorrow.

14^th March, Bush Camp Near Main Road.

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Before leaving Windhoek we were told a police clearance may be needed to take our Namibian registered vehicle out of Namibia. It would mean a further 3 days in the capital and as we had the ownership papers with my photo on, the carnet with ownership and vehicle details written in, and also the receipt for us buying the vehicle, we thought we would risk it as time was slipping by. At the border the first thing the police woman said was 'Police Pass!' Was this going to mean a 800km each way trip back to Windhoek? We feigned ignorance and showed the papers we had, luckily, after checking engine numbers etc they said that it was ok, we could go on. The rest of the border crossing went well, few others were crossing that morning, in fact there weremore goats and cattlecrossing than humans. We were soon on our way, driving on the right for the first time, trying to find the turnoff to the road we wanted to get us across to the main road some 90kms further north. It was cunningly concealed amongst the grass huts, goats and cattle. Of course once more the Garmin had a problem as it showed a bridge over some swampy land, but the structure had been washed away meaning trying to find a way around. A bit of back tracking and the directions of a young boy we finally found the detour. The next 90 kms took us 5 hours with bad roads. A highlight though were the baobabs we passed, many of an immense size. Also the new schools being built in even the smallest village, a good sign for the future. On getting to the main road new asphalt greeted us. That was for 9kms, then it was back to a mind jolting, vehicle testing struggle. We gave up after 22kms and are bush camping just off the road. The land owner came over, he had seen us stop, after an offer of a few beers he was happy for us to camp the night.

The drive today was long but not too tiring.

15^th April. Namibe, Atlantic Coast, Angola.

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Steady rain fell all night with us conjuring up the further nightmare of trying to dodge all pot holes the next morning as not being able to tell the depth of each of them. Fortunately the road started to improve not that you could take your mind off the driving because even with the start of asphalt meant dramatic holes across much of the road. Chinese have moved in to Africa in a big way and in many countries we have seen them building all types of infrastructure. It is debatable whether the host country get much out of the arrangement apart from a road that usually starts to deteriorate after a couple of years. They bring in all their equipment and man power apart for the most basic jobs and get their pound of flesh by way of recouping their outlay in influence, minerals, diamonds and the likes. The first good road we went on today lasted about 30kms, after that the stretch that was finished before that is already starting to break down. Maintenance is a word with little meaning here.

We reached Lubango after a few hours driving then travelled down the magnificent Leba Pass where the road dropped from 1900 to 600 metres in a series of sweeping hairpin bends. The road was wide enough to offer security although the guard rail had been demolished on many bends by not so fortunate drivers. The views were breathtaking.

Namibe is a port and fishing town. The camp here has seen better days, no charge for no services, not even running water. Though there is a small restaurant next door that served a very nice fish dinner and it is good to go to sleep listening to the surf break. Tomorrow we start heading north along the coast until we reach Luanda then N'Zeto from where the road heads inland to the Congo border.

16^th April. Lucira Foreshore

S13 52'oo.2 E012 31'14.7 Travelled 215kms
The days started disastrously. After a pleasant walk along the beach to an old shipwreck, I managed to get the bakkie horribly stuck in the middle of the park we were staying. A matter of breaking through a harder layer of sand into a very soft section. Before I realized the situation, the back right wheel was deep in sand with the diff also imbedded. 11/2 hours later I had it out with the aid of a young bloke. Namibe is one of these older towns that don't have a supermarket, the shops don't identify what they are selling, making it difficult to get what you want. But we did manage to find the bakery that sells those beautiful Portuguese rolls, and a coffee shop that turns out the strong bitter coffee you would get in the home country. Many of the buildings had bullet holes in the walls, a reminder of the civil war that raged throughout the country.
Then it was on the road after filling up with diesel (40cAU per litre) heading north. Once more the Chinese excelled themselves with a new road for most of the distance before hitting the long detours they put in place while the next stretch is constructed. The land was arid desert with spectacular mountains and valleys, cliffs colored green, red and yellow where they had eroded. The river valleys were oasses of palms and market gardens. Tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers were stacked near the road ready to go to market. A couple of the tomatoes had fallen off the truck on the bad detour, they made a tasty salad tonight.
Lucira is a small fishing port, in the past quite isolated from the nearest town, Namibe. There is no campsite here but were told it would be ok camping near the foreshore away from the officials' offices. We tried out our shower brought from Australia tonight. One end plugged in to the cigarette lighter and the pump went into a bucket of water. We were a bit exposed by people in the vicinity but had a delightful shower after 4 days without one in warm temps. One gets quite basic travelling the way we do though Joan has her wipes for here and there.
Tomorrow we head north once more, hoping to get to Benguela or Lobito. The road turns to gravel from here on but hope it won't be as bad as it was crossing into the country on Saturday.

10th April. This Post Should Have Been First

10^th March. Windhoek.

The main city before we start to get into the interesting part of the trip. It was a long drive from Pretoria and most of it through not that interesting country. The border crossing was a surprise though. The actual border is the Orange River and as we dropped towards it, vineyards and citrus orchards started to appear. Quite unexpected as the land before it was very barren semi desert. The bird life on the river was profuse with the massive Goliath heron standing sentinel downstream a little. It was one of those quiet border crossings where one has the time to pass the time with the officers who usually mellow a little from their original formality. 

After crossing we headed for Keetmanshoopand the quiver forest there. These trees are quite amazing with their shape. Unfortunately the bloke there was quite rude and and put us off staying.  We drove on expecting to see a camping sign but alas, after a further 200kms, making our drive for the day over 700kms, still nothing. We ended up at a resort recommended called OppiKoppi. However it looked like it had closed some years earlier. The track to the resort was however ideal for some bush camping: well off the road and no one around. It was a delightful evening with the full moon lighting the surrounding grassland.

It was full on today, so much to do but everything went so well. Car rego renewal, more books to read, French & Portuguese dictionaries to purchase, gas bottles filled, bakkie booked in for service tomorrow, a few purchases at Campworld, some shopping, Joan's haircut, it all went off without a hitch. We also dropped into Asco Car Hire where we met up with Robbie, now the manager but when we bought the vehicle from them 2 years ago, he was the one to explain all the workings of it. We spent an invaluable half hour with him going over what we should take with us as spares and other tips to lessen the chance of hassles on our trip Once the vehicle is serviced tomorrow we will head off. Should cross into Angola Thursday or Friday. 

 

12 April. Tsumeb.PS More photos on www.flikr.com/photos/jelga

12^th April 2012 Tsumeb, North Namibia

Two years ago, when we were here, most of the country was a dry scorched land. The warthog warning signs on the side of the road could often be photographed with a family of warthogs in the background feeding on the scant feed being offered near the asphalt. On this visit, after floods last year and good follow up rains this year, the land is green and grass long. On the drive of over 470kms today we managed to see just the two of the ugly but loving creatures as they scurried across the road. The waterholes are full and the feed such that there is no need to venture to the road verge.

We left Windhoek after an extra night's stay at Pension Christoph as the bakkie took longer to service than first expected. I told then to give it a good check over as we were expecting to go on some marginal roads. It cost a fair bit more than quoted but we now know the vehicle should go a fair distance with little trouble. Amanda, the owner of Pension Christoph, surprised us when we went to pay for the extra night by saying it was on the house. That we were good return guests and had to pay out extra on the vehicle service so she was happy to waive the cost. We were taken aback, so if any readers are looking for a nice, inexpensive place to stay when visiting Windhoek, I would recommend Pension Christoph.

We made a detour on our way north today to visit the vulture aviary where we had volunteered two years ago. Maria, the owner was not there and neither was Martin & Brenda, the Namibian couple we had gotten along with so well. The guard on the gate off the main road said that Martin had been sacked not long before. It surprised us as Martin was one of the hardest workers we had met. When we were there he intimated he was disillusioned with his situation, Maria was a hard taskmaster and we felt, took advantage of Martin's situation. Margaret, who had just started working there, showed us the vultures. It brought back some vivid memories to the both of us and we were pleased to see the birds looking healthy although Carl, the lappet faced vulture, was now wearing a broken wing. He and Ollie, the Batelaur Eagle seemed to be more receptive to people than two years ago. The place seemed overgrown and not that well kept but that could be because of the lush growth the last 12months had brought on.

We are now at Tsumeb, some 300kms from the border and hope to get to the border tomorrow and cross the next morning. There are two crossings here in the north, the main one is at Santa Cruz but have heard it is a bit of a shambles, also the road north of there is badly potholed. The alternative is to the west at Omahenene, quieter but the road back to the main road some 80kms north, is dirt and meanders somewhat. I think the latter may be the best option.

Blog posts may be a bit erratic until we pick up a workable sim card once we hit a city in Angola.

The four of us, Len's workshop, The dogs

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7th April Augrabie Falls

7^th April. Augrabie Falls NP.

Just what we needed after two days of solid driving, a break at this national park. The word 'Augrabie' means 'The Place of Noise' in the local language and the falls were quite spectacular. The Orange River drops some 56 metres into a plunge pool 130 metres deep then continues through some majestic cliffs on its way to the west coast some 500 kms away. There are few animals of note in the park, it is the rock formations that make it so interesting. The vegetation is low making the 5 giraffes we saw stand out conspicuously. Usually their surrounds are closer to their own height, this time we were able to see just how tall they are.

A few hours relaxed drive around the park before heading back to the resort with its ensuite ablution blocks and a Super 15 game on the telly Tomorrow we head to the Namibian border by way of a more isolated crossing just west of here.

I have spoken before of Len and Ria, the couple we first met outside Etosha NP some four years ago; I would like to indulge the reader in the friendship that has developed between us. That first night we had both turned up at a very nice camp site outside the eastern gate of Etosha. It was a small camp site with ensuite toilet block, part of an upmarket resort. The only others there were a group of young overlanders who, we griped, would keep us up half the night with their antics. Len walked over to us, strangers, and asked if we would like to share a bottle of good South African red with him as his wife. Ria, didn't drink red. We were happy to oblige and over the braai we enjoyed the bottle. Before we knew it the overlanders had gone to bed and it was us oldies making the noise! We caught up two days later again at Namatouni camp in the middle of Etosha. Again we ate together and shared a nice red. There is a viewing area overlooking a waterhole within walking distance of the camp. After finishing off the meal we decided to see what night action there was at the wet. Walking up we were bemused to see a dozen or so people sitting there in semi darkness, cameras set on tripods ready for the slightest animal activity. We sat silently for a few minutes until Len & Joan started to giggle. The situation was so surreal. We had to leave in a hurry before our laughter spoilt any chance those left had any chance to capture that elusive animal.

They told us then that we must stay with them before we flew out at Jo'burg airport, they were a short distance away from the airport. Joan especially hates putting people out and is the first to find an excuse not to, but both of them were insistent. We turned up a couple of days before we were to fly out, we were made at home and both proceeded to smother us with kindness. Ria is a hairdresser, her clientele consisting mainly of senior citizens, while Len is a retired electrical engineer who used to teach at the nearby Tafe College. His workshop would delight any home handyman. He has been so very helpful when small problems that arise in our vehicle.

When we bought our vehicle and were looking for a place to leave it near Jo'burg, he offered to keep it on their plot. Again something we owe them for. Len has been there to pick us up and drop us off at the airport when we fly in and out to. All we can repay is by taking them out for the odd meal and the breakfasts at Wimpys or Steers that Len enjoys.

Their dogs are another joy. I forget the name of the one that Len reckons has the personality of one with no personality (fitting), but Choco, the dachsund he picked up off the street and the latest edition, Luka, a great Dane pup, make up for the other dog's lack of charisma in boatloads. Joan went to bed the other night to see Choco's nose poking out from under the duvet. He has the most intelligent looking eyes. Luka on the other hand is a bumbling joy of life that runs amok with both humans and the other mutts. They snarl and snap at her when they've had enough of the 6 month old's exuberance, we threaten her with a feather duster. She fits in to the scheme of things as if she's always been there.

They visited us last year, they have a son in Sydney, but Len hates the long travel and we doubt we will see him at home. We hope to catch up with Ria if she ever comes across. We will miss the good times we had with them but have the memories.

Joan & Richard of Finfoot Reserve

5th March.Rapoeli Camp

5^th March Rapoeli Camp Site. Near Vryburg, Nth West Province.

My Garmin GPS leaves a blue dotted trail showing the route travelled, must be in case you have to retrace you steps when off road and some obstacle confronts you. The map of Pretoria on the GPS is a birds nest of blue dotted lines. A conglomeration of routes we took going from one embassy to another, getting documents photocopied, depositing money in embassy accounts and the likes. At least it is now all over, our biggest surprise was at the Angolan Embassy where they not only give us a visa, but a 30 day one at that! We expected a 5 day transit at best as we didn't have a sponsor or even a confirmed hotel booking. It will make our trip through that country so mush easier knowing we don't have to go like hell. The Republic of Congo was a piece of cake after that. Once we picked up that this morning it was westward bound.

We covered some 370 kms of mainly uninteresting country with mining a major enterprise at the beginning, then acres upon acres of sunflower and maize farms. Maize is the basic ingredient of one of South Africa's staple foods, pap. It looks a bit like mashed potatoes but more gluggy. Took a while to get a taste for it last trip but we now enjoy eating it.

Sad leaving Len & Ria today, we have had such good times together and know we may not see each other for a long time if ever, has a finality to it.

Len had told us about Rapoeli Camping: a working farm that has an area for camping. The owners are on holiday but William, their worker, looked after us before he headed off herding a flock of sheep, leaving us to babysit the cats and dogs, four of each, that have attached themselves to us. Maybe it was the rib bone left overs that did the trick.

Full moon on a balmy night enveloped in the silence of the African veldt, something to remember.

Zebra Crossing. Pilanesberg NP

Joan & Rus, Drie Berge Camp

Rose-Ringed Parakeet.Only Parakeet Species in Africa

1st April Pretoria

1^st April Pretoria. Sorry about the lack of photos, still trying to sort them out

Back in Pretoria ready for an onslaught on the embassies before the Easter break.

The Pilanesberg NP was a refreshing break. Less than 2 hours from Pretoria it is a mid size park encompassing most of an ancient volcano. It has been a national park for less than 40 years and with the aid of Project Genesis where over 6,000 animals covering 22 species were relocated here, it is now an ideal place to immerse yourselves in the African experience. The park has many drives, loops and links meaning there is a good chance the visitor will encounter a good variety of wildlife and also birdlife. Over 350 birds have been noted in the park. Less than an hour into our first visit we had come upon a pride of lions around a wildebeest kill. One lioness posed for the visitors, satiated from her feed. Others still tore at the carcase while two black backed jackals patiently waited nearby. Surprisingly no vultures were present.

The park is hilly, Australians would call it mountainous, but in the late afternoon light the hills glowed with a light unique to Africa. A scene that would bring sighs and tears to the eyes of expat South Africans.

But apart from the vistas and animals you encounter over here, it is the people you meet that will leave a more lasting impression. Rus, at Dries Berge Campsite. A birder who was what you would call an overseer at the park. Into his 70s he was offered the job when he was staying there one time. 'What would I do in Johannesburg now that I'm retired' he said 'wait to be robbed, or killed. Have my house broken into' He loved the birds and helped with the identification of a bird that I had snapped around the van. It was a rose-ringed parakeet, the only parakeet in Africa and usually in the Sahel below the Sahara. It was the first time it had been photographed in the area we were. There are a few feral populations in parts of Sth Africa.

Richard we met at the end of a wild finfoot chase. Coming back from the park we saw a sign for the Finfoot Reserve. This was the bird we hadn't seen at De Rust Camp. 18 kms on we came to a gate for the Eland Game Reserve that encompassed the Finfoot Reserve. The gatekeeper would not allow us in as we didn't have a booking. It was morning tea time so we pulled up next to the gate on some grass, raised the roof and proceeded to make a cup of tea. The guard's inquisitiveness got the better of him and came over to see what was happening. His name was Richard and we shared a cup of tea learning a bit about him at the same time. Aged 48 he had worked for the same crowd some 20 years. Married with two grown up children he had seen five of his school friends die of AIDS. He had strong opinions on older men taking on a younger wife and how that leads to marital disharmony. We had a pleasant half hour chewing the fat. Africans love to laugh and sharing a joke with them is an enjoyable treat. They have a very dry subtle sense of humour.

At De Rust caravan park we met up with two great couples, Ingerborg & Helmut, and Paul & Edith. All of Austro/German extraction, Ingerborg had been brought up in present day Namibia. She was going back to visit Namibia this year but refused to visit the area she lived as a child, she didn't want to see what was left of the homestead. A lovely assertive woman who loved a whiskey and soda at 11am. Helmut was 82, they lived in Pretoria where they went against the negativeness by having no electrified fences, guard dogs and such. In fact they had even forgotten to lock their house for their weekend away.

Such is the unexpected treats of travelling on your own.