Kanaan to Hobas

16 November 2024

Another gorgeous morning! Only cycling today is an optional 12 km ride up the Fish River canyon sunset lookout on a road that Charles described as “absolute shit.” I did not get kitted up but I am sure that the Germans will power thru. In the meantime we have a 7 hour vehicle transfer.

Kanaan Desert Retreat $35/ night camping, $655/night for cabin

Last night it looked like there was a falling star or even a comet on the horizon but it was moving too fast and low in the sky. Then a string of lights came into focus and disappeared.  UFOs perhaps? But no, turned out it was elon musks star link satellites - even in the middle of a desert in one of  the least densely populated country on earth,  there is no escape from the modern world. Wonder what the bushmen make of such things?

Red line marks our journey thru Namibia

Our bus is a rattletrap, with a junky interior and African air conditioning (as in, open a window.) The interior gets as filthy as we do. You feel every little bump in every washboard. It is however, mechanically fit and has gotten safely through some gnarly conditions so far - thanks as well to Sandila’s excellent driving. A couple days ago someone spilled their water and then some milk in the fridge that we are sitting beside today. The result is a putrid rotten turnip smell fills the bus every time it is opened. I was chuckling that Hendrick’s water bottle which was in there overnight, seems to have absorbed the odour.

Funny how my perception of hot&cold has changed over the past 2 weeks. It’s 28C on the bus right now I feel a little chilled. With only 6% humidity 44C in the shade with a light breeze was pleasant…but not so much on the bike…

We are heading south to Fish River canyon second in size to only the Grand Canyon. Traffic throughout our Namibian stay has ben light to non-existent. Drivers have been considerate in pulling way over but they go breakneck speed in an attempt to fly over the washboarding - very dusty!

Hottest lunch of the trip with only a postage size spot of shade!

They have done are remarkable job in building and maintaining roads in this country given it’s density. It’s about 88% the size of Ontario with a population of 2.6 million. We have been cycling on gravel (apart from Sesriem area) and these are main roads. The guys who do the grading tow a trailer out with them to live in - not sure how many days they grade at a time.

Passing by the odd farm, ranch, private game reserve. A herd oryx crossed in front of us this morning but mostly seeing cows and goats and the odd ostrich…but wait, there’s a couple of cyclists going in the opposite direction! 

We can get a latte in 60 km in Aus!

Well that was a nice oasis - carrot cake and a latte at a railway hotel. The manager, a big german guy, was administering an homeopathic treatment for a sinus problem to one of his staff: 2oz of tequila straight up with a generous shake of tabasco and an equally generous shake of black pepper + go home and sleep. He told me they have very limited access to medical treatment and their health unit only had paracetamol for this ailment and it didn’t help. I suspect it was the sleeping that did the trick.

Bahnhof Hotel Aus

 

Namibia had a diamond rush in the early 1900’s and a restricted diamond mining area was established. There is not so much diamond mining today but the area acts as a buffer zone. Check out this NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/27/world/oranjemund-journal-find-a-diamond-in-the-sand-just-don-t-pick-it-up.html?unlocked_article_code=1.a04.uoWO.PR3gUWyhrwyD&smid=url-share

Now we have tarmac…for a while. Terrain is looking a little more like the Alberta badlands but big scale and monochrome. Would not be surprised to see hoodoos.

Nice camp site ~ had a visit from the cutest little jackal after dinner. (Bad dog!)

But before diner, sunset!