Saturday 10 September 2011

"How far have you come already"

Gordon Skypes Jenny, on the banks of the "Great
Green Greasy Zambesi River"
We're now in Katima on the banks of the Zambesi river, overlooking Zambia.  A most gorgeous guest house, calling itself the Protea Hotel: rooms up to Thailand resort standard.
On the way Namibians young and old, male and female, black and white, have been most interested in our rally and loooove our magic Mustang: "It must fly like a plane", they say.  "How fast does it go?" "Where's it from", and so on.  They ask where we're going and when we say Cairo, it's "waaahh, so far!"  A couple of people, a couple note, have asked "and how far have you come already?"  Ummm...  "We'll we've come to here, right at this spot, actually".
Last night we stayed at the Ngandu Safari Lodge, at Rundu, not on original route, as it had to be changed from going East to Botswana.  The Okavango River flooded the Okavangu Swamp (the size of half of Europe), and washed out a bridge we were to go over. Had we set off without knowing, we'd have had an 800km detour.... Instead, we're in North East Nabibia and headed to the Victoria falls tomorrow.
Nabibia strikes me as richer and more developed that I'd imagined.  There's plenty of poverty to be sure; but the main towns, are fine and pretty.  Like its people, and many cuties....
Luscious Linda, keeps bar and runs the Pools Comp at the Ngandu Lodge

Carmen at the sunset lookout, Ngandu  Safari Lodge

Sunset over the Okavango river, from Ngandu Lodge, Rundu

Gordon does running repairs on bushes, while Peter offers expert advice from the side.
We were stopped by the police at a checkpoint this morning, allegedly for speeding, but clearly they just wanted to look at the car.  One of them, Samu, got in and started driving along the street.  No fine levied.

Constable Samu takes the Magic Mustang for a spin...

"Waah, she must fly like a plane!", says the camouflaged cop...