9 January 2015    The Wild West of Southern Africa
I wake from a peaceful dreamless sleep and patter off to the loo.  When I emerge Abrie is already making tea.  Couldn’t have timed it better.  Now a mini  troupe of gymnasts take up residence in my tummy and start a flick-flack routine. I greet Abrie with a fake calmness. All too soon we’re packed and in the bakkie for the short drive to the airfield.  No check in queues – how pleasant.  Our host is pilot, caterer and cabin crew all rolled in one   The guys roll out the plane and the gymnasts do a trapeze act while I pretend that climbing onto the wing of an aeroplane and stepping into my seat is something I do every time I fly.

Earl next to our box with wings

The tubular crate with wings makes an enormous racket as it takes me, screaming silently, into the air.  But wait – that was so smooth – better than any Boeing – Yes – I think I can get used to this.  And the in-flight entertainment – fabulous music in my own personal earphones – nice touch.  The view is to die for – at first it’s a tad bumpy but hey the rough roads of The Kgalagadi are way worse.  We fly above an ocean of foamy cloud. The sunrise is brilliant and soon we are in the clear and see the rivers and mountains below.  Wow!   The air is rarified and Abrie needs oxygen to keep alert.  I feel slightly light headed but not uncomfortable – I take few deep breaths every now and then.  No waiting for inflight snacks – just lean over the seat, open the cool bag and there are the delicious ham sandwiches on home-baked bread. Through my earphones I can hear the guys discussing technical stuff – but I am relaxed in the knowledge that my pilot knows exactly what he is doing and doesn’t take chances!

Sunrise from the aircraft

Looking down on a sea of foamy clouds

Technology

Selfie – Earl, Me faking calmness, Abrie – with oxygen mask

It’s time for our first decent. The gymnasts are a tad more relaxed and only do a few cartwheels. The plane hardly bumps as we hit the runway. The air traffic control girl looks hot and fed up. Later she tells Abrie, “jislaaik! Dis so warm. Ek gaan @#^^ emigree Alaska toe.”  (Jeepers It’s so hot. I am going to @#^^** emigrate to Alaska.)

The Runway at Upington

Upington International Airport!

The next stage of the journey to Eros (Windhoek) is a breeze – not a bit of turbulence – clear skies, smooth ride, gentle landing. Oh wow – what was I fretting about. This is so much better than SAA.

So as we take off for the last leg to Outju I am completely relaxed and the mini gymnasts are asleep. But not for long. The skies are clear but the plane is being battered by cross winds. We bounce along and my bottom even lifts from my seat. The silent scream returns, the gymnasts start somersaulting, visions of plummeting uncontrollably to Earth play out in my head. This is not just a speed boat on a choppy river. This is as yacht tossed about by fifteen foot waves. It will calm down soon I tell myself. This is fun. I am not at all scared. I hear Abrie’s voice in my earphones, ‘Are you okay? Not scared?’  I smile bravely and fake a calmness I do not actually feel. But after a while and much psyching myself into complacence, I realise that we are quite safe and I trust Abrie’s piloting skills. The trip is short and soon we make another perfect landing.
If I think the flight was rough, I have yet to experience the ride to the ranch. A friend of Abrie kindly meets us at the airfield with his double cab and drives us the 70km to Marmorkopf Cattle Ranch . He drives, foot flat on the accelerator and doesn’t let up for a second. No slowing down for potholes, swerving around dongos, straight through cattle gates without even a slight decrease in speed. We are used to African roads and always take them slowly – but the locals, knowing every inch of the rough roads, have no fear.  I hang on tightly and pray until the fear inside me subsides to a panic.  After a few minutes I resign myself to the fact that I wanted an adventure and now I had one!  Just enjoy the roller-coaster ride!

The ranch has been in the Abrie’s family since Oupa bought it in 1938. And nothing has changed. Only a bathroom has been added. There is no electricity and no generator. No internet and I had better use my camera batteries sparingly. It’s rustic living at its best. It’s hot! And after an ice cold beer we take a nap. When I wake, I brave the bathroom with its resident spiders and helicopter flying insects and have a cold shower.  But in the heat of Africa I am happy with this. A less bush happy girl might object but not I!  I am delighted to be in a real African environment.
Abrie takes us for a Game Drive when we awake and it is magic. The roads are rough and our transport is an open land-rover.  He drives in the same cow-boy style as the guy who drove us up from Outju but the roads are even worse. Earl sits in the middle and I next to the door and I have to duck under low branches and Earl grabs me close as I duck sideways when we pass thorn trees but I am exhilarated as the wind blows through my hair.
We see birds, dassies and the highlight is a group of giraffe.

The Guineafowl are bluer here than at home

What are you looking at!

Sabota Lark, I think

European Bee-Eater

Shaft-tailed whydahs with females

White-browed sparrow-weaver

Back at the ranch I make a salad and Abrie prepares a superb braai.  Thus ends Day 1 of our Namibian Adventure.