A day of disasters ...
Trip Start
Dec 17, 2007
1
20
26
Trip End
Jan 19, 2008
Springbok / Goegap Nature Reserve,
South Africa
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
As it turned out we never made it to Citrusdal ...
As I sat in a world of my own listening to the walkman Benji pulled up by the side of the road ... I sat there for another 20 minutes in blisfull ignorance of the unfolding mini drama ... then one of the girls asked me if my mobile phone had coverage ... as the cab of the truck started to tilt forward in front of me ... I realised something was not quite right ... Benji was dying ... having taken everyone all the way from Nairobi to just over the border with South Africa and Namibia it is an odd thing that Benji would pick our last proper leg in probably the easiest driving conditions of the entire journey to fall apart ... it is as if some unseen force had held it to the point where we were safe only to let go suddenly ...
It is still early in the day so it is comfortable 25-30C ... but you can tell it is going to get hotter than hell soon enough ... and there is no coverage here to call for help ... we make the most of it sitting by the side of the road reading and chatting as Wil and Joe try to patch Benji back together ... after about an hour, countless attempts to get Benji going and another 10C of heat Benji starts and we limp our way at less than 60KMH towards the next town ...
We arrive at a roadside garage run by a greek family ... a friendly bunch ... they feed us and agonise with us about our plight ... but the local mechanic is not likely to be able to help so we limp a little further before reaching the town of Springbok ... it is now hotter than hell ... at least 45C ... we stop at the supermarket and Sarah, Christina and I go in search of stuff to do, internet access ... etc ... After discovering that there is really very little to do in Springbok indeed except visit the local Spar for cakes from the bakery or the mining museum we meet at the truck only to be taken around the local garages in search of salvation for Benji ... but it is not to be ... nobody can fix our truck ... at least not today ... so we (well in fact Jacques) decides to bring us to a national park camp site to stay over night ... I'd was ready for the local B&B ... and tried unsucessfully to enlist partners in crime to rent a car and drive it all the way to Cape Town ... I also manage to change my flight and but an extra few days ...
The Goegap Nature reserve ... on the way Benji falters again for another hour ... but we eventually limp into an empty nation park in the searing heat of the afternoon ... if this place is hot as hell it is as beautiful as heaven ... as the rocky crags of the surrounding valley give it a remote charachter all of its own ...
It is the day from hell for Will ... but it is also his birthday ... and Nadia and Melissa have made sure we have the necessery supplies to mark it well ... the party girls have all the trimmings even a cake with candles ...
Everyone sets up their tent while Joe begins to cook what is to be our last dinner one the road ... we don't know what will happen next and Jacques is not being forthcoming with information .. we do know that the owner of Africa in Focus ... Jeremy ... is coming to the rescue ... when is not clear ...
I find a hut with bed in it ... so I decide this is to be my billet for the evening ... After packing my bag in conditions I can't even begin to describe we all sit around watching Joe putting the finishing touches on our dinner ... then the party begins in earnest as the mood of the group lifts and we celebrate Wils 29th brithday in style ... it ends up being one of the most fun nights of the trip ... I DJ while the girls dance ... and I do mean dance ... Benji spends his last hours with us as a night club dance floor as the girle hop on his roof to dance away ... at one point Wills privacy is invaded... but I won't tell more about that ...
It was only when the gang start insisting on hearing Meatloaf songs that I step away from the music and discreetly pop off to bed ... happy with a very nice evenings fun and frolicks ... but vaguely sad that this may be the last with this group ...
