3rd August Okahandja

3rd August. Okahandja Lodge. 70kms Nth Windhoek
Finally bought everything we thought we needed and on the road. It’s a wonderful sensation. The first night we stopped on the edge of Windhoek to try it all out so we could duck back to town to get anything we missed. It was near the main road and noisy but that didn’t seem to worry our neighbours, a family of African ground squirrels. There was about 15 plastic bags of goods lined up behind the Nissan which Joan studiously found room for inside. Today we are having a break to recuperate from it all.
The Okahandja Lodge is similar to many of the lodges and retreats over here: the main lodge with its up market accommodation and price to match, then tucked away in some times idyllic spots is their campsite. This one could take about 15 units, shaded and grassy, water and power on hand, hot water from the donkey, spotless and a night guard to keep an eye on things. And we can use the facilities of the lodge. All for $22 a night. Birdlife is profuse. It was too hard to refuse the 2nd night.
I spoke about the bakkie before but now we are in it there is little we can complain about. We had to take it back to the hire crowd we bought it off as the water pump wouldn’t work and a few other niggles but that was all sorted out without difficulty. It’s a little different than our VW but just as much room. We had to forgo the porta potti for lack of space but these stools with a hole in the top and a bucket underneath seem to work ok for Joan. Just as long as she remembers to put the lid on after to save my Bellingen Jazz cap falling in for a 2nd time. The vehicle as I said before, is very basic. They call them the Bushmaster model over here. It’s really like the Patrols and Landcruisers of 20 years ago. No turbo, automatic choke, ABS brakes, electric windows, nothing that can go wrong in some awkward place. It’s very basic but I have been told many times that that is the perfect vehicle for what we have done and are doing.
Enough raving. Will sort out some photos and get them on the blog.
Gary