Day 5: Ruacana to Bush Camp 1

We go off to the Ruacana Falls on the way to the border post and are fortunate to see them in flood. The dam is overflowing and the falls are in full spate but it is the end of their rain season so that's to be expected. We lose our guide - or actually he loses us, before we even get going!

The border crossing on the Namibian side is pretty simple. We are all well prepared and have the necessary documents so the formalities are completed pretty quickly. The Angolan side is something else altogether! We have been warned to be formal, polite, park carefully etc. but nothing prepares you for the bureaucracy!! Add to that the fact that all their forms are in Portuguese and then you have a lot of time spent just trying to figure out what they want. Thank goodness the assistant guide (Matthew) speaks Portuguese so we have some assistance. Mind you, we were not complaining. The border buildings are all brand new with lots of air-conditioning so it's not a bad place to wait. Almost three hours later we are on our way. We exchange money with the guys outside the border post - everyone is involved in the money-changing - the police, the border guards and the army. In the border post we were told that they don't condone 'informal' money exchange but outside they are all involved in it! Between them they don't have enough money to exchange for all nine of us so some are left a little short. A good rate for both parties though so it's a win-win.

We drive through lovely, green scenery still but the roads are extremely rough - despite having to pay R630 road tax to enter Angola. We pass through very small villages and see lots of cattle and goats along the way. After some tough driving we get to a dry river bed and decide so spend the night there. Of course we have barely stopped before we are surrounded by locals but they are mostly curious and content to just sit and watch us. One of the assistants, Lucas, speaks many African languages so he is able to talk to them. Himba women are naked to the waist so that takes a bit of getting used to.

Our guides put up a shower and toilet for us to use so we wash off all the days dust and grime and after a good meal we are off to bed. The food is good quality although we seem to eat rather late.

Day 6: Bush Camp 1 to Bush Camp 2

Up before dawn so that we can do our ablutions without an audience. Breakfast and dinner is provided by the guides every day so that takes the pressure off somewhat. Willem shows us a Leguaan which he has spotted sheltering under his vehicle in the dark. It is impressive at about a meter long. We have a look at it and then resume packing up. Then something comes scuttling over both Simon and my feet in the dark. If I hadn't just seen the leguaan I might well have had a heart attack!!

It is Antoinette's birthday so we persuade the local people to do a little celebratory dance after breakfast. They are of course rewarded with some spare food and things they need like sugar, flour and washing powder. The roads are very, very rough so it is slow going. We take 'body breaks' every couple of hours - men on the right and women on the left. We stop for lunch which each person provides for themselves so for Simon and I that means raw carrots, raw beans, banana, apple and some dry wors. Plus a cup of coffee of course!

The scenery is still pretty with lots of trees and the distant mountains are lovely. It all loses a little appeal when our guide explains that the red and white paint markers on some trees on either side of the 'road' means that the road has been cleared of land-mines, but beyond the trees has not. His theory is that if there are any land-mines left in the bush then the cows would have set them off, but I don't think I will test that!

We then get to a police check-point where we all have to stop and park. The drivers all traipse in with their 'papers' and as they are all prepared, it does not take much time. One of the policemen spent some time living in Hout Bay so he speaks English which helps a great deal. We all start driving away when a policeman stops the guide right at the back and wants to check Lukas' passport again. He has some questions which Matthew answers and is then allowed to proceed. There are a lot of brand new houses in this village but the Government has not yet decided who will live in them so they are mostly empty. There is no way that Angolans will move into a house unless they are authorised to do so. The rest of the village is quite poor, but has facilities like (incongruously) solar-powered streetlights and water pumps so it is somewhat partially developed.

The road is once again rather slow going. The people we see along the road are usually quite friendly but often have a hand held out. Most women have a baby on their backs so I always find that depressing as these people are very poor. The women are generally quite traditionally dressed but the men are mostly not. There are a few motor bikes around (used to ferry people about) but apart from two trucks, we don't see any other vehicles. We do see one entrepreneur selling petrol at the side of the 'road' - from plastic bottles, but at R25/litre we are not tempted.

Once again the sun is getting low so we find a dry river bed to camp in. Toilet and shower go up and we are getting used to the routine. We set up our tents, have a drink and watch the sunset until we are called to dinner. Sitting round the campsite our eagle-eyed guide, Matthew, spots something scuttling around and investigates. He finds an extremely venomous scorpion and is immediately very concerned. Apparently they are attracted to the light and he looks around and finds another scorpion. This is quite different from the first one and is bigger but not so venomous. She is also pregnant he tells us. He catches both of them and later goes for a very long walk and releases them far, far away. A venemous snake is also found, caught and relocated.

Day 7: Bush Camp 2 to Bush Camp 3

We set off around 09h00 in the morning and make slow progress as the roads are really rough. One of the striking things is how solidly we sleep at night (even me!) This rough driving takes its toll on driver and passenger alike. Another reason for the solid sleeping is that we feel so safe. Although there are people around, there is almost no likelihood of anyone stealing anything and certainly no concern for personal safety.

Yet another police checkpoint but this one is speedily dealt with. Just as well, as the women are left sitting in the vehicles while the driver's (all men in this case) take copies of all passports and vehicle details into the police station, and it's literally as hot as hell. I was bemused as the temperature gauge in the car rose to 50.4 degrees inside and eventually 40 odd degrees Celcius outside! It recorded an outside temperature around 46 degrees during our driving today.

We eventually get to the Parque do Iona and have to get a permit to enter the National Park. Our guide is excited to see springbok and we eventually see lots of them so the park is gradually recovering. These are the first wild animals we have seen as wildlife has been decimated in these parts. We go on to see four Oryx and then one on its own that poses for a photo although he is rather far away. One of the vehicles has a puncture so yet another stop to repair that. We see many Welwitschia along the way as well as the 'fairy circles' where nothing will grow in a circle amongst the grasslands. Many interesting theories about what causes them, but nothing proven.

We realise that we are not going to get to our next stop which is supposed to be Foz Do Rio Cunene which is near the mouth of the Cunene River. Jakkals takes us down to the river and onto the river bank which gives us a spectacular view of the river and the opposite sand dunes of Namibia. We setup camp here and it is idyllic. Unfortunately there are apparently many crocodile in the river so we cannot take that inviting dip. Looks like a spectacular river for a white-water rafting trip though and we get to spend a peaceful night with the sound of water rushing by and a cool breeze. For once we also have no spectators so that's a bonus.

Day 8: Bush Camp 3 to Bush Camp 4

We have a slow start this morning - no-one is in a rush to leave this oasis, but we also don't have very far to go. We are fortunate enough to see a group of Oryx running in the dessert but unfortunately my camera battery is being charged so that's a photo opportunity missed. We reach Foz Do Rio Cunene which is basically a combination of a fishing camp and a police checkpoint near the mouth of the Cunene River. The buildings are extremely dilapidated but apparently once per year there are some repairs effected from Flamingo Lodge (the Foz fishing camp buildings and Flamingo Lodge are owned by Rico Sakko who happens to be guide Matthew's father). They check our passports and we have a look around at the fishermen's cabins. The wind is relentless but at least it breaks the scorching heat. We fill up some shower water from the river as we cannot find they keys to get into one of the cottages where we may find water - deary deary me!

We then drive down to the Cunene River mouth and apart from a few fishermen, it is pretty deserted and desolate. It is a wide river mouth pumping many litres of water into the ocean and the sea must be very cold as there is a mist hanging over the beach and the river mouth. There is quite a wind blowing too, but apparently the fishing is superb.

Simon and I leave a stone on the beach in memory of Lauren and spend a few moments thinking about her and of course her loved ones.

We then let the tyres down a lot (0,8 bar - they look ridiculous) and drive along the beach heading towards the Death Acre and Island Dos Tigres which is on tomorrow's itinerary. Once we have travelled far enough along the beach, we head inland into the dunes to find a more protected spot to camp. The wind from the sea is cold and relentless so we are looking for some shelter amongst the dunes. The dune driving is of course challenging and exhilarating and our drivers' are happy - too much adrenalin perhaps. We slide down the slip face of a very high dune which has my heart in my mouth and settle in a rather wind-swept little basin surrounded by dunes.

I need a drink! So do I !!!

Day 9: Bush Camp 4 to Bush Camp 5

It is still cold when we get up, but we catch a glimpse of a sliver of moon with Venus just below it so that is spectacular. Our guide has persuaded us to travel through the dunes instead of heading into Death Acre straight away. The dune driving is nerve-wracking but adrenalin-pumping so the drivers' are having fun. The Death Acre is over 90km long in total and one has to be extremely careful of both the swell and tides as in places there is no escape from the narrow stretch of sand that you drive on between the dunes and the sea.

We make our way through the dunes and the scenery is really spectacular but apart from a few crows we see nothing else. There are of course hoof-prints and dung trails to show that there is life there, but we don't actually see anything. We get to a lookout point above Island Dos Tigres and discover that the boat that is supposed to meet us there is missing. The satellite phone comes out and it is established that the boat has an engine problem so they turned back for repairs. We will not be going to the island today! We head back into the dunes and find another quiet spot to camp for the night. This is near the sea so we can hear the sound of the waves, but we are protected from some of the wind. Unfortunately it is still rather windy. We are all hopeful that we will be able to meet the boat tomorrow so we will wait and see. It's been another day of exhilarating but scary driving in the dunes - the Dodle performs admirably but without the turbo upgrade we would have been dead in the sand. The Doddle is the least powered car of the group and one of the heaviest, so my nerves are on edge a lot of the time. Although I get a little stuck occasionally (as everyone does) it is relatively easy to switch into low range and work a way out. Unfortunately there is only one other Cruiser on this trip with the same wheel base (and each axle on the Cruiser has a different wheel base), so generally the Doddle struggles to keep within the rut defined by previous vehicles if we are not first in the line.

Day 10: Bush Camp 5 to Flamingo Lodge

So today we live to tell the tale of another Doddle! The dreaded (by me) Death Acre is done and dusted! Everyone was well-primed when we left camp at 08h10 this morning and we had already seen two local vehicles doing the run so we knew the conditions were good. I must admit that it was pretty nerve-wracking in places where the sand dunes run right down to sea level and although the tide is low, the water still washes into the tyre-tracks of the vehicle in front of you. You can just imagine how easily things can go horribly wrong. We drove about 60km of the Death Acre before it becomes apparent that there are escape routes into the dunes if the tide or swell catch you.

It was a magnificent drive with a view of many ganets and ghost crabs and even a seal. Beautiful scenery along a very wild coast. There are various shipwrecks along the way but only two that we had a good view of. As we got closer to the town of Tombua we came across more and more fishermen and quite a few shacks built above the high water mark. This is extremely desolate living - hot and windy and inhospitable. We saw quite a few dogs now amongst the fishing shacks and they all looked very healthy so obviously fish agrees with them!

We stopped on the beach near Tombua for a quick lunch and then headed to the outskirts of the town to fill up with diesel (there I a new Girassol fuel station which fortunately did have fuel - sometimes they don't). The Doddle has 786km on the clock from the Ruacana start and we still had a quarter of a tank left - I guess about 5,2km/l on average over the last 6 days) Once we had done that, we hopped onto the first tarred road we had seen and headed for Flamingo Lodge. We had another police checkpoint to negotiate so sent Matthew and his fresh-smiley-Portuguese-speaking face up ahead and we all sailed through. Then another 24km along a dry, rough river bed and we reached Flamingo Lodge where Antoinette and I held our men to their promise of an upgrade into a 'chalet'. Absolute bliss - en-suite bathroom and a hot shower. Pretty rustic setup out here, but spectacular beach and view and electricity to re-charge our camera and laptop so all is good.

Day 11: Flamingo Lodge - Namibe - Flamingo Lodge

Today is a slow breakfast and then off we drive along a long (54km), hard sand beach to the metropolis of Namibe. We go to the fish market near the harbour to buy bait for the guys that want to fish at Flamingo then off to the local market for an hour to see what's on offer. It's the usual African market - lots of Chinese Levi's. There is good, cheap cotton fabric for sale and Antoinette goes mad for it (Lyn buys one length too). Then we go down to the beachfront for lunch at Club Nautico which is very good and we have a couple of Super Bok lagers to wash down the fish. Life is looking up it seems. I order red fish for lunch and it is served whole - and I do mean whole - half way through I suddenly discovered that it had not been gutted! Yugh!! Difficult to finish it after that [Lyn].

After lunch we head off to a shopping centre which has a huge Shoprite where we stock up, then back to Flamingo Lodge. It's quite a rough ride (and 65km) on the way back (up from the beach as it's now high tide) and Willem gets puncture which is a side-wall tear. This is the second puncture of the trip (total 9 vehicles and around 850km each - not bad).

Dinner is a little earlier tonight and we are quite tired so a relatively early night is had. Tomorrow is a day at leisure.

Day 12: Flamingo Lodge

Our day of leisure. Relaxed and updated the blog and photo's which is always fun. Had lunch at the restaurant and a swim in the sea. That evening Matthew took us out to the canyon which lies behind the lodge. Very interesting geology and stunning colours. We named it Flamingo Canyon as it has no name. Left a stone there in Lauren's memory as this is an incredibly beautiful and quiet place. Got back to the Lodge just in time to catch the sunset and later on an interesting moon.

Tomorrow we hit the road again to Lubango and then our last bush camp for the trip - Yayy!!

Day 13: Bush Camp 6: Fendas Da Tundavala

Early-ish departure from Flamingo Lodge and head onto the tarred road to Lubango. Our first view of Lubango is impressive - it is a big city. We head up the Leba Pass which is well photographed and quite an experience. The pass was designed by a Portuguese lady who died on the day the construction of the road was completed. It is impressive and we stop for a picnic at the lookout point and some of the travellers decide to brave the local restaurant for lunch and a beer. We eventually get going again and head to Humpata to the monument to the Dorsland Trekkers who left South Africa and settled in Angola in 1881. Unfortunately they eventually fell out with the Portuguese government (at that time) and then left Angola and settled in Namibia. The monument is still well maintained as is the cemetery which and the whole area was covered in Cosmos flowers and the most amazing grass that smelt like lemon-grass.

Above Lubango is the Monumento do Christo Rei which is a white, marble statue that is a smaller version of the one in Rio de Janeiro. From there we head to the lookout point at the Fendas da Tundavala. The 1200m down to the valley is reputably a place where the MPLA executed traitors and then dumped their bodies in the crevices. It is nevertheless a magnificent viewpoint and we decide to spend the night camping there. The views are spectacular, but the wind is miserable and we spend a disturbed and cold night there.

The next morning we leave early and make our way down into Lubango to top up fuel and for Willem to buy a new tyre to replace the one that was punctured the day before.

Day 14: Bush Camp 6 to Ruacana, Namibia

We head for the Angolan / Namibian border which is only about 350km away but the road is so bad that it literally takes us all day to get there. We stop at the side of the road for lunch which elicits lots of stares from passers-by, but not much attention. The border crossing is painfully slow on the Angolan side - you'd think they would be glad to get rid of us! We have had no problem with police checkpoints all day, but Matthew catches up with us at the border and they were stopped and the police tried for a bribe. Fortunately he was quick and pretended he only spoke English and Lukas followed suite so the police gave up! Apparently the police (and most officials) in Angola are incredibly corrupt, although at all the police checkpoints our convoy received a friendly wave through most of the time.

We eventually reach Eha Lodge in Ruacana at about 16h00 in the afternoon and happily jump into a shower as we have booked a room for the night. Many of our fellow-travellers have taken the gap and headed off in different directions so there are only 12 of us left for the final dinner in the restaurant at Ruacana. It has been quite an experience and we wish them well on their travels.