Ngepi and Windhoek

We were sorry to leave the Zambezi Mubala camp as we had enjoyed our stay there, even though the Vervets caused us some grief! The drive back to Divundu went smoothly and the traffic stops were not too onerous.

Two Geckos leave Zambezi Mubala

We turned into the access road to Ngepi, with no idea of how bad these four kilometers would be. Not only are there parts thick with sand, but there are also dips, bumps and rocks to contend with along with the usual dogs, kids, cows, goats and donkeys! We had to smile at the signboard that said “About halfway” after almost two kilometers. We eventually arrived at the reception desk and were allocated campsites 16 and 17.

Ngepi Camp

Seating around Ngepi

Looking across the grounds to the dining area

The Pub

The Okavango from the dining area

We found our camps and settled in, only to be told that we had parked on the grass, which would incur a $100 per night “fine”. This caused no end of confusion as the entire site was grassed so where we were supposed to place the van was a bit of a mystery! Eventually, we worked out that there was a line of small poles with a gap in the middle. Apparently, we were not supposed to park beyond the poles. The problem was there was no shade before the poles so we decided to argue the fact if we were asked to pay this fine. Fortunately, no one arrived to ask us to pay the fine so we let the matter lie.

Negi is a fun camp where the reception and pub areas are decorated with shirts, caps and other pieces of clothing, that have messages from various campers written on them, and then pinned onto the wall. There are lots of places to sit, none awfully comfy as they seemed to be mokoros (canoes) turned upside down, but the rest of the visitors (mostly 20-something folk from Europe) enjoyed sitting on them, chatting and using the abysmally slow wifi.

The campsites were along the river and had a nice view of the water.

Our view of the Okavango River

The ablutions at Ngepi were a sight to behold. The loos and showers are unisex and built with reed walls. There was no door as such, just a pole across the entrance. If the pole was up, then someone was in there and if it was down, well just go on in! The loo was placed on top of a platform that was reached by four steps. Great fun in the daylight, but not so much when it was dark. There is just solar lighting which gave little or no light so a torch was a necessity!

The sign for the loo

Steps up to the throne

The door!

The showers were built in a similar fashion but unfortunately, the hot water was only a solar geyser, as they have stopped using their donkeys. This meant that the first person that showered in the evening had hot water but after that, it got progressively cooler until it was ice cold. The first night we were lucky and got the first shower so it was great but the second night was cold so the third night we used our own shower rather than “enjoy” another cold shower.

The shower

The shower itself

Alvan and I had made inquiries about a game drive that was advertised.  The minimum number of people for the drive was four, so if we wanted to go we would have to pay the full price for four people ($2400). That was out of the question, but on further questioning, the receptionist admitted that we could take a self-drive. The game area was part of the BwaBwata National Park, which was a short drive along the main road.

We took a drive through this very pretty park, where there were long drives along the flood plain where we found a number of animals. This was a great drive and is thoroughly recommended for anyone staying in the area.

Bwabwata National Park

A beautiful kudu cow

Zebras by the dozen

Two lovely Roan antelope

More Impala than we could count!

Just as many Lechwe!

Lucky to see a hippo out of the water during the day

Look at this lad’s impressive tusks

A small herd of Tsessebe

Of course around the camp and its surroundings were loads of beautiful birds.

Yellow-bellied Greenbul, which begged for crumbs every day!

Red-billed Spurfowl, who were also professional beggars for crumbs!

Yellow-billed storks – photo taken at max zoom

Little Bee-eaters all in a row

Meves’s Starling

Grey-backed Camaroptera. This little bird was the most energetic, tiny thing.

Beautiful Goliath Heron stalking its prey

We enjoyed our time at Ngepi and all too soon it was time to pack up again and head back toward Rundu. Now we started the long drive back home as the sun had set on our Namibian adventure.

Leaving Ngepi

Alvan and Ray chose to drive the 700 kilometers from Divundu to Windhoek, but we couldn’t face such a long drive so we chose to break it up at Otavi. We stayed at the Palmnecke Guesthouse which was very comfy. Lovely rooms and a home-cooked breakfast.

We arrived in Windhoek yesterday and booked into the Urban Camp. After setting up we were relaxing inside when we heard an almighty crash and the alarm in the Ford was going mad. We rushed outside to find a branch had fallen off a tree, and slammed into the windscreen of the Ford, smashing it and leaving a dent in the roof. I could have cried! Seven thousand kilometers with no problems and then right at the end a branch causes this! Oy Vey! Well, PG Glass will replace the windscreen today and we’ll have to get the dent repaired when we return home.

It was great, however, to chat with Colin and Diane, who are on their way to the Caprivi, and Ray and Alvan. Ray and Alvan left for Keetmanshoop today and we’ll be off down the B1 tomorrow.

The offending branch

The damage done to the windscreen and roof

We have thoroughly enjoyed our Namibian adventure and have had a great deal of fun over the past six weeks. We have seen some fantastic sights, driven around seven thousand kilometers and made lots of new friends along the way.

The weather has gone from blazing hot in the south, to cold and wet at Henties Bay, to lovely and warm along the Caprivi but in Windhoek last night it was freezing at two degrees centigrade! The camps have mostly been marvelous but the ablutions have in many places left something to the imagination! I have grown to heartily dislike gas-powered showers that are not well-regulated so you either freeze or cook! You have to constantly adjust the water and dive in when it’s warm and exit quickly before it’s too cold or boiling hot!

I will definitely remember the people. They have been unfailingly welcoming and friendly.  It made no difference whether they were camp staff, petrol attendants or people serving in coffee shops or restaurants, we were met with a friendly greeting and made to feel welcome. Even a lady we stopped on the side of the road to ask for directions wished us a happy holiday and told us to enjoy her beautiful country.

We especially loved the ladies that manage the restrooms at the garages. Unlike in SA, these restrooms are spotlessly clean and are guarded religiously by one lady. It seems these ladies have the rights to keep the bathrooms clean, but you have to pay to use them. I can remember the first time we came up against this practice. I wandered off the loo and was chased by a lady carrying a box of rolled-up pieces of loo paper. She explained that it cost $3 to use the bathroom and when I paid she gave me a little roll of five or six pieces of loo paper and the door was unlocked. We soon discovered that this was an almost universal practice and the only place we were disappointed was at Kamanjab, where the bathroom was horrid!

Thanks to Helen for allowing me to share her blog and to everyone that has taken the time to read about our adventure.

The sun has set on our Namibian Adventure