June 1, 2022
Mururani Rest camp to Rundu
The owners at Mururani camp reached out to a shop owner down the road so I would have a safe place to spend the night. The distance to Rundu is too far for me to do in one day.
Got to the shop where I could spend the night, but the owners were are going to Rundu later this evening. Guess who’s going with them in the truck?! 😂. Just in time, a friend reached out and gave me a recommendation for Rundu. The guy here knows the people as well. All set for the next two nights. Funny how things work out.
I had a decent day on the bike. The crosswind was brutal and Africa may be the first continent ever that the sun gets to me. My thumbs and index fingers are sunburned. 😂 It had to do with how I grip the handlebars. Even put on some sunscreen, but might actually have to buy some more. I NEVER use sunscreen!! (Have since figured out it’s sun sensitivity, a potential side effect, from anti-malaria tablets.)
Highlight of the day was having some school children run along side of me for an impressive distance. We were all laughing. One girl did ask for food at the end, but I just said no. I know not to give the kids anything ever.
Phone pics are blurry, but not many pics today anyways. And yes, I’ve definitely reached the poorer area. People live in huts and buildings constructed out of corrugated metal.
It was good I got the ride even if I had to sit in the back of a pickup truck with my bike and gear. 😂 Why? Because I obviously never ride my bike in the dark and on the way, tons of huts/shacks/houses had campfires going. I would never have thought about that as a way of life. It’s a cold spell in Namibia right now, (40F/5C nighttime low). Even I was cold camping last night. I’m guessing the fires are going in part for warmth, maybe cooking, maybe lighting. Even if it’s their norm, it’s got to be difficult. The grass by the side of the road was on fire in at least three spots. How does Namibia not go up in flames? Makes me appreciate what I am accustomed too and take for granted. Now, even though I only rode 33 miles, I’m beat. My room is cute and has a double bed and couch. Night people.
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Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 2,771 miles (4,459 km)
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| Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
I read all of your journal entries from Africa. I am following you carefully as I will be embarking on a similar journey next September.
I am so impressed with your resiliency, for example, how you regrouped and kept going after your partner left you. It takes a lot of strength.
We exchanged messages in the Cairo to Cape Town What's app group, but I am out of it at the moment (technical difficulty).
I do have a few questions, for when you have some time:
1) What do you do for money when you enter a new country? For example going from South Africa to Namibia, do you get some cash before you get in, if so from where, a bank, the black market?
2) You mentioned you had some kind of device for areas where there is no signal. What was it?
You can email me at cliclermont@gmail.com if you wish.
Cheers,
Josée Clermont
2 years ago
I hope you enjoy Africa as much as I have been enjoying it. I have been pleasantly surprised. Thanks for acknowledging my resiliency. It's one thing I have always had throughout my life. Just to be clear, lol, I feel like I could have begged my cycle partner to stay and worked through it, but I was so done with her at that point, it was fine by me to part ways with her.
As far as money goes, Namibia accepts the South African Rand as the same value, but you can't use the Namibian dollar in SA. I just try to budget my money to be almost out of cash when I'm switching countries and then just hit an ATM as soon as possible. They are pretty widely available. So far, that method has worked.
I have the Garmin inReach Mini2. It can track my route, send text messages, whether individual or pre-set messages. I bought a year subscription as you need an active subscription for it to work. Different plans are available. There is also an "SOS' button for an emergency that goes to a 24/7 call center. I'd eventually get help, but hopefully, I never have to test it.
If you have more questions, I'll respond by email next time. :)
2 years ago
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
I was away myself on a bike trip for a month with limited access to phone and just caught up on your blog. I am really enjoying reading it. I love your sense of humour, your adventurous spirit and it is well written. I can see that you are becoming more and more adventurous and taking more risks. Well done!
Also, given that I too am going to start from Cape Town this September to Nairobi, this helps me a lot, so thanks for sharing. I have a few more questions:
1) How wide are you tires and what brand name are they?
2) What kind of camera do you have? Your photos are beautiful!
3) You mention you got a lot of headwinds, are the prevailing winds from East to West? That would mean I am doing this in the wrong direction. :( I am planning on taking the same route you took through northern Namibia.)
4)How do you know about all the campgrounds? There seems to be many within cycling distance for the most part. Is there a website, a booklet or you research it as you go along?
5) Footwear. I usually wear mountain bike cycling shoes with cleats which means I have to carry a second pair of footwear (running shoes). It looks like you have sandales. Are they with cleats? Is that warm enough? Do you have other footwear other that flip flops?
6) Are there many sections/days where there is no phone connection? Still wondering if it's worthwhile carrying an inreach. Trying to keep the weight down.
Thanks ahead for your time.
Josée
Again, you can email me directly at cliclermont@gmail.com if it's easier.
2 years ago