Namibia

Ondangwa

On Monday, June 9 I left after a peaceful night the enchanter spot of the Artesian well to make the 95 km up to Ondangwa where I went directly to Mercedes-Benz assure my appointment of the following day to carry out the periodic servicing of my truck. Then I sought to make it wash before presenting it. Then at the beginning of afternoon I published the pages of my website concerning the week to visit the park of Etosha. Finally I made supply in food at Shoprite before going to the bivouac in Ondangwa Rest Camp.

The rest area of the artesian well

On Tuesday, June 10 I arrived at the opening of the workshops of Mercedes-Benz, 7:30, to fill under the interrogation of the secretary a bulky paperwork. It is about a small garage with little staff inaugurated in 2008. The mechanic who dealt with my vehicle seemed to me qualified. Of course he tested it with a computer connected by a wireless to the ad hoc plug under the central armrest. After payment of the invoice my vehicle was returned to me at 12:30 to go to fill the tank with diesel at the Total gas station. I left Ondangwa around 13:00. On the way towards Tsumeb I made a detour of 4 km to return to bivouac in Rest Area of the artesian well at approximately 11km southwards of Omuthiya on the track which leads to Nehale lya Mpingana Gate of Etosha Park.

Tsumeb

Again on Wednesday, June 11 I left with regrets the bivouac of the artesian well, what a quietude! The B1 road up to Tsumeb is equipped with an excellent asphalted coating. Tsumeb owes its prosperity with its high content in metals and minerals which involved the development of the metallurgy and mineralogy, cf. the exposure of specimen in the museum. The main street leads besides to a head-frame dominating the city. The first room of the museum ethnological is devoted to the various first inhabitants of the area. The second room is dedicated to the Anglo-Germanic war and the surrendering of the German troops in May 1915. The following room is assigned to mining and the life of the German colonists. I like these small museums which point out the museums of deep America from east to west according to the conquest of the territory. I bivouacked on a car park along the park opposite to the Santa Barbara church and of the museum.

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Pond close to Rundu

On Thursday, June 12 was still a long driving morning without interest to go from Tsumeb to Rundu where I arrived at the end of the morning. I stopped there to throw an eye at my e-mail box before seeking a bivouac. I threw my reserved on that given by IOverlander at the edge of a pond away fromr 17km westwards along Cubango River border with Angola. At my great surprise I found a good quality WiFi connection. I decided to remain until Saturday morning July 14th, National holiday of France.

Popa Falls Rest Camp

On Saturday, July 14 I traversed the B8 road up to the entry of Caprivi Strip, access to Botswana as well as the Victoria Falls, where is Popa Falls and the eponymous camp-site. I spent there three nights to visit Mahango Game Reserve. Admittedly, Popa Falls are neither the Niagara Falls nor those of Victoria which I will see from Zimbabwe side, there are only of large rapids.

Mahango Game Park

On Sunday, June 15 I carried out the excursion of Mahango Game Park proposed by the reception of the park. It differs appreciably from that evoked by Lonely-Planet; moreover on the map provided the prohibited part crosses carry. Seen fauna is the same one as that of the precedent parks with in more two elephants. But the predatory carnivores are always invisible. I carried out the 82 km of the tour from the bivouac & back in +5h00 at low speed by scanning the landscape in search of the big cats. The landscape is different from the parks in the south, here the greenery is prevalent as well as the marshes where the hippopotamuses immerse themselves. Tomorrow is a day of rest.

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