–AND IT’S NOT RAINING!
We have just left Klein Aus. Having gone there for a couple of days, we eventually stayed there for 11. The main reason for our prolonged stay was that we enjoyed the place so much, but the desert winds over the past week did have a little bit to do with it. When it blows in the Namib it really blows.
Our pal Hannes the Contractor (of which more later) had his side tent ripped to shreds, and we took the hint and took down our awning. Over the past couple of nights, we’ve also lowered the pop-top to ensure that we still keep a roof over our heads. The wind comes in gusts, often spaced quite far apart, mainly from the South East, but swinging in from the North from time to time just to confuse the issue. We have no idea what the velocity or Beaufort Scale it was, other than it was pretty formidable and had the van rocking from side to side. The local guys here advised us against travelling in those conditions – apparently cars really do get sandblasted!
Dusk falls at Klein Aus Vista campsite
Anyway, our enforced stay was quite pleasant. Apart from the wind, the weather was mainly sunny and warm, and we spent our time walking in the hills or exploring local farm roads and tracks in the lulls – some quite nice 4 x 4 routes. We visited the local cemetery – not normally the highlight of our holiday programs and found it very interesting. It’s maintained by the German war graves commission.
Exploring the riverbeds.
You will of course remember the history lesson in our last E-mail, where we told you that the Germans were to make a stand at Aus in the 14/18 war. Well, having surrendered, they were interned in a POW camp just outside the town, and guarded by S.A. troops. The camp was hit by the ‘flu epidemic with considerable loss of life, mainly on the S.A. side – including the camp commander’s wife, who volunteered to nurse the sick. It seems ironic that the biggest loss of life in Southern Africa during the so-called Great War was caused by a bug that is now commonplace. In fact, it seems that the 1918 flu killed, in all, over 20 million people (including Sean’s Paternal Grandfather) all over the world.
So endeth the history lesson.
View back toward the campsite.
We mentioned Hannes the Contractor earlier on. Hannes had a caravan on a semi-permanent basis at Klein Aus. He works for Nam Power and oversees the gang laying the first power lines into the town of Aus and surrounds (up to now the whole area relied on generators). The first night that we arrived Hannes was not in residence. On night 2 however, just as the sun was setting, a calm had settled on the land, and a suitable beverage was to hand – chug chug chug chug! Hannes’s portable generator springs to life… Sean had words with Hannes, and Hannes had words with Sean. He had to maintain his perishables in his deep freeze and charge his batteries for his comms radios. In the end a compromise was made. Hannes (who had by now told Jean that his friends also called him “Apie”), would run the generator every second night for 3 hours, and we became good pals.
What a fascinating life he leads. He, and a relatively small group of colleagues, run power lines over thousands of kms all over Namibia, and through some really wild country. His stories added to the pleasure of our stay.
By now we realised that the winds were to be here for a while and that Sossus Vlei could be rather unpleasant, and there was a possibility that they might close Sesriem for a while (which they did), so we’ve decided to rearrange our plans (which were loose at the best of times), and head for Caprivi in the North East while it is still coolish up there. We will work our way back down to the Vlei later.
So here we are, back in Keetmanshoop, doing our Dhobi – and drying it! -recharging our batteries, and tomorrow we’re off North to Marienthal and wherever.
Vista of farm
Today’s photo is not a particularly good one, but it was taken from our picnic site at Klein Aus looking back at the hills where our camp was. Hopefully, it will give you a feel for the place. The little black smudge about 4 cm up and 4 cm in from the left, is the farm’s main watering hole for the cattle.