July 16

JOLENE:
We left our campground just outside Etosha gate this morning (the tent was actually set up on grass! and not sand) and headed toward Skeleton Coast. These roads in Namibia aren’t paved, but wide gravel ones which are really quite smooth, but the dust is something else! By the time we stop at night we are feeling very grimy and it’s hard to get a brush through our hair. That’s when a shower feels so very good. And without the air conditioner working it’s of course that much worse.

We were heading to a small town – which looked on the map like it was pretty big so we were thinking we could get our groceries there, use an ATM (we were getting low on cash), etc. Well, after asking when we got to a small store if they took credit cards and they assured us they did, I went through the check out line with a couple days worth of food only to be told at check out that their machine did not work. AND the ATM did not work either so we couldn’t get more cash. I left all my groceries sitting there & we went to another little store (the only other one in town) where their credit card machine did work but they did not have nearly the selection of groceries the first place did. Anyway we won’t starve, but I didn’t get what I wanted to. Basically all the town was were these couple little shops.

We kept on driving and driving & saw a very desolate, brown, dry landscape but also drove through some beautiful mountains and saw some zebra, gemsbok, and signs of elephants, (their poop), but didn’t see actual elephants. We arrived at the gate to Skeleton Coast National Park at about 3:30 and were told it was too late to keep going – the gate closed at 3 – because after 3 you don’t have time to drive out of the park and you can’t spend the night in the park. Anyway, they had a very nice place set up for people like us, and we camped free right there at the gate. They had beautiful new showers (cold) and brought us firewood and everything. That’s probably the earliest we’ve stopped for the night on this trip and it was very nice to do most of the cooking in the daylight for once. Some of us washed out some dirty clothes (you wouldn’t believe the dirty people we’ve become) and took showers.

And we had a little scare with Lisa. We didn’t know it but she wasn’t feeling very well most of the day, and when we stopped she said she was dizzy, had some trouble breathing, had diarrhea and just felt weak. Roger talked to the guy at the gate and the closest place to a doctor would be Swakopmund which is a 4 hour drive away through the park which they would allow us to do, or 6-7 hr drive back the way we had come. There were clinics closer with a nurse, but no doctors. The scary part was the trouble breathing part. I thought maybe with all the dust it was getting too her, but I don’t really know. Anyway after she drank quite a bit (we also figured she might be dehydrated) and laying down she felt better and we decided to stay there.

I think one of the hardest things for me on this trip is the constant dirt and dust and not being clean. We hadn’t brought many clothes with us so we wear the same thing day after day and haven’t had much time to wash them. I’m hoping in Swakopmund to maybe have a washing machine & do a few loads. The last we had a washing machine was in Gaborone.

I don’t think anyone has written about the weather in this blog. The only rain we had was back the day we left Cape Town. We knew Botswana would be sunny skies all the time and it did not disappoint. It’s the dry season and so knew there would be no rain, which is nice for camping, but not for the dust or growing things. Nights get quite chilly but mostly we’ve been warm enough with our sleeping bags. Roger & I get the tent on top of the truck and have our bags zipped together & stay warm, and the kids all have good sleeping bags that are for colder weather, but sometimes they’ve been a bit cold. A couple hours after the sun is up we’re taking off our sweatshirts and it’s a nice warm day. Don’t know temps, but the weather has pretty much been perfect. Some days have been pretty hot, and I tell Travis to remember this is winter, and to be prepared for when summer comes!

After talking around the fire it was another early to bed night.
Jolene