Peculiar

Thursday, 20^th of September, 2018.

               The road after boarder is horrible. A lady stopped her car and offered to drop me in the right road to Mababe, the first village I planned to camp. I saw some elephants in the bush while she was driven but I did not asked her to stop. Should I?
              Walking a little bit to pass a corner, a uncovered Land Rover, with a nice white old man (and his big bear) driving and a black young guy as passenger, offered me a lift on the back. I jumped in.
              Jan Kruger was from South Africa and it was building a campsite nearby, in a place called Kavimba. Peter was from Botswana and was helping him.
              On our way, I felt, for the first time, as I was in a safari car. There was no comfortable seat and protection against the sun but the wind in the face for be an open car made de deal.

              Jan was trying to help me to see elephants and any other animals we could. We finally found a small group of elephants but unfortunately they were hiding behind the bushes. Then we went to a river where a lot of Zebras were eating happy, and a group of Hippos were taking some rest. I do not know if was our presence or a small crocodile (which unfortunately we could not see very well) that made the hippos got a little anxious and went to water, making nervous sounds.

              I asked Jan if I could spend the night at his place, just putting my tent somewhere, and he said it was fine. He was this lovely man, very kind and concerned about me all the time. His place had just started and he was staying in a nice tent and he offered me to stay in a twin of that which was empty. At the beginning, he advised me to come back and take the road through Nata. But I told him I choose this other route because apparently would have a lot more animals crossing. Later, we talk with a friend of him, who passed by, and he said I would be OK and probably get a lift from some safari company or some tourists.
              I learned a lot from my conversations with Jan and I even saw how to pump water.
              That night we had some bush food (can food): spaghetti at tomato sauce, sweet corn and bread with tea. I slept very well, hearing the lions roaring.
              In the morning I cooked porridge for us. The plan was Jan drop me at the next village (he was very concerned about me hitchhiking on the bushes because of the animals), Kachikau, and if I could not get a lift until midday, I should find a way to call him, I would spend another night at the camp, and next day he would drive me back to the Nata’s road. I said it was a good plan. He dropped me at a bus stop and I am very thankful for his help and kindness.

              While I was waiting, something upset me. This lady passed around me and asked where I was going. When I told her Mababe, she said it was the wrong way. I confirmed that was the right way, it would just has a turn a little ahead, but everybody going there would have to pass first from where we were. She agreed a little grumpy and then left saying I would spend the whole day there suffering. What? What a horrible thing to say. I just yelled a ‘thank you’ while she was leaving. Now, I want and need to leave more than never and I was hoping she was still at the bus stop when somebody picked me up.