.
Now you know
why I rather sleep in a dry river bed!
The sun sets across the bay while the wind dies down for a while.
Day 2 - 22 Dec 1996
05:30. I wake up hardly able to breath. The morning sun has turned my tent
into an oven. My sleeping bag is wet, due in part to some dew, and in part due to body
sweat. I kick it off and rush outside to catch some cooler air.
Just behind my tent is a bush which obscures a rock outcrop. While packing, I hear a loud noise of rocks sliding down the outcrop. Listening closer it sounds like a horse. But even louder. While crouching motionless behind my tent, a Kudu cow, a magnificent antelope - one of the largest in Africa, walks 10 meters past my tent. I can't believe it. This is an extremely shy and alert animal. When it's about 50 meters away, I slowly stand up and pick up my pan. The slight metallic noise alerts the cow, she looks in my direction and bolts off.
It's a better start to the day and I'm off quite early. Fifteen minutes later I pass close to a herd of Wildebeest with little ones. They start running in my direction, kicking up dust, snorting and waving their tails. But about 60 meters away they swing out. There are three little ones with them - what a sight.
As the day progresses it heats up. There is no wind today. I have to make a long detour to cross a river - Broekspruit which flows into the Gariep Dam. It is an impressive site to see the cliffs rising vertically out of the water. I find that my map has cheated me. I can't walk along the bank, and the only way out is over the cliffs. After climbing 200m high and progressing 100m forward I'm at the top of the cliffs. The view is magnificent. The rocks are purple-black, a testimony to volcanic activity. It is now about 38șC and the heat waves reflected from the rocks make it almost unbearable. There are no trees close by and I'm rapidly running out of water.
14:00. Thankfully I get back to water level. And there is even a small tree (though a thorn tree)! I strip my clothes, drink water straight from the dam and take a swim. The wind starts blowing again. At least it takes some of the heat away. I have lunch under the tree. And no sooner a freak cloud heads my direction and breaks out in a storm. It happens so quickly and unexpectedly. Before I can get to my raincoat I'm wet. I cover my rucksack in a plastic bag. The storm lasts for less than half an hour.
It is a day of psychological torment. You never realise
what it means to be alone, until you are very alone. Yes, people can be
alone in the city, even alone at a party. But you can always reach out and speak to someone.
I miss my parents, brothers and sisters - I wish I can be with them on Christmas day.
The day is a turning point and I'm able to sort out my thoughts. I know what I want to do
in the year ahead. It turns out to be a very religious day for me which brings me closer
to my Saviour than I have been in a long time. I decide to be back between friends on
Christmas day.
23 km further and at the end of the day I find a bay which offers shelter from the fierce wind. It sounds like I'm at the sea. An hour later, fortunately after I have pitched my tent, the wind dies down, then changes direction and I'm right back into its path.
No cold food tonight I decide. Gas stove in the tent - even though it is dangerous. And once again I'm by a dry river bed, but this time at least I'm on the bank. It's full moon, the mosquitoes arrive in swarms and some nocturnal animal grazes close by. The cuts in my shoulders have worsened only slightly during this day - I used socks to pad the strings.
Hiking Trails of Southern Africa
An excellent book on hiking in Southern Africa, available from Amazon.com