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Day 3 - 23 Dec 1996
I wake up early, but this time my tent stays in the shade for a longer time and my day starts of much more relaxed.
The rucksack straps/strings cut into my flesh and it seems like the sock padding doesn't work. My mission is to get to a point opposite the small town of Oviston by 11:00. It's about a 20 km hike to this point. It is right opposite the jetty. My only hope is that there are boats on the water because if there are not, I would have another 24 km hike to get to the town.
I come over a hill and see the Oviston tunnel inlet and the houses on the horizon. It is a great feeling that there are people out there. But my hike is slowed down. At 08:00 the wind has died down completely and it feels like there is no oxygen in the air. It is fast becoming a scorching hot day. I see no boats as I approach. Eventually at 11:30 I arrive at the point opposite the jetty.
There are no boats. It's summer. It's the holidays. And there are no boats! I turn around and start heading to the back of the mountain to carry on my hike and hoping to find a tree somewhere. A few meters on I look over my shoulder for a last time. I'm only going to get back in town late on Christmas day. But as I look I see a boat being launched! I return to the water's edge and use an orange survival bag to try and attract attention. But to no avail. It eventually takes about two hours before I'm noticed and ferried across.
I arrive at my friends' house in the heat of the day, tired, feet full of blisters and with bruised, cut shoulders.
It is wonderful not to spend Christmas day alone in the veld.
A few days later I depart for Johannesburg. My mind clear. My spirit rejuvenated. And I leave behind an area I love immensely. An area with clean air, plenty of oxygen, friendly gasvry people, unpolluted water. And an area that just had more rainfall in one week than it often has in a year.
God, do I love this place!
One day I'll be back. I'll be crazy and I will carry on with my trek further down stream.
Hiking Trails of Southern Africa
400 comprehensive pages on hiking in Southern Africa. Approximately $18.