Caravanning in the Kgalagadi – Polentswa Wednesday 25 March 2015

We wake to the sound of roaring lions this morning. I look out to see Jim shining his torch into the bush while standing guard at the long drop. I think the lions are just behind the tree but Earl assures me that they are far away.
We go south all the way to Nossob 60 km away. There is still a lot of water on the road and we see very little game.

At Polentswa we have been very frugal with our water supplies and showering has been limited to 30 second splash downs. So as soon as we get to Nossob we go the the ablutions for a shower. Joy of joy we find that the geyser system has been repaired and we have loads of hot water.
We then go to refuel and shop. I go ahead while he is at the filling station. When he comes in, he says – where is our envelope of cash? On our way here I’d checked how much there was and put it back in the cubby hole. It’s not there he says. Men! They look with boy eyes. I go and check, search and search – no envelope! It must have been stolen. But the wallet, iPad, cell phones, cameras are all untouched. I begin to doubt myself. Did I drop the envelope out of the car? I return to the ablution block and search around the area where we were parked. I report the loss to reception. The attendant asks me Where did you last have the cash? You must check your car thoroughly.  But after all 4 do us search nothing turns up. Maureen pays for our purchases then we search again. I am sure I put the envelope on top of the handbook which sits on a bracket in the cubby hole. Maureen feels down the back of the cubby and declares that she can feel something, eRl tries too and agrees with her but is it the envelope? There is no way of grabbing it or reaching it I any way so we go to the picnic site, enjoy our brekkie and decide to take the cubby apart when we get back to camp. Our men have tools for the job.

Picnic Breakfast at Nossob Visitors’ Area

Our return it is heartening to see lots of game. The rainfall has brought them back. But no cats again today.

We often see just one wildebeest with a herd of another species

Lovely herd of red hartebeest with young

Water everywhere

Just wait while I finish my drink, please

We return to camp and as Maureen is about to step into her caravan she spots something curled up next to her fridge. She leaps away nimbly and yells – snake!

Lazy, fat puff adder – luckily fast asleep

I grab my camera, Earl runs with a tent pole yelling Don’t worry I’ll catch it. Jim also bravely approaches the spot while M and I scream don’t let it bite you. We don’t have snake bite kits. The macho men approach and Earl hooks him onto the pole and flings him away and onto the ground. The snake refuses to scurry off so he lifts him again and throws him under a tree where it curls up and goes back to sleep. My hero!

After the excitement dies down Maureen washes last nights supper dishes and I dry. Then Earl and Jim get going worth torque keys and screw drivers. There is much grunting and groaning and struggling, but the task is not as easy as they hoped. Maureen calls Jim for lunch but Earl refuses to give up. I fear that the effort is for naught and my fears are confirmed when he manages to get his hand behind the cubby and says there is nothing here. But he struggles on and although he doesn’t get the cubby hole free he manages to free it a little more. I can see it he yells and Jim brings a pair of pliers. He grips the envelope and to my delight R3500 is returned to my grateful hands. For the second time today my hubby is my hero.

He then cooks us bacon and egg sandwiches and we sit and relax while watching lightening and listening g to thunder. The storm is some miles away but within minutes a bright flash of lightening and deafening clap of thunder warn us and  E says we had better get to the caravan now. He and Maureen pack the chairs under her shelter and I run and put everything that’s out away and shut up our kitchen. Just as we shut the door the rain comes pelting down and an enormous wind violently rocks the caravan. After 5 minutes it gets worse and rips the tent poles out of the ground and the tarpaulin rips free from the Velcro. Earl rushes out to rescue what he can. Jim’s solar panels are whipped up by the wind and a Earl chases after them too. Jim rushes out to help. Our tent poles are be bent and the hooks scattered around the campsite. It’s all over in 20 minutes and then the mopping up begins. Not too much damage but we decide to do without the extra side tarpaulin for now. Earl is my hero yet again.
The rain clears and there is calm once again.

Our hero enjoying a well deserved drink after all the drama of the day!

In the evening we have a braai. As we turn in for the night we hear Maureen scream – it’s back and it hissed at me.  Earl calls out – Just hang on – I’m coming – He tries to get his head torch on but the strap comes loose – it’s seems like hours but is only seconds before I help him get it together again – he rushes forth with braai tongs in hand and he and Jim march off like Vikings into the night to make sure the snake does not return.