I had to start the car about 5 minutes before leaving because lately when Aslan's been sitting out in the cold, it starts to squeak when I turn the wheel- a side effect of the new fan belt, I think. However, after heating up there emit no noises from under the hood. I saw Jill again and said my goodbyes and thank yous, happy to know that she was heading to town soon after me, a handy assurance against my getting stuck in the sand for too long. However, my worries proved unwarranted as myself and the car propelled ourselves through the sand without incident. A victorious start to the morning, indeed.
In Tshabong I stopped at another Barclays where I withdrew enough gas to then fill up the car for the long ride ahead. I had to consult a couple of locals about the way to the border, but eventually I was passing through the gates of Botswana departure immigration and entering the slightly higher-end South African border post at McCarthy's Rest. I was the only traveler there and the officials seemed slightly reluctant to drag themselves into the cold to inspect my vehicle and do my paperwork. They eventually did do it, and with a positive attitude to boot. They gave me another stamp in my passport, asked some questions about my intentions, and let me go.
From there it was an hour on a well maintained dirt road before I arrived in a small mining town. I didn't find any place to grab a cup of coffee, but I did find an ATM and enjoyed a quick car tour around the town, which was almost entirely built and managed by the mine. Like an African version of Del Webb, the mine had posted street signs, build accommodation, and provided health clinics for the residents. As far as I could tell, it was quite well maintained and organized.
Mining Town
Soon I was once again cruising on a paved road, this time eastward towards Upington. I had decided to bypass Upington, since I was to be staying there on Thursday and Friday, and instead go to Agrabies Falls, a national park that the head of Joe and Janice's tour recommended to me and had a nice blurb in my guidebook. On the way, I called a hostel near the falls and booked a bed. It turned out to be a long drive, and I decided to stop in Upington to rest and update the blog. I resisted the temptation to explore the town, though, since I wanted to save some exploration for my two day rest in the town.
Upington
It was another hour of driving before I reached the turnoff for the Agrabies Backpackers Hostel, which lay along a curvy dirt road amongst some farms and orange orchards. My arrival was immediately heralded by two large dogs on the property and I was directed to the parking area by some long-haired German guests. I then met the manager, who was a tall, grey haired man who had the look and demeanor of a still-recovering child of the 70's. He told me about where I would sleep and, after lending him my Botswana map, I soon headed out once again, this time to the park itself.
I had called earlier to reserve a half-day canoe. hike, and bike trip that the park offered, but found that I had to have a minimum of 2 people to make it happen. Disappointed but unfazed, I asked about the night game drive, for which I found I needed four people to make happen. The receptionist informed me, to my delight, that that very same evening there were enough people signed up for the game drive and I could sign on. Saddened by all my planning for the next day exploded but excited at the prospect of a night game drive, I agreed to go that same night.
At about 5pm I arrived at the park, where I was agitated to hear that I had to pay the 10 dollar park fee on top of the game drive fee, despite the late hour of the day. I begrudgingly paid it and made up my mind to get my money's worth out of the park. With that in mind, I parked and proceeded to enjoy looking at the gargantuan falls from all the provided lookout points as the sun counted down the minutes of enjoyment I had left.
Though the falls are not the largest in Africa (that title belongs to Victoria Falls) Agrabies is definitely a sight to see. Raging white water careens through the slick sides of the solid rock canyon before the largest falls leave the water tumultuously lapping up the sides of a sheer gorge. It was especially beautiful to see the setting sun's rays bounce off the mist that rose from the point of watery impact. I shared these dramatic views with a bunch of foreign senior citizens, who looked at me and my young solitude with puzzlement.
After eating my usual dinner, this time with the shocking addition of sardines, and making some phone calls, the night drive truck arrived and a German family of four joined me in entering the too-large compartment. I lamely attempted some German discussion with the family, whose paternal units weren't too adept at English, but I was grateful when the truck's engines became too loud for bilingual conversation. Our two native guides drove us through the park, holding powerful spotlights up to the darkness, hoping to spot the reflection in the eyes of some animals.
It was a successful time, and we got to see a porcupine, jackal, zebras, and a bunch of different types of antelope. Unfortunately, due to the darkness, I don't have any photos. I guess you'll have to take my word for it. In addition to game spotting, the guides also took a couple minutes to stop the truck and point out constellations in the easily-seen stars above. It was a great outdoorsy experience. After about two hours, we were back at the reception and I made my way home through the darkness to the hostel, where I chatted with the German guests before heading to bed.
The next morning, after a peaceful sleep, I got ready for the day, for which I had no plan. I spoke with the head of the hostel and asked for suggestions. He suggested that I continue driving down the paved highway, which would meander through the wilderness and take me through a dramatic valley. That sounded good enough for me and after paying him and giving him my Botswana map that he desperately needed, I filled up the car and drove into the valley.
Located further down the river from the falls, the valley was rocky and punctuated by large hills. Between the river and the valley walls, there was a huge vineyard and a small dilapidated town. Amazed at the beauty of the valley, I headed across the river via a one lane bridge and continued on the road after it turned to gravel. Tired of constantly sitting and driving, I decided to park Aslan and make up for my defeat at the hands of the Sossusvlei dunes and climb one of the large hills/small mountains. It would have been perfectly pleasant, had an army of flies not assailed me constantly, but the view from the top was worth it.
The Valley
Aslan in Action
The View
To my disappointed I didn't see any animals, but I entertained myself with some hilltop Karamazov. Eventually it was time to return and I chose a different route, which went through a dry river bed, to get back to the car. I enjoyed my small adventure in the valley and rode out of it with reluctance. Now that hunger was starting to set in, I opted to stop for lunch at the Rose Cafe, which I had spotted earlier in the day. It was a pleasant and well-lit cafe, and I allowed my hunger for meat compel me to order a cheeseburger, which was delicious albeit messy. To top it all off, I got a chocolate milkshake, which tasted like heaven.
The Rose Cafe
Once again lacking any plan, I decided to drive to Upington a day early. It took about an hour and a half and when I got there, I found that the hostel had closed and the B&B I was to stay at the next two nights was too full to add on a night for me. Eventually I called the central booking line for Upington, who found me an expensive (45 dollar) room at a bed and breakfast for the night. I was too tired and desperate to argue, so I took it. After weaving my way through suburban streets I eventually found Idenland Guest House, which is located in the home of a wealthy Africaans family with a vineyard in the back yard. The room was quite nice and I spoiled myself by wasting away my evening with TV and bad scary movies.
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