Day 5--Strandfontein, South Africa to Orange River, Namibia

Orange River Campsite

It was another early morning (6:15) for an early breakfast and to hit the road. The better part of the day was spent on the road. I was able to finish one book and to start another. We had lunch on the side of the road and we only had access to a bathroom when we stopped at a supermarket. We stopped several times on the side of the road to use the bathroom though. I'm getting to be a pro at the squat-and-go method. Today we crossed the South Africa/Namibia border. Customs weren't bad at all, but I was surprised at the difference between the two. South Africa's border control had air conditioning and nice restrooms, whereas Namibia's did not have air conditioning and the restrooms were in poor condition. I'm not sure if it's a sign of the wealth of each country or if it's just because Namibia is such a young country (Namibia was established in 1990).

Before crossing the South African border, we drove through Namaqualand, home of the Nama people. It was very sparsely populated and the people appeared fairly poor. Apparently the Bush People used to live there, but they were pushed out when the Nama people moved in. The landscape was covered in short, stubby bushes.

Shortly after crossing the Namibian border, we came upon a small village of straw houses. These houses are the homes of the workers in the adjacent vineyards. Burger told us that these are the houses of the lucky ones--those that have enough income to meet their needs. To me, living in straw houses doesn't seem very lucky.

In Namibia, the landscape is very different. In South Africa, the landscape was fairly lush--even in Namaqualand one could find plant life. Here, however, there is very, very little plant life except for right next to the river. It is very dusty and very dry.

We're staying on the Orange River tonight, the river that forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. Besides the sand getting in everything, it's very pleasant. The landscape is unique--the barren, rocky mountains run right up to the fairly lush Orange River.

Before dinner, I got in the Orange River to bathe. Apparently we're not going to have running water for 3 days so I figured I might as well use the river. The water felt nice, but I freaked out a little when something hard scurried across my foot.

After the sun went down, the sky was amazing. People always say that when you're out of the city, you can see more stars. But compared to Africa, nowhere I have ever been has had so many stars. The campground was bathed in starlight.