Dag 6: Okandja na Kamanjab

(English translation below)
 
Vandag was nog 'n dag van lang, warm, reguit teerpaaie. Hier moet mens nie vaak word nie. Of 'n band bars nie. Ons het so 110 km/h bly handhaaf. Met die motorfietse op spoed-beheer, het ons verskillende maniere van Kalahari joga-en-strek ontdek om die stywe bene en boude en rugspiere sommer so in die ry te oefen.
 
Skielik, êrens in die middel van nêrens, doem daar 'n verlate winkelstoep uit die 36-grade Celsius hittegolwe voor ons op. Ná omtrent 'n uur se afkoel en padkos-eet (gepak deur Yvonne, ons gasvrou op Okahandja) en op die naat van ons rûe lê en ontspan, durf ons weer die hitte aan. Maar ons durf nie aan die hitte of die reuse-Afrika dink wat voor ons uitgestrek lê nie. Ons hou ons koppe by die hier-en-nou en die volgende stuk pad tot by Kamanjab.
 
En daar, in die hitte wat die horison smelt, voor ons kon windgat raak, kom twee fietsryers ('n man en 'n vrou) van voor af. Swaar gelaai. Seker van Europa af oppad Kaapstad toe. En herinner ons aan die ou wat tans in die Kongo trek, al draffende van Kaapstad af...
 
Daardie aand, nadat ons met 'n groep Duitse toeriste gekuier het, en moes skarrel om droog in ons tente te kom voor die storm-reën (wat toe nooit gekom het nie), weet ons dat Afrika onmeetbaar groter is as ons. Môre ry ons tot by die Kunene-rivier, reg op Angola se drumpel.
 
Day 6: Okahandja to Kamanjab
 
Today was another day of long, hot, straight tarmac. One mustn't fall asleep. Or burst a tire. We continued to maintain about 110 km/h. With the motorbikes on cruise control, we discovered different ways of Kalahari yoga and stretching to exercise the tight legs and buttocks and back muscles while riding.
 
Suddenly, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a deserted shop front loomed out of the 36-degree Celsius heat waves in front of us. After about an hour of cooling down and eating our food parcels (packed by Yvonne, our hostess on Okahandja) and lying on our backs and relaxing, we braved the heat again. But we dared not think of the heat or the giant Africa that lies before us. We focused on the here-and-now and the next stretch of road towards Kamanjab.
 
And there, in the heat was melting the horizon, two cyclists (a man and a woman) appeared before us. Heavily packed. Probably on the way to Cape Town from Europe. Reminding us of the guy who is currently in the Congo, running all the way from Cape Town to London...
 
That night, after hanging out with a group of German tourists, and having to scramble to get into our tents before the rain-storm (which never came), we knew that Africa is immeasurably bigger than us.
 
Tomorrow we will drive to the Kunene river, right on Angola's doorstep.

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/expedition-h2o-back-to-basics