Dag 7: Die dans van ons suster

​(English translation below)

Dag 7: Die dans van ons suster
 
Vandag het ons Eugène Marais se vaal karos oor die koppies sien aanrol. Met woedende wind en stof en blitse. Ons moes ons spoed verminder van 110 na 80 om te keer dat ons nie van die pad gewaai word nie. En bid dat die blitse die ysterkoppies bly klits en nie afbeweeg na die pad toe nie.
 
Nodeloos om te sê, toe ons deur die storm is, was dit skaars 'n halfuur voordat alles weer droog en warm was.
 
Die pad van Kamanjab na Ruacana was weereens pyl-reguit. En hoe nader ons aan Ruacana gekom het, hoe valer en stowweriger het dit geword. Bokke en donkies en waaiende kindertjies langs die pad. Breë, vrygewige glimlagte.
 
Die oggend het ek amper in die stof gebyt toe my motorfiets in die diksandpad van ons kampplek af oppad teerpad toe begin slinger het. Gelukkig kon ek bo-bly. Maar die waarskuwing was in die lug: Oppas. Die teerpad stop vandag. En môre, anderkant die Ruacana grens, wag daar nog baie sandpad.
 
Hoe gaan ons 300km per dag in sand en modder aflê as ons tans, op teerpad, min of meer soveel vermag? Hoe lank gaan ons sin vir humor hou? Is ons opgewasse hiervoor?
 
Hierdie is die vrae waarmee ons in ons tentjies, op 'n klein polletjie gras, gaan worstel vanaand - hier aan die oewer van die Kunene rivier.
 
 
Day 7: The dancing rain
 
Today we saw Eugène Marais' grey blanket of rain roll and unfold over the hills. With raging wind and dust and lightning. We had to reduce our speed from 110 to 80 to avoid being blown off the road. And pray that the lightning continued to beat the hills and not move down to the road.
 
Needless to say, once we got through the storm, it was barely half an hour before everything was dry and warm again.
 
The road from Kamanjab to Ruacana was once again arrow-straight. And the closer we got to Ruacana, the bleaker and dustier it became. Goats and donkeys and waving children along the road. Broad, generous smiles.
 
In the morning I almost bit the dust when my motorcycle started to swerve hard left then right in the thick sand road from our campsite on the way to the tarmac. Luckily, I was able to stay on top. But the warning was in the air: Watch out. The tarmac stops today. And tomorrow, beyond the Ruacana border, there is still a lot of sand road waiting.
 
How are we going to cover 300km a day in sand and mud when we currently manage more or less that much on tarmac? How long will our sense of humor last? Are we up to it?
 
These are the questions we will wrestle with in our tents, on a small patch of grass tonight - here on the banks of the Kunene river.

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