Culmination and adventure and bordeom

A few things culminate today:

1. For the past two nights Ive put up with a noisy generator Martin runs for his kids to watch some TV. Between 8pm and 9pm roughly. I told him it was okay, and it is - as it turns out Im used to it like the sound of a washing machine in the hallway at home. Anyway, his kids are back at school today, and I will be able to take advantage of the generator myself. I can therefore afford a little more laptop each day. Yay.

2. For the past two days Ive put up with a pair of flies colliding with my room ceiling and with a pair of big orange/black wasps flying around randomly. Today, Martin returns with my shopping and ive included Doom insect killing spray on the list.


That's about it.

Yesterday I had an adventure. I finally succeeded in climbing up the hill (Its a mountain, okay?). The way up was not too bad I suppose. I probably spent more time cutting than moving. The worst part was placing my hand on a spiky cacti-like plant and spending a while taking the needles out of my fingers. I thought the cleared path I left would be the path to take down, I would follow all the branches that were cut off abruptly and smoothly, and I made sure to cut enough for it to be obvious. Of course, 5 metres descending from the summit I had lost it and was improvising a new route. It was slowly getting dark.Going down did mean I didnt have to cut as much, but could stand on some branches and flatten them. As I lost my vision slowly I guess I began to place my feet a little less carefully and I twice slipped completely when rocks slid down. Some stones from above me would roll and hit my legs. In the end I had cuts all over my hands, each of my finger pads aches from an acacia thorn having been stuck there, and I even had a blister which popped from the overuse of the cutter. This morning I also found a little blood on my pants - no idea where it came from.

Still it was worth it I suppose.The view was incredible. I could see the details of the Waterberg plateau in the distance and thought of my visit there. As we are within a game reserve called Otjiwa (separated from the main area by a road), I could see a number of waterholes. One of them was fairly busy but I could only make out a fairly large group of female ostrich walking off into the bush. I had brought bread, and an apple. I didnt get time to finish the bread as it was getting dark, and the apple I dropped.

A few more highlights. On the way up as I walked onto the top of a ledge a tawny eagle flew level with me about 5 meters out. A similar situation; a flock of guinea fowl, panicked by my presence, launched themselves off the cliff and glided hundreds of meters down to the ground. On the way down, I found a fairly large skull. No idea what it belonged to, but it was about horse size.


Todar Martin has been gone, taking care of business at Otjiwarongo. In the morning I fed the vultures a horse fetus and got blood on my shorts. No guests arrived. I filled the time with reading, making a dessert, sleeping etcetera.