S: I cooked myself a nice, big breakfast of bacon and Egyptian Eyes (which is an egg fried in a hole in a piece of bread), which was really enjoyable. Lesley had cereal, instead.
We drove from the campsite, along the river to the border post, to see if we could get a decent signal so as to be able to update our blog after days of not getting to publish any of it. We also needed to pay all our monthly accounts. Fortunately the connection was good and we managed to get everything done.
We bought a nice ice-cream at the local shop (exorbitant prices) and bought a few bits and bobs.
We took a drive around the area and discovered the Engen pumps which have been barren for the last 3 years with barbed-wire fence all around. Fuel stations are at least 50kms either side, so you really have to keep the practice of filling up each time you get to a town with fuel.
We got back to camp, relaxed with a book and really enjoyed a bit of a time-out. We swam in the river again, but cautiously as the levels are so high and the currents, very strong. L: I was so excited to see a pied kingfisher bird and Steve took a great shot of her, even though she sat for, but a minute.
L: The evening was very interesting…….
We decided, since it is such a problem to find a grocery store and meat that we would keep the provisions that we have and splash out on a pizza at one of the other camps along the road from Fiddlers Creek. It is called Oewerbos Bush Camp and the owner runs the pub as well as a little restaurant with a wood-fired pizza oven.
When we walked in, we met the lady behind the bar, called Jan and got chatting to her while deciding on which of the pizzas to order. We had not noticed the only other person in the place until he started in on our conversation, as he was so much lower than the counter. Turns out, he was Jan’s husband, Brian, and the reason that we could not see him was that he was in a wheelchair.
They asked about our travels and where we were from and then we heard their story……Jan, from London, had visited friends in Edinburgh and met Brian at a pub. They have been travelling together ever since and were married 7 months ago. He was paralysed 12 years ago, while working under an Overlander (which he used to drive), which slipped off a jack.
It is amazing to look and him and realise how much he manages to do without the use of his legs. He has even managed a few trips on his own and they have done the trip that we want to do, Cape Town to London, through Africa and across Europe – in reverse. Their mode of transport, is a Landrover Discovery-automatic, that so enjoys the countries that they travel through, that it breaks down in every country, forcing them to spend more time there!! S: They tell us that they have spent an estimated 15 000 UK pounds on repairs. L: Makes you wonder when they will realise it is time to turf it….??
The pizza was great and we really enjoyed the company and then it was off to our camp and bed.
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