Solace Down the Kunene

December 28 - Day 9, Epupa Falls

Now comes the most difficult part of any great adventure – acceptance; acceptance that it has come to an end and all the extraordinary experiences become nothing but memories.  I faced difficulties throughout the entire walk – holes in my feet, blackened toenails, searching for the perfect campsite, and even mustering up the courage to throw on the pack and venture alone into the unknown.  I overcame all of these difficulties with little heartache, but accepting that it is all over is not so simple to overcome.  Unfortunately it tends to put me in a morose mood.  Regrets start to work into my mind – maybe I should have hiked fewer kilometers each day and spent more nights out?  Maybe I should have sat longer with those Himba women and shared more food with them? …

I thoroughly dislike the end of an adventure.  I have had my share of adventures but there are only a handful that have left me feeling like this, and this one might take the cake.  With that said, this is exactly how I want a trip to end.  It tells me that is has been profound and has impacted me.  Is that not what we hope to gain from adventure?  That’s all I really hope for.

I am now sitting at Epupa Falls after a relatively unremarkable day of walking.  The landscape is much more arid here, in fact I am told that the rains are still to come, if at all.  The Kunene broadens and plunges into the canyon below but not as a single waterfall, but instead as hundreds of breathtaking cascades.  If there is such a place as Shangri-La, it must certainly have some of the characteristics of this place.  It is a remote village but is a popular stop on the typical tourist circuit.  I find myself crammed in the corner of a campground surrounded by 4x4s, generators, and travel trailers.  In other words, worlds away from where I was just 6 hours ago.  My heart is screaming at my feet telling them to get out of here and keep walking down this amazing river.  The river continues for 100’s of kilometers through true desert wilderness until if finally dumps into the Atlantic at the infamous Skeleton Coast.  What’s holding me back?  Lots of things.  It’s never too early to start planning the next adventure though.  I don’t want to leave these extraordinary landscapes, the solace that the river brings, or especially its breathtaking people who call it home.  The Himba have moved me in a way I wouldn’t have imagined.  Having the opportunity to be in their presence in such a way has been very special.  They will always have a place in my heart. 

Although better in some places than in others, it comforts me to know that the rising sun is a daily occurrence

Palm forests – good; Cactus forests – not good

Soaking it in as much as possible

The final stretch – Epupa lies just beyond the pass through the mountains

Nature never ceases to amaze me – I hope it always does

So, to summarize…

Walking the Kunene:  walk 150km in extreme heat, do a lot of walking in Namibia while doing a lot of looking in Angola, drink 6 liters of warm brown water a day, sleep under the stars, greet every Himba with a big smile and a “wa penduka”, spook crocodiles, poop in the sand, snuggle your machete at night, be spooked by crocodiles, share peanuts and raisins with Himba, and embrace the adventure and be moved by the sheer beauty of the place.

(one more post to follow tomorrow)