Solace Down the Kunene

December 20 - Day 1

One of my biggest concerns for the trek was quickly put to rest this morning as my alarm went off at 4 am. I awoke to the sound of rain pattering on the fly of my tent. It is now summer here which means the potential for serious heat is very real. My plan was to wake early and begin walking before the sun peeked over the horizon. To avoid the potentially dangerous heat I would walk in the early morning hours, find shade during the heat of the day, and then continue in the late afternoon. This is not the ideal time to be tackling this route. However, it is the shoulder season between the heat and the rains and today mother nature apparently decided on the rains. With the rain pounding my tent I decided to go back to sleep. No need to worry about the heat today. But with the rain showing no sign of letting up, my new concern became the rain itself. I certainly did not want to set out with a wet camp in my bag and no idea of what the weather was going to do. So I quickly packed up camp and moved into the relative security of the toilet/shower block. For the next 3 hours I contemplated what I should do. Should I hang tight another night and avoid the risk of being stuck in the middle of nowhere wet and miserable? If so, then I will need to ration my food for the remainder of the trip. Don’t really want to do that! As long as it kept pouring I knew what I had to do…hang tight. Finally though, I got a window. I quickly packed up my things just in time for it to start pouring again. Looks like I will be hanging tight. Boredom. I have to get out of this toilet. Another window comes around 2:30, so I take it. With a storm to the north and to the south, I nervously shoulder my pack and begin following the Kunene downstream. Despite the impending doom, it is invigorating to leave civilization behind and to be back in nature once again. I finish the short day at an unexpected campsite tended by a young Owambo man. The rain never came back. I made the right decision to leave the security of the toilet. 

The only dry chunk of property in the abandoned campground

 

Rain…the anti-motivator

 

So long, Ruacana