THE BLUE EYED RANGER

THIS safari was only a part of a marathon one. Still without a 4×4 we had hired a brand new Volkswagen Kombi from the Avis Car Hire lady in Upington. Our plan was to go to the Namib Naukluft Park and Etosha National Park.  This chapter is about the second part of our journey as Jacques was reminiscing about this part of the trip whilst in Joburg for a business and a family lunch last Sunday.

From the Naukluft we drove to Swakopmund where we found accommodation in little A framed corrugated iron rooms used by fishermen. the Red Kombi was by this time a nightmare inside. I had been teaching the children some German phrases as Namibia was originally a German colony. So I prefaced the nouns by “und”. Young Shaun got out of the Kombi, put his hands on his hips while surveying the chaos within and pronounced “Und Mess!”

Our aim was the Etosha but we were ahead of schedule and wandered up the coast to Sesfontein keen to see the castle there. Once our tent was up Susan succumbed to a migraine and the children and I went off to see the castle where we met the German incumbent. He convinced us that we should go north to Eupopa Falls to see the Himba people. “A Volkswagen beetle went there not long ago!’

He also told us of a secluded spring nearby and so the children and I went back to Susan, pulled down the tent and embarked on a search for the spring. We found it and were the only ones there. How refreshing the clear water was; the kids were in like a flash. Then we told Susan of the German’s suggestion. Full of enthusiasm we departed two days later.

Throughout our journey other travelers, mainly large men with equally large vehicles had stared at the amazing sight of two women and four children aged between 10 and 3 all on our own in this wilderness. Jacque said he could still recollect those stares!

Around the fire one evening we were telling stories, making them up as we went along and the children came up with a story of me (single) meeting a handsome blue eyed game ranger and riding off into the sunset with him.

Now the Kombi was only a two by four and the road was rough. We battled on until we came across a dry riverbed. Unfortunately a little mistake in judgement landed the Kombi on a rock. The children and I left the vehicle and sat on the side while Susan contemplated what could be done!.

The drone of a lorry could be hear approaching. Help was near! The lorry braked abruptly and a handsome blue eyed game ranger alighted spitting with fury. “You ……stupid women! How the hell could you attempt this road!” I bristled. The German told us other people had done it and we believed him!”

He strode furiously to his vehicle, hauled out a towing rope whilst swearing fluently. “That so and so German! I will have his guts and you should have known better! Two women and four kids in this situation! I can’t believe it!”

He drove the lorry into the river and reversed it back to the Kombi. Attached the rope. Pulled our vehicle out of the river. He jumped out and shouted at Susan. “And now I am going to turn you around and tow you back through the river!

Susan was aghast. “But we only have to go over that hill to be in Eupopa!” Blue eyes was adamant. “This is my patch and you are going no further!” With that he got into the Kombi, turned it around, reattached the rope and pulled us through the river bed. His lorry roared back and over the hill.

Two tired women and four children gathered around the campfire, two gin and tonics and a couple of vodkas later we were laughing hysterically and a group of large men with their four by four were throwing very odd looks at us!