Our initial plan was to spend 2 nights in Oranje Mund, but
again, limited viewing in a sedan, made as re look out travel plans. Setting out from Oranje Mund in the morning we had to again
cross the Orange River into South Africa.
A bit strange, you are required to obtain a permit before entering the
Sper gebied but on leaving the area, your vehicle or baggage is not searched or
checked at all. Easiest border crossing
ever.
The plan was to stay in Pofadder for the night (371km from
Oranje Mund) and then go on to Witsand the next day (another 308km). While having lunch in Springbok we, very
bravely, decided to push through to Kakamas – thus having a shorter trip the
next day.
Well, we eventually ended up on Upington, some 700km from
Oranje Mund – a full day’s driving.
BMW and Fiat was again out doing Government approved speed
testing. Just outside Pofadder a BMW M??
Came flying past us, did not see him going and just barely saw the going as he
disappeared across the horizon. This is
a 198Km straight road with temperature’s reaching 42 degrees, so perfect
testing areas. There are no warning
boards on the road or in town that these tests are happening, only the vehicles
are marked in any way. Makes for a quick
heart attack when they come flying past at break-neck speed.
Rumour has it (yeah, we spend a lot of time skinnering with
the locals) that the local Pofadder millionaire sold Dinky 4x4 to BMW as a
testing area. It’s apparently a fully
fledged Formula 1 track where they do testing on the interior, body panel
colours, leaving the cars standing in the desert for years etc.
As we passed Kakamas our quest for accommodation became
desperate. We eventually phoned the
Protea hotel in Upington where we had stayed on a previous occasion. Were quoted R1,586 for bed and
breakfast. Lucky, another very fast car
sped by us, drowning out my high-pitch screech.
We found far more reasonably priced accommodation at River View Lodge in
Upington. A refreshing oasis, right on
the river. We were close to biltong by
then and just flopped in the pool.
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| The garden at River Bank Lodge |
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| Tree next to the river |
After consuming many beers to re-hydrate, we had supper at
the local O’Hagans where they preprare a fantastic Ostrich Fillet and Beef
Snitchel