SOUTHERN AFRICA: DAY 1 - NAMIBIA
Wild Camping Where the Hippos are Playing in the Water
Our first day of the big adventure
The frogs' orchestra is sounding across the river. It sounds like their orchestra is being held on the Angolan side of the Okavango. It’s dark outside but a million stars light up the sky.
This is what I was craving for. A real, authentic wild camping spot for the start of the trip. We had looked at campsites online as options but I am so glad we decided to check out this spot first. It is a dream. But let me start from the beginning.
This morning we left Swakopmund, the town between the Atlantic Ocean and the dunes of the Namib desert. We left off on a great journey with the intention of driving east until we hit the Indian Ocean.
Yes, crossing the African continent isn’t an easy feat and certainly not something you can plan for a lot but we’ll take it as we go.
The first step is done. We left. And since we explored the country of Namibia before and have seen, not everything but a lot of it already, we decided to sacrifice the first day of the trip and drive 800 kilometers from the ocean all the way to the Okavango River.
We drove through the Namib desert and then slowly but surely witnessed how the landscape got greener and greener.
I slept the first two hours of the trip while David was driving. Later on, we swapped and I took over. Traffic wasn’t bad despite it being a Friday.
We stopped to buy some fruits from the locals. David remembered eating them when he worked up north about 15 years ago. Don’t know what they are called but they are really sweet.
It’s a Friday the 13th. Many wouldn’t have chosen this date for the start of such a big adventure but we’re not superstitious and I believe 13 is a great number. My dad was born on a Friday the 13th. So why should I believe this number would bring me harm?
We made it across the country and reached the picnic spot we found on the iOverlander app at 5 pm. I was in love with the spot from the moment we turned off the road. David had some thinking and analyzing to do before he decided it was safe for us to camp here.
As he was assessing the land, he was more worried about humans than animals. But the Okavango River is home to both species, crocodiles and hippos.
And just as we sat down in our chairs enjoying the peace and quiet, I was seeing something suspicious in the water.
"That thing over there doesn’t look like a rock..."
And just as he wanted to disagree, that "rock" opened his mouth and made David shout out a bunch of swear words.
Yes, that wasn’t a rock. We could both see it clear. A hippo. In the water. Close enough to see without a glasses or binoculars.
And so we spent the following two hours watching three hippos in the water. They were just behind that little island and we felt safe enough knowing they were in the water and we were on land.
For any of you that might ask themselves why we should be scared of hippos just Google "death by hippo". More humans die each year in the sharp teeth of hippos than in those of a shark. True fact. And hippos are vegetarian.
Splash
Both of us turn around as one hippo pops up now downriver from the island and right next to us. Now that is a little too close for my comfort.
But we had started a fire already. Right there where David anticipated any animals would, if they could, crawl out of the water. The hippo was so close, it kept eye contact with me. But eventually, I won the staring contest and it moved on.
Thankfully.
I was walking around with the camera in hand, trying to capture the beauty of this place from all angles.
That way we could enjoy the breathtaking sunset, the appearing of the stars at night and the concert of these Angolan frogs.
The sunset was like from another planet. It was just so beautiful. And even long after the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the sky remained colorful.
Now, I can see the stars through the mosquito net inside our tent. That is how bright the African night is. And yes, we prepared for this trip. It’s rainy season and you can’t camp without a mosquito net.
It is time for me to fall asleep. Nature’s sounds are the last ones I hear before my eyes shut.
Stay tuned… this is only the beginning of an epic journey!
Read here about our plans:
Join my email list here if you would like to read more travel essays or sign up for the Medium membership to receive unlimited access to my and other writers’ stories out here (I will receive a commission fee in return).
WordPress | Shutterstock | Instagram | YouTube | Mailchimp | Amazon