Well, hello stranger
Welcome back to our Namibia adventures! If you missed the other posts feel free to go back to Scenery on our road trip to sunny Namibia! and A day in Namibia: Looking for goats!. And stay tuned for more stories about our visit.
Today's post will consist of short stories spanning over three days. We didn’t do much, but I still wanted to make a post, so I can come back to it one day and relive the adventures. And I also get to share these short adventures with you guys! It's an opportunity for you to experience a place on earth you may never get to see in person. So please do come along and be part of the adventures!
29 June 2021
We started our morning by feeding the puppies and enjoying a warm cup of coffee. We were left on the farm without a vehicle since everyone went to a bidding event. At around 10 we received a call from her sister, asking us to assist her in fixing fences. Her sisters' farm is around 20-30 min away; however, we didn’t have a vehicle… So we decided on plan B.
Just to be clear, this motorcycle struggles to start, runs out of fuel quickly and almost didn’t handle the road we had to travel… We filled 2 bottles with extra fuel and made our way to her sister. Almost an hour later, with 15 gates and a few loud prayers, we finally arrived in one piece.
We upgraded to the Urrie, and got a few bottles of coffee and all the necessary equipment. We spent a few hours driving along the fence looking for holes in the ground as well as broken fences. Naturally, we had a few smoke breaks, some while driving and some while working.
By the end we closed 56 holes, fixed 7 broken fences and scooted 7 camps. We also found a lost lamb and were able to reunite it with its mother. The fact that the little lamb was unharmed was a surprise to all of us, seeing as the farm has a handful of foxes.
We made our way back home on the bumpy road with the Urrie, before going back to our trusty friend, Mr Red (the motorcycle). After a day on the Urrie, the motorcycle ride felt so much longer than in the morning.
Nevertheless we were home in time for this lovely sunset, a few cold beers and some much-needed rest.
30 June 2021
This day was just a mess… We woke up extremely early to assist in gathering a group of goats. We got home around launch time to find the wind had destroyed one of the solar panels, and on top of that one of the horses was missing.
At least the day started with a soft sunrise and we were still positive. We enjoyed the early sunrise with a hot cup of coffee and some fresh homemade rusks.
We went looking for Reindeer (the horse that went missing), only to get a flat tyre… I’m not blaming anyone, but I did warn Tobia about the giant rock in the road. We struggled for a while to change this tire, not because we don’t know how to… There were no tools in the Bakkie to change it… We had to walk to one of the camper sites to collect tools. Eventually, the tire was changed, and we found reindeer close to home.
On our way back we spotted a dead tree and made use of the opportunity to collect wood. If I’m honest, Tobia did everything, we just stood there and watched as the branches fell. The reason for all the wood is not just for fire and braai (my fellow SA people will know the hype behind a braai), but it is to heat water. You see the farm may run on solar panels but they still make use of a "donkie" to heat water for baths and showers. What is a "donkie"? A very old geyser that requires a giant fire to heat up all the water. It sounds like a hassle, but it is so worth it. The water heats up extremely fast, and there is always enough hot water for everyone. And I am allowed to say this... We were usually the last to shower out of 9 people. And I never had a cold shower during those three weeks.
1 July 2021
The start of the new month means nothing on a farm. It's just another day, the same way a weekend doesn't exist (well sunday mornings exist, but the rest of the weekends are still working days). Fortunately for us, this day was a "chill day" meaning it was time to take the horses on adventures, feed them carrots, clean their stalls and make sure they are well taken care of. Another reason for the "chill day" was thanks to the very pregnant guest we had. My friend's eldest sister was around 8 months pregnant at the time and wanted to have one last adventure before the baby arrived.
So for this day we only went horse riding… It was a lovely day, the weather was nice and warm (in the middle of winter), the wind was quiet and the farm was open for all our adventures. You’ll see that I’m connected to the lady next to me (tannie Tobia, yes my friend has the same name as her mother). This was my first time actually riding a horse. I had the opportunity to be around them when I was younger but was always too afraid to get on one. With a few lessons and leading behind me and I’m much more confident and relaxed around horses.
I wanted to show you guys the carrots we gave the horses. We also used these giant carrots for dinner that evening. The neighbouring farm, which is around 10 minutes away, has its own vegetable garden. We were lucky enough to get some fresh veggies from them. Just to help you understand how huge these were, I have tiny hands and struggle to use a regular size computer mouse.
