Published: 12.04.2025
We are now all the way up north at the Okavango. Here we have also met our travel companions again. Our campsite is located right by the river, which also forms the border to Angola - so we are looking directly across the river into Angola. The river flows very calmly, yet with quite a significant speed. It comes from the north of Angola, is 1700 km long, and ends in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. There it simply loses itself in the sand. We traveled through this region 3 years ago around this time. The river had already completely dried up then. With today's water level of the river, it would not be possible to navigate the delta. The tracks are certainly still underwater and the salt pans still filled and impassable.
We spoke with a white Namibian. He told us that he has lived here for 46 years and has never experienced so much rain.
Thank goodness we have received very little of it ourselves. We had only one instance of really heavy rain (right at the beginning of the trip), then just a few splashes and now nothing for quite a while.
The Namibians are overall very happy about the rain, as there is a lot of grass for the animals and the groundwater level has risen significantly, which also means enough water for the people.
Today we went shopping in Rundu, a city that is not so small at all. There are incredibly many shops and also a black middle class that shops. We had our car washed: thorough hand wash, duration: about three-quarters of an hour. Cost: 5€.
Then we passed by a “soccer stadium”. Unfortunately, it was halftime. But here is a photo of the spectator stands:
We will stay here by the river until Monday morning. Then we will head a bit to the east and from there straight south. Into the wild Khaudum. There we should encounter animals of all kinds again. If I have a cell phone signal, I will check in from there again.
