Deja Vue in Tsumeb!

On Saturday, I wanted to drive from Etosha towards Divundu to the Popa Falls at the entrance to the Caprivi Strip. As soon as I left Etosha, a policeman jumped in front of me on the road, stopped me, and inspected my car. 'Could you please get out and check your speed on our camera?' Oh, I thought, was I driving sooo fast? Everyone else is driving just as fast, right? Okay, don't show anything, stay friendly! 125 km/h instead of the allowed 120! Well, then I wasn't that much faster! 😅 He pulled out a penalty register book, '126 km/h, that's 2,000 N$! (about 100 €!) 'No no, the camera showed 125!' 'Oh yes, then it's 1,750 N$! (still 90 €! 😟 compared to Germany, it's 30 € for 5 km/h over the limit!) 'But if you can't pay in cash, you have to go to the nearest police station and pay there! Then they will put you in their register. It's not good if they have you in their register! I could just let you go. Give me 200 N$ and just drive, if you don't drive too fast anymore!' 'Yes, it was only 5 km/h over the limit anyway!' 😇 'Exactly! So get going!' 'Thank you!' So I gave him 200 N$, about 10 €, and he was happy! That's the extent of police corruption in Namibia! 😅 And off we went! Just before Tsumeb, I had to refuel, so I stopped at a gas station. In Namibia, you stay in the car and get refueled. Then you pay through the window. I wanted to pay with a card, enter the PIN, it wasn't accepted... I looked at my cheat sheet and tried again, digit by digit, and checked again, nothing... So again! Still nothing, and now the PIN is blocked! Nothing is working anymore! NOOOO!!! Not again! It reminds me of the last time in Namibia! 😫 So I let myself be taken to the manager's office to make a phone call to Germany. I called my bank to resolve the issue. I only reached an emergency number. 'Yes, only your contact person Mr. XYZ in Babenhausen can help with that! But now it's Saturday, he'll be back on Monday!' NO! I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere for another 2 days! Deja Vue¹⁰! 😫 A second Visa card is being applied for at home! If necessary, a 3rd one! I never want something like this to happen again! 😝 Luckily, the manager overheard my phone call and immediately offered that I could stay here until Monday, there is also accommodation in the backyard with a spa and everything! And a list of all my expenses would be created at the cash register and I could pay when everything was sorted out with my bank and the PIN! Oh yes, very cool! I was accommodated in a room in an old converted railway car, shown around, and explained my situation to the staff! There was a really nice spa area which I immediately made use of! Sauna, steam bath, whirlpool, the full program! 😊😃 For dinner, however, the night shift was at the cash register, who didn't know anything about my situation and the list for me and was initially very skeptical and suspicious and didn't want to believe me... 🙈😅 Luckily, another cashier from lunch came and explained everything to her! 😅
The next day was quite relaxed. As it was relatively cool and windy, I spent most of the time in my railway car room, watching TV. Thanks to the smart TV, at least DW News and Netflix! 😄 On Monday morning, my bank was called at 9 am and everything was resolved! It took over an hour to reactivate my PIN, but then everything worked again, I could pay and continue driving! 😄
But I didn't get far... I had just driven a few kilometers when I came to a well-visible intersection, but with a stop sign. I slowed down a bit and continued without stopping, like everyone else before me. After all, everything could be seen well. Stupidly, it got too hot for me in my jacket and I stopped briefly on the left after the intersection to take it off! A police car took advantage of that moment and drove towards me! As I said, no one else stops at the stop sign either! And I have never seen anyone in Namibia stop when everything was clear! But I was just the fool who stopped right after to take off his jacket! 😝 'You didn't stop at the stop sign, that's 1,500 N$!' Aaaargh! The cops***, I mean, of course, the lovely, nice police 😇, who stops me! 😝 He explained the same thing to me as the other policeman two days ago, only cash, otherwise the police station, but that wouldn't be good! How much cash do I have on me? 430 N$? Okay, give me 400 N$ and keep driving! 😅
The rest of the drive went without any further problems! From now on, I never drove faster than 123 km/h and stopped at EVERY stop sign, demonstratively! No matter how well the intersection could be seen or how much I annoyed those behind me with it! 😅 Mind you, NOBODY actually stops at a stop sign here! 🙈 You drive past some sheet metal villages and cows and goats run freely next to the road everywhere, which can be quite dangerous, as the animals often leisurely wander across the road! 😝 A bird also got hit! *Pung* it made and bounced off my windshield... 🙈

Now I was finally in Divundu at the Popa Falls in the most expensive lodge so far, but also one of the most beautiful! 😊 The next day, I was supposed to go through the Caprivi Strip to Botswana! 😃