Day 16/17/18: long weekend at the farm

Day 16:

Similar to the previous day, our day started with breakfast at 8:00 am. While Jakob went hunting with both guests in the morning, Jens and I went to one of the cattle camps to check if all the cows that should be there are really still in the 'enclosure'. Our car fought through very rocky terrain of the camp, but no sign of the cows. However, from the car we could only check the 'paths' and the immediate surroundings. The cows could just as well have disappeared somewhere in the thicket, so the on-foot check should be done in the afternoon.

Regular checks are very important, because even here at Ondombo there are poachers who are after the relatively expensive beef (a healthy, fully grown cow is worth about €700). The end of the month is especially popular, as the meat is ready for sale after 3-4 days, just when the first salaries are paid and people can afford expensive meat. If the poachers have struck, the entire herd is likely to have been slaughtered.

After lunch, Jakob accompanied the two hunters as their driver on their last hunt (they will leave tomorrow). I, on the other hand, took Jens and Abel, a farm worker, to the starting point for the cattle search. I was allowed to drive the most magnificent car in the entire fleet. An ancient Toyota Hilux that had no exterior or interior cladding, doors or windows, and no windshield - but had more horsepower than some others that tackled the 'paths' in the camp.

After dropping off Jens and Abel, I returned to the farm. Bonny was already waiting for my help in the kitchen. While he took care of soup, potatoes, and vegetables, my task was once again to prepare the meat. With a little routine by now, 14 fillets were prepared from the zebra's loin, ready for the grill. But before the pieces could fulfill their destiny, we enjoyed a breathtaking view at sunset. Since the guests have to leave tomorrow already at 12 noon from Windhoek, they have to leave very early (it's about 4 hours to the airport). For us, that means going to bed right after dinner, because breakfast should be ready at 6:30 am.

Day 17:

This morning, I can hardly believe it myself, I woke up without an alarm clock for the first time since I've been here. A solid 10 hours of sleep, which I haven't had in a long time, had replenished my energy reserves and I woke up relaxed around 9:00 am. Sylvia and Jens had set off for some errands in Okaue, and Karsten was nowhere to be found. Jakob and I had breakfast together and had leisure time this morning. Later it turned out that Karsten had also gone to Okaue, where they had built at the sheep enclosure. When the three returned, they invited Jakob and me and we drove to Gerd and Esther's farm (Jens' grandparents, who had also picked us up at the airport). The farm is about 500 meters away and is the original farmhouse of Ondombo, as well as a disused guest farm. We were invited there for lunch. Esther had prepared meat from the sheep and pig, cauliflower, and salad.

After lunch, we spent a relaxed afternoon on the farm. Around 4:00 pm, we set off to hunt guinea fowl. But when I fired the first shot, nothing happened but a soft click... obviously the cartridge did not ignite properly and the projectile was stuck in the barrel. Since we couldn't remove the projectile from the barrel, we returned to the farm a little disheartened. But even there, we couldn't solve the problem quickly. As an alternative, we went to the sunset spot. You'll probably hear it a few more times, but there's nothing better than watching the sunset over the savannah with beer and music. A view that stretches for hundreds of kilometers to the horizon and nothing but bush savannah - simply fantastic.

When we returned to the farm, there was a bite to eat for dinner. Although we didn't do anything special today and slept until 9:00 am this morning, I was exhausted and went straight to bed after dinner...