| Through Namibia to the Zambian border crossing | | | | it weighs approximately 50 tons and is thought to have |
| Early the next morning, I set off on the first leg of my | | | | fallen to earth less than 80 000 years ago. |
| trip through Southern Africa, travelling from Namibia to | | | | I spend the night in a nearby campsite and the next |
| Zambia. After checking that my passport is in order | | | | morning I go into Grootfontein to shop and stock up |
| (valid for more than six months and with at least two | | | | the fridge. I check my water, oil and tyres and fill up |
| empty pages in the back) and the correct number of | | | | with petrol, in preparation for the next stage of my |
| cross-border letters from Drive Africa's rental partner | | | | journey, towards Rundu in the Caprivi Strip. The Caprivi |
| securely in my possession, I board my air-conditioned | | | | is the only place in the world where the borders of |
| 4WD vehicle and take the B1 out of Windhoek. My | | | | four countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and |
| destination for that night is Grootfontein, about 450 | | | | Zimbabwe) can be crossed within a few hours. I plan |
| kilometres away. I am on the Namibian national road, a | | | | to cross the Namibian-Zambia border at the Wenela |
| two-lane paved road that runs through hilly grassland. | | | | border post. |
| Okahanja | | | | Rundu |
| After about 45 minutes I reach Okahanja, a small | | | | The road to Rundu is long and straight. After about 100 |
| town, which was a Rhennish mission station in the late | | | | km, the scenery changes and I start to feel like I am in |
| nineteenth century and is closely linked with the Herero | | | | undeveloped, 'real' Africa. Thatched rondavels cluster |
| people. I pass corrugated-iron buildings where locally | | | | close to the road, fields of maize and millet interrupt the |
| produced woodwork is for sale but don't have time to | | | | dense bush veldt. I have to slow down to avoid a herd |
| stop. | | | | of goats crossing the road (there are no fences). |
| Travelling along the national road in my 4x4, I notice the | | | | Arriving at the campsite outside Rundu, I am tempted |
| land is changing, becoming greener and more fertile. I | | | | to stop. The location is spectacular, overlooking the |
| am entering cattle country, Namibian-style, heading | | | | Okavango River towards Angola. But it's still early so I |
| towards Ojiwarongo which the Herero named 'the | | | | decide to push on to the Popa Falls where the |
| Place of Fat Cows'. Cows graze contently behind the | | | | campsite is said to be even more scenic than the one |
| fences, except when they decide to take the high | | | | at Rundu. I have been driving for over 200 km but am |
| road home, in which case they have the right of way. | | | | feeling relatively fresh, thanks to comfy seats, good |
| Otjiwarongo | | | | suspension and air conditioning in my 4x4 rental vehicle. |
| I arrive in Otjiwarongo just a couple of hours after | | | | Popa Falls |
| leaving Okahanja and head straight to the station to | | | | Two hundred kilometres on, I arrive at the Popa Falls - |
| see the old steam engine (built in 1912 by the Henschel | | | | which I hear before I see - and find that that they are |
| company in Germany). Travelling by train used to be | | | | more like rapids than a waterfall: the river looks as if |
| my favourite mode of transport, until I converted to | | | | it’s flowing down a flight of rocky steps. Just past a |
| 4x4 adventuring! | | | | prison ground, I find the community run camping site. It |
| After stopping at the garage to get my tyres and | | | | is a gem! Even more scenic that the one at Rundu, |
| water checked, I am back on the B1 road. Eighty | | | | next to the rapids and with individual camp areas. In |
| kilometres later, at Otavi, I turn onto the B8, direction | | | | minutes I have put up my roof top tent and am sitting |
| Grootfontein. I could have stayed on the B1 and gone | | | | looking across the Okavango River, enjoying a |
| to the Ethosha National Park, one of the 'must-see' | | | | spectacular sunset and watching fish eagles dive for |
| places in Namibia, but I decide to save that visit for the | | | | their dinner. As I listen to the hippos grumbling deeply to |
| end of my trip. My priority is to complete my | | | | each other, I am glad to be up here in my bushcamper, |
| cross-frontier journey through Southern Africa - I will | | | | safe from crocodiles and hippos. |
| return to Namibia after travelling through Mozambique, | | | | The next day, I wake to the sound of the Okavango |
| Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana | | | | dawn chorus. Well rested, I set off along the |
| and South Africa. | | | | Trans-Caprivi Highway (the B8) to Katima Mulilo, capital |
| Grootfontein and Hoba | | | | of the Caprivi. The speed limit is 80 km/hr and there |
| Grootfontein means 'Big Spring' in Afrikaans and the | | | | are signs warning of elephants. But, I don’t spot any |
| town used to be a German military base. Das Alte | | | | elephants; all I see are dung piles and giant anthills. |
| Fort (the old fort) was built in the later nineteenth | | | | Katima Mulilo / Wanella |
| century and is now a museum. Being almost half way | | | | Five hundred kilometres later, I arrive in Katima Mulilo, |
| through today's leg of the journey, I decide to stop and | | | | the capital of the Caprivi. Again, I camp on the banks |
| visit the museum on top of a hill. Inside the museum is | | | | of a river, this time the Zambezi. In the middle of the |
| a complete smithy dating from the days of ox-cart | | | | night, something wakes me up. I look outside and, in the |
| travel. Am I pleased to be travelling in a comfortable | | | | moonlight, see a fantastic sight: a herd of elephants |
| 4x4 and not my ox-cart! | | | | crossing the river, with only their trunks sticking out of |
| I head next to Hoba to see the largest meteorite in the | | | | the water. As they make their way alongside the |
| world. I return to the B8 and turn off onto the D2885, | | | | campsite, I am again thankful to have a roof tent! |
| which is quite good for a gravel road but I am still glad | | | | The next day, I fill up with petrol and supplies at one of |
| to be driving a 4WD vehicle. After another 2 km, I | | | | the supermarkets in Katima Mulilo. Luckily my 4x4 has |
| arrive at the national monument site. | | | | extra jerry cans and a 55 litre water tank because I |
| Passing a sign that says 'Beware of the falling meteor', | | | | am not sure how many petrol stations and shops |
| I find myself at what looks like a miniature | | | | there are in Zambia. Border formalities at the Wenela |
| amphitheatre, in the centre of which is a reddish brown | | | | border post are quick and easy and I cross over into |
| lump of rock with shiny patches that look like stainless | | | | Zambia on a remarkable bridge, 900 metres long with |
| steel or chrome. The meteorite is smaller than I had | | | | 19 spans, built over the Zambezi. |
| expected although, according to the information board, | | | | |