SWAKOPMUND DAY 301 453km

PALMWAG TO SWAKOPMUND   27-2-25

Got up at 5:30am, slept inside the ablutions so I didn't need to pitch my tent. Had buffet breakfast at 6am and it only gets light after 7am. 

    SWAKOPMUND 

 

   PALMWAG CAMP SITE

   This is the way all new camp sites are going, spacios bathroom inside and outside sitting area with kitchen sink and a braai.

   PALMWAG 

Went south then cut over to the coast and then down 250kms on the salt road to Henties Bay and then anothe 70kms to Swakopmund.

    Lion spoor, some lions come to the coast and eat the seals.

   An old diamond mine.

Made it on my tyre I put on in Malaga, Spain, 25 455kms ago. Have never had a tyre last that long, Mitas Enduro Dakar. Got a Heidenau on the rear now, what a relief and tossed the spare tyre I was carrying. Had my chain cleaned and oiled so am good now for all the way down. 

Found a room in a guest house with a bathroom en suite, really nice and breakfast included for 53 USD.

Walked around town then went to Tiger Fish for the Calamari.

    Tiger Fish Restaurant

PALMWAG 🇳🇦DAY🇳🇦 300 419km

EPUPA TO PALMWAG   26-2-25

Had an early breakfast with the boys and then departed at 8am for Palmwag.

The gravel roads are the best cause they grade them all the time so you can put the hammer down.

Stopped and visited some Himbas and gave them the remainder of my flour and rice and bought some goodies.

Stopped in Opuwo for coffee and then Khowarib for a waffle and ice cream, so gret to be back here, another camp I stayed at on the way up. They have upgraded the camp with a swimming pool and restaurant up on the hill at the campsite with a new campsite with your own ablutions and covered seating area with a braai.

Another 90kms and I arrived at Palmwag where the campsite has been bought by Gondwana and they have done an amazing job upgrading the campsite also with your personal ablutions and outside covered seating and kitchen sink.

EPUPA FALLS DAY 298 & 299 190km

RUACANA TO EPUPA FALLS  ALONG THE CUNENE RIVER      24 & 25 -2- 25

This is the same route I did when I started in 2022 and was amazed how the road has deteriorated. They have had some serious rain ten days ago and you can see how high the water was and the damage it has done. 

Took me way longer than I thought and arrived at around 3pm and went to Epupa Falls Camp where we stayed back in 2016. The camp is nice and quite and spacious, I had the campground to myself, it is the low season and the other two camps only had two vehicles in.

The owner of the camp was there and invited me to dine with him and his friend, which turns out lives two roads away from me in Simon's Town. 

TUESDAY 25th February

After a wholesome brekfast I walked down to the falls and along the river, this time I did not swim. The crocodiles are still lurking in the waters.

NAMIBIA - RUACANA DAY 297 566km

LUBANGO TO RUACANA,  NAMIBIA 🇳🇦

Went to ride Serrs de Leba Pass, was pretty impressive, didn't realize it was that long with such beautiful scenery, no wonder why they have it on their paper currency.

Then headed south east to Xangongo where I took the dirt road directly south for 130kms to the border. Was an okay road with patches of sand and the last 30kms were was slightly tougher with more sand and having to ride around mud puddles back and forth. Took a wrong turn for about twenty five minutes and just made it to the border before it closed.

Got a nice place in Ruacana and felt so good to be back in Namibia, was the first country I entered and now it's the last to exit. My tyre is done but need to get to Swakopmund for a new one, that's my biggest concern now. My biggest fear the entire trip down the West Coast was getting Malaria and am so relieved I did not get it, as I know quite a few people who did and it's not good, could end your trip let alone your life.