Perhaps I was the typical “friend in need” but seeing all the smiling Pretorius’s waving goodbye on Nyati’s rear view screen, left me feeling decidedly empty & alone… I stuck my arm out & waved but I don’t think it was seen… They all turned & trooped inside.

There’s a holiday resort called Marselspoort just outside of town, near the airport. I decided to go there for an overnight stop… Baby steps, don’t cut the apron strings, stay within retrieval range.

What a place, exactly what Nyati’s designed to be able to stay away from. Caravan sites, cheek by jowl, each with their own chalet providing personal & private kitchen, laundry bathroom & toilet facilities… Perfectly presented & maintained by a huge crew, but today, Iike me, the place was completely empty & devoid of charm.

As I let Nyati idle down for a few minutes, exhaustion fell over me like a heavy blanket. The high levels of anxiety over the past few days were now taking their toll on my body & soul. I felt every one of my 68 years & wondered if I’d be able to drag myself out of the comfort of the pneumatic seat that was gradually deflating under me, a feeling a little like after sex, but with none of the satisfaction.

For the first time in YEARS I enjoyed the therapeutic experience of soaking in a very long, hot bath… Thank you Marselspoort, your magnificent facilities truly were a blessing in disguise.

Sunrise the next morning was spectacular, happening late, a few minutes after 7, even I was up & able to appreciate it, combined with the frantic “tooing & froing” of all the riverlife, the blaze of changing colour on the horizon, made me think of the collidescopes we played with as children… Oh Man, Life IS great !
Mmmm…feeling better, I’m not asking why, why, why ? I’m wondering where, where, where to now ?

There really is no route planned, just head towards the karoo & let each day unfold as it will. The map showed a big stretch of water about 200km to the N.West… The Bloemhof Dam, its in the right direction… It’s also in the middle of a nature reserve… Lets go. The moon will be full in a couple of nights, & I LOVE the full moonrise over water.

Oh yes, its a HUGE expanse alright, & there were several bands of fishermen camped along the waters edge. It wasn’t long before a couple of fisherkids came over to check Nyati out. One of them asked, “Hoekom Oom het so ver van die water sy lorrie gestop het “? “Jesus”, I thought, “he’s got a point there”. So, not to be thought of as a total novice at this fishing /camping thing, I told him it was full moon time, & where I came from there was always a very high tide that came with the full moon, so we park up the beach above the high watermark. Oh God, I wish I hadn’t, the kids ran back to Pa shouting that the Oom had said they should move out of the way, the water’s coming !… & nobody spoke to me for the rest of my stay there.

The greatest show on Earth happens, more reliable than clockwork, all around the world, & it’s absolutely free for ANYONE who’s prepared to stop & have their breath taken away. Forget about sprouting canines & back hair… Something DOES stir in most of us under that incredible glow though… It certainly does in me. Tonight’s full moon turned the whole place, the sky, the water, the thorn trees & the grass, a russet orange. As if in a gentle dream, I sat next to my fire crackling in the “mbaula” … mesmerised… nibbling on a chocolate bar, sipping coffee, listening to the jackals HOWL & wondering how many other people in the world had allowed themselves to be THIS lucky tonight.