"Everything that has a beginning has an end".

The South African holiday influx is over…
Reversed.
You could feel it yesterday, they started eying the road home…
Loose stuff got packed away.
The maps came out.
Routes back towards the different border crossings became the most common topic of conversation…
Which's the closest, most direct, the quickest  ?

"We've gotta get back to Josie boet, back to work".

"Really… Ag, shame Man… Why"  ?

Now, it's only the second day, & they've ALL gone…
Nyati's completely alone on the island…
It's weird.

The Gypsy doesn't like it, not one bit.

New Year's Eve was great… Very festive.
There were groups of people spread around the island…braais everywhere.

Strolling around, I met some serious, what we call  "Dutchmen".
Huge, humorous creatures, happy in their natural environment…
Outdoors, hovering over a cooking fire.
Overgenerous, to a fault, with their "before you go, try one of this"…
Insistent actually.

Have you ever eaten a "Skilpodjie" straight off the braai  ?
I'm told the direct interpretation is "tortoise".
Mmmmm…They're delicious but…
Jesus, Man… Call me old fashioned, I still braai steak, boerewors & chops…
If you have to have veggies, it's a potato… Mielie at a push…
Skilpodjies ? ?

I'd been invited to have dinner with Marie & Delio, a couple of very experienced travellers from Italy… Great guys… Wonderful fillet steak too.

Amazingly, the wind had stopped blowing for the last two days of the year, resulting in magnificent sunsets, bringing the year to a spectacular end.

Shark Island's been the perfect "bolt-hole" for Nyati.
Cool in so many senses of the word…

Just 20 minutes walk from Luderitz central where everything's available, with the Atlantic Ocean keeping temperatures very pleasant.

Then there's Johnny, Matthew, Lucus & Wilson, four friendly guys working here, who drop in most days to chat & check that everything's okay on board Nyati.

I've been very happy here, but the Gypsy's starting to play up.

Now that everyone's left, I find myself pondering the route to Windhoek…
Nyati only needs to be there in February,  so there's plenty of time & I'm reluctant to leave…
Sad even.
The Island's so cool, comfortable, & safe.

"Don't cry because it's over,
smile because it happened".

It's time… 2016…Wild side…Here we come…

Oh sure… There'll be highs & lows…
There'll be tears & there'll be joy…

Through it all though… There'll be Nyati.

www.rv-nyati.com