What is it about some places…?
Some people…?

Nyati’d climbed up the Gamsberg pass, over the Hakosberg range, on the road to Windhoek…
Cresting the final rise, puffing & panting with exertion, there it was…
The most unattractive, uninviting signboard you’ve ever seen… On a tree…
Hakos guest farm…
Accommodation, camping.
Stargazing too.
Perfect for astronomy…
On top of a mountain… Nothing within miles…Isolated.
Certainly no “light pollution” here… Ideal.

The underskin tingling started then…
On the road…7km before…

Nyati’s wheels standing in a lekker little rainwater puddle. Nice to see, but that uneasy feeling persisted… Niggling.

“Mmmm… I don’t like this place”.

Rolling down the rutted farm road I wondered at the hair standing up on my arms…
“Ja, such a crap road”…
“10 moving tons”…
“Be nervous”…
“Be aware”.

But it wasn’t that.

Nyati parked on the only piece of paving in front of a huge iron gate…
Acute angle… The wheel chock was essential.
I could hear the bell inside.
Eventually… As I was turning to leave “mein host” shambled into view through the half opened door… Big… Heavy… Unkempt… A nasty, open gash on his right leg.
No charm whatsoever.

“Ja” ?
“I need to camp for the night”.
“N$130… No telescopes to hire… It’s raining”

Eish… I stepped back, looked up & held my hand out, palm up…You know, the way you do any time an estate agent tells you, “It’s raining”.

“Do you have Wi-Fi” ?
“N$50 extra… My wife’s away in Windhoek”.

Oh, shit… I didn’t ask… Why tell  ?

I looked around carefully, listening, full of
Exxxx..pec..ta..tion…
There’s gotta be something…
You know… A bat out of hell… A hunchback… Transvestites…
Something…

Yes…& all these telescopes staring out into space  ?

Weird Man… Very weird… Maybe it’s me.

Found the campsite, without any help or directions, to hell & gone, over the hill…deserted & rundown…
No sign of recent use.
Where IS everybody ?    Anybody  ?

Nyati parked facing out, & I slept fitfully, ill at ease, a lump under my pillow, hoping I wouldn’t need to use it, & wondering what the hell we were doing here.

“Why not just leave…find somewhere else” ?
“No… Fuck it… We’re stronger than that”.

We left very early…
Quickly…
No ritual walk around…
Pressures up… Numbers good… Go.
Didn’t even remove the big thorn bush branches I’d jammed against the doors…
Just bloody drove out.

So after all this angst…
Bad gut feel…
Imagination running wild…
Suddenly…
Nothing happened, nothing at all.

What IS it about that place  ?

Maybe sometimes what we perceive to be an unpleasant experience, is simply a manifestation of our personal insecurities at the time.
On another day Hakos might be full of fun & light… Not THIS day though.

Perhaps a party of genuine astronomers would enjoy the facilities here, but I just couldn’t shake off the weird vibe & anti-social reception.

After a few kilometres, I started to relax, laughed & stretched my muscles.
Nyati flew along, giggling too, I thought.

What a stupid night…
I didn’t like that place, not one bit.

So… What the hell  ?… We’ve got all day, no plans… Let’s get into Windhoek… Establish a base & focus on checking out Nyati’s brakes.

The grapevine was in full flow…
Hennie, of BLV fame, put me in touch with Emo Steiner, who has a service centre here.

Urbancamp’s designed around & caters for overlanders…
It reminded me of arriving at Matwapa Creek in Kenya…
Nothing’s too much trouble… Everything’s possible… Swimming pool… Bar & restaurant…
Hey hey hey… Open Wi-Fi too.
A perfect base of operations, 15 minutes stroll from Windhoek centre…

“Be sensible”, I thought.
“Walk into town early tomorrow… Before it gets too hot & you make a fool of yourself”.
“Remember what the ‘Old Lady’ used to say”.

That’s why I was lolling around the pool, in the shade, sipping on an ice cold lager.
Passing another difficult day in Africa…
Hot though… “I wonder HOW hot. Maybe this bloody smart phone will show me”.

On with the Wi-Fi, on with the Data roaming & into “Google”
Up it comes & tells me to SPEAK…
To say “O.K. Google”.
Hell Man, I don’t want to be SEEN talking to my phone…
Anyway, casually, out of the side of my mouth, leaning over, not to be spotted, I obey, & say it…”OK Google”.
“Plink”… Up comes the word, “Listening”.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT  ???

So, trying to remember why I was doing this, & not be noticed, I said, “temperature”

HAIBO !!!!  SOME SEXY CHICK CLEARLY SAYS…

“It’s 36 degrees in Windhoek”.

I FELL OUT OF THE HAMMOCK MAN  !!!

I looked into the lens, front & back…
“Was she watching” ?

“Quickly, quickly… Ask her something else… You know… Get her to talk dirty”.

Eish, the Gypsy’s back.

Hee Hee Hee… Ain’t life GREAT  ?

“Please replace the spilt beer with a BIG one”.