RI7ER JOURNAL POSTS

I began my journey well stocked with food and provisions. Creeks with pure water kept me hydrated and i had rarely ventured out of the river valley. But it was time to charge all batteries, get some fresh food , make coms and take some time off the water. The town of Mt. Moorosi was my planned choice to get all these things done. I arrived at a ferry crossing and met a man by the name of Willy - the official ferry oarsman. He spoke excellent English and after a chat and looking at maps he suggested I rather go to the town of Quthing.

 A great town to get things done. I even found an ATM at the top of town to draw some needed cash with my plastic. The 4+1 taxi is the way to get around; the A-Z cafe is where I grazed two steaks (not too sure what animal they came from), but they tasted outta this world.

I had now moved into a western-influenced town.  Gone were the blanket and gum boot subsistence folk. In was snappy dressing, cell phones glued to ears, businesses wheeling and dealing. There’s a lot of competition between businesses. I left there having a good laugh at the music competition: every store/shop/street vendor has some kind of stereo and speakers, everyone competing for big sound. Well, they got it right, the sound is big .  Volume buttons and knobs were all maxed and cranked to just past their intended cut-off levels - speakers shaking and vibrating themselves to early retirement . I am not too sure if it was just me at having being out so long in only nature’s sound, but I got blown right outta town by the sound.

A reminder - there is another world out there with people doing their stuff - to not get too caught up in my own little Orange River world .