RI7ER JOURNAL POSTS
The Senqu Orange Gariep Expedition Journal - ` Vat my bakkie ´
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Easy swift waters got us down the 12 km in 2 hours to Hopetown via the Klokhuis, the historic contol post for the railway across the Orange. We had covered a larger 35km the day before through mostly flat bird infested pools and 3 fun rapids in a mini basalt gorge.
A half-hearted stash of gear in the reeds and we headed up to the Caltex station a few hundred metres away. The owner of the land and the fuel station said we should go and get our gear with his bakkie. He kept repeating ´vat my bakkie`. Even after we returned with our boats to the station. I misunderstood him and Ine and i jumped in his bakkie ( pick-up truck ), - he thought we were just going to unload our boats and hitch - and blasted off down the road to Orania in his bakkie to complete our shuttle. When we got back an hour later his wife explained the mis-understanding and we were charged for the mileage. Which was well worth it considering we did not have to hitch on a Sunday in the Karoo.
He had mentioned to his wife after our disappearance with his bakkie that we looked like decent people and would probably bring it back. Lucky for him.
By Rob Wilson