RI7ER JOURNAL POSTS
The Pure Orange Expedition Journal - Orange View, camp 35
Monday, 23 February 2009
Woke up early with the dawn of a new adventure day. Had some things to do before departing Prieska: a photo mission at the church and the 1900 British fort on the hill overlooking town. Was pretty sad to see the state of the fort and surrounds - litter that’s been there a long time .
On my way back through town to get fruit and veg, looked for some flip-flops because the african heat has won again and turned my 100 dollar river sandals into 4 pieces. They don’t wear flip-flops in Prieska , but you can get ‘crocs’ - In any design and colour.
WARNING !!! ‘Crocs’ are part of a worldwide domination conspiracy to get us humans to all do the same thing, these are the 1st subtle stages of the clone process........... be vigilant, be smart and be uncool and dont wear this excuse for a shoe!
Anyways, headed back to my campsite to meet Marcel the ‘bird-man’. He gave me a ride down to the river to launch, told me all about his breeding of an Amazonian species and selling them in Dubai. I asked if those were the same birds which woke me each morning. We had a good laugh at that.
Took it easy on the water today, stopping twice to let storms go by. Had lunch at a farmers water pump and played the wave game with a couple of shy kids, whose parents were out on the lands working. They wave, I wave back and so it continues .
Flat water all day. Unexpected cliffs along the way - brown and black bands of rock, twisting and turning along the river right shoreline, with hundreds of wasp and hornet nests, daring me to get out.
Camped on a huge green lawn opposite a farm called ‘Orange View’. Can tell from where their farm house is positioned that they have a grand vista of several kilometres up river.