Day 3: Little Serengeti…and We are Exhausted

By Sanjayan

In two days we have walked 60 kilometers over rocky, ankle-hobbling ground, through waist-high grass and across sand as deep as snow. All in heat approaching 90 degrees Farenheit.

Though we start close to dawn, it is not until after dark that we make camp. Despite the hours, our progress is miserably small on the map —  just a few centimeters.

Our daily journey has been almost 10km more than expected, and we are exhausted.

Drinking Water Tinged with Diesel Fuel

The riverbeds we cross and re-cross are completely dry. The only water we see is at the bottom of deep digs in the sand. Elephants that smelled water below the ground have dug these small springs, which are subsequently used by passing wildlife.

The water looks so clear, filtered by the sand and pebbles, that I stop to fill my water bottle. But I'm dissuaded by a small frog that has made a temporary home here. 

Instead, I suck on our supply of warm water tinged with diesel (it was stored in an ex-diesel drum) and plastic, trying not to gag, eyeing that damn frog with some vengeance for spoiling my drink.

Where is the Wildlife?

There is little game to see. The vast plains we are now traversing, called the Little Serengeti, are mostly empty, though the habitat is green and the grass high. Heavy rains have hit Namibia this year, a cause for local celebration over the bumper crops of vegetation.

This area of the country has been transformed into an Eden. Rudi Loutit, the 60+ year-old director of Save the Rhino — an Edward Abbey of the Namib — shakes his head in awe at the sight. 

But hunting and heavy grazing, especially around the few permanent water holes, has decimated local wildlife. All we see for the entire day are a lonely oryx and four giraffe. 

'No Country for Used Camels'

The reason for our high mileage — much more than expected — is because of the camels that support us. They are unable to negotiate the steep ground, ravines and rock falls.

Yesterday, just when we thought we were a couple of hours from camp, shooting a gap in a narrow canyon, we were stymied by a rock fall that proved impossible for the camels. It meant a lengthy, soul-sapping detour.

By the time we dragged into camp, we were too tired to do much of anything. Even eating dinner was a chore. 

You see, the camels are not fresh; they are second-hand purchases and the sins of their previous owners plague us. The camels take turns being unruly, spooking easily, and refusing at times to negotiate ground that only they are able to discern as problematic.

Last night one ran off and with it went my brand-new, 3-pound MacBook Air and 160 pounds of water — both precious cargo out here. It took many hours before this break for freedom was curtailed.

“This is no country for used camels,” says my friend, Richard Jeo. It is a feeble joke, but I can't even find the energy to respond.

All I can do is wonder if maybe the camel knows what lies ahead.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Sanjayan/TNC (River plains of Namibia); Photo © Sanjayan/TNC (Camels).