Put Foot Rally: Fish River Canyon

Posted on 24 June 2011

Day 1: 22 June

South Africa to Namibia

The first day of the Put Foot Rally got off to a good start. We were meant to be taking the main highway (B1) in Namibia towards Windhoek and then turning left onto the C10 towards the Gondwana Canon Park near the Fish River Canyon. We then hurled off the tar and onto a gravel road. We didn’t take much notice until we stopped and heard the mighty Orange River gushing next to us.

We’d taken a wrong turn somewhere but not one of us remembers turning off anywhere since leaving the border. We worked out that we were taking the back route along the C13 and C37 towards the park and somehow had managed to turn off the main road. The beauty of this “˜oopsie’ was that we were off the beaten track – completely surrounded by darkness with a blanket of sparkling stars over our heads with the sound of the river alongside us. This is what Africa is all about.

We were on an adventure and as Getaway photojournalist Evan Haussmann said “˜The Getaway team needs to get lost in order to find new places’.

We drove on with our headlights guiding us through the never-ending dark landscape. I saw two jackals (the guys still don’t believe me) and we spotted a handsome male Kudu galloping next to the road. I just love how they run – it’s like they’re running in slow motion trying to balance their enormous horns on the top of their heads. The air spelt of wild places – clean and earthy.

We pulled into the Canon Lodge parking lot after 23h00. We realized that the back of the vehicle had popped open on the gravel road and had literally covered ALL our cargo with fine powdery Namibian dust. We’re yet to realize if we’re missing anything.

Yvonne Schultz, the manager, hugged us when we arrived – she had been worried and greeted us like old friends. She apologized that it was too late for dinner. All they could offer us was salad – thank goodness for the enormous cake tin full of muffins that my mother had handed me at the start line. I had reluctantly accepted.

We were led straight to the lodge bar where we were handed a shooter to warm us up. Not long after that we were taken to our rooms. The only thing we could see was anything lit by the lantern-like side lamp next to our beds. We had no idea what landscape would greet us in the morning – I couldn’t wait to get up.

A journey that should have taken eight hours had taken us 14 and a half hours.

Ah, Africa, we have arrived.

Tune of the day: When I grow old by Fever Ray

Enter our Bobs for Good Foundation competition by donating money for shoes that we’re dropping off on the Put Foot Rally and stand the chance of winning a three night stay in Livingstone.

Follow our trip on twitter @Evan_Haussmann @christiefynn @going_homeless @Put_Foot_Rally or search on Twitter for hashtag #putfootrally to see all the tweets from the rally teams.

The Getaway team would like to thank:4×4 Mega World for their fully kitted out VW AmarokK-Way – the official gear partner to the Getaway team on the Put Foot challenge

MapStudio for their Southern and East Africa map






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