After a lot of thought, we decided that we would see Namibia by overland truck. The only catch was that we’d have to wait 20 days after crossing the border for them to pick us up. We wanted to do a 4 day canoe trip on the Orange River so with that booked we still had several days without plans. So before leaving South Africa we spoke with Carlos, owner of Felix Unite, about staying longer and helping around camp.
Maria helping with the cooking
Tico sanding the bar tables
The days before the canoe trip were mostly spent relaxing, but we did odd jobs now again like unloading a truck, cleaning up around the pool, helping at the recycling center or offering assistance in the kitchen. In our free time, we caught up on our blog, ran, did yoga, took pictures and hung out at the pool. The last was extremely important considering the weather reached at least 37°C (100°F) on most days.
The view from the pool
One morning when heading out for a run I was stopped by one of the guides. He asked if we wanted to join some guests on a 2-3 hour canoe trip. We took him up on the offer and headed out. We got to get our feet wet, literally, so we knew a little more of what was to come. The guide told us that what we’d see wasn’t as impressive as the multi-day trip. While it had nice views, he was right.
Day trip at the Orange River
After our 4 day trip, we still had 9 more days until the truck would pick us up. At first we thought the days would pass by slowly, but as we’d met more people around camp time started to fly. Our days and nights began to fill up with activities. We took a hike to watch the sunset from Secret Hill, we floated down the river in life jackets with the ultimate goal of cliff jumping and we even had a night out in the village at the local bar/club. But the highlight was getting to be part of the river cleanup with the guides.
River Cleanup
Two days after getting back from the 4 day trip we got word that several guides were going back out for the biannual cleaning trip. They paddle to the different campsites and pick up trash and cut down the thorn bushes that are taking over some sites. It also gives the guides with more experience a chance to teach the younger guides a few lessons about the river.
The Orange River guides from Felix Unite
From the car ride to where we put the boats in the water to moments when paddling, the guides would serenade us. They sang in Nama, Afrikaans and I was very surprised when I heard “This Little Light of Mine” in English. You could see the camaraderie in the group and how much they loved their jobs.
Ourie with his machete for the river cleanup
Cutting down the bad trees at the campsite
South Africa had gotten significant rain the past weekend and since the river comes from Lesotho the water level had increased quite a bit since our 4 day trip. This meant there were more rapids and less rocks to get stuck on. As we paddled through our first rapid, one of the guides stood up as he went through. He tried to make a quick right turn, but ended up getting his canoe stuck between 2 rocks. The next thing we saw was part of his boat and a bucket floating down the river. Tico and I saved an oar and flip flop from the fast current while the others rescued the boat and all of his belongings.
Tico canoeing in the Orange River
A little further down the river we all jumped in for a chance to float down the rapids. I got sucked under as I didn’t approach it right and felt like I wasn’t going to get air again. Thankfully the current keeps you moving and I was out in no time. Tico, on the other hand, really enjoyed it and went back for more.
As we made our down the river, we stopped to cut down thorn bushes and eat lunch. After cooling off in the river, we were off again. When we reached the next rapid, the same guide that had trouble before managed to get stuck again. From where we sat we could only see his hand signals and it didn’t look good. Suddenly all of the guides were diving into the water towards him. Again things were floating down stream, but this time the canoe had filled with water and was sinking. They were able to save everything and the guide promised to not have any more problems.
River guides leading the way
Watching the sunset after a day of cleaning
We enjoyed the evening at a campsite different than our previous trip and were up early to do some cleaning of that site. Once finished, we continued on to the next campsite before reaching our dinner spot. Because of the high water level, everyone agreed to do a night paddle. Once it was dark, we loaded up the canoes and started paddling. There was no moon so we were using only the little light available with the occasional headlamp checking the shore to see how far we’d gone. We worked our way through the Richterveld National Park section and got to do the Stairways rapid since there was enough water. Suddenly we made a sharp right turn and went through the reeds. We followed their path and shortly after reaching a clearing we had arrived at our campsite.
Maria jumping while cleaning the surroundings of the camping area
Maria looking for used toilet paper in Richterveld National Park
Our time at Felix Unite was lekker (Afrikaans for cool or nice). At first we felt as though we were forced to stay because of our travel plans, but by the end we felt like we belonged there. So after almost 3 weeks, we said our goodbyes and left with a lot of great memories.
With our host, Carlos