It started with forgetting. Despite photocopying the kids birth certificates and frequently discussing the need for them, we somehow never packed them. So there we were checked into our flight from Sydney to Johannesburg when the realisation hit and the first stressful moment of the trip hit. There was no opportunity to go home and get them and still catch out flight, so all we could do was cross our fingers, ask our neighbour to take photos of them and hope.
The second stressful moment was at the airport in Johannesburg when we tried to get money out of an ATM and after going through the process, having the money taken from our bank account the ATM cancelled the transaction and the money didn’t eventuate. Hopefully the bank can do something so we get our money back, but we aren’t hopeful.
Then came our flight to Windhoek. We got to immigration and she asked the dreaded question. Do you have the children’s birth certificates? Fortunately she let us in, but warned us we may have a problem leaving. We’ll worry about that when we get there.
We were finally through and in Namibia! We bought an eSIM and managed to get some money from the ATM. Things were looking up. Tired and jet lagged it was time to pick up our bushcamper and head to our beds. We weren’t expected the 3 hour handover during which our sleep deprived brains were overwhelmed with information about how to manage all the likely disasters.
Then when it came time to pay things went wrong yet again as Jason’s credit card was declined. We had specifically increased the limit on his card for this exact reason. We still have no idea what happened, but thankfully we managed to find a way to pay and 56 hours after leaving home the holiday finally started!
After a pleasant night in Windhoek we packed up, did some grocery shopping and started driving to Lapa Lange Game Lodge. Asher was the first to see an African animal spotting a troupe of baboons beside the road. It was an easy drive, with a quick stop for a photo as we passed the Tropic of Capricorn.
Once we arrived we were greeted with some delicious iced tea and very friendly smiles. We were the only campers and spent a few hours organising the camper as the kids enjoyed opening their windows and waving at us or each other. We cooked dinner over our campfire and roasted marshmallows for dessert.
The fire seemed like it had gone out and Asher started roasting a marshmallow over the remaining coals when out of nowhere there was a whoosh and the fire leapt to life making us all jump.
We headed to bed early, curled up warm in our sleeping bags. When we woke it was a chilly 3 degrees, condensation was dripping onto our faces and none of us wanted to brave outside.
