Rocky's Ride Detailed Travel Log
Day 11: 13/08/24
Sesriem - Game Ranger Station
65.25km
Rocky isn’t a fan of early starts, especially when the mornings are still quite chilly this time of year. To keep him comfortable, I put on his bomber jacket, wrap him in my towel and sleeping bag,
and let him relax while I break down the tent.
After two days of rest, I felt recharged and ready to tackle the desert once again. I had already covered 30 km of this route on Day 9. When I reached the junction where I had made the wrong turn, it was hard to miss the 15 road signs all pointing to the correct direction. It was clear that I wasn’t in the best frame of mind or body that day, as I had somehow missed them and continued straight.
Even though this wasn’t a race, I started to get anxious about my progress. Rocky’s paperwork was only valid for a month, and crossing the border back into South Africa required precise planning. To travel with a dog from South Africa to Namibia and back, you'll need up-to-date rabies vaccination records and a Veterinary Health Certificate from a licensed vet, confirming your dog is in good health. This certificate must be endorsed by a State Veterinarian and is valid for 7 days after issuance, with the overall document being valid for 30 days. Upon entering Namibia, present the endorsed health certificate at the border. If your trip extends beyond 30 days, you will need to obtain new paperwork from a Namibian vet and state endorsement for re-entry into South Africa.
Thankfully, with the iOverlander app, Osmand, and Google Maps, my route planning became much more accurate. The goal for the day was to reach a ranger station about 65 km away. My Garmin Etrex 10 GPS, in comparison to modern smartphones, felt as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike. I only used it once during the entire trip when I realised I had veered off course.
iOverlander proved invaluable. Its user-contributed database of campsites, rest stops, and essential services, all available offline, became crucial in finding wild camping spots and water sources. However, its limitations surfaced as distances were. calculated as the crow flies, not based on actual routes. Meanwhile, Osmand gave detailed route data, including elevation gain, helping me manage the day's ride.
The terrain became surreal, with a palette of browns, reds, and a white streak of gravel slicing through the landscape. Vast reg deserts, formed by ancient rocks eroded over time, flanked the road in every direction.
Rocky’s duct tape eye patch worked wonders to reduce the swelling on his pigment-less left eyelid, and frequent applications of vet-approved Eyegene eye drops minimised irritation. But despite these small wins, it took me 7 hours to cover just 56 km. Things got tougher as I approached the NamibRand Nature Reserve, where thick sand blanketed the road. Riding became impossible. I had no choice but to get off and push through the unforgiving desert terrain.
Several vehicles stopped to offer me food and water during the day. At the infamous junction, I met a lovely group of Afrikaans overlanders from South Africa. Their generosity was overwhelming—they gave me ice-cold drinks, fruit, and droëwors for Rocky. The tannie even gave me a big hug and wished me well on my journey.
Alex and his energetic family were also a beacon of positivity. As luck would have it, Alex was a vet, and he was happy with how I was managing Rocky’s eye. Their kindness lifted my spirits when I needed it most.
By evening, I reached the game ranger station, a 2 km detour off the main road. Andre and his wife kindly let me stay in their cottage for the night, asking only for a small donation to cover cleaning costs. Surrounded by an endless sea of sand, it was the perfect refuge after such a long, gruelling day.