ZA2009

Then we heard thunder.

Then we saw lightening.

We asked one of the guides, Tubes (Andrew), whether it was likely to rain. He reported that one of the locals said "yes," and another said "no." In any case, Tubes had seen rain only twice in all the time he spent guiding on the Orange. The river runs through a desert, after all. I asked whether the shelters' roofs would provide sufficient protection from the rain, and he just laughed. I asked where we should go if it rains, and Tubes said "to your car." Then Tubes delivered the second quote that summarizes the entire Orange River experience: "Hey, this is an adventure, not a holiday."

So, as a precaution, I brought most of my stuff to the Kombi, leaving my sleeping bag on the grass, figuring that I could grab it quickly if it started pouring. And, a short while later, we got a massive downpour. Everyone sprinted for cover, and, having been warned by Tubes, James and I sprinted for the Kombi. It was soooo amazingly hot and humid even inside the Kombi that we turned on the aircon. Imagine two guys working in renewable energy burning diesel to keep the aircon running. We were pretty desperate.

When it looked like we would be spending the night in the Kombi (the rain lasted for about an hour), I decided to move to the front seat (which reclined). But, exactly at the moment I was jumping to the front, Jeanne-Marie, Duncan, and Louise blasted into the Kombi. Jeanne-Marie got the front seat instead of me. Nuts. Must sleep on the non-reclining middle seat.

We heard later that as darkness fell, the rising wind blew the crocs (inflatable boats) all over the show. The guides chased them down. Thanks guys!