I'd be envious, too, I think, if I wasn't the one here dining under the endless African night sky at the restaurant they've set up within the old German fort erected here. The bush has a way of soaking into your blood, where it lies dormant until you return, at which point it reawakens to remind you of how much you've missed it. It's a phenomenon I've experienced often since my childhood, when I spent as much time as possible on my grandparent's game farm in the Waterberg Mountains. Having spent most of his life in Switzerland, it's taking Kev a bit longer to feel the effects, and he's just had minor fit that he was charged R40 for a rum and coke - two would be worth enough to buy an entire bottle of Captain Morgan and 2l coke. What did he expect, though? We're trapped in the camp because they lock the gates between sunset and sunrise, forbidding guests to drive at night, so they may charge what they like. They have no competition. At least the dinner buffet was more reasonable, even if my salad ended up being three times more expensive than usual - vegetarians are always being ripped off.
Also inside the fort are several shops, including a small food market, curio shop, craft market, book shop, and jewellery store. Directly opposite where we're sitting is a pub that Kevin only just realized shaved an extra 40 bucks off the change he was due from the last beer he bought. Highly unimpressed, Kev's vowed that the barlady will earn no more tips from him during our stay here. Gotta check the receipt immediately from now on.
Possibly one of the nicest things about camping out here is how the wildlife surround you, even in the resort. Meerkats have made their homes under the boardwalk that runs from our campsite, past the pool, to the fort, filling the night air with their squeeky chatter. Birds have nested in the trees around our tent, and a single springbuck is lagging behind at the waterhole, which has been lit up with a spotlight this evening.
Before jumping into our sleeping bags to get an early night after getting up predawn this morning, we spotted a lone black-backed jackal wandering by in search of food. It's something we'd normally only see on the Discovery Channel, so we're counting our blessings as we drift off.
