On Tuesday, I perhaps had one of the craziest moments of my life, so sit back and enjoy this story. My friend Justine, a volunteer about 350km away from me, was headed to Livingstone, Zambia to pick up her mom and Aunt from America, so she decided to break up her trip and stay in Divundu one night and enjoy the area. She was able to get a hitchihike from Rundu with a German lady traveling around Namibia. When she arrived at the petrol station in my village, Justine informed me that the German lady was going to Buffalo Game Park and invited us to go with her. Buffalo Game Park is a game park about 25km from me, that has elephants, zebra, hyenas, hippos, etc., however it is poorly developed. It lacks proper road care, maintenance crews, signs, not many visitors, and even overnight park rangers. As we entered the park, I made sure the German lady was aware that I had to be back in 2 hours to work on some things at school. Immediately we saw hippos in the nearby Kavango River, kudi, springbok, snakes, and loads of fresh of elephant poop. An hour into the trip, the German lady made a turn with the car into the bush to try and see if we could spot this elephant.
With 4 wheel drive, we drove over high sand, big water puddles, and deep vegetation. About 15 minutes into this journey, we approached a large puddle (more like a mini pond) of water. Four wheel drive was activated and we made it over. Despite this, another situation loomed ahead. This time didn’t go so well. Mid way through the deep water, the car just stopped. At this moment, the border fence to Botswana lay on our right, the main road of the park was 20 km away, and there was no cell phone service. The one rule of a Game Park is to not get out of the car, but of course this has to be broken in order to get us out. Justine and I got out and for 1 hour pushed, pulled, shook, and lifted the car. With night approaching, we all were thinking the same thing in our head- no one knows where we are and we had to prepare to stay the night. I decided to do a very dumb thing, walk around until I found service. I walked 10 minutes into the bush and was able to get one bar and managed to reach my good friend James in Divundu, and said, “its scott, stuck in buffalo game park near Botswana border, send help!” Walking back, I saw a huge snake and smelled fresh elephant poop. I quickly ran, determined to get out of here. Justine and I pushed, pulled, lifted, and shook the car and finally it budged. We hopped in the car and set out for the entrance. Not even 2 minutes later, the car splashed right into an even larger pool of mud! By now, I am tired and only wearing my boxers as my shirt and shorts were covered in mud. I got out again and pushed. Justine looked for sticks to we can create some traction for the wheels.
Suddenly though, I heard voices. They were coming from over the border fence in Botswana. I ran and screamed, and as I listened closer I realized they were speaking Mbukushu. “Wiye Popa No- come here now” I said. There were a bunch of cattle herders who were astonished that I could speak Mbukushu and offered to help. They climbed over the border fence into Namibia and helped us to no avail, and after 45 minutes headed back. The car was stuck in 2 feet mud, and to make matters worse it was dark and raining (again- the worst thing to do is be outside). We got in the car and prepared to sleep. About two hours later, we saw the headlights of a pick up truck and my friend James sitting in the front. Thank God! He had been searching everywhere. They brought chains to move the car out, but after 30 minutes we concluded that the car was so deep in the mud we would need a bigger car and more force to get it out. Justine and I assumed the three of us (the german lady, Justine, and I) would just go back tonight and then the German lady would come back tomorrow with a crew to get her car out. Seems logical as there are poachers, elephants, lions and James said there was a herd of hyenas not far from us. But the German lady refused, she would not leave her car. It was now 10 pm and although we were begging her to come, she kept refusing. We left her there, 20 km deep in the bush, no cellphone or anything. Justine and I made it back to Divundu, scraped, cut up, muddy, and with barley and clothes by 11 pm, just lucky to be safe. An experience I will never forget and even a person I will never forget. If it wasn’t for my friend James, things would be very different.
OOooo Namibia!
Peace,
Scott
Update: I called the police about the German lady that night, but they did nothing, and didn’t seem to care. We hired a crew of a few men and bigger car to go and get her and by 9 am the next morning, she was back safe in Divundu
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