At around 5 a.m. our night is unexpectedly over. Tina wakes us up with the words "There's a fire up ahead!" and Lukas is also woken up in the other hut by the reflection of the fire. A look outside confirms the dramatic situation: right next to the huge main house, an annex is ablaze. The lodge is built in the traditional African style, with stone walls and a thatched roof. Of course, this burns like tinder and in no time at all the first palm trees in the garden catch fire.

We hastily pack up our things. Our huts are not directly in danger, but if the fire spreads, it will happen very quickly. In a few minutes we have our things together and check the way to the car. This leads past the main house, where the kitchen with the gas bottles is located. These have already been moved to the side, but before that a pump had exploded and woke up the last guests.

The way to the car seems safe and we reach it unscathed. Meanwhile, all employees are fighting the fire with the help of small hand-held fire extinguishers and buckets of water. The fact that the pool is in the immediate vicinity of the fire turns out to be fortunate and the fire can be brought under control after an hour. Thankfully, no one was injured and only a utility room and the toilets by the pool burnt down to the ground. The boma, the main house, was saved and with it the entire lodge.

Strangely enough, there is even breakfast, even though everyone is a bit shocked. After all, the buffet was already being prepared and only the warm things like eggs and bacon are missing because of the lack of gas bottles. A little normality returns and we learn that the fire started in the garbage cans.

After these very exciting events, we set off for Grootfontein earlier than expected. First, we fill up our tanks in Rundu and stock up on cash. Then we head south along the hilly but straight road and reach the city around midday. Here we buy some groceries at the Spar supermarket and look for the farm a little way out of town. Seidarap (read the name backwards once).

Stefan and Silvia greet us there and we can even move into our rooms early. After a quick lunch, we explore the large area of the farm and discover a lot of old-time artifacts that have been collected here. There is also a large trampoline, a small pool with loungers and a huge swimming pond a little further away from the main house. So after the excitement of the morning, nothing stands in the way of a quiet afternoon.

Namushasha from Joerg on Video.

We enjoy ourselves and swim in the 2 m deep pool at the end of the complex. Our coffee is sweetened with home-made muffins and the pets, the dogs Bianka and Lala as well as various cats, also deserve attention. There is also a rooster, several chickens, sheep and a small lamb on the farm.

In the evening we sit together in the farmhouse and enjoy dinner. Stefan grills beef steaks, boereworst from Oryx and curry skewers outside on an open fire, and there is butternut (pumpkin), vegetables, salad, etc. Meanwhile, we talk to the members of a travel group who are not sick and who are attempting a marathon through Namibia and want to complete our trip from 4 years ago in 10 days rather than 3 weeks. The group is accordingly stressed and 2 out of 6 participants do not even take part in dinner.