Tankwa Camino

In only 25 days, I start the Tankwa Camino. It is a 256 km hike through the Tankwa Karoo. It takes place over 10 days, starting at Calvinia and ending at Ceres. I fear that I am not nearly fit enough. I "wasted" 10 days of walking time while doing a locum in Ceres recently. I belong to an informal walking group that does a fairly tough hike with lots of hill climbs three times a week. We usually do about 3 to 5 km per walk at a fairly fast pace. I have been walking regularly for several months, but have only done one full day hike. The Camino takes place over mostly flat terrain on a rough gravel road and one does it at one's own pace, so I am hoping that I can do it. The organisers require a letter from a doctor if one is over 65. My doctor issued one. I also had a rabies and tetanus vaccine this week - not for the walk, but because I was bitten by a Pit Bull while doing the locum! It reminded me that I had not had any boosters for a very long time.

I am sure I am cardiovascularly fit enough. What concerns me is whether my joints - especially my knees - will stand up to the long distances day after day. I have stocked up on anti-inflammatories and glucosamine. Now to remember to take the latter regularly!

Tomorrow I am doing a locum in Cape Town, so no hiking. However, from Monday onwards I have to start increasing my daily distances. It is difficult to walk alone because the environment is not safe for a single woman. I walk round and round my neighbourhood, but it does get very boring! I considered joining a gym about 20 km from here, but they insist that I join for a year, and I really do not enjoy working out in a gym, so am not likely to use it once the walk is over. The September issue of Getaway magazine has an article about the walk - written by a young lady who did the walk with minimal preparation. She did however use state of the art everything which will cost a fortune to buy! I trust my old clothes which do not wick, vent or UV protect, will get me through. I did splurge on a Oztrail Eco swift pitch tent. Struggling with fiddly poles on my own after a long day does not appeal. I watched a few videos on folding it up again. That does look a bit tricky, but I am sure once one has the hang of it, it should be easy.

My shoes are well used, though I did buy one pair of light walking shoes a size bigger than normal as advised. Apparently one's feet swell on such a long walk. The other problem many people strugggle with, is blister formation. I will go prepared, but in my younger days when I hiked long distances in the mountians, I rarely had blisters, so I am hoping that this will once again be the case. I am taking a pair of sandals along too, just in case.

One advantage of the regular walking, and not eating any sugar, is that I have lost a few kg. I am hoping to lose a little more before the start of the walk. I am unsure what food and snacks to take with me. The organizers provide supper and some fruit daily, but walkers must provide all other meals and snacks.

I will update this blog post as the time goes on. Hopefully I will be able to report that I completed it successfully.

Ten-Ten se eerste vlug.

Ten Ten se eerste vlug.

Ongeveer 1998

So bykans twee dekades gelede, toe ek die ouderdom van 40 nader, het ek begin voel my lewe is verby. Daar was ‘n gewaarwording van ongedane sake en onverwesentlike drome en ‘n leeftyd wat sommerso iewers tussen babadoeke en finansiele oorlewing verbygesnel het.

Toe word ek veertig en kom agter dit voel nie veel anders as 35 nie, solank ek net nie te stip in die spieel kyk nie. My lewe was jou waarlik nie verby nie! Daar was egter ‘n besef van dringendheid. As ek van die onverwesentlike drome wou verwesentlik sou ek moes begin werk maak daarvan.

Toe leer ek vlieg! Wat ‘n bevryding! Nie net van die aarde nie. Ook van die ouderdom. Dit laat mens besef hoe relatief alles is as mens ‘n nuwe vaardigheid aanleer en boonop jou eie vrees herhaaldelik moet oorwin. As gevolg  van al die adrenalien het ek glad 3 kg verloor in die eerste paar weke.

Nou kon ek vlieg!  So kom dit eendag dat ek besluit om van Gaborone na Jwaneng te vlieg om ‘n kliniek daar te gaan doen en ook ‘n halfmak siek volstruis op ‘n wildplaas te gaan vang en behandel. Vroeg die oggend ontmoet ek my helper Ten-Ten Ikwathaeng, agterkleinseun van Koning Khama se toordokter, by die praktyk. Hy staan slaggereed – medisyne klaar gepak, pylgeweer vir die volstruis gereed vir in geval,  maar wat onmiddelik opval is sy kleredrag! Sy blink gepoleerde skoene weerkaats die oggendson en sy hempkraag se punte staan wyd soos die das styf om sy nek geknoop is. Hy het tot ‘n baadjie aan en op sy bors pryk vir die eerste keer sedert ek hom ken ‘n ZCC wapen.  Ek wonder nou nog of hy bloot gedink het hy moet goed lyk vir sy eerste vlug en of hy gereed gemaak het om sy maker te ontmoet.

Toe ek by ons terugkeer na ‘n suksesvolle dag van honde dokter en volstruis vang vir hom vra “hoe was die vlug?”, was sy enigste kommentaar “Interessant”.