Sadly, we're not talking about extraterrestrials here, although I surely hope they discover extraterrestrial life during my lifetime. After all, it would be hard to believe that we're alone in this vast universe. The world's largest discovered piece of meteorite is the Hoba Meteorite outside of Grootfontein. After three nights in Tsumeb I thought I'd stop here on my way to Botswana. Time is running out on this journey even though I wish I could stay longer...a lot longer! Southern Africa is utterly spectacular, and I feel I can see and do much more. After taking a shared vehicle to Grootfontein I'd end up at the gravel road leading to the meteorite. Within five minutes I was picked up by Madelein, the lovely owner of the Meteorite Rest Camp. I decided I'd be camping here tonight after going to the meteorite. Beneath this large tree I'd pitch my tent.
After putting my bags down I hitchhiked a lift on a tractor to only a short distance from the meteorite. Entrance for foreigners has risen to N$250 (about US$13) but I told them I was living in Swakopmund, therefore I was charged the local price of only N$30. The meteorite was discovered by chance in 1920 when the landowner was ploughing the land with his ox. It is believed to have landed less than 80,000 years ago. Even when the sun is beaming down on a hot summer day, the rock always remains cool to the touch.
Whilst the Hoba Meteorite is the largest known meteorite I'm sure there's a larger one buried somewhere else, the same way I believe there is a giant temple buried somewhere beneath the sands of the Sahara. Despite modern technology there is still a lot that has not yet been discovered. I'm thankful that I was able to bargain to get the local price since, whilst the Hoba Meteorite is interesting, it's unlikely that anyone is going to spend a few hours or a whole day there.
Tonight would be a great night for a campfire and a bottle of wine. There are no stores out here but Madelein sells beer, wine, frozen meals, firewood, and all the other essentials so I didn't fret. I heated up a frozen meal for dinner and then got some chocolate cake for dessert, and that filled me up as I thought of this story. As it got dark and chilly, Madelein's dogs liked to rest on top of my tent rather than inside of it so I had to fix it at least twice. Madelein's husband, Klaas would help me get the campfire going as I was having some difficulty; he made it look easy. Within minutes I was all warm and toasty.
Being in Namibia reminds me a lot of Australia. Both countries are very sparsely populated, campfires are ingrained into the culture, and the locals are very "on the go" and really know the lay of the land. The meteorite is worth only about 10 minutes but to sleep at the Meteorite Rest Camp with a blanket of stars is utterly magical; another thing that makes it similar to Australia. I enjoyed the warmth so much that I ended up using my entire bag of firewood. Travellers tend to underestimate how cold it can get in Southern Africa much like they do in Australia. In Angola, although I was only 10 degrees south of the equator, it was cold enough at Piedras Negras that I needed to wear a jumper.
The next morning, Madelein would make me coffee with rusks. After washing up well I was prepared for the next leg of my journey. Just as Madelein picked me up yesterday, she would drop me off today at an ideal hitchhiking spot. Aussie-style windmills are about.
Thank you so much Madelein and Klass. The Hoba Meteorite is interesting but I have even more memories from staying at the Meteorite Rest Camp.
