The first stop was at the Okapuka Game Ranch, located about an hour and a half out of Windhoek. There we boarded this gigantic Mercedes flatbed truck. The back of the truck had been designed to seat about thirty people under a flat wooden roof. Windows were of course open air with canvas rolled up along the sides for when it rained. There was even a small kitchen area onboard complete with gas burners for hot meals!
Our Flatbed Transport
The primary purpose of this stop was to watch some lions feeding. The ranch had three lions on the property – one male and two females. The male was said to be one of the oldest and arguably the largest male lion in Namibia, weighing over 500 pounds. Unfortunately, all of these lions were confined within a walled in enclosure – essentially little more than a nice pen much like you’d find in a zoo. Viewing was through a small eight inch wide slit that ran about twenty feet through the middle of a stone wall.
As we were disembarking from the big flatbed, I could hear the lions roaring and snarling. Just prior to our arrival, one of the ranch hands had thrown them a single antelope leg and there was apparently some disagreement amongst the lions as to which one of them should get primary possession of the leg. By the time I’d bellied up to the slit, the younger female was gnawing on the leg while the big male paced about twenty feet away, no doubt lamenting the good old days when he could have sent that young upstart mewling away with just one mighty roar! Eventually, he and the older female lay down together and posed for some really nice pictures. It was almost as if these lions were photogenic and knew it. They really made a very nice looking couple. Meanwhile, the one with the antelope leg had her back to us most of the time and continued eating while seemingly oblivious to our presence.
A good looking couple
Overall, I wasn’t too impressed. I could just as easily watch a lion being fed at most any zoo in North America. Okay, I suppose the alternative would be hanging out on the train drinking beer, but it all seemed so staged. Ah well, the price for this trip did not also include a safari so I won’t complain to vigorously.
After about fifteen minutes of watching the lions, we clambered back aboard our transport and headed over to the Okapuka Game Ranch’s main lodge for free beer and soda. Hard alcohol would cost you but everything else was free. All you could drink, too. I’d already had three beers so I limited myself to just one more and chatted with a couple of ladies from Johannesburg who I’d sat next to on our trip out to see the lion feed. One of them had a couple of thousand dollars worth of camera equipment with her, including a beautiful Nikon digital camera with a 28-80 lens that practically had me drooling. They were just traveling out to Swakopmund for the weekend, having flown in from Johannesburg just that morning. While in Swakopmund, they’d be staying at the Hansa Hotel – widely regarded as the finest hotel in town. By contrast, I was staying at the Villa Weiss, regarded amongst some as one of the finest backpacker places in town.
Economically speaking, I sensed that there was a substantial difference between my lot in life and that of my fellow passengers, most of whom were also ten to twenty years older than me. To be sure, at $350.00 for a one day journey, the
Desert Express would not appeal to many backpackers. Indeed, were it not for the generous compensation I received after having accepted a bump from a British Airways flight two months earlier, my presence aboard this train would be only in my dreams.
Before we headed back to the train, I took a couple of moments to look around the lodge’s main building. It was an impressive property, with a huge open air lounge and bar under an immense thatched roof supported by huge trees. The dining room was glassed in and offered beautiful views of the park like grounds and nearby mountains. The menu featured all types of game animals at very affordable prices by American or European standards. We’re talking springbok or zebra for about $16.00 USD. Finally, I asked the front desk clerk how much a night here would cost. $900.00 Namibian was the reply. Eeegads! That’s about $130.00 per night – actually very affordable by most game lodge standards, but a tad rich for my wallet. Perhaps if BA might see fit to bump me on my next flight . . .
As we arrived back at the train, the sun was low in the sky and the air had finally started to cool a bit. The golden orange sun lent a warm glow to the train’s exterior and I paused for a quick photo before climbing aboard.
Late afternoon departure from Okapuka
There were two sittings for dinner and I was told that given our light load and the fact that I was a single traveler, I could come in at any time. First however, I returned to my suite for a quick shower and a change of clothes.
Bathroom - Shower combination
Train showers can be hit or miss affairs – some don’t have much hot water, others don’t have much pressure. The shower in my suite had an abundance of both! After drying off with the luxuriant cotton towel, I adjusted the room thermostat up a couple of degrees and sank back into one of the lounge chairs to watch the Namibian countryside roll by. Reclined half naked in my own private climate controlled room on a luxurious train while rolling through the hinterlands of an exotic country, I mused that
this really is quite the good life. And… there was still a five course dinner to look forward to!