Showers, they take up 3 minutes of our day, yet they illicit a daily conversation of double that time. Whoever takes the first shower at a new place gives the other a running commentary on the type of shower, the pressure, the temperature and on it goes.
Whatever the day holds or wherever we are I cannot start it without a shower and washing my hair. Many years ago we went camping with Tony Purchase and his daughter Jen, in the Central Kalahari in Botswana. Al was unable to make it, so I had 2 men and 4 children to look after (like having 6 kids). There is nothing there but desert sand and we had to be totally self sufficient, taking all our own water and fuel for the week. As long as they were fed, the men and kids seemed totally happy to get up, get dressed and carry on with the plans for the day. Well, after two days of desert dust, I totally lost it … I have never seen two men boil water so quickly and set up a bathing station for me – a kettle of hot water and the bowl, used to wash dishes, with cold water. One good scrub and hair wash later and I was a new person. Since that day, Gray has always ensured that in remote areas I have my morning shower, he even has a nozzle attached to a jerry can of water.
Our favorite showers are outdoor ones, with a bush or sea view, hot water that heats up instantly (gas is best) and good pressure. Umngazi and Tembe had these showers. Our least favorite, are the ones where the shower head is in the bath, with a mouldy shower curtain, that serves no purpose as you flood the bathroom anyway. Then the hot and cold don't mix, so you are alternatively boiling or freezing.
Toilets: loos with views are the best and long drops are a total no for me. In remote places where there are no loos, the procedure is to dig a hole, then light the toilet paper once you are done so it burns down to ash and then to cover the hole. This is so the animals don't dig up the paper and litter the landscape. On another remote trip from Central Kalahari to the Kgalagadi, I had my shorts around my ankles and was in midstream when I heard a lion roaring nearby. What a decision, to finish or flee. Men have it so easy, they just find the nearest tree.
The reason for all the above chatter is that there is not much to tell you about today. I'm almost embarrassed by how lazy we were. Slept late, coffee in bed, chilled at the beach, chilled at the pool, afternoon nap, drinks, dinner and back to sleep. “The dream” as Robs would say.
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