Page 37 - Intra Muros November Issue 2024

TRAVEL

sturdy five-seater boat that Guide Tristan
is captaining especially for the kids. “You
must be more careful!”

I smile, “I’m ok,” I shout back. Barely, I
think, as we have just circumnavigated the
Doctor’s Rooms – the biggest rapids on our
section of the Orange River and not to be
trifled with. I thought me and Wingman M
had done pretty well, but apparently, to
bystanders, what I thought was masterfully
gliding over the rapids, looked more like
two shipwrecked women swirling round
and round and teetering very close to peril.

It’s the first of many nervous shout-outs
from my sons over the next five days.
Naturally, some are more worried than
others.

“Mom, have you got any more snacks?”
This was the second most popular shout-
out. And the first of many lessons over the
coming days. No 1, try not to look like you
are drowning. No 2, pack ample snacks and
then pack extra on top of that.

Not that you need them unless you are
my kids. Aaron, Trystan and Michael are
as talented in the bush kitchen as they
are on the water, and we dine like kings.
Breakfast is a mix of fresh fruit, yoghurt,
eggs and bacon. Lunch is cauliflower salad
with a secret recipe mayo (which we never
got out of them), couscous, cold meats,
Greek salads, and more. Everything is
freshly prepared and delicious, with no
tools other than a pan, a cutting knife and a
fire. Dinners consist of roast lamb, gourmet
pasta, chops, stir-fry and other tantalising
dishes that have us scrambling for more.
We even enjoy dessert every night, so they
have researched us well.

Days on the river seem to glide by. There’s
a routine: paddle, set-up camp, open a cold
beer, enjoy an afternoon on the beach,
fireside stories, eat, sleep, coffee, strike
down camp, get on the water and repeat.
Thanks to all the rain, the Orange is an
almighty beast. So, for the first few days, we
sail down the river, paddling now and then,
eating our prerequisite snacks, hydrating
and every once in a while, jumping in for a
swim to cool off.

INTRAMUROS NOVEMBER 2024 | 35