Action at last

I woke up at 3 after a solid five hours of sleep. Les had my computer so I couldn't even catch up on email. However I am now an expert on the elections in Egypt and the Congo. We started at about 8 and bought coolers, grill equipment and other paraphernalia. We got to the clearing agent and the first bad news. Although the ship had docked the fire engines were still on board and were in no danger of imminent offloading. After a while we got a call saying that the batteries on the trucks were dead, so we had to arrange to have new batteries installed on the ship. next step was getting the documentation done and after a lot of toing and froing that was complete. Then we were told that the police clearances to drive in Namibia had to be obtained before we could take the trucks out of the dock area.  Big fee attached to that! Peter was the absolute executive burning up the phone lines ( is that still a relevant expression if one is using a cell phone).

The mural on the wall of the Seaman's Mission

In all of the time spent at the dock entrance the sole comfort was the seaman's mission. I am not sure how much business a place like this does any more because the ships get in and out of port pretty quickly, but it is a friendly place and they sell sim cards.










The day was stretching on and the six of us had invaded the clearing company's office. Its not a big office with only four employees, so they were overloaded. We eventually went to lunch while Peter went back to the docks, and when we got back we were told that although we now had paperwork, police clearances, new batteries, and good looking t-shirts, the ship owners would not release the trucks until all of the 400 odd vehicles that had been transported were ready. So I sit here in the company offices typing patiently and waiting for the fiasco that is called clearing to end. Maybe we will leave today or maybe tomorrow.

We have just heard that even though we have grovelled well, we haven't been successful, we will now only leave tomorrow. Bummer!!!!. It means we are now going to run at least a day behind schedule. We also have to rearrange all of our accommodation and find somewhere to stay tonight, not an easy task in a megalopolis the size of Walvis Bay