June 9, 2002 Sesriem literally means “six rawhide strings”
The truck ride south to Sesriem Camp was not as cold as we thought it would be. We stopped in Solitaire-a wide spot in the road with a little store with a few shelves of canned food, drinks and a gas station. It also offered Kudo steak and lamb chop sandwiches but the best part was a delicious Apple Strudel made by the Afrikaner owner’s wife.

A black local is barbering by a fence near the tree with a hanging bell that appears on the T-shirts for sale in the curio shop next door. The bell calls everyone to the little church across the street on Sunday. Bob and I buy one of the T-shirts.

When we get into camp we put up the tents and then the truck drove us a few miles over a washboard road to Sesriem Canyon to watch the sunset. On the way back most of the campers ran ahead as the the truck rolled slowly forward-for a time without benefit of a driver-we realized-when one of us discovered James running alongside too!