COVID-19 update
It’s been a pretty easy week for Namibia, relatively speaking. Of the 16 known COVID-19 cases, 13 have already recovered. The government is furiously looking for new cases, but at least it is being fair. There are so many conspiracy theories about every death being labeled a COVID-19 case, but in reality it simply is not like that. A fine example is this news report from the Namibian.
For the rest of the world, things have gone pretty quiet, with no shockers reaching our eyeballs in Namibia. So I am assuming that the whole world is still struggling with this pandemic, and SNAFU.
Awesome Chapters related stuff
Ouma, our four seater tour vehicle, has had a small issue irritating me endlessly. Ever since we got her. the spare wheel carrier on the back has had a little bit of play, which results in a rattle when running over corrugated roads. There are currently no tours or any other activity booked, so time was available to tackle the issue.
Over the years, various things were tried… rubbers in between the moving parts, replacing the locking mechanism, but nothing really worked. With no easy fix available, a complete re-design was needed, and some manufacturing.
On starting the project at home, the bench vice broke. In reading about the materials used in it’s construction to learn how to fix it, I learned that cast iron is brittle. Who knew? Maybe pounding on it with a large hammer was not such a good idea. That’s what anvils are for, apparently. The other thing I learned is that it is a technical challenge to weld cast iron.
Not having the resources available to attempt a repair of the vice, my friends at Namcoast Sharpening kindly let me use their workshop to craft the needed spare wheel lock. The first attempt took a whole day to craft out of stainless steel, and did not positively lock. Apparently design is not that easy as well.
Not wanting to screw around and waste more material and time, we took the easy way out and just copied the design of the ONCA bumpers wheel carrier locks that are installed on “Sexy”, our seven seater cruiser. Another day was spent in manufacturing, and this time the lock positively locks. It even looks pretty!
Website related stuff
Another easy week on the web site as well. Two tours were re-done, the Topnaar & Gobabeb tour, as well as the Ganab Tour. For the whole 20th week of 2020 a Facebook ad was run for the inhabitants of Walvis Bay & Swakopmund. In conjunction with the ad, the front page of the official web page was re-done.
Absolutely no takers. Not one… Maybe the people of Walvis Bay simply does not have any money spare. Hopefully it will go better at the end of this month, or maybe early next month.
Film work
Juuust got a lead on some work up in the Kunene, maybe for ten days with a French crew. This is seriously good news, and we might be able to keep the wheels on this thing after all. It may not be easy work, but working in the entertainment industry is very rewarding! Looking back over the few projects that we have been involved with, it’s always been fun!
Where to next?
Well, there are so many uncertainties right now that making predictions is a little less easy than usual.
Just read that one of the Scandinavian countries are cautiously opening their borders, with the restriction that there should be some quarantine & proper COVID-19 test involved before a person can enter the country. That seems like a very good idea, and hopefully it works out. I have been saying all along that this could be the only way to start international tourism again.
The image below is from the little town of Uis, and is also the last image of week 20. Hopefully the nice images here distracts a little from the daily cares of the world. Take it easy out there!
