Eating

Our catering arrangements were always a bit of an unknown when we set off.  We knew that we had the facilities to cook in the van, but we had little idea about the availability of shops or supermarkets.  We know now – and there are a few complicating issues.

Like the temperature.  The sunrise is at 6am and the sunset a little before 8pm; unless it is overcast, it is hot from 9am onwards which makes the idea of cooking at all a lot less appealing.  The fact that the cooking is all done in a corner of the van with restricted ventilation is another discouraging feature; but that all presupposes the assumption that you have ingredients which motivate you to cook!

In some of the bigger towns, there are some reasonable supermarkets which carry a wide range of goods and which would allow you to continue with comparatively ‘normal’ eating habits.  However, once you are away from the main commercial centres, the range of goods in the supermarket is much reduced -  especially fruit.  Caravanners like us who make the most of cook-in sauces etc find that these are unobtainable and the meat can come from cuts from the animal which might never see its way to the counter in the northern hemisphere.

So this evening’s meal was mince with a tin of vegetables and rice followed by some yoghurtish stuff and tinned fruit; but it’s not all bad news, eating out is a lot cheaper than at home and the ostrich stew is to be recommended!