Day 27: Leave it for “Ron”
A milestone that we celebrated at the end of our National Defence force conscription was the 40 days left or commonly called “Min Dae’ (Afrikaans for Few Days). I am officially past the “min dae” for the crossing 🎉
One of Judy’s best friends, who shall remain nameless, sports a good proper beard.🧔 Unfortunately, the poor soul is constantly nagged about it and the food left in it after eating a pie.
Now clean shaven folk have no idea what it’s like to have a big proud beard. It’s like having a pet but on your face. You feed it; you stroke it; you admire it, you wash it, and you walk it every day.
Growing it is literally a pain. The first week is fine. That rugged, unshaven stubble that some ladies find attractive is cool.
The second and third weeks, the face can feel like it’s on fire. It starts to itch like your face slept a night on a flea-infested pillow. Not even beard oil helps. Who knew that beard oil was even a thing?
After that, it settles down until the moustache hairs curl far enough and start digging into your top lip. This is an easy but ongoing fix ✂ a little trim.
This is the reason I start growing my beard before departure. To get the growing pains out of the way.
My beard does several things for me. Its main objective is to keep the sun off my skin, and the added bonus is obviously not having to shave.
A fun score is to lick my top lip and moustache. Then put the bottom lip over the top and suck. It is amazing how it tastes exactly like your last meal or drink. It’s like a pleasant memory but with real flavour. 🤪
My old man beard
It also makes me look about 20 years older, which in a way, puts Judy’s mind at ease because “the pretty Brazilian ladies won’t flirt with such an old man”. 😎
As for the nameless and the food he leaves for later, “Ron”, I feel for him. I really do. I am going to shave mine off ASAP to avoid any nagging.
This day was a cut and paste of yesterday, except I had popcorn with peri peri salt. 🍿 Hope to do another 100km + day.
Oh, and I also had some minor repairs to do on the main hatch latch system.
Instead of “lock tight”, I put Pratley steel putty on the thread, tightened it up and smeared the rest over the nut and washer. Working like a treat.
Steel putty keeping the nut fixed to the thread
Tools of the trade for today’s repair
Co-ordinates: -20.847100° lat -5.788570° long
Breakfast: Banana flavour smoothie
Food: Fragrant Thai Chicken Curry and rice
Junk: really furry biltong, jungle Oates bars, Fritos.
Sea life: nothing new
Total raised for Operation Smile R185,401
No of smiles changed: 33
