The Circus Has Come To Town

I can remember, many years ago, the excitement when the circus came to town. It wasn't a large circus, but it didn't have to be to make a young boy want to go watch them set up the tents and see the elephants. When you live in a small town almost anything can create excitement!

That is exactly what happened today in Otjiwarongo. No, the circus didn't come to town, but something almost as good. It was a 49 metre long "cold box" mounted on a specially designed trailer being pulled and pushed by two huge trucks. This cargo weighed in at whopping 140 tonnes and travels at a top speed of 30 km/h! It will take 6 weeks to make the trip from Walvis Bay, Namibia to the destination in Zambia. It took two cranes to off load the box at the harbour in Walvis Bay - the heaviest twin-lift operation ever accomplished at the harbour. This "cold box" was specially designed and manufactured in England, and according to the press release, it will be used in Zambian copper mines to separate pure oxygen from the air, which in turn will assist in the separation of copper from the ore.

News spread quickly around Otjiwarongo that the load would be coming through town early this morning. You can't imagine the excitement in the air. Literally hundreds of people filled the streets in an effort to watch this monster crawl down main street. When we found out what was going on, Fredna suggested that I should bring the workers to town so they would not miss this once-in-a-lifetime event. Everyone jumped on the lorrie and we headed to town. There wasn't a parking place within three blocks of the main intersection so I let everyone off and I parked a few blocks away. These guys were so excited! Oh well, such is the life when you live in a small town and the "circus" arrives!