Botswana
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Thursday 19th November.
Into Botswana today. Hit the ferry at about 12 lunch time and did the bits to escape over the boarder. Paid the ferry crossing. They must make a fortune at $20.00 for a car. Now while in the queue for the ferry I was asked if I had a road tax receipt. Not having one I tried to bluff my way out and buy a bit of time to get on the ferry. However, the police would not let me board. So it was back to the office and $20.00 later we were back in the queue. Didn’t make me the most popular with certain people sat in the car with me as it made us miss the ferry and have to wait for another one. But the ferry was only 10min and once across, it was all relatively straight forward. Immigration, no charge for a visa (hurray) carnet stamped and pay your transit charge 120 pula (£11.00) and off you go. Now we are going into Chobe Game Park. Apart from having a new telephone number, in all probability telephones will not work in the game park. So for 4 or 5 days we will possibly be uncontactable
Friday 20th November.
Down town for some supplies and derv. Nothing in the game park so we need an additional 100ltrs to be safe. Camping at most of the sites has risen as they have sold them off to private enterprise. $50.00 per night per person. They are having a laugh. No way. We want to use our own tent not buy one. A couple of park sites are left so we will use them. But space is limited and it is the luck of the draw if you can get in. But at $50.00, not a chance. We have booked into the Ihaha Campsite with Roy and Sandy and Steve and Katie. We went for an afternoon game drive, saw elephant, Zebras and antelope but the lion is still evading us.
Some people parked near us on the site had left some food out. As we came back there were baboons all over the place, they had trashed everything. The catapult helped to get rid of them but it was a bit late. They were local so really they should have known better, but we did go back later to see if they wanted anything food wise but they had got other supplies. Katie and I saw a snake making its way under there car, it was pretty long and light coloured, Katie threw stones at it so it went under Roys car and up and over his back wheel then into the bushes. Thought twice about getting up in the night for the toilet.
Saturday 21st November.
Left Ihaha camp site at Chobe for 7 0’ clock, it took us about an hour to get out of the park to the gate. Then it was down the road (loose term out here for dirt track)
but to be fair some of it was rough tar and some sand. We arrived at Gohah gate further south to re enter the park for about lunch time. Splitting up we headed off in the direction of Suvuti. This is where all the game is supposed to be. Plenty of elephants and Giraffe but still no lion. The book says lions are everywhere, it lies. On the way down we took a small track and came face to face with elephants. Now some of them went into the bush but one young bull took exception to us and charged. Now a mock charge, so we are told in when the ears are flapping. The ears were flapping, but Jackie was taking no chances and covered the next ½ kl quicker in reverse (and on the mirrors only) than you could by driving forwards. Continuing on we encountered a large herd of giraffe, some wart hog, impala and more elephants. Eventually we headed back to the Gohah gate arriving at about 5pm meeting up with Steve and Katie. Leaving the park we camped down the road in a little pull off that was out of the way. (for them interested, out of the gate turn right, 500 mtrs down big track, onto track on left past water hole. Approx S18.23,390: E24.16,137. (Sorry did not take the waypoint down).
Sunday 22nd November.
Back into the park for another game drive. Hoping to have more luck than yesterday. But no chance. Lunch was by a water hole and only spoilt by the lack of game. Heading south we took the Marsh road which is exactly what it says. We saw lots of elephants and big ones too. Now the road was interesting in places and quite challenging at times but we made it through although we did christen my sand boards in the mud.
Exiting at MahabeGate and heading for the Khwi Camp site which is supposed to be community based. Only about 20kl but water hole after water hole on the road and it made you wonder if you needed a car or boat. Arriving at around 5 we set up camp. No one about so we carried on. After dark at about 7.30 a car pulled up and told us we had to pay for camping. No problem. That we expected, but we didn’t expect the price. 137Poula. (£13.00) pppn. (the game park is only 30p about £3.00) Refusing to pay we left. They obviously know that this is the only place for miles and think that by coming late you are left with no option but to pay. We parked at the edge of the game park just outside the boundary. Expecting a warden to turn up we slept in the front. An uncomfortable night but we will not succumb to tactics such as these.
Monday 23rd November. Our 35th Wedding anniversary (not sure if I live for the 36th, read on).
Drove to the Moreini Wildlife Reserve. Now as it has rained some of the waterways are flooded. This made it difficult as the normal route was flooded. The first real deep water crossing came quite unexpectedly. My turn to go first this time and we entered the water nice and steady ready to put power on to pull out when the front went down and the bonnet was covered in water, and so were we both. (tip for landrover Defender drivers in water, close the front vents BEFOR going into the water) Putting power on we pulled straight out, wet, but everything ok. Further on we came to more water with the track completely covered as far as we could see.
 . Having walked about ¼ of a mile in the water we decided to abandon this route and find another. Retracing our steps we came to the same crossing. Over we went, dry this time. 40 kl further on we came to Moremi Game Reserve. To get in we had to cross a bridge, thankfully they had replaced the old one this year.
The camp site Xaknaxa (don’t blame me I can’t pronounce it either) was 32kl further inside. Splitting up to see what game was about we were to meet up at the campsite later. When on our way to the campsite we came to another deep water crossing. Sat in the middle was a Nissan 4x4 (sort of a standard car with 4 wheel drive) up to the gunnels in water with the two occupants trying to salvage whatever they could.. Now in this bit of water their are crocs so caution is needed and I dont think they knew this judging by the photos. As they were blocking the waterway we were not able to cross. Pulling them out with the winch we cleared the waterway. It looked like they had water in the engine that entered through the air intake that was pointing forward under the bonnet. Stupid idea especialy out in Africa for a 4x4, Nissan should know better. As it was a rental car I think they will be getting a large bill from someone. By this time Steve had joined us. Being his turn for the water first in he went. It was deep but he made it. My turn, off we went. I hit the water a little too fast and therefore a little too hard so when I came to the drop we hit hard. The water went everywhere.
yes the Landy is in the photo!
Once more, (tip for landrover Defender drivers in water, close the bloody front vents BEFORE going into the water), will we ever learn, second time in a day. Jackie was close to being drowned.Steve told me I looked like a submarine going under the sea as the bonnet and half the windscreen completely disappeared in the tidal wave I had created. The bonnet would have gone under without the wave so I just made things worse or more spectacular depending on how you want to view it. Oh dear! did the water go everywhere it was like two buckets of water pouring through the front vents right onto our laps. But we came up the other side without the engine hesitating. Good job the seat covers are brown though. As we opened the doors the water just poured out. Unfortunately, we did not see much game on the way and elected for an early night to go out early in the morning. Enough excitement was had for one day.
Tuesday 24th November.
Out at 7am looking for game. But nothing in sight. I think they have all gone on holiday. Elephants etc as well. Never seen a park as empty. Thinking about it none of the parks have been what you call full. Maasri Mara, Serengeti, Chobi. game, lions in particular. The most game we saw was in Kenya outside the parks in the bush. To continue, treking around we went for a place called Lion Pan. Hoping, as we approached the radio went and it was Steve & Katie who had found a LION. Wow we thought they only existed in books and your imagination. Rattling the waypoints off we joined them and sure enough under the bush was a very big male lion. Watching him for a while he moved out from the under the bush so now it was a race to get some photos. Heading around in front we sat and waited and thankfully it came right past us and didn’t give a dam.
Having the photos made Jackie happy. She had been waiting so long to find a lion. The rest of the day was spent planning our route to Maun. We have 40kl to get out of the park but while not far it’s close to 2 hours to the exit gate. Then another 35kl or so before we hit tarmac to run into Maun for the night and to get supplies. Then it’s onto Francistown to see my sister which we expect to reach on Thursday or Friday depending on roads.
Wednesday 25th November
Had a good trip to Maun arriving about lunch time, booked into the Audi campsite before going into town to get some food, although we do not want to much as we are going to Bob’s sisters. Caught up with the internet and relaxed for the rest of the day, Roy and Sandy were also at the campsite so the three couples were back together again.
Thursday 26th November
We all had a bad night last night but more so Roy and Sandy. There car was broken into during the night, we all heard something and we all got up but it was too late. Steve just saw the guy climbing over the fence with Roy and Sandy’s bag containing two cameras, a watch and two telephones. The police were called who responded very quickly; we were up for a couple of hours so felt a bit tired in the morning. At 7 am forensics turned up to take finger prints which we were rather impressed with. Let’s face it if this was England we would have been lucky to have had a visit from the police, probably given a crime number at the most. We left the campsite for 9.30 to make the 500kl journey to Francis town. The road was quite good just a few potholes now and again. We arrived at Sue and Mikes for 5.30ish.
Friday 27th November
Yippee!!! Luxury for a few days. Constant hot water, a bath, a nice big bed but above all a washing machine.
Saturday 28th November to Sunday 6th December
Had a great time at Sue and Mikes, great meals and waited on hand and foot what more could we ask for. BEST HOTEL we have stayed at. But alas all good things come to an end and it is time to move on and give Sue and Mike a rest. Our batteries are recharged, washing is clean, clean towels and bed linnen. just like when we set off 8 months ago. (how you find you have missed the little things in life). We will be leaving on Monday morning after we have been food shopping. We are off into the Kalahari Desert for a few days then making our way up the west side of Botswana before heading into Namibia.
Thursday 10th December
Early start once more (a late start would be good once in a while) and up to the boarder. We only have two more boarders to go now, Namibia and South Africa. The boarder was the easiest and quickest so far and the most informal. 10min out of Botswana. 10min into Namibia and charge of 180 Namibian dollars (12 to £) road tax. After the boarder we headed west to Rundu to a camp site called K’Wazi lodge S17 52.039 E19 54.444. Arriving at about 4.30 after driving through a fantastic thunder and lightening storm. Forked lighting was unbelievable and quite spectacular. The site was part flooded but they could fit us in and that’s all that mattered after a 515kl trip. A cold beer was most welcome before setting up for the night.
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