Into Namibia

Catching up as WiFi permits....
....pics may have to wait for a little while though....

Anyway, here we go:

From Zimbabwe, we drive across the Botswana border into Namibia, not far south of Angola at Ngoma. It's the Zambezi region of Caprivi, which has been (is?)  a narrow corridor of disputed territory. After filling in more forms, more customs and police checks (quite understandably) we visit Katima, the buzzy local  town and pay the vehicle tax before settling down for our stay at the Zambezi river lodge, which is a really nice site, and gaze over the river at Angola.

The next morning at 6.30am, we're off again on a 350km drive, arrow straight again, past well tended settlements of reed-covered circular huts. It's election day and, everywhere, people are walking or being ferried, mostly in trucks, to their local (temporary) polling station. Great to see all this happening and listen on the radio.

Following advice, we're travelling with friends now and, as we travel, we see warning signs for elephants and a strange creature that I recon is a giant mouse but it turns out that it's supposed to be a kind of dog. Forever more this creature will be known as the Mouse-Dog. 

We're staying this time on the river Okavango at Mahangu safari lodge. We take another!! evening river cruise (sounds grander than it is) on the river (wonderful) and eat with friends at the lodge restaurant. We're warned not to walk into a hippo on the way back the the 'van....

And so to today.....

.....Off at 6.30 for a longish drive of some 420km to ( believe it or not) Roys Rest Camp near the town of Grootfontein. Sue and I rotate as we stop with friends for tea/coffee so arrive fresher. A few people are beginning to feel the strain of driving these distances in 30+ degrees though. After a 100km drive into Grootfontein and back We finish the day with a great braai with friends.

Great times...

Cruising....spot the wildlife

That's Charles that is..

Copper mining....the remains...

...onward to see interesting things tomorrow. Stay in touch....

Zimbabwe

We take a coach to the nearby border feeling quite smug that we already have our visa from the Zimbabwe embassy in London...but, of course, it saves no time really as we have to wait for everyone else. At least we don't have to fill in that form....

...after which we have one hour on another straight road to Victorial Falls (the town) in the hands of a competent guide..she gives us a list of possible activities for the following day...which are pretty expensive and all in US dollars, which Zimbabwe needs pretty badly. In two minds about this really. Don't really fancy bungee jumping and the like but spot a cultural tour.

The hotel turns out to be a really nice Moorish styled place and the falls themselves are a fantastic sight, even though this is the dry season.

We take the cultural tour the next morning...to a local village and school. Just six of us, including two ex school Heads and a Principal.....!

The chief of the village gives us an utterly fascinating talk on his village, beliefs, customs and the problematic aid situation; he has lectured in the UK. His village is essentially self sufficient..no electricity ....cooking on wood gathered from the land and generating food from crops, selling surpluses in town.

Our visit to a local school is, as usual for us in these situations, very moving. The children are great and Sue is in her element, of course. When we talk to groups, Sue asks meaningful questions and ends up writing on the blackboard while I play 'lets make a silly movie' games on my phone. Great fun though. The school is badly in need of money and, although we stopped off to buy pencils and paper on the way, we are dragooned onto making a contribution..although we keep it small. Feel slightly odd about this, given it's where it is.

Then it's back to the hotel ...lunch ....coach ...border...and here we are back at our super luxury lodge (!) sweltering in the Botswanian heat.

Great mini holiday experience with memories to carry with us.

Namibia tomorrow....another day, another border crossing....

Botswana: Heading North

After a drive of some 350km or so on arrow straight roads with odd slight kink we arrive at our final lodge in Botswana, close to the Zimbabwe border (and the Zambia and Namibia borders come to that). It's a different kettle of fish to the last one, though, as we inspect the dodgy electrical connections in our (personal) washroom and view the opaque looking pool. At least our intrepid leaders won't be hogging sunbeds around that one, although they tell Sue that it's fine to go in. We beg to differ.

We all take the inclusive safari around the nearby game reserve which is good..with a great guide.. but the journey along the road to get there is an adventure in itself; being driven in the open safari Toyota at reasonably high speed, sitting in the front, is akin to driving a car with no windscreen. Not surprised when our fellow traveller gets a high speed flying beetle about 3cm across in her face...she still bears the scar of that  encounter!

The following day we are told is a rest day with suggested activities of shopping at a local Spar and filling up with diesel. But its bloody hot, so we (and a number of others) sort out an afternoon and twilight cruise on the Chobe river which turns out to be one of those unexpectedly magic moments, especially as Foster, our  jovial guide/ captain edges to within metres of a very, very big croc sitting on her eggs. So, as ever, we make the most of what could have been a disappointing stop.

After a shockingly early shower the next day (literally....luckily it's only enough to give Sue a slight jolt)  we're off to Zimbabwe for a couple of days. Could do with a nice hotel after this stop.

Botswana

Catching up....

We have no 3G card here so an update will arrive if there's WiFi at the campsite. Today there is so here it is...

The border crossing, always approached with a little aprehension , proved to be a piece of cake (gluten free). Interesting that we we charged a range of fees for the crossing. When questioned, from the manner of the reply, it was clear that the prudent approach was to pay up. Actually, our bill was quite low compared to some...and it's peanuts anyway (190 Rand).

So we drove and drove and stopped at Camp Itumela in Palapye, behind a scrapyard...but it turned out to be a wierdly wonderful place with open air toilets....pity the electricity was more off than on, but that couldn't spoil our enjoyment of a great buffet meal.

.............

Next day, with fellow adventurers,  we visit a rhino breeding park (brilliant) but the consequence is that we arrive too late to visit the museum at the next site (Mupungubwe Hill) where artifacts from a far-developed African civilisation are shown, including a replica of the famous gold rhino....oh well...

On Friday, we head further north to Francistown, Botswana's second largest, bustling city, although time doesn't permit anything but a brief look.

Today, a short drive, at last, to here, the Nata Lodge (near the village/town of Nata, surprisingly). Nata has three fuel stations, a Wimpy and a Barclays....but not as we know them, Jim. Interesting chats...including one with a Zimbabwean who chooses to live here in Botswana. 

Finish the day with a safari into Sowa Pan, one of Botswana's vast flat areas of ancient sea which are drying to form salt pans and sustain varied bird and animal life. It's an strangely silent, etherial place...all the more so as we watch the sun go down...the horizon flat in every direction. Magic place. 

Sowa Pan Flamingos at Sunset

Sowa Pan Magic

Flamingos Again

Onward  towards Zimbabwe tomorrow...

Goodbye Kruger

Sad to leave the Kruger for the last time as we head off to the most northern gate. We almost certainly will never return so we feel compelled keep stopping for our farewells to the various Kruger animals, including a heard of elephants. It's been a tremendous privilege to be here with them.

The journey to Parfun gate and our exit takes longer than expected for the above reasons. We collect other Bobo friends en route as we head west towards the Mapungubwe National Park and our last campsite in South Africa for some time. Like many others we try an abortive trip to  Nwanedi National Park en route, as suggested in the day book...but we all give up on the rough washboard road..simply running out of time on the 350km journey. A visit to the Spar shop in Musina and a fuel top-up  set us up for a braai tonight and the journey tomorrow.

Finding the campsite is a challenge for us all, most getting lost on route. The directions are poor but our trusty Garmin gets us there with friends in tow over the unsurfaced road. Some of the group a little frustrated but there's nothing like a beer/glass of plonk and a flaming braai with fellow adventurers to sort things out; a good end to a long day.

Botswana and the border tomorrow.

Goodbye Kruger.....

Kruger Again

Back here again in the Kruger National Park for three nights in seperate rest camps as we work our way North towards Botswana, leaving the three days overlap with the first leg after Satara Rest Camp.

Won't bore you with loads more animal pics, as wonderful as they are...so how about our sunset safari? ... We arrive Satara just in time to throw on warm, waterproof clothing (looks like rain) and dash for the Safari truck. The driver/guide is brilliant; he drives us off into the bush to stop about 3m from a group of young male lions, who don't seem too bothered by us but do look us in the eye in a disdainful kind of way. Very few of us have been this close to a wild lion and it's a very special moment.

...Then it starts to rain steadily as darkness falls...and it's an open truck with a canvas roof that takes to periodically dumping the water collected on the roof onto my (non-waterproof) trousers...at least my top half is dry and warm under the waterproof and fleece. Sue sits on the inside and gets slightly less damp...

...But all is forgotten as a 'coalition' of four male lions on the hunt appear in the headlights as they plod very purposefully down the road, seemingly not at all bothered as our spot-lamps are trained on them. We track them for a while and even see them walking right alongside the truck. Magic. Pity the poor Impala we've seen earlier.

Soon, its time to thank our guide and plod back to our motorhomes for a hot drink and dry clothes....Charles has never looked so good.

OK...can't resist a couple of LION pics...

This one is looking at ME...luckily the camera's got anti-shake...

Adopt a pose

Apparantly, lions respect man and won't attack unless they have cubs or are mating...but these two look hungry to me