We got up at 5.30 packed up tents and got to the border at Martins Drift by 8.45. Our companions got stopped for speeding and were warned about the slow border.
At the Botswana side we queued in the cars and then followed an orderly queue to get passports and gate passes stamped. This took about an hour and a half. We drove over the Limpopo River parked up and joined the queue. Two of us stood in line while the others kept the kids in the shade. After many hours we were close to the building when an official started saying people could not wait in the shade so one of us went to get the family, I was moved with a large part of the queue to another area and the official wouldn't let the others join me. We rejoined the queue much further back and all waited. We saw the family we had been queuing with leave about an hour before we did.
We found the reason for the slow progress, there was only one immigration officer checking all passports! It was another four and a half hour drive to Johannesburg.
We spent our last day leisurely in Jo'burg.
Sent from my iPhone
Friday, 14 April 2017
Change of plan
Zambia to Botswana
Later the doc informed me that the ferry crossing is quite perilous as the ferries can capsize or collide into a fast flowing and crocodile infested river. There is a bridge being built, but not sure when it will be finished.
We had a good journey to Nata but were disappointed that there was too much water to be able to see the flamingos who visit at this time of year.
Zebras at the hotel
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
The boiling pot
The boiling pot
Crossing the border
We left Chobe to cross the border at Kasangula. The guidebook says to allow at least 2 hours for this border crossing. I recently read a description of French bureaucracy as being like a good workout, you emerge tired and aching but satisfied!
To describe an African border crossing is hard, its chaotic, frustrating, illogical and time consuming. Leaving Botswana we got our passports stamped and submitted all the car paperwork to be checked and stamped. Then we went to find the ferry, we passed mikes of lorries queuing to make the crossing, there didn't seem to be a queue of cars so we drove on and boarded the ferry. There were two ferries working, ours had a small lorry and our two cars as well as foot passengers.
Then the fun began. While on the ferry we inadvertently hired a guy to help with the paperwork on the Zambian side. Passports stamped, we needed kwacha, local insurance, carbon tax as well as import permits. For each of these you queue get paperwork stamped, join another queue to pay and then go back to have it all stamped again.
The drive to our hotel in Livingstone was short fortunately!
To describe an African border crossing is hard, its chaotic, frustrating, illogical and time consuming. Leaving Botswana we got our passports stamped and submitted all the car paperwork to be checked and stamped. Then we went to find the ferry, we passed mikes of lorries queuing to make the crossing, there didn't seem to be a queue of cars so we drove on and boarded the ferry. There were two ferries working, ours had a small lorry and our two cars as well as foot passengers.
Then the fun began. While on the ferry we inadvertently hired a guy to help with the paperwork on the Zambian side. Passports stamped, we needed kwacha, local insurance, carbon tax as well as import permits. For each of these you queue get paperwork stamped, join another queue to pay and then go back to have it all stamped again.
The drive to our hotel in Livingstone was short fortunately!
Monday, 10 April 2017
Wildlife
Camping at Chobe
Elephant crossing
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
Today's short drive was a bit longer than estimated
Tuesday, 4 April 2017
Monday, 3 April 2017
Sunday 2nd April
We set the alarm this morning and we were up before sunrise. Just as the sun sets suddenly, going from low in the sky to dark in a matter of minutes so it is at sunrise. We packed up the tents in the dark and by the time we drove out the sky was pink. We tried the water hole again but there it was empty. The guide in one of the vehicles we passed yesterday said they had seen a cheetah at the hole the previous morning. We stopped for breakfast alongside Oryx and ostrich. We took a long route back to the gate hoping to see something other than birds and deer, without success.
It was another long drive to get to Maun. We have a few days of luxury in a lodge alongside the river. Our chalets have two bedrooms and river views. The children were immediately in the small pool. On our evening boat cruise we admired the view and enjoyed the bird life and sunset. The boat took a bit of getting going and the kitchen staff were summoned to help push the boat from shore! The boat took a leisurely route up one of the small deltas which at this time of year are full of water and water lilies. Our guide explained that people eat the tuber of the water lily. We travelled back for dinner in the restaurant, enjoying the novelty of not cooking on gas rings or wood fire and not washing up!
We set the alarm this morning and we were up before sunrise. Just as the sun sets suddenly, going from low in the sky to dark in a matter of minutes so it is at sunrise. We packed up the tents in the dark and by the time we drove out the sky was pink. We tried the water hole again but there it was empty. The guide in one of the vehicles we passed yesterday said they had seen a cheetah at the hole the previous morning. We stopped for breakfast alongside Oryx and ostrich. We took a long route back to the gate hoping to see something other than birds and deer, without success.
It was another long drive to get to Maun. We have a few days of luxury in a lodge alongside the river. Our chalets have two bedrooms and river views. The children were immediately in the small pool. On our evening boat cruise we admired the view and enjoyed the bird life and sunset. The boat took a bit of getting going and the kitchen staff were summoned to help push the boat from shore! The boat took a leisurely route up one of the small deltas which at this time of year are full of water and water lilies. Our guide explained that people eat the tuber of the water lily. We travelled back for dinner in the restaurant, enjoying the novelty of not cooking on gas rings or wood fire and not washing up!
In the Kalahari
Friday 31st to Sunday 2nd April
We arrived at the Matswere gates of the Khalahari by early afternoon. The journey was longer than planned as we had assumed we could get food and supplies on Oran's forgetting that this is a mining town with restricted access. The diamond mines are the biggest in the world and security is tight. This meant a drive back the way we had come to find the shops at the next town. It was busy and the queue for the bank was long, it was probably pay day. We also stopped in Rakops the last place before the dirt road to the Khalahari but the petrol station had n fuel.
The 40km of dirt track to get to the gate felt long and bumpy. We had a late lunch and headed in to the biggest game reserve in the world. As you see the grassland stretch away you get a feeling of the vastness. It also makes it hard to spot the wildlife, as we discovered! On our drive to the campsite which took a few hours we saw Oryx, with their huge straight horns, ostrich, spring bok identified as they pronk or jump with all four feet off the ground and lots of birds that were hard to identify but beautiful nonetheless.
We arrived at camp as it was going dusk and quickly got the tents up and dinner on. We shared our campsite with ground squirrel who seemed quite happy with our presence and put their noses out of their burrows every so often. Everyone slept well and enjoyed a lie in as we didn't need to get up early. We had time to make pancakes for breakfast served with fresh mango. The campsite is marked with a sign and is an area of cleared ground with a spiral shaped shelter with a plastic toilet over a hole and one with a bucket and shower nozzle. There's also a fire pit.
We spent most of the day driving to see if we could find the elusive giraffe and predators, but we only saw more deer and birds. A scorpion in the camp caused some excitement and a huge spider whose web hung across our path was equally fiercesome!
We headed back to camp made some dinner and squeezed all eight of us into one of the vehicles for an evening game drive, when we were sure we'd see some animals at the water hole. Just more birds!
We arrived at the Matswere gates of the Khalahari by early afternoon. The journey was longer than planned as we had assumed we could get food and supplies on Oran's forgetting that this is a mining town with restricted access. The diamond mines are the biggest in the world and security is tight. This meant a drive back the way we had come to find the shops at the next town. It was busy and the queue for the bank was long, it was probably pay day. We also stopped in Rakops the last place before the dirt road to the Khalahari but the petrol station had n fuel.
The 40km of dirt track to get to the gate felt long and bumpy. We had a late lunch and headed in to the biggest game reserve in the world. As you see the grassland stretch away you get a feeling of the vastness. It also makes it hard to spot the wildlife, as we discovered! On our drive to the campsite which took a few hours we saw Oryx, with their huge straight horns, ostrich, spring bok identified as they pronk or jump with all four feet off the ground and lots of birds that were hard to identify but beautiful nonetheless.
We arrived at camp as it was going dusk and quickly got the tents up and dinner on. We shared our campsite with ground squirrel who seemed quite happy with our presence and put their noses out of their burrows every so often. Everyone slept well and enjoyed a lie in as we didn't need to get up early. We had time to make pancakes for breakfast served with fresh mango. The campsite is marked with a sign and is an area of cleared ground with a spiral shaped shelter with a plastic toilet over a hole and one with a bucket and shower nozzle. There's also a fire pit.
We spent most of the day driving to see if we could find the elusive giraffe and predators, but we only saw more deer and birds. A scorpion in the camp caused some excitement and a huge spider whose web hung across our path was equally fiercesome!
We headed back to camp made some dinner and squeezed all eight of us into one of the vehicles for an evening game drive, when we were sure we'd see some animals at the water hole. Just more birds!
First night under canvas
Thursday 30th March
We had planned for our first night camping to be relaxed with time to learn how to put up the tents and enjoy cooking on a fire. But this is Africa so things take longer and you never know what will happen next. We found a lovely picnic spot just before the border and had lunch in the shade. We realised that the fridge on our car wasn't working and spent a bit of time trying new fuses and plugging the fridge into a different battery, but nothing worked so we decided to travel on and see if we could get it fixed in Gaborone.
The border crossing was unusually quick although bafflingly inefficient. We had to fill in forms and have our passports and vehicles registered on the South Africa side and then fill in more forms in Botswana and visit a couple of different desks to get forms stamped and pay fees. We had two identical vehicles with 4 people in each yet the visa charges were slightly different! Anyway the border post was quiet and all went well.
We stopped at the first town and found a mechanic who spent a few hours looking at the spare battery which powers the fridge and the lights. After checking everything it looks like the cable from the battery has corroded. There wasn't time to stay and get it fixed so we drove on and arrived at the nature reserve just as dusk was falling. A wrong turn meant that we drove further than we planned and saw our first wild animals, bush buck and impala.
We glimpsed our campsite in the last light and then began to set up camp in the dark. The tents go up easily but first time is more difficult. We got the tents up the fire lit and enjoyed steaks and sweet corn cooked on the open fire. The children were delighted that we all went to bed at the same time.
The embers of the fire gave a comforting glow, although when I woke in the middle of the night it was pitch dark. It was surprisingly noisy with an undercurrent of chirruping from insects interrupted by louder noises from other creatures. I woke as the sun came up.
We had a quick breakfast and got on our way. The roads were fast and unlike yesterday there were no roadworks to slow us down. We arrived at Khama Rhino sanctuary and have left the others to explore, and the doc and I have driven back to the nearest town to see if we can get the cables fixed.
I am writing this sat in the waiting area of a small mechanic shop. The large Toyota garage could identify the problem but didn't have the right wire so sent us to the roadside mechanic. They have found some wire and are now fitting it, we hope!
Wednesday 29th March
Back in Africa
I'd forgotten how public life is. Everything happens outside and it's all there to see.
We set off from Johannesburg and have driven up the N1 and turned before Pretoria onto the N4 to travel west to the Botswana border. There is so much going on and lots to see. People are walking alongside the busy roads and there's view into villages of tin shacks with washing strung between them. This morning there are people cutting the grass on the verges, with tractors and strimmers and there are neat bales further on.
The roads are good and mostly toll. There is dual carriageway in some places but mostly it is single lane with a hard shoulder that is also a crawler lane, although there is not quite enough space when cars on both sides pass vehicles in the crawler lane.
The road to Botswana is straight and it's easy navigation so hopefully we will get to our first campsite easily.
Back in Africa
I'd forgotten how public life is. Everything happens outside and it's all there to see.
We set off from Johannesburg and have driven up the N1 and turned before Pretoria onto the N4 to travel west to the Botswana border. There is so much going on and lots to see. People are walking alongside the busy roads and there's view into villages of tin shacks with washing strung between them. This morning there are people cutting the grass on the verges, with tractors and strimmers and there are neat bales further on.
The roads are good and mostly toll. There is dual carriageway in some places but mostly it is single lane with a hard shoulder that is also a crawler lane, although there is not quite enough space when cars on both sides pass vehicles in the crawler lane.
The road to Botswana is straight and it's easy navigation so hopefully we will get to our first campsite easily.
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
Sorry no photos yet as I have some technical issues with my blog!
Our adventure has begun. We had a very easy flight to Heathrow and a delayed flight on but all was well. Nobody slept very much but we were collected from the airport to get our vehicles. They are fantastic, great big hi-luxs with double cabs and lots of kit! We think that we are prepared for every eventuality with lots of water, two tanks of fuel and some gadgets - sat nav, walkie talkie so we can communicate between the cars, and a satellite phone. We've also go penknives, a sling shot and a flint and steel. We've stocked up with food for the next few days and managed a swim at the hotel in Johannesburg.
Our adventure has begun. We had a very easy flight to Heathrow and a delayed flight on but all was well. Nobody slept very much but we were collected from the airport to get our vehicles. They are fantastic, great big hi-luxs with double cabs and lots of kit! We think that we are prepared for every eventuality with lots of water, two tanks of fuel and some gadgets - sat nav, walkie talkie so we can communicate between the cars, and a satellite phone. We've also go penknives, a sling shot and a flint and steel. We've stocked up with food for the next few days and managed a swim at the hotel in Johannesburg.
Saturday, 25 March 2017
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Packing again
As we start packing again I remember the feeing of last time - when we were moving to Malawi for three years. This time we are going for 3 weeks and it's not just me, two kids and a doctor, we are taking friends and their children too.
I described moving abroad like the cupboard under the stairs - if you don't look you can forget what's in there or what is involved. As we prepare again I feel a bit like when you drive into an enormous puddle (something we used to do a lot in the rainy season in Blantyre) and you don't know how deep it is so I used to imagine I had my eyes shut and just go for it.
So join us again as we journey across southern Africa, beginning in Johannesburg and travelling up through Botswana to Zambia.
I described moving abroad like the cupboard under the stairs - if you don't look you can forget what's in there or what is involved. As we prepare again I feel a bit like when you drive into an enormous puddle (something we used to do a lot in the rainy season in Blantyre) and you don't know how deep it is so I used to imagine I had my eyes shut and just go for it.
So join us again as we journey across southern Africa, beginning in Johannesburg and travelling up through Botswana to Zambia.
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