Jims Travel and Life or Lifeless Blog: 2000 September 15th - October 1st: Henties Bay Namibia

Dateline: October 1st 2000, Crocodile Ranch, Maun Botswana 👍

Route: Henties Bay, Okaukuejo, Etosha, Windhoek Namibia to Maun, Botswana

I'm AWESTRUCK by this wildlife.
The kids? Hmmmm, As Aiden says: "We've seen elephants before dad"

Saturday, September 23^rd, Okaukuejo, Etosha Game Reserve, Namibia

Just look at the stench.
Thousands of seals everywhere

This is the first time I've been able to sit down and drag the laptop out of the safe since we left Henties Bay.
Here in Etosha is SERIOUS wildlife, we cannot think of anyone we know who would not love it here. This is our last day - we have now been here a week, and have stayed at all three of the game lodges in the park.

Friday September 15^th, we had a slow start, picking up various bits, - the cash vending machines still work in this outpost, and we grab a few more Namib dollars for our next leg. After some e-mailing of a few urgent items re Kingsway, to Tom, eventually around 11:00AM, we are heading to the seal colony.

I know I'm going to run out of captions for these

We travel another deserted and desertified highway for 45km.

The really top class salt road goes most of the way, but starts to disintegrate after 30Km. Solid nothing except for a few fishing huts next to the beach on the way up. Ilge wanted to go via the "Skeleton Coast" desert park, luckily we were told that there was nothing more to see there than in the Namib. Thankfully, as I've had it with lonely, dusty, poor quality deserts roads for a generation or two.

Entrance to the Cape Cross Fur Seal park is $CAN2.00 for adults, and $CAN0.20c for kids. Quite a deal as it turns out.

Surprisingly, there's no killer whales
lurking just past the surf

The very first thing you notice is the stench. Long years and centuries of guano, dead seals (amongst other things), sea detritus and an on shore wind, have conspired to assault the nasal passages in the extreme.

The "park" is simply a stone wall abutting a strip of coast from 40 - 200 metres deep. As you park, all you can see is sand, rocks and the sea, not a tree, bush or grass within 250Km. Moving toward the surf, essentially, over yet more desert, the park begins to unfold. It runs about 800 metres along the coast, and then the wall finishes and you can mingle with the indigenous population. You can walk right up to the wall and view the colony in it's entirety.

The "park" is simply a stone
wall abutting a strip of coast

There are seals of all shapes and sizes, everywhere - probably about 5,000 - 7,000. It is billed as the largest Cape Seal breeding colony in the world: I can believe it.
We wander up and down the length of the wall, photo's of everything. There are large bulls, babes, mums'n'babes everywhere. I notice a Jackal wandering inside the wall, next thing I notice, there is a seal pup in it's jaws. Hey folks, it's a jungle out there. With such a population, I would have expected some killer whales, or other predators in the sea for these easy pickings, but there is nothing out there, not today anyway.

Intrepid African adventurers. C2000
The "park" is simply a stone wall abutting a strip of coast

There are more seals than you can shake a stick at, on the rocks, on the sand, in the surf, even around the public toilets, and it's easy to get withing 1 - 2 metres of them - watch out for those teeth kids!

There are large bulls,
mums'n'babes everywhere

It is very difficult to get fed up with this, even the stench (some folks are wearing masks), declines in our brains rather than in fact, after 2 hours.
Once again, we are photo - opped out, and beat a slow retreat to the van.
Back on the road, with a quick stop to check out the lichen in the area, (it's quite famous here), and now we are off, once again across the desert strip to the interior. We have been told that Damaraland is beautiful, and after 150Km of desert, almost anything with less than 100% sand, stone, dust and rock would have to be.

And lost hungry babes

Mum and pup. Too big for a jackal now

Not this pup.
It was still squealing as the Jackal walked off with it
What was mum going to do?

After another 125Km of yet more desert, Damaraland turns out to be a rising rocky plain with bush and trees spreading to the horizon. It is rather pleasant out of the Namib. With 240Km to go, it looks like we will be at Outjo just after dark. Lunch at 3:00PM is in Uis - a more or less deserted mining town with only a hotel and a few stacks of mine tailings in the way of tourist attractions.

The guy I met here was prospecting for "Rare Earths"

The road north continues as rutted coarse sand and gravel until Khorixas where, finally, we find tarred roads again.
Come darkness, and we arrive at Outjo, we find a lodge, agree on the price (it's a two bed "2^nd Little Pigs Hut", wooden stick shack at $CAN75.00), but as it's the last one here, we take it, shower (of course), and head of to a less than mediocre dinner. I refuse to eat mine, and this in a 3 star resort!

For some reason, it's pretty cold here by 7:30. This makes a great and welcomed change for us.

You don't get this in Biology back in Toronto

Saturday September 16^th, and we do some more e-mailing in town, find a great place for biltong (essentially dried strips of seasoned animals), get some pies for lunch, and North, to Etosha. We know that Okaukuejo, the westernmost lodge, and admin centre is packed out, but we hope anyway.

It turns out that this is the high season: September is the last of the "dry" months, and with little water around, every animal must gravitate to water holes. There being only a few of these, the largest attached to each lodge, game viewing is to say the least, spectacular.

On the way through Etosha park, we stop at various water holes
Salvadora Pan. There's water AND a lot of animals
Deserted by humans

Sure enough, the place is full, we book a cottage for a few nights in advance, and head off to Halali the central lodge 75Km to the East, to camp for the night. This, after 2+ months of travelling, will be our third night of camping.

Pure Rousseau here at Okaukuejo viewing area

On the way, we stop at various water holes, we notice that there is game not just here, but literally everywhere. I have no idea how so much can survive in this environment. Lots of springbok, zebra, oryx (gemsbok to you), giraffe, elephant...... The landscape is also heavily dotted with termite hills, suitably coloured as per the local soil. We have never seen so much wildlife at any given time even in Kenya, - far more than Kruger.

Game everywhere.

This park is so amazing!

Rhino

I get to use my (new? ARGH!) telephoto

We arrive at Halali and camp. The water hole/ viewing area is about 800 metres walk away on the side of a kopjie (a 50 - 200 metre rocky lump on the plain).

Viewing area at Halali.
More animals arrive as day turns to dusk, to night

Gemsbok

It's a stunning spot built onto the rock no more then 3 metres above the waterhole. Time to watch the animals; we get there and there are about 50 elephant no more than 40 metres in front of us. It's truly startling. Evening approaches, and we finish our G&T's as the light fades.

Not a herd, but we're enjoying our G n T's here.
Real sundowners

The landscape is also heavily dotted with termite hills
Termites, complete with local grey dust.
Probably a tree once

In the evening, the flood lights come on, soon after dark, a black rhino arrives, the kids and missus leave for dinner, and as it always happens, 5 minutes later, an elephant, and then a leopard (very rare) arrive. I can only take video in this light, so you will need to wait to believe me. At one point, I had 3 of the big 5 in one view of the waterhole - Rhino, Leopard and Elephant. The stars shine brightly overhead. Startling stuff.

The way back to the site is dark and far from the camp site. You can easily imagine some carnivore in the bushes (the gin helps), thankfully they all waited for someone slower than I.

Sunday September 17^th, and the waterhole is empty. We head to Namutoni and are likewise amazed at the amount of animals. Dik dik, suni, jackels, wildebeest, impala, ostrich, hartebeest, desert squirrels, and birds by the bucketload on the way.

Roughing it at Namutoni, complete with wildlife
and Gin and Tonics

Namutoni turns out to be a remnant of German imperialism from the 19^th century. Complete with a frontier fort. We are assigned a room in the (rebuilt) fort. Fairly basic, two beds, no cooking - kids to sleep on the floor here. We head off to, and are into the pool, lapping up larger and cider, and generally having a great time by 2:00PM.

There is a colony of banded mongooses here, and this PM, they run around digging for worms and larvae.

Namutoni was an old German colonial fort.
Now Game Lodge

Our room in the (rebuilt) fort.

The water hole here has no ditch or rocks guarding us but is simply cut off by a small 1 metre high wire fence, hopefully electrified - I did not investigate, and the animals can come within 2 metres of the viewer! Check this out!
We arm ourselves with our ubiquitous G&T's, and watch the evenings happenings play out.

The large bull elephant hangs around all evening, from chewing through the 4 metre high grass, to drinking, to demolishing a 7 metre high thorn tree, this just a few metres from the fence. After an hour, the kids stat to play gin rummy, "we've seen the elephants dad".......

Isn't this lovely?

We hang in there till 8:00PM, and head off to the restaurant. All camps offer three meals, all buffets, breakfast ($CAN8.00), lunch ($CAN12.00), and dinner ($CAN16.00). Pretty good value for an all you can eat (I do). Outside these feasts, there is a kiosk, usually by the pool, for booze & snacks.

I watched this old bull for hours.
The kids, they played cards eventually

Talk about an out of
Toronto experience

I couldn't get enough of this,
but eventually had to leave

The stars - again - are astronomical, as we check out the water hole before retiring (hey, it feels like I am retired)

Monday September 18^th, and there is nothing at the pool to interest us (we are getting a little jaded with so much animal life on our doorstep), so we depart in a circuitous route back to Halali.

Another list would contain much the same, but this time there were also 2 black rhinos by the side of the road.

We depart in a circuitous route back to Halali

We are quite put out now if we do not see at least 5/ 10 oryx, 10 giraffe, 20/ 30 zebra, or 50 springbok at least every 5 minutes. This drive we need to go 15 minutes before something appears.
At Halali, we check into a small cottage and head to the pool for the PM. Down to the waterhole, wine (of course), and a few large animals at the hole, including (yes even more) black rhino.

Etosha appears to be a fantastic game park. lots of animals and easy access everywhere.

At Halali, we check into a small
cottage and head to the pool

Homework/ School ish learning? Not a chance
But we go through the motions

Tuesday September 19^th, and we are booked into Okaukuejo for one night. We head off to the water hole and the place is jam packed with all manner of (non carnivorous) wild life. This is too great to miss, and book in for another 4 days. At the waterhole that evening, we see 4 more rhino's (Ilge & Aiden see 3 more than that - 7 altogether, 9 in one day!), and of course elephants, giraffe etc. etc. etc.
The camps are reasonably well run, and costs about $CAN50.00 - $CAN75.00, depending on level of chalet, for 2 - 4 beds. The park also cost $CAN6.00 per adult, and $CAN1.00 per child per day. Excellent value for this level of game viewing. The whole system is pretty well fully automated, with access and updates available at any terminal - it looks like a UNIX based system - quite sophisticated actually. Credit cards are, luckily taken everywhere.

A typical pool area at a lodge in Etosha

The problem? It's high season, school holidays and end of the dry season - much better to see animals as they are concentrated at the few water holes.

Sheer magic.
I'll look back on this in 20 years and
still marvel at it (Hmmmmm, try 25 years, Ed)

I realise that we can stay here for ages, simply booking at various lodges where there are occasional vacancies.

I stand by the booking lady that afternoon and book up at the 3 lodges for 5 - 6 nights.

This means that we are travelling East and west most days. So what? Lots of game runs are what we are here for......

Fantastic!
The lodge we have, has four beds, a kitchen/ braai of sorts, shower/ bog and dining room after a fashion. It also has air conditioning - something we are beginning to notice that we are needing more often. There is a small shop in each camp which supplies certain basics: frozen meats, some veg, booze, dairy etc, so we can have occasional cook outs ourselves.

Halali as the sun sets.
Spot the leopard and rhino's?

We settle into a few days of school work, reading AM/ PM, then pool till dusk, game viewing, occasional game drive (it's all just at the water hole, a 3 minute walk away, so why bother), and dinner at the restaurant, or braai. The restaurant even has draught beer.

This is a Rhino. We saw lots eventually

The water hole is a 3 minute walk away

We really do have it tough here, hence the lack of further entries for this week.

Time for a few more waterhole shots

September 21/ 22^nd, must be the fall solstice, the weather is indeed warming up, and it gets too hot to be out after 12:00 without a pool and sun screen.

There is a chance for a few more waterhole shots - pure Rousseau except for the jungle that is not in the background, a tad more schoolwork, and we're off again.

Plus a huge amount of the usual suspects

Today, as ever before we leave, we laundry (well - you know who that "we" is), check the vehicle for the next leg, another gluing of the sump is called for - I must get this fixed professionally one day!, check out the Lonely Planet for our next direction and ports of call and reorganise our brains.

Okaukuejo water hole.
It (hardly ever) ceases to amaze me

We are now half way through our trip, I'd hesitate to call it an adventure, as most places we go, it's full of tourists, and we are treated as such, which is what we are. However, from the leafy suburbs of Toronto, to the dusty pans of Namibia, is indeed a long way however you view it. Our most important question now, is where to after Vic Falls, we will only have 6 weeks left, too short to get to Kenya & back, and I'd like to guarantee that the cruiser will get back to Canada eventually. Still, that's a month away yet.
We occasionally think of Toronto, what's going on there, and about everyone back at work or school after the summer. But we get over the urge to rush to the nearest airport tomorrow without too much trouble.

Another one.
I'm sure this one won't be alive in 20 years time

Tomorrow, we start back - slowly, towards Windhoek, then to Maun in Botswana.

We hope that Zimbabwe has settled down, and we can get gas there, otherwise we will be stuck. Somehow, I doubt that being a tourist there will be as easy as here.

Distance travelled this entry: 1050 Km.

Distance moved on trip this entry: 650 Km

Wednesday, September 27^th, Goba Goba Lodge, Gobabis, Namibia
This must be called "winding down" after our tour of Etosha park and lodges.
At 3:00AM, last Sunday, September 24th. the day we finally leave Okaukuejo Lodge, Etosha, Ilge & I head out to the water hole to see if there is anything about at this hour. A giraffe or two is about the limit for our nocturnals, and we also get a few departing bites from the mosquitoes here. This is the first time we have been bitten, or even heard a bug. Really different from the usually Canadian summer winged aggravations. I'm sure that Toronto & environs is still trying to deal with the horseflies even now.

We left Etosha that Sunday morning, even though I try to avoid moving on the day of universal rest (still remembering a flat tyre on a Sunday morning in the Namibian Desert), we reluctantly head South again. Etosha has been really great for wildlife, and we have also got a bit more of a tan, and some schoolwork accomplished....... well, it seemed as if we did anyway.

On the way to Otjiwarongo, I feel that something is different, strange even, then I realise, there are clouds above us! This is only the third time we have seen them in as many months. We are so used to another sparkling (and these days HOT) days dawning, this is most unusual.

On the way, we pause for a quick e-mail break ant Outjo, 125Km south for some urgent (yes I still have corporate business details to effect), organising with Tom, my head honcho for KCS - our sponsor, in TO, but being Sunday, we are kicked out early as the guy has to go to his "second" Sunday job. Things seem to be cool, and we return a few personals, and actually chat on line until we have to go.

Luckily, I have got away without having to deal with any major "must be done" problems at any of my clients installs. Tom & Cedric appear (from the e-mails I get copies of), to be holding the fort more than adequately. (Well done guys!!). Also very luckily as contrary to any ideas I had in Canada, it is pretty well nigh on impossible to sign in from here.

You don't get to choose

from menu's like these very often

After being turfed out of the internet café, it's lunch time, so we head off to the Etosha Garden Hotel in Outjo. We arrive late, but no problem. The menu is one of the wildest, in all senses, that I've ever seen. Here is a sample:

Starters:
Apple-Celery salad with Smoked filler from Kudu - N$24.00
Greek Salad with Namibian Feta Cheese & Olives - N$26.00
Carpaccio of Oryx-Fillet on Nuts & Herbs - N$26.00
Entrees:
Game Gulyash (sic) with Dumblings (sic) - N$38.00
Roulades Of Zebra with Noodles & Dill Cucumber Salad - N$45.00
Oryx Steak with Kalahari-Truffle Sauce - N$52.00
Zebra Steak with Bacon-Mushroom Sauce, Fried Potatoes - N$48.00
Roasted Kudu With Spicy Sauce & Noodles N$42.00
(FYI, $C1.00 = N$4.6)
We have 2 Greek salads and a bottle of water.....

Kayla, Aiden with local fauna at the "Otjibamba" lodge

It is only 35Km to Otjiwarongo, we arrive, gas up, check out the town, and by 3:00PM we are set up at the "Otjibamba" lodge, 5Km South of town, which has it's own game park, pet mongoose, and a bus load of German Frau's hanging out at the pool. We settle down to a few cool ciders (very good ones here), and watch the mongoose terrorise the Frau's as he (she?) digs into purses, clothing etc looking for delicacies. The Frau's are not amused! Hilarious entertainment for onlookers.

Briefly making up for not having a puppy

We are all running out of reading material and getting desperate for good books - the pool demands something to pass the time at, but the level of material we have brought from Toronto, Jo'burg, and more recently Cape Town and Swakopmund, is beginning to leave a lot to be desired. The afternoon passes, and we teach the kids how to play crib. They are immediately hooked, and we play for hours.

Windhoeks display of meteorites.
These things must be worth a fortune

We decide to dine in - this is becoming a habit, and I just have to order "Oryx & chips",

"How would you like it sir?....",
"Medium rare please"

Some tourism, so the usual African stuff
in the markets in Windhoek and lots of meteorites

Delicious!

September 25^th, Monday, - we'd like to stay another night, but it's fully booked, so we head South to Windhoek. We pass through Okahanja, a place where, in a past life - 20 odd years ago, I have visited many times before. It is not familiar. (No shit!). Pausing only for a few pies (pies are available everywhere in Southern Africa, and are very cheap, normally tasty, and filling), the road to Windhoek beckons.

The prices in town (according to our Lonely Planet bible), are pretty expensive, so we find a place 25Km out of town. There is a great view over a large area of bush veld, and we have our own barbeque and kitchen. I really am looking forward to cooking our own food for a change.

The local vegetation has slowly grown (actually, quite literally), to be greener, taller and generally less desert like. It appears that the total lack of anything above 0.5cm tall, is over, at least for a while.
We have a few hours before dark, so with some trepidation, (we have heard Windhoek is "as bad as Jo'burg"), we arrive in town.

For some reason, Namibia is in the "meteorite belt"
Apparently, lots of them fall here, and of course,
then get displayed for sale in the market

Windhoek is a pretty little town centre, surrounded by urban, then industrial sprawl, and then hill sprawl. In the centre of town, there is a permanent display of meteorites which apparently, Namibia has lots of due to it location on the tropic (high density area apparently). There is also a fairly extensive tourist craft area.

We still have a long way to go, so no one is tempted to load up on memorabilia stock just yet.
Traffic lights (robots), double lane roads, supermarkets, tourist bureaus, e-mail, even book shops.... all the luxuries of living.....? The supermarket has a pretty good selection of stuff, not as good as Swakopmund for some reason, but at least adequate. Fresh produce is very hard to find in any decent condition. Prices are about 150% of what we were paying in S.A., but it's a treat to actually have any choice beyond bread and longlife sterilised milk. All the tills use scanners for pricing, and do not have the "theft guard" plastic cover that stops thieving from open tills - totally prevalent in South Africa. Maybe this is a kindler, gentler society.....

We need to organise ourselves for tomorrow, e-mail, vehicle servicing, book exchanges, food stocks etc. On the way around town checking our options, I'm overcome by - wait for it, exhaust fumes! There can only be about 1500 vehicles in the centre of town, and after a month in the country, I'm gagging. What will North American smog do to me?
We survive the city's worst, and, finding the vehicle still in one piece where we left it, retire to G&T sundowners and pepper steaks (again?) back at the Sundowner Lodge.
Tuesday, September 26^th. And it's into town again, this time with no feelings of security issues. There are a few minor issues for the cruiser (wheel balance and rotate, reinstall the primary fuel filter), and restock our films, batteries, drawers and video stock, plus change some of our stock of books at Uncle Spikes.
We get a birthday card for the missus (no surprise party in Windhoek!), and celebrate our vacation's midway point, oh yes, and the little item of a birthday. We also spend an incredible amount of time at the e-mail centre - about 3 to 4 hours, and collect a few birthday e-mails there - thanks to those who remembered to mail. There is also a note from Ilge's boss - it seems that one of her co-workers has been murdered in his apartment in Toronto, considering all the bad press southern Africa has relating to murder etc., this is especially poignant.
As a special "civilisation" treat, we head off to watch "A Perfect Storm" with George whatsisface- Total Crap! Back to base for a late braai.

On the way out of Namibia:
Get Stuffed!

September 27^th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Well, we remembered it anyway. No goodies, just a card, but we were all aware of this possibility, and I had predicted that we'd be "celebrating" this birthday on the Namibian/ Botswana border. We offer Ilge the option of staying in a metro area for a celebration or just relaxing, or simply moving on through her birthday, she decides to travel rather than have a quiet day in town, so we head out, so it looks like I was right.
A final loop around Windhoek, the cruiser complaining and spluttering on the hills, and we are off East, only 200Km. On the way out of Windhoek, there are a pile of taxidermists advertising their talents, this is one of the more graphic displays.
This is cattle country, big time - lots of game/ cattle farms all the way here. The dirt & dust road that was here last time I travelled through here has long gone, the road is now very good with as little traffic now as then. We see little traffic once we pass the airport which is a good 30km out of town. It's getting hotter again.

We arrive around 2:00PM at Goba Goba Lodge in Gobabis, a last outpost near the border. My impressions of the manager here are not so hot - we get a price which we accept, only to be told once we move in, that due to the kids, we will need to pay that price twice, etc. As it was The Birthday, I grit my teeth and simply negotiate. Great pool, and fantastic food, We also had dessert apple pie. We tell her to put a candle on moms but of course she forgets and doesn't.:(. but she has also neglected to tell me that there is a 5% charge for credit card. This is the very first time I've felt cheated, or at least abused in the whole of Southern Africa!
Tomorrow we are off to Botswana - 100Km away, last time I was there, I had to run away from drunken policemen, who were spending their earnings on payday. This is also payday: I hope this time will be different.

Distance travelled this entry: 850 Km.

Distance moved on trip this entry: 750 Km

Sunday, October 1^st, Crocodile Ranch, Maun, Botswana

Eventually (probably soon here),
these will be shoes and dinner

This is independence day for Botswana, so the whole of the country is off work, and celebrating - noticeable by staying at tourist lodges through the country. We have tried to find a lodge where we can do a Mokoro trip (a Mokoro, is a 2 seater dug out canoe, polled much like a gondola), into the swamps, but the reasonably priced lodges are booked up.
There are three levels of accommodation here - backpacker - overlanders camping at $C7.50/ night, "mid range" with a reasonable, but not grand, room with a few beds at $C100.00 - $C150.00/ night, (such as here), and the "top end", usually in the delta at anything from $C350/night/ person and up, up, up. The top end that we have found, being $US1800.00 per person per night.

The Namibian border.
Hey, it was a tiny hut 12 years ago

The situation is even more expensive, as you need to pay $US30.00 per day each if you stay in any game reserve. Even to camp in a park, with no facilities, it would cost us $US300.00 for an overnight stay! (You need to pay for both "days" in the park, plus camping is not cheap, even for literally only a tree to camp under with zero facilities
We (me anyway) are trying to do this touring bit somewhat cheaper (and I must admit, a damn sight more luxurious) than that.

We arrived in Maun on September 28^th. Once again, the border was easy, no more than 10 minutes total to get out of Namibia, and into Botswana. We need an insurance disc here: it costs $US1.00, and is worth less, but it is part of the entry procedure for foreign vehicles.

Prior to leaving Gobabis, on September 28^th., we did a brief tour - it was quite a revelation, supermarkets containing more stuff than Windhoek, and lots of fresh goodies. Must be coming across Botswana from South Africa, or even local produce.
At the border, the land suddenly lowers into the Kalahari. Once again, the temperature increases. There is a lot of foot and mouth and other animal diseases here. This necessitates quarantining certain areas of the country hence there are lots of grids in the road, and occasional manned barriers to cross. The Lonely Planet tells us that various fences in the country, designed to stop the spread of these diseases, has also stopped much migrating of animals searching for water. In some cases, 99% of an animal population has been wiped out due to these man made barriers.
Our original idea was to stay the night at Ghanzi, 200Km from the border. Ghanzi is quite a "frontier" town, nothing like Gobabis, the only hotel had pretty heavy security, so we may be in for another version of South Africa!

Downtown Maun. C2000
Not too much changed, but now much bigger

The Lonely Planet said it was the back of beyond, merited little time, and once we arrived, we agreed. After a cold drink, and a tank fill up - fuel is the same price here as in Namibia - about $US0.40/ litre, we leave for Maun in the Okavango delta - another 300Km. away, through yet more desert, and desert heat around 2:00PM.

We are heading through the Northern reaches of the Kalahari desert here. At this altitude, it's actually far less of a desert than the Namib. Mainly thorn scrub and grasses. Occasional green spots, and even though the rains are still weeks away, the trees are beginning to show leaves and occasionally blossoms. The kids get out a sleeping bag and "camp" on the back shelf in the cruiser. They can play for hours without any artificial items except Edna and Edni (our family teddies).

After 100Km of good road, we are back onto, probably one of the worse roads we have driven on. There is nothing else for 200Km. The diesel purrs along, no tyres flatten on us, no holes reappear in the sump case, no strange noises except the rattle of hacking over rutted roads emanate from anywhere. Dust, stones, sand and total emptiness abound in every direction

Market Day, Downtown Maun C1977. Then with Annie
Spot the difference? Yep, no vehicle

The road again reverts to tar even if it is a sticky, gooey one necessitating a full covering of sand after 110Km, and we arrive in Maun at 5:30. We are all dirty, tired, sweaty and glad to be here. This is nearly 600Km in one day, we start to think that Nairobi is still possible.
It's the end of the month plus as we later find out, a long week end celebrating independence day, so all the banks have 50 - 100 people trying to get cash. We changed $100 at the border, and hope this will do till we can get some more.
I want to find the same camp I stayed at last time, I think it was Island Safari, after seeing it sign posted, we head off there.
After a look around, I cannot believe that this is the same place, this is all very run down and trashy - the pool looks like pea soup. For all we know, there may be a family of crocs in there. The camping area that used to be pristine lawns bordering onto the jungle, is now totally given over to huge trees and cabins. The new camp site is simply a dust bowl. I ask the manager where the river is. "Just out there" she says. It's only 15 metres across now. We chat about what this place used to be like, and yes,
Tony, the white hunter I remember, did own this place once, yes, the water used to be a kilometre wide here, yes, there did used to be a village next door that would supply mokoro's and polers.

Je sui desole at the change.
I know, I do whine on, but really!

No more, all gone. She tells me that this is the most water the river has had for years, some years ago there was none!,
I appears that I saw the delta "at it's best" 23 years ago. Where has it all gone? No one can say, but it ain't here no more.

The Okavango (this from 1977)
was right across this river bed,
nearly a kilometre across, now its a pond!

I am really upset, and apologise to the family for my build up of the swamps, now sadly little more than a frog pond.
As ever in a new country, I ask about the security situation - was ok, but don't fool yourself. This camp had a break in recently, and Audi Camp next door was in a hold up two nights ago.

Interestingly though, she laid the blame on Zims who "can be down to Nata and across the border before we wake up".
There is no such thing as self catering here (or anywhere in Botswana as we later find out), so we settle for a (quite expensive) rondavel, and after 600Km, thankfully submit to showers, samossa's and a draught beer or two.
September 29^th. We pack up, and head back into Maun looking for something closer to what we have got used to to date in SA & Namibia.
The Post Office, first in the queue, yields another tranche of Economists - thanks again David. This is the only way we stay (ha ha), "current" with any kind of world happenings. Local papers, apart from the current murder stats (South Africa), ministerial good doings (Namibia and now Botswana), and total lack of anything (Lesotho), are totally useless. There is no need for anything about the great beyond outside most countries borders here. Even with these Economists, we only read about stuff, at least 4 weeks out of date. We did in fact get used to this in South Africa and Kenya, and three+ whole years passed with little more than a whimper regarding "news". Except for rioting in the streets of the current, or next country we are visiting, news is not too important to us here anyway.

These guys would rip your legs off in 5 seconds
Your only protection is a wicker fence

Maun used to be an outpost almost beyond reach, now it is a sprawling, extended centre for tourism. There is a tarred road from here east to Nata, from whence to all other points, and the road we came on will be tarred to Windhoek within the year. It is much larger now, with a brand new air conditioned supermarket complex. This is now quite a centre. People are friendly, helpful, and not after anything. One guy quite happily showed us around the central market looking for a café (it had moved), and did not ask for anything, or even tell us about his poor families situation. A pleasant change from what we have grown used to.

Eventually (probably soon here),
these will be shoes and dinner

Botswana has the highest reported incidence of AIDS in the world - 20%+. You would find it hard to notice any thing advising people of the risks, dangers anywhere. Once again, denial seems to be high on the list.
We drop in at the Crocodile Lodge, south of town which supposedly has self catering. It denies that anything but camping is available - the self catering, now being used as homes for the staff apparently. Everything is totally run down to it's lowest denominator. Fires inside the buildings leave tell tale smoke patterns outside above the smashed windows. Goats and chickens in the houses etc - Africa again. Trying to salvage something of the day, we wander around the actual crocodile farm. Several very large crocs lounge just the other side of a wicker fence. These folk can reduce you to lunch within 4 seconds! Very poorly organised, and not very interesting. It's 12:00 and now very hot.

Crocodile Camp, with tourist's pool

We depart, and end up once again back across the town, at Crocodile Camp, just up from the Island Safari, a reasonably organised place - at least you can jump in the pool here without being eaten (not by crocs anyway), and surprise, surprise, we do.

Our shack, is actually little more than another second little pigs house, if that. It's obviously seen better days, and with sticks for walls and a very old straw roof, bits of which fall onto the floor, bed, bog etc during the day, making for an uncomfortable night if you forget to dust your bed off. There is a fan for air conditioning, and a mosquito net above each bed. In the toilet/ shower, we find a large (6 - 7 cm.) spider - quite poisonous apparently, crawling around the stick walls.

Our third little piggy's house
is just off to the top right here.

The thatch does not meet the walls, so large and often are the hornet invasions throughout the day. Its just off to the top right here.

At dusk, the kids head back to our room to get a flashlight, and see, what is later identified as probably a 2 metre long black mamba, 1 metre off the path to the side of them. We suddenly remember we are in real Africa. Most of the snakes out here in the swamps, are totally deadly - certainly mambas are about a 30 - 60 minute last will & testament job.
We indulge in the food here, - it is much more expensive than anywhere previously encountered, and poor quality to boot.

Botswana was such a deflator after Namibia,
we hardly took any pix. Regular sunset here

Everything is about half as much again as Namibia, which itself was half as much again as S.A. Prices up, quality down.

Saturday, September 30^th. We look for an affordable option for a mokoro trip. I'm not too enthusiastic as it would be a total let down from what I remember to what it is. Also, once you have baked yourself daft in the sun for a day or two in a cramped canoe (I eschewed the wooden one and went aluminium last time), you wonder why you'd ever want to do it again. This did not affect the rest of the family however, and so we searched for some nirvana of swamp transportation.

Yet another break by the pool.
It was a long holiday weekend and we
had nowhere else to go

In town, thankfully, the queues for cash have gone, and the Standard bank allows me to withdraw up to $C1500.00 - this is a first bank ATM transactions are normally restricted to only about $C130. I settle for $300.00 worth, and celebrate with, yes, some e-mailing.

As this is a long weekend, we decide to stay at this lodge for three days, mainly having drinks, and jumping into the pool. We do some school work, around, by and also in the pool as the mood takes us.

I lead the kids in study of contraceptives and devices.

Any questions?

Maun, on the way out towards the Okavango

The one saving grace of this place (Maun), is the "Sports Bar". A great restaurant with TV's - we watch bits of the Olympics in their final dying moments.
We talk to some residents, and managers here, it seem that the delta is now essentially carved up into private areas, and those game lodges that did not get picked/ know "someone" when the goodies were handed out, are in fact facing a losing battle. Hence lodges are losing money and are consequently in disrepair.

We decide to head off up north tomorrow toward the Namibian border, and trust to luck for a trip out into the swamps. I've had enough of this place, the tourists are treated simply as a never ending source of revenue, with the items that are sought, being tightly controlled in a pure monopoly of private holdings in the delta, and very restricted availability of polers (max of 30 at any time for the southern delta by government order). This with extremely high rates to enter the park, poor or no facilities in the park, low standard and quality of services. After brilliant quality of service and facilities up to now, I'm beginning to think this touring business is hard work.

Distance travelled this entry: 650 Km.

Distance moved on trip this entry: 600 Km

Editors Note:

And......... many, MANY years later, when I have nothing better to do than revisit these 25 year old blogs, this time to finally add many more pix from the video camera, for all you folks totally devoid of a realistic view of entertainment.

Here they are: