| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 06th | 7th |
| 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th |
| 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st |
| 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th |
| 29th | 30th |
The Botswana roads aren’t as good as the Namibian roads, mainly due to the cattle, goats and donkeys that graze on the road side and just wander off in front of you.
We book into Audi camp which is a little out of town. Getting dinner in the restaurant, which is lovely. There’s a pool here and something rustling in the bushes. We ask the owners of Audi camp their thoughts on the next few days as we can’t get a guide for tomorrow. They are really helpful so we plan tomorrow with some going to self drive Moremi while others do the mokoro boat ride, it’s a 7 / 3 split. Then the following day everybody drives to Chobe via Nata and get a guided tour there coupled with a booze cruise. The other option is to drive straight to Chobe but the road is supposed to be 4x4 only with some very deep sand and they reckon it would be quicker for us to take the Nata route because of the better road. It will leave the option if we’d like to drive around Chobe ourselves after that. So its bed time, this camp is pretty cool.. when your in the toilets / showers you look up and you can see the stars and your never alone.
The insects like sitting beside in the bog or showering with you. You never know what your going to see, spider, frog, lizard or just something big and black.
Sleeping arrangements have changed. Gillian's in a threesome in the ground tent as they are doing the mokoro.
We getting up earlier so they can sleep in a bit as we take the trucks pre-dawn and get on the road to Moremi at early as possible.
We are up, drive into town, get snacks for the day, refuel and passing back by Audi camp by 6.10am… after a while we hit shit bumpy sandy road all the way Moremi. We get there at 9.30ish.
Ken goes up to sort out getting us in. Apparently they can if they want decide not to let anyone in. Which would be a pain in the ass. It turns out we don’t have enough money, its 100 Pula + 100 per car or something like that, something like 1200 Pula needed and we have around 1000. We’re trying to figure out how to pay in Pula + Rand because he won’t take credit cards. Suddenly we realise we do have enough, we’ve told yer man there is 10 of us because there’s always 10 of us. But there is only 7 because of the guys on the mokoro trip. Now yer man thinks a few of us have ducked into the back because suddenly there is 7 + 2 cars and now we only need 900ish.. of the 1000 we happen to have. He lets us in anyway.
Now yer man in Audi camp said last night that we would D.E.F.I.N.I.T.E.L.Y see Giraffe on the road into Moremi. Cast Iron, without a doubt, dead cert, but, nope. Not a sign, we did get an elephant though, just wandered out in front of us, strolled across the road and disappeared as fast as he appeared. They are big, slow, but they appear and disappear out of no where. We’ve also spotted spring bok, impala (deer), wart hog and a few birds.
Yer man gave us a rough plan to follow, but the map is crap. So we drive around for a bit, there are no sign posts and only rough tracks to follow. After nothing much more then spring bok, impala, steenbok and kudu, Laura spots a giraffe deep in the trees, but that is quickly superseded by a family of elephant in the mud. Class!!! We storm in and scare them off.. well we go around the waterhole and they wander off behind us.. leaving one behind, we watch him, but when he makes a fake charge at us we’re gone. Not hanging around here. Some more bumpy driving around and we see hippo, a zebra or two and lots more deer. We drive to 3rd bridge cos there was a Lion kill there yesterday. Nothing today.. no Lions. Apparently there are prides of Lions here that will take down an elephant and presumable a 4x4 truck if given the chance, we’re offering ourselves up for a bit of excitement, but they are not biting. Mind you, the grass here is long, so they are probably just sitting there, watching us, having a bit of a laugh. Anyway, we begin to make our way out of the park, spot a big elephant, but he wanders off. Animals don’t like posing for pictures, as soon as we stop and prepare to take pictures they just turn and wander off, leaving many pictures of an ass and then just the bushes left behind.
We go off road to get a little closer and because we’re outside the park we get out of the truck, I’m assuming we’re safe, but i'm staying slightly closer to the truck then at least one of the others so I don’t mind wandering over to the giraffe’s. Once again they refuse to pose. Spot another elephant and a few wildebeest on the way home.
Get some food for a bri on the way home then catch up the mokoro guys before having a night cap and climbing up into bed.
Up at 6am after some freaky animal s**t when down last night. It sounded like something was being killed. Apparently it’s the male baboon’s giving the wife and kids a slap around to keep them in line. A quick swim in the Audi camp pool.
Breakfast in the restaurant then go into town to organise some stuff. Get digital camera cards put onto disk. Ken is trying to explain to the guys about Ireland.. says you know U2 etc, before he knows it some bloke is telling him he has 3 of his albums. Bono and Catherine Zeta Jones spotted in Maun, what are the chances!?
Anyway, we pop into the tourist office in Maun, yer man is really nice and very friendly. He rings around and organises 2 nights camping for 10 people in Toro Lodge, they apparently have their own shower block per camp site for 5 people. They will also do a guided safari drive with us and a sunset river cruise. Its 70P camping + 90P game drive + 45P night cruise. Its much more expensive here for the likes of camping and trips etc.
The others have gone on ahead, so we leave town about an hour after them, there is only one fuel stop so both trucks will need to stop to refuel in NATA (interesting fact about Nata, about 1 in 3 people here have AIDS, its not a nice place to hang around). While we refuel the other go on again ahead again, we’re only about 15 mins behind them.
The roads here widen in some places because they are used as landing strips but in some places they are really shit and pot holey and we bop along the other car comes into view, pulled into the side of the road, there is also an army truck there. It looks like they have pulled in to help somebody. As we get closer their appears to be some damage to their roof rack, a tent is missing. It doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t look to bad either. There’s also a white car there and a non army bloke wandering around.
Apparently what happened, the bloke in the white car stopped, slowed down to avoid and elephant crossing the road (as is quite common on this stretch of road) and Gillian moved to over take him, hit a pothole, started the whole top heavy thing wobbling then she fell over and skidded on her side for a bit, (not Gillian now, the truck) before coming to rest in the middle of the road. Luckily an army truck following on was able to help them right the truck before any damage was done to the engine.
So while she ticked over, she didn’t start. Not long after Charlie turns up with his mate bush. Charlie works in the area and drives this road a few times a week. Today is one of those days, he’ll tow the guys 90km back to Nata. The price for such a kind gesture?? He wants nothing. Myself, JohnF and Shamie get into his Toyota truck, his first action is to offer us his last three beers. Being gentlemen we won’t turn him down. So as we sip his castle beers, he sips his castle beer (not his first of the day I’d guess) as he drives us back to Nata (drinking and driving is also illegal in Botswana) he tells us of his days as a rally driver, he’s doing a fair clip actually, I don’t think Mick (driving the truck being towed) is enjoying it because he’s no power steering and I think the trucks steering is a bit wonky now. Charlie is also steering with his knees as he’s looking for his business plans on the dash board of the car, we’re doing about 90km p/h towing a shagged truck on a bad road, steering with knees, drinking beer, he swerving a bit too because he’s not really watching the road because he’s looking for his business plan. But he’s a good driver, led a rally in Northern Ireland once, not bad for someone who’d never driven in ice and snow. It didn’t last, he finished 11th. He digs out a number of a mate of his who can fix landies, he won’t give it to bush’s people (bush is a black lad) cos he reckons they will take days on it. His mate (Peter, a real real bush man) meets us. A short phone call and he started the landie. He’s a landie fanatic, he’s also married to a woman from Cavan and works in Nata during the week. We give him an Irish hat with horns we were saving for the Ireland game that we missed. Charlie is pleased with 12 cans of castle that we get him.
Peter brings us to the local clinic (remember this place is pretty close to the aids capital of the world, not a place you want to have an accident. At least nobody needs any blood). Gillian just needs a quick check up, she’s spent the last hour or so sitting in the other truck with a bag of cold wine on her head.
We check into Nata lodge until we can sort another vehicle or rearrange our plans. Peter joins us later for a beer. We’re in the chalets, no camping for us tonight.
Its pricy enough for dinner etc, but its comfy.
Up at some stage, got savaged last night under the mossie net, I think I had one trapped in there with me, my left arm has about 10 bites on it... the little fecker. For the camera car its a nothing day. Ken starts the day by cleaning the pool, then himself, Joe and Mick proceed to empty the pool of ALLL its water by jumping in again and again and again.
Laura sun bathe's and I shade bathe. The other car are in the police station reporting the accident. They are gone for a few hours, they should be okay, they have made up a story to tell the cops. When they return they have avoided getting locked up, although JohnF did walk off with the keys of a police car instead of taking the 4x4 keys. We decide on a plan for the next few days. Shamie cools down by jumping in the pool and we spend a bit of time looking for his wallet. Not too bad in a normal pool, but we can’t actually see the bottom of this pool, so who knows what’s living down there - Micks from the deep!!
Basically, Mick and Shamie swap. We take Shamie to go to Chobe and they get Mick and wait here for the Drive South Africa guys who are on their way with a replacement truck.
Dinner tonight is mutton curry. Oh my god... it arrives in a little caldron so you can't really see what your getting, a few bites and I know its not to be messed with. I start putting it back into the caldron. There is actually more now... then when it started. I think its growing, perhaps its alive, either way, I'm not eating it the rice will do me tonight. For such an expensive place the restaurant has been pretty poor. The streaks have been good, but anything else is a liability. Bit of TV.. first in a week and then bed.
Up early and a continental breakfast, not bothering with the full breakfast they offer as it wasn’t great yesterday. We head back up the dodgy road, no elephants today, although we did see a small herd of buffalo crossing the road. We've rearranged our accommodation to stay at toro, they say they can fit us in. When we arrive we see the fancy individual shower and toilet per camp, but it doesn't really matter because the place is empty. Not another soul in the place. We check in and book the sun set cruise and enquire about the game drive. Unfortunately the game drive goes at 9am.. we want earlier. We get some food, which is expensive and then we head out to check out the Chobe safari lodge, quite a posh place. They run a game drive at 6am + they do the booze cruise. They are closer to the park too AND there is a bit of life in this camp. So we decide to stay here. We book the booze cruise for tomorrow evening and the 6am game drive then head back to Toro. We tell Toro we're not staying, then head out on the sun set cruise. The guide is excellent, he brings us to the point where four countries meet, down to some lads fishing and generally just sails the five of us around as we sip beer.
We come in just after dark. The manager is waiting for us. He inquires why we're not staying. He then informs us they do actually do the early game drive, but its too late we've booked the other place. He's not happy, as we leave him he says there is something to sort out at reception. As we head to reception he eats the head off his excellent guide for keeping us out after dark.
The reception girl tries to charge us extra for slightly longer boat cruise, we tell her politely, that wasn’t our choice so feck off. Then she says there is a charge for inconvenience of canceling (bout €5 per head), we pay that and try to leave, the guy behind the bar then says we one him 1 Pula because they under charged us for the over priced drinks. 5 f**king pula, its about 20c. The manager must have been absolutely reading them the riot act. 2 days ago they had 10 people staying two nights, doing a cruise and game drive + food and drinks for 10... now he’s just 5 in a cruise. but he’s an ignorant f**ker so I don’t feel guilty.
We head to Chobe safari lodge and pitch the tents before doing a bri. Its not a late night at we're up at 5.30 tomorrow.
Up early and onto the game drive truck. There is only two others on our truck. The guide is crap, he just drives us around, we could do this ourselves. We are just in the gate and spot a massive heard of buffalo moving across the plain.
After three hours of driving we spot impala, kudu, waterbuck, hippo and some elephant. He points out carcasses and we spot a dung beetle which is pretty cool. Poor bloke, you just want give him a helping hand by picking up his little ball of shit and bringing it somewhere for him, but then again, you don't really wanna do that.
When we get back we have a big slap up breakfast, its huge and buffet, so practically all you can eat. I've had all I can eat, then we pack up our tents and head back to Chobe in our own trucks. We see masses and masses of elephants, tones of them, loads of them, get pretty close too, a little too close for comfort in some cases.
No lions again, our best shot for lions was Moremi, but we didn't know where to go. Pity!
Back at camp we get some more wildlife, there's a monkey with blue balls, a few baboon and a big warthog just wandering around. Picked up a few more bites last night, so get mossied up before the booze cruise.
Its good, although i go through a sleepy stage. No wild animals, get to smell a dead hippo and wildebeest which is not present let me tell you. The guide is good, he tells us the animals are dead due to anthrax and thats why they are not being eaten.
Nice to know we're been driving around a game reserve riddled with anthrax all day.
Have a nice bri and lots and lots of wine...
Didn’t sleep well last night, the baboons were making a racket (getting the women and children in line again i spose) and then birds in the morning. On the road by 7.30. I pull into the car park then proceed to reverse into a tree on the way out of the car park. in my defense, its early, we've no rear view mirror because we took it off because we couldn't see out the back of the truck due to all the gear. Back on the road to Nata.. I was doing a fair clip down the road toward this massive eagle in the road... he wasn't moving, I had no intention of swerving and repeating the other cars accident, but he still wasn't moving, then at the last last second he moved off, so slowly I wasn’t sure if I’d hit him... I’d say he's got the ringing of a land rover engine in his ears now. We're back in Nata by 10.45 and back on the road to francestown which we reach by 11.15.
Get mucky food ...and visit the very dodgy toilets. Back on the road and we decide to push for Martians drift and the South Africa boarder... the road for the turn for Martians drift is closed, so we push for the next road... before we know it we've been pulled in for speeding. 89 in a 60 zone, but its a load of crap, because we were in a faster zone, slowed a bit for a veterinary gate, but he waved us through so we didn't need to stop... and just a few meters short of the 120 zone we get done. We don't have enough Pula to pay the full on the spot fine, we throw what we have into the hat, then throw in some Rand as they wont take a credit card... ken goes off to pay yer one, she doesn't want the Rand so she decides to be lenient (wink wink nudge nudge say no more) with ken and take the pula from him and not run through this one through the books. Its 4.35 when we reach the next town, we've 121km to go the border closes at 6pm. Its gona be close, we start by taking a wrong turn... then we're on the road to Martians drift... a straight road, there seems to be more then the required veterinary stops, so we're constantly slowing down, then a police van pulls in front of us so we've to keep to the speed limit. Martins drift is so close now, in fact its so close we nearly drive past the entrance to the boarder crossing. We run in and get through the Botswana crossing without problems, then into the car and onto the South African crossing.
