1st - 2nd of November

We met two English couples from North England at the camp and we all returned to Maun at the same time, them in a seven seater plane and us in a three seater. Karen really enjoys these small planes, I hate them - I prefer size. We dropped in at their hotel just up the road, for a drink during the evening and just enjoyed each others company.

Back at Maun Rest Camp for a couple of days before we press on tomorrow towards Moremi. All in all when I reflect on our Okavango trip - it was more than we intended paying, but it was well worth the money. We managed to explore all aspects of the this fantastic Delta and were waited on hand and foot. Yes, this is something you should do more often!!!

3rd - 7th of November Moremi and Chobe game parks

One of our famous early starts today, we are on our way to Moremi game reserve. We were a bit apprehensive about going back again after so many years. We have heard so many stories of how things have changed, higher prices to get in and mile high prices for camping. One of the things that was really annoying was the fact that you have to have a permit and your camping site booked before you get to the park. That was easier said than done, because the permit was issued at one place and most of the camps at several other places, so you ended up spending a whole day trying to book. As lots of camps were fully booked you were going backwards and forwards between the offices until you got you plan to work out. Here in Botswana they call this "Plan 2016" - god help them.

 

Moremi was very hot and we saw very few animals. The roads were mainly bumpy deep sand, so driving was very slow. We stayed at Xakanaxa where they didn't have numbers on most of the sites, so you had to guess where you were supposed to put your tent up.3rd Bridge was the second site during our two day stay in the park. This brought back memories of our first time here 25 years ago. It has certainly changed now. A great big ablution block had been built, which from our site required 10 minutes walking - not so good after dark with a site renowned for its elephants and Hyenas.

At 3rd bridge we were up early as usual and I found a fully grown hippo barring the door to the gents. I had to wait until he decided that another place was more interesting. The old bridge is still there ( where the camp gets its name from), but it really protests when you drive across. 

3rd Bridge is a bit worn out!

 

On our way out of Moremi at North Gate the road was flooded. We tried to find a way round, but there wasn't any. Another vehicle came and they were no too keen on driving over. It was  vera meter deep in the middle with a soft sand bottom - don't want to lose the car in that. At this point a third vehicle arrived on the scene and still nobody wanted to chance the crossing. We were debating how long it would take to get out by the South Gate, when a Land cruiser driven by a guide came through the water from the other side. He just about skidded up onto our side.

Well if he could do it - so could we! The two other drivers thought it a good idea that Karen and I should try first - so we did and with water coming over the bonnet we managed it. The landrover came next, but the third driver wouldn't risk it. His vehicle wasn't fitted with a snorkel and wasn't quite as high as the Hilux and Landrover. He went back. That was our first real deep water crossing.

 
Always ready to give a helping hand, while Karen keeps a look out for lions

Getting through the water

  
 

In Chobe we stayed at Savuti and Ihaha.

On the road between Moremi and Chobe we met some unfriendly elephants and one of them began to charge us so we wound the Toyota up into high gear pretty quickly and got out of there. I enjoyed Chobe more, there were more animals, and though still very warm (40 degreesC) we saw a lot. At Savuti we didn't see too much. The giraffe we saw were very pale, as if their "wallpaper" needed replacing. he he!!! The driving was generally still in deep sand, so it was hard going. I noticed that the vehicle had started behaving badly when the sandy road was bumpy. Both the rear shocks were leaking, so we are going to have to get them replaced when we reach Kasane. 

 

An elephant in the Chobe River

On towards Ihaha on the Chobe River. Here we saw literally hundreds of elephants. We have never seen so many in one place before. Our camp site was right down on the river, so we had a great view of the crocs and the hippos. We remember this part of Chobe as being a good game viewing area and it hasn't changed at all. We moved camp just after sunset as we could see the monkeys gathering in the tree above us - a noisy night in store, but the empty site a 100 meters away solved our problem. Drove through Serondella on our way out of Chobe, and we could remember the places where we had camped back in the 80s. It is only a picnic site now, as it is deemed too dangerous to camp, because the animals have got too used to humans and were coming in too close for comfort! Being now a lot more interested in birds, we saw more Hammerkops, Korry Bustards, African Open Bills, Secretary Birds, Baldheaded Vultures, a gigantic owl that we couldn't name, Marabou Storks, our old friend the Fish Eagle etc.

8th - 11th of November

Saw again hundreds of elephants on our way out along the Chobe River, plus  buffalo, hippo, crocs, impala, warthog etc. Three crocs were trying to eat a dead elephant which was lying in the water, but without much luck. Called in at Chobe Game Lodge for a shandy, then on into Kasane where we booked into the Water Lily Lodge for a couple of days. Tomorrow we will get the shocks on the Hilux changed, and plan the next stage of our trip.

 
Tomorrow has arrived and we tried in vain to pick up two rear shocks for the Hilux - without luck. The hotel had arranged for a mechanic to come and fit them, but I had to send him away without a job. I could have fitted them my self, but it is not expensive to let one of the locals do - and in this way we can help the locals a bit.

We found out that a local wage is about three and a half pula an hour, giving about 1000 pula a month.

Had a dip in the pool while a warthog was cutting/eating the grass around it - who needs a lawn mower! I am going to see if I can smuggle one on the plane home!!!

Good to have a roof over your head

The weather changed and it started raining, so we sat on our terrace and read and lazed the rest of the day away. Went down to The Old House restaurant just down the road. Quite nice with a lot of people giving it a good atmosphere.

The next day we moved back to camping. The lodges are great, but we always miss our camping. We went to a camp further out of town called Kubu Lodge Camping. Did a late afternoon cruise from the lodge. we sailed into Chobe Game Park. We had expected to see loads of elephant, but only saw five. Red Leche, buffalo, crocs and hippos made up the rest. We were 20 people crammed into a little boat and this spoiled some of the enjoyment.

Next day we went out to another camping site where we knew there was a chance of seeing elephants down at their water hole at the camp. This camp was even further out than the last, but the elephants came as promised. Then something fantastic happend we were overwelmed by millions of flying termites. They literally forced the whole camp to extinguish all lights apart from the lights out at waterhole. It was a fantastic sight seeing all these termites filling the night sky. The whole thing lasted about 45 minutes and then they just dropped out of the sky and promptly lost their wings - now they were just ordinary termites. The next day, millions of wings lay all over the place and the birds were in for a feast, with all these termites crawling around.

  

First hot, so we relaxed, then rain, elephants and later flying termites, afterwards the wings left behind.

Today the 11th of November we are on our way to Zambia. We called in at Kasane to fill up with fuel, because it's much cheaper here than in Zambia. The border crossing involved a ferry crossing (28$), which went okay, but the formalities at the border took time and it cost quite a bit. A visa 50$. You also have to pay CO2 tax 20$ plus road tax, 150.000 zkw (34$)  which covers you for three months, but if you leave the country and return within the three months you have to pay again. One big money making machine - shame for the tourists and even more so for the country, because in the end tourists are going to really give some of these countries a miss. We had to change money at the border and even here they tried to cheat us. It was the official Zambian border exchange and even when the exchange rate was advertised on the board they tried it on. Luckily we had a calculator with us and after several attempts we got the exchange advertised. Never a dull moment at the border crossings!

Got to Livingstone, bought the shock absorbers, checked in at the Waterfront camp and fitted them. Cooked our evening meal early and went down to the bar overlooking the Zambezi and enjoyed the sunset.

12th - 13th of November Zambia

We were told as we checked into the camp that there could be quite a bit of noise, because a few "overland trucks" had booked in. We took a chance and we could hear them, but they weren't nearly as annoying as the monkeys here at the camp. The baboons are the worst, both because of their size and fearlessness regarding humans. The campsite's rubbish bins are just large oil drums with a flat lid, which the apes have no problem in opening. The bins are emptied everyday, but not at the same time and with so many overlanders here, they are quickly filled up - guff for the monkeys. You get used to them though, but you have to keep alert.

Victoria Falls

We drove down to the falls from the Livingstone side and were amazed at the los level of the water in the Zambezi. From the bridge over to Zimbabwe we couldn't see any spray from the falls. Earlier this year we couldn't see anything for spray and got absolutely soaked when trying to approach the falls. It really shows how the rains here can change the whole face of the countryside. Tomorrow (Sunday) we are going to drive up towards Lake Kariba and further into Lower Zambezi  National Park and probably on into Lusaka. We will also venture over to a large waterfall with the name Ngonye Falls at Sioma. We will enquire in Lusaka about road conditions, to find out which roads are still passable. The rain season is nearly upon us and we wouldn't want to get stranded somewhere. This is the reason we won't venture any further north, because you have to cross several rivers, where the convenience of a bridge doesn't always exist.

Today it's another lazy day enjoying the views over the Zambezi, washing a few clothes, updating our homepage, watching football (United versus Aston Villa). This Africa life is a really catching on.

Trees in blossom in Livingstone

Chatted to Demond from South Africa. He is just on a holiday on his motorbike. Got a good deal of info from him about South Africa. Also met a couple from Austria - we call them the "water crossing couple", because we met them earlier in Moremi with our first deep water crossing. Had a sundowner together with them whilst overlooking the Zambezi. A big crocodile came swimming over towards us while we drank - no dips in the river tonight!!!

 

15th to the 20th of November

Left early and headed towards Lake Kariba. Most of the way we drove on asphalt - bit strange and arrived after 320 kms at Kariba Bush Club Camp. Beautiful campsite overlooking Lake Kariba, complete with a swimming pool surrounded by grazing zebra. We couldn't believe our eyes. During the first few hours they were joined on the campsite by bushbuck, impala, vervet monkeys. Who needs a game drive! Very hot all the time now, because we have come down from 1200 to about 400 meters above sea level. As we climbed into the tent in the evening the temperature was still 30 degrees C.

Investigated the area around the camp. Found a factory where they fish the lake and dry and sell the fish. We talked to guy who admitted that they overfish the lake and quite often come home empty handed.

Their fishing boats are something special. They look like a pontoon with a crane on it. The fish when they do manage to fill the net are too heavy to lift out of the water, hence the jib. They fish at night with powerful lights to attract the fish.

At the moment while I am writing this, I am surrounded by zebra feeding on the grass which makes up the campsite. We have decided to try some crocodile tonight at the camp restaurant and stay another day - or two------.

We stayed 3 nights and it could have been more. The crocodile was delicious and the camp was full of Impala and zebra most of the time, but the strangest group of animals was made up of two cows and a lame goat! They just followed each other around all the time and slept during the night on the volley ball pitch.

We did a sunset game cruise, which unfortunately was not a real success. There was only Karen and myself, so we did it in a motorised canoe, with a guide who couldn't really tell us much. Not  a lot of animals but the sunset was nice though.

After three great days we felt we had better move further north on our way up to Lower Zambezi Park. After seven hours driving we arrived at a pontoon ferry that would take us the 100 meters over the river. Our proposed camping site was 10 kms further on, on the other side. There was only one problem - they wanted 28 American dollars to take us over - three times more than the Zambians had to pay for their vehicles. Here we drew the line, it wasn't a matter of the money, but the continual paying through the nose for everything, because we are tourists. We stayed at a Kwabi Lodge Camp on this side of the river..

We checked at the camp to see if there was a way around the ferry, but there wasn't really. Even the locals thought it unfair that we should be expected to cough up so much, but we had no alternative, so next morning early we spent a minute on the ferry while it crossed (at nearly 1 dollar for every 2 seconds, it was something we had to really enjoy!!!!) We checked in at a camp 60 kms from the gate to the park. The weather still very hot (41 degrees C), so the little swimming pool at the camp site was in use most of the day. The camp is situated on the banks of the Zambezi and the next day the elephants were lining up on the opposite bank to entertain us while we had breakfast.

We had had rain during the night and this brought the temperature down to an acceptable 30 degrees C. Got the tent dried and then we pushed on into the park. No one can tell us what the condition of the roads are in the park, or even if they are starting closing parts of it because the "little rain season" is already here. It should only take an hour and a half to gate and if we can't get through the park, we can just come back again. You have to be really careful not to get stuck anywhere, because if a river suddenly appears behind you, you could be stranded for weeks. 

20th - 23rd of November  Zambia

Lower Zambezi Park is a difficult park to get information about. It seems no maps exist anywhere to help you get through. All we know is that the park is difficult, or impossible to get through if it rains. As we had had rain during the night we were a bit apprehensive about our chances. The next stage was to get to a camping site just outside the park entrance. We got to Mvuu Lodge Campsite after two and a half hours driving on a very bad road with long deep muddy patches. The roads here can change character in minutes, going from a no problem experience to one where you have problems just keeping the car on the road.  

 
 

To our surprise, we met our "water friends" who had arrived at the camp the day before. Their real names are Julie and Dieter from Austria and were the couple with which we did our first real "deep" water crossing in Botswana. - great to see them again. We decided to cook he evening meal together on the banks of the Zambezi which our campsites overlooked.

The site was fantastic, with each spot having its own toilet and shower. Later during the afternoon a hippo just wondered up out of the water - right next to us.
 

Mr hippo on his way back into the Zambezi
After enjoying a gin and tonic with Julie and Dieter we grilled our meat over the fire and enjoyed our meal looking out over the moonlit Zambezi. We were all sat there mesmerised with the evening, when all of a sudden an elephant appeared from nowhere and ended up just about 4 meters away from where we all sat. It walked slowly past us and went further up the river, feeding as it went. Crocodiles also appeared at the edge of the water, so we all decided we were close enough where we sat.

 
As we all were going into the park, we had decided to drive together. The owner of the lodge advised us to ask at the gate what the condition of the roads in the park were in and that travelling in a convoy of two was a good idea. When we reached the gate, they said it was okay to go through, because we were 4x4s and had a good ground clearance.

Lower Zambezi Park

The park was a fantastic experience. We saw elephants, bushbuck, hippo both in the water and on land, buffalo, impala. leopard, kudu and then landscape was both exciting and beautiful. One minute you were more or less driving in a gulley where you couldn't see anything, then all of a sudden an elephant could be blocking the narrow road. Then it all opened up and you could see for miles around. You had the feeling that anything could happen. We stopped at a water hole for a break and just watched the antics of the elephants and the hippos.
The road was very bad, with deep holes and lots of water to manipulate. Another thing that I hated was the presence of Tsetse flies. I swell up at once when bitten. Luckily I only got bitten three times, which considering their numbers was okay. As we climbed the escarpment we lost the Tsetse monsters and a lot of our tyre tread. The climb out was hard on the vehicles - but we managed to get through the park unscathed after 9 hours actual tiring driving.

When we eventually arrived at the gate, the guard told us we could camp there, but we declined his offer and moved on hoping we could find something along the road. We found what we thought was a deserted campsite, but next morning we found out that it wasn't, but we paid to stay there and got the use of a toilet before we split up. Julie and Deiter are going to Malawi and we are heading back down to Livingstone. Thanks you guys for two fantastic days in your company.
We stopped off at The Moorings Camp on our way to Livingstone. Called in at a supermarket in Lusaka, which we had to pass through, just to top up on a few groceries and bread. The camp is just like a big park - a great place to do some more washing and see if we can scrape some mud off the vehicle. Through the park after 9 hours hard driving
After the escapades in South Zambezi, the vehicle really needs to be cleaned. It's caked in mud!!! One of the locals at the camp would do it for 10.000 K, which is about 12 Danish crowns. He did a good job, so when he was finished I set about all the scratches that have accumulated on the sides of the vehicle during our years driving through then bush. I used a special abrasive wax, which did the job a treat.

There I was just minding my own business, when a swarm of insects that resemble, wasps decided to play with me in quite an aggressive manner. I ended up after a struggle getting stung twice on the arm and once next to my right eye. At the moment my arm resembles Popeye's after a dose of spinach and my eye, how the loser in a boxing match might look. We never found out what they were and hopefully the swelling will soon go down, so I begin to resemble a normal person again!!!. Karen made friends with a sweet little cat at the camp, but when it dragged a rat in it had caught for Karen's approval, it wasn't so sweet anymore.

The track through Lower Zambezi Park
 

Hi big fella

  

24th of November

A lazy start today, then on the road back to Livingstone, 300 km away. Checked in at the Waterfront camp again and even got our old site. We have decided to head back to Kasane tomorrow, where we will book a night in Chobe at Ihaha camp and hope to see the elephants again. There are many overlanders here again, but not a lot of noise.

25th -26th of November  Botswana

Got to the border at Kasangula where we would cross into Botswana. Left the Zambian side without problems and even managed the ferry we had to use after we had found out where you buy the ticket. The ferry can manage one truck and a couple of cars at a time, but decided to try two tucks and with us in the middle. As a result one of the ramp as it was being pulled up broke the rear bumper off the truck behind us. It was just hard luck for the truck driver. The people on the ferry just held their hands up and said there was no insurance!!!

When we got to the Botswana side we had to pay all the usual "tourist" surcharges (road toll, C02 etc), but here they wanted us to pay 3rd party insurance, which we already had, but no amount of arguing would convince him otherwise - pay or go back. So we paid, just so we could get over the border. Funnily enough when we crossed into Botswana a few weeks ago they accepted the fact that we had insurance and let us through. The border crossings still hold surprises for us - no chance of getting bored!

 
Arrived in Kasane and went straight to The Elephant Man's camp a few kms down the road. We call him this because we saw so many elephants at his water hole last time we stayed here. From our site we could see the water hole and true to form, before I had even finished grilling the meat for tea, the elephants started rolling in to the water hole, not more than 50 meters from us, and came walking past 10 m from where I stood. We had to leave the food to look after itself, because elephants are serious business and it demands all our attention. More than 40 elephants came and they were followed by 200 buffalo. At this stage we are not more than 10 meters from the water hole, because he has a raised bar and lounge right next to the water. The water hole is illuminated by a special light which doesn't affect the animals.

At one point some of the elephants decided to take a short cut more or less through the camp

Short cut through the camp
 

This camp lies right out in the bush, without any fences to keep things in or out. Right now as I write this a hyena is making a lot of noise some where out there. In spite of the fact we probably won't see as many elephants anywhere else, we are leaving tomorrow and maybe going into Chobe along the river. Another thing that is happening right now is we are being attacked by monster flying beetles.

27th - 29th of November

  
Up early and on the road to the the park gate at Chobe, where we arrived at 7.30am. We couldn't book the campsite at Ihaha, because the girl who handles the bookings hadn't arrived, so we paid our entrance fee for the park and in we went. They said at the gate we could book the site when we arrived at the camp. It took us four and half hours to get to then camp, because getting to it was our morning game drive.

Elelephants and more elephants

We drove the loops as they are called along the chobe river. We came across a young dead elephant that we had seen over two weeks ago. Then it was being eaten by crocs and now it had been left to the vultures to clear everything up. There wasn't much left - mother nature really cleans up after herself. As we continued, we saw literally hundreds of elephants, lots with young calves. At one point we were completely surrounded by them, even when we were driving along the track. We had to stop until the track was clear, because you have to be careful when they have so many young with them. It was truly magnificent, just being among these fantastic creatures.

 

 

Just don't come any closer

We also saw lots of impala with their young. We have never seen so many at one time before. We also saw a tortoise crossing the track and then turning back and doing it again to make sure we got a good photo!!! Plenty of hippo as usual in the river. Got to the camp and there wasn't a sole there. Last time we were here it was full. The robbery I wrote about last time we were here seems to be putting people off staying here. Really a shame, because it's a fantastic site. We decided though not to stay, as it seems that there is a security problem still and with no security precautions being taken at all, we wouldn't feel safe on our own.

They allowed us to go down to camp and have some lunch and see if we could see any game on the river. After lunch we just sat there oblivious to everything - a snake managed to get right up to Karen's feet before I saw it and shouted. Her legs shot up and the snake disappeared. Unusual for a snake to go over open ground in the burning sun. It turned out that the snake was harmless. The guys on then gate knew what it was, but couldn't remember its name.

Mums nearby!

  

We did a game drive back to gate, without seeing too much - oh yes - we saw a herd of elephants, 10 seconds after Karen had just said "that we hadn't seen anything for a while" and there they were.

Decided to go back to the elephant man (Senyati Safari Camp), just outside Kasane, for two nights. The elephants arrived at the water hole on time both nights, as yours truly was in the middle of grilling.

We did a game drive around the camp and we saw a sable antilope, impala, lots of baboons. The track we were using ran parallel with the border with Zimbabwe and at some points was only meters away. Later in the camp, buffalos and giraffes joined the elephants at the water hole. As I have said before, it's the only bar in Africa I know, where a game drive takes place while you enjoy a gin and tonic as the sun goes down. 

   
Left early in the morning for Nata, now on our way back down to Johannesburg through Botswana. Decided to camp at Nata Lodge Camp Site. Some people we met at the elephants mans camp recommended it. The lodge was great, but the camp site was disappointing. Good ablutions, but the sites had no real shade and were just churned up sand. We ate at the lodge, but the food was not good at all. Everything was greasy and if you want potatoes, you can only get them as chips.
 

30th of November

Left Nata and took the tarmac towards Francistown, where we did some shopping and then on to Khamo Rhino Sanctuary. The camp site was great with good facilities and on its own out in the bush. The sites were big, with no fences to restrict the entry of the game in the sanctuary. We weren't worried, because there were no predators in the park. We did a game drive, just to see what we could see, and yes we saw three white rhinos out on the pan. Grilled a couple of steaks over the fire after we had enjoyed a gin and tonic as the sun disappeared - we are really getting used to this life!!! 

December