Elephant Sands Botswana Nata

... Survivor.<br><br>Today is another travel day and we are taking several modes, starting with our mokoro. We leave our camp at 8:30 in our mokoro to rendezvous with the motor boats by 10. The temperature must be in the mid-20s C (77 F) already. There is nice breeze to cut the sun&#8217;s heat as we make our way through the many small channels. We arrive right on schedule. The lodge manager meets us and he tells us that ...

Maun to Nata <br><br>313ks<br><br>Up at 6 the temperature today is great until about 10 am. At another place with a pool and bar. It is about 40 degrees at the moment.<br>Met Robin and he is all set to go. My campsite cost 55 pula ($12NZD) robins room cost 550 Pula.<br>Have used the tent a lot as it is far cheaper than a room and you seem to get the same amenities. <br>Off to Zambia in the morning. Then to Livingston and the Vic falls. <br><br>Cheers miles

Another sunset, this time over the Makgadikgadi Pans - these massive salt pans of Botswana cover over 12000 sq-km. <br>Since the wet season these salt-encrusted clay pans have salty water in them and a few water birds, and it was a beautiful setting for yet another wonderful african sunset (they are just so red here!). It was even nicer sitting on top of our truck sipping a Savannah cider as the sun went down!!!

... as we drove through. <br><br>As we were driving along the road 2 young Botswana men whose van had broken down waved us down. They had started to take apart the diff but didn't have a 22mm spanner to finish the job; Neil had one in the tool kit so they got to work straight away. It turned out they had been there for the last 4 nights, they had waved other motorists down but they had all carried on even some of them waving back. They said they ...

... and very rewarding experience. Everybody we met was exceptionally friendly and equally knowledgeable about the camp and the game, some of them having worked and lived here for 40 odd years. One can only hope that as Zim finds its feet again these national parks will once again be supported and guarded as the national treasures they are.<br><br>So after this great de-tour to Zim we came back to Zambia and got ready for our great river adventure on the Zambezi.

... get told it's happening - probably the latter. Kristy seems to get along with the others so maybe she'll change also. <br><br>Had a nice hot shower after packing up the tent - first hot one in days. Lovely. Then lounged by the pool getting in last few minutes of essential sunbathing. Much better than changing trucks as the other Oasis crew were doing. <br><br>Leave camp at 11:30 and head into town. Buy disgustingly cold pies and sausage rolls ...

... to have very sweet rooms and a lovely pool. For all intents and purposes our trip was drawing to a close. We had a final night in South Africa - near the Limpopo River - at a lovely safari lodge. The kilometers had multiplied over the weeks and as we pulled up to the Union Buildings in Pretoria we added it all up. The ten of us and our trusty ...

We are waking up early from all the birds that are making a big noise to welcome the new day. The drive to the salt lake before breakfast is giving us a good idea of the time when all the birds are here. The flamingos are rather far away and not as abundant as expected, but there are sufficient pelicans, ducks, etc. to ...

What a difference a day makes (just like in South Luangwa) - our first night here was interrupted by the various night activities of several species of animals, but last night was quiet, quiet, quiet! I have just woken (6.13) to the sounds of the insects and birds, but nothing bigger than that - in fact I didn't wake at all in the night! The moon didn't rise until 9.45 last night and we wondered if this had something to do with the stillness - maybe it was ...