Kasana to Maun, Botswana 30 July – 1 August 08

We left Zambia and headed into Botswana on a barge over the Zambezi river and the difference between countries was immediately obvious. Botswana has done well out of diamonds in the past and a lot of money has obviously been pumped into the infrastructure. The roads were good, well signposted etc and the towns were relatively tidy. Botswana was quickly renamed Flatswana – not a hill in sight, lots of low growing scrub, dry dusty land and hours and hours of flat straight roads. We spent one night in a camp near Kasana and spent that evening on a boat on the Chobe river looking at wildlife.

A chillybin (ice boxes if you’re a Brit, cooler if you’re American and eskis if you’re an Aussie……. I think!) came on board, much to the amusement/horror of the Germans that were on the boat with us, and we spent about three hours cruising up to elephants, buffalo, hippo, crocs, kudu, baboons etc. Boats seem less intrusive than a vehicle although many of the animals don’t seem to care either way



but the elephants and hippos certainly let you know if you’re too close!



We spent a long time watching a herd of elephants fooling round in the mud – very comical to watch them as they’re so big and clumsy. Once they’re down you don’t think they’re going to make it back up!





There were a couple of bulls fooling round, pushing each other, crunching heads and, as one of my team members at work used to say (referring to others who we worked with), testing to see who had the “biggest swinging d*ck”



The river was very wide and dotted with islands of grass where elephants, hippos and crocodiles lay or grazed.

We had a long long days drive through to Maun and while the scenery was rather dull, animal spotting is always a great way to pass the time. Maun was a strange place with big signs up prohibiting residents from driving on Fri-Sun between the hours of 1800-0000…. Quite why we’re not too sure but apparently noone heeds the rule. Goats were wandering freely through the shopping centre, music blared from huge loud speakers in front of a supermarket and, all in all, it was a very eclectic place. Because we were heading into the Okavango Delta for a few nights of bush camping, about ½ of us who were cooking had to make sure we had everything we needed foodwise. The rest went to stock up on alcohol the price of which, because of the president going teetotal, was going to rise by 70% the next day. The camp we stayed had a croc farm as a neighbour and as a result, one side was bordered by a 18-wire electric fence. Serious security and serious shock if anyone walked into it in the night! This camp was run by two Kiwis chaps from way deep down in the South Island. It was a short stay in Maun but we're back here in two nights time.


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