Tues. 21st May 2013
The amount of driving each day is getting shorter and we have the luxury of not leaving until 8am. Also, our drive today is only four hours and on tarmac roads – how spoilt are we! There is no messing about and Zenzo presses on with only a five minute stop half way to stretch our legs and water the bushes. We did have to slow down for a checkpoint as we entered a foot and mouth area but no need to stop. We may have to have all our footwear disinfected when we leave but that is a problem for another day.
We arrive at the campsite in good time for lunch but do not panic as we are not camping (yet, that comes next month). We have little “Wendy houses” which just take the two single beds and a very small table. The bathroom is out through a door at the rear comprising of a curved piece of corrugated iron panel and is roofless. Lunch is served next to Janis on our picnic table and chairs.
After lunch, we head into the town of Maun, which apparently is the tourist capital of Botswana as it is the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Even though we have been in the country twenty four hours, this is our first opportunity to get some Botswana currency and a SIM card. The town is more like a village and there are goats roaming around the streets. Although there are a variety of shops selling most things there is no coffee shop and, even worse, although there are internet cafes (without the café!) there is no Wi-Fi.
We sit in a fast food shop called Bimbo’s with a coke and use internet sharing on Dave’s phone to post a blog and catch up on email. Our plans for the rest of the trip are coming together and so we need to check the details. We are also thinking of Steve taking his Finals and Sheila on her birthday but are only able to send quick messages – and keep our fingers crossed!
Around the camp, as well as elsewhere there are huge termite mounds, sometimes with a tree growing in the middle. Apparently the termite mound comes first and the tree grows within it later and they have a symbiotic relationship. Some of the mounds must be very old as the house quite mature trees. On returning to camp we need to pack our overnight bags for our two day trip into the Okavango Delta.The highlight of our day is the yummy potato cakes cooked by our fellow travellers from Slovakia but this is like a rest day between the amazing experiences as we anticipate our scenic flights tomorrow morning into the Delta. Not much action here but I am sure it is a busy day for Steve with his exams.